TOGETHER: Intercede for missions opportunities

Posted: 5/26/06

TOGETHER:
Intercede for missions opportunities

Lately, I have been reminded again of the worldwide scope of Texas Baptist work as I traveled to Vietnam with three of the strongest and most courageous leaders I know. They all are Texas Baptist pastors.

In addition to leading their congregations, Hue Nguyen is president of the Vietnamese Baptist National Fellowship, John Nguyen is president of the Vietnamese Baptist Fellowship of Texas and Daniel Tran has led in the translation of the Bible into Vietnamese and leads three theological training schools for Vietnamese pastors in Dallas, Houston and on the West Coast. At their invitation, I went with them to Hanoi, Vietnam.

Last year, these pastors asked the Baptist World Alliance to send a delegation to their homeland to intercede on behalf of the Baptists there and express their desire for full recognition and normalization of relationships with the government of their country. It was touch-and-go as to whether we would get the audience, but with the help of President Jimmy Carter, we were graciously received both by the office of religious affairs and by the leader of the Fatherland Front of Vietnam.

Executive Director BGCT Executive Board

It is too soon to know if things will improve enough so Baptists will be able to buy land and build church buildings, hold Sunday schools, train pastors and minister openly to the needs of the poor, the sick and the orphans. But we were encouraged by our reception.

The effort in Vietnam illustrates the passion Baptists have for reaching people for Christ, discipling believers and ministering to people in need. And our Texas Baptist churches are becoming an ever-stronger component in this worldwide effort.

Texas Baptists always have had the world on their hearts. We were blessed by those who came here to help us start churches in the 19th century. And we now are going around the world to do the same. Through WorldconneX, our BGCT missions network, we are facilitating church mission trips and helping churches support missionaries in ways we would not have imagined just a few years ago.

There will be a major missions rally on Sunday evening, Nov. 12, before our BGCT annual meeting in Dallas. Pastors of some of our strongest churches are sponsoring this rally, and WorldconneX and BGCT staff are encouraging and supporting it.

I ask you to make these missions opportunities a matter of earnest intercession with the Father. Our world is really lost, and it is tragically broken. We need more of us doing more than we have ever imagined. We can develop a worldwide strategy for mission advancement that connects local churches to mission needs through catalysts in key places around the world. We can maximize the power of individual involvement and cooperative strategic partnerships.

In Vietnam, as we prepared to make our first visit, Pastor Hue led the delegation in prayer. His heart broke for the needs of his people and their spiritual darkness. In many ways, Vietnam is more prosperous than it has been in decades, but these pastors yearn that their people will know the life that is truly abundant and eternal in Jesus Christ. My heart was blessed. My commitment grows to help Texas Baptists see how we can embrace Texas people and involve Texas churches so that from here we can touch the world with the saving heart of Jesus.

We are loved.

Charles Wade is executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.