By Larry Barker, Vice President of Church Strategy and Training

 While being in danger of overstating the obvious, “we do not have to go to all the world because all the world is coming to us!” The first part of the quoted statement is not true if God has called you because the Great Commission commands Jesus followers to go into all the world. The second part of the statement is very true because the world is steadily coming to us, and what will our churches do about it? We have several examples of BMA churches ministering to foreign exchange students. The Missions Department is also dedicated to those God is bringing to our doorsteps of all languages.

BMA churches are now supporting North American church planting efforts in at least seven languages: English, French, Urdu, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, and Garifuna. While it is exciting to hear this expanded outreach for all people groups, there is still so much work that needs to be done. Our church plant in Oklahoma City, Grace Harbor, has begun working with refugees from Afghanistan that represent two new languages. What if we were able to double the number of language groups each year for five years? (14 languages in 2023, 28 in 2024, etc.) Would you be willing to begin praying for God to open those doors?

In Made for More by Todd Wilson and Rob Wegner the challenge is stated well: “The role of the local church is to be the mobilizing home base. This empowers all disciples to discover their personal calling and then deploy them to express the fullness of Jesus into every corner of culture and into every sphere of society.” Your church has a role in reaching the people God brings into your world by praying and then preparing to be ready to do what you can to help in reaching them.  You can also partner with those who are actively teaching them, like Ashraf Sara who is our Arabic language coordinator. Ashraf is a product of BMA Missions efforts in Iraq.

 There are several options, such as Elvis Garcia who is our Spanish language coordinator here in the United States. Elvis is a product of BMA Missions efforts in Guatemala.  There is Jamshad Hadyat from Pakistan planting an Urdu speaking church in Clarkston, Georgia. Jamshad came to us because of the ministry of Evangelistic International Ministries (E.I.M.). There is a new opportunity in the Bronx of New York City. Cherry Gamboa and his family are planting a Garifuna speaking church, and they are products of BMA Missions in Honduras. Who will be next in the BMA to step forward and reach a language group God has placed in front of you?

These men all have a story to tell because of missionary connections made by men called and sent by our churches. Men like Jerry Kidd going into Baghdad and connecting with Ashraf’s parents and their church plant. Men like Rocky and Michael Goodwin with E.I.M. going into Pakistan and connecting with Jamshad through their evangelistic trips. Men like David Dickson reaching the Garifunas in Honduras and being present when the Wycliff Bible translators presented them their first copies of the New Testament in Garifuna.  Men like Bobby Bowman and Bill Gibson who had a great impact on Elvis Garcia’s life and ministry.    

Now these products of international indigenous church planting are the second and third generation of church planters who live here and are carrying on the legacy of those who reached them by continuing the mission here. They are focused on reaching the next generation that God is bringing to America so that the gospel will be shared. How can your church mobilize to have a greater impact in helping these church planting efforts and in reaching all language groups around you? Once again, would you begin to prayerfully consider how God would want your church to become more involved in helping to reach these language groups?  

Remember, you have been deployed to reach into every corner of culture and into every sphere of society (Ephesians 3:10). God is opening doors, and the opportunities are God-sized and will require a God-sized faith, but he is able.  We must mobilize every soldier of the cross to fulfill his or her assigned roles towards the fulfillment of the Great Commission in this generation.  Paul addressed this challenge in I Corinthians 16:9: “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.”  The picture included is at a BMA of Florida Bible Conference, four language groups are represented: English, Russian, Arabic, and Spanish. My prayer is that God will raise up new leaders who have a heart for reaching these language groups with the gospel and will obediently walk through the doors God opens.  Will you pray with me?  Mobilizing a missionary force begins by mobilizing intercessors willing to pray Matthew 9:38!