One of the most strategic and seminal approaches to missionary work is through preachers’ conferences. In these the doctrines of grace can be taught to faithful men, who in turn will teach others (2 Timothy 2:2). Conferences also strengthen bonds of fellowship and give ready access to sound Christian literature to potentiate the spoken ministry. This Missionary Spotlight focuses on the growing number of overseas conferences supported by Evangelical Press and others.
Missionary Spotlight
Reformation in the Portuguese-speaking world
On 7-11October Editora FIEL welcomed 1,350 guests to its 21st annual FIEL Leadership Conference in Brazil (see January ET). They heard challenging messages, enjoyed fellowship and acquired more than 20,000 books at discounted prices.
The annual FIEL Leadership Conferences, currently held in Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique and Angola, began in 1984. These are partly sponsored by the ‘Adopt a Portuguese-speaking Pastor Project’, which was begun in 1993. This gives opportunity for a church or individual to provide a pastor with a book a month and the cost of the yearly FIEL conference in his country.
More than 400 pastors have received this vital help in their ministry. Two hundred pastors are on our list waiting to be included in the project. Since 1999 a quarterly reformed magazine has gone out free of charge to pastors and seminary students. The current issue is being mailed to more than 20,000 leaders in the Portuguese-speaking countries of the world.
Revolutionised
Letters like the following from an Assembly of God pastor in Mozambique clearly reveal the sovereign grace of God at work in lives, and encourage our staff to press on with the task of making known our sovereign God.
Pastor Adelino Joãowrites, ‘I would like to express my satisfaction of spirit and soul for – sound Christian literature to help me, not only in my pastoral ministry, but also in all my spiritual life’ This project has revolutionised my pastoral ministry. It has opened a broad unending horizon in all areas of my life ‘
‘The way I perceived God within me has changed. The way I tried to worship God also changed, thanks to God, holy, self-sufficient and all-wise – Among other books, I am reading God’s ultimate purpose.The more I read the emptier I feel, as I have greatly erred in my attempts to please God.
‘On the other hand, I am surprised and amazed by the mysteries that are unfolding to me through passages that I have read and heard many times.’
We believe that God has a multitude of his servants as spiritually starved as was pastor Adelino. With the prayerful help of God’s people they can be fed the meat of the Word and grow thereby.
