April 2015 Newsletter

 

"One of my favorite activities:  Sharing a Bible lesson with my African friends."

                                                                                                 

Sierra Leone tour                                      

On April 12^th, I leave Bourofaye, Senegal on a trip that will take me to Freetown, Sierra Leone for a teaching tour with leaders of Hope of Glory, a house church ministry Sierra Leone. The folks at that mission are dedicated to bringing hope and righteousness to a people still finding their way returning to stability following an eleven-year civil war and more recently by the devastation of Ebola. It will be an opportunity to encourage these leaders with their vision for peace and restoration in a country many would consign to failure and hopelessness.

I will be providing these brothers and sisters with an overview study of the epistle of Ephesians, an apostolic letter calling Christians of all ages to build firmly on the foundation of the Christ the cornerstone and the witness of the New Testament apostles and prophets. I can summarize the goal of this teaching tour by putting together some of my favorite phrases from that epistle, (plus tinkering with the pronouns). My prayer is to-

Bless [them] in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose [them] in him before the foundation of the world, that [they] should be holy and blameless before him. In love,  he predestined [them] for adoption as sons…  according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ  as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. To bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. That through the church [in Sierra Leone] the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, thru whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. And that [the faithful in Sierra Leone] are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Amen

This goal statement I would further add that I am aware of risks of travel to Sierra Leone, but I am also know that God is calling us to share the Gospel of peace. We must not be bound by the paralysis of fear, nor can we abandon brothers and sisters in Christ who survive in the many threatening settings around the world today. I particularly solicit your prayers for safety, wisdom and enablement for this time of ministry in Sierra Leone.

To help you understand the situation in Sierra Leone please have a look at this YouTube video: http://youtu.be/8kme5X5ERf4, and read the attached report of Dr. Gess. Both of these recent reports provide a perspective on Sierra Leone by missionaries who have spent many years in that country.

Summer Plans 2015

Following my time in Sierra Leone, I will return to Bourofaye for a 3-week period, the 21 days required before entering the U.S. after leaving the Ebola region. I will arrive in the U.S. on

May 30^th and be there until July 30^th. Returning to Senegal shortly after Mennonite World Conference. Hopefully, those 8 weeks will provide opportunity to meet many of you.

July 19, 2:00-4:00 pm - MST with New Holland Congregation planning on a book signing of Beryl’s new Book “Animsts To Anabaptists” and a celebration of “The Walk for West Africa” at the New Holland Mennonite Church.  Light refreshments served.

The book

My forthcoming book, Animists to Anabaptists, detailing the story of the beginnings of the Mennonite mission in Gambia and Guinea Bissau is scheduled for publication during the month of April 2015.  I am in my final days of working with the book editor and designer at Dove publications in Lititz, Pa.

Would you like to make a donation to Beryl’s ministry in West Africa, and at the same time become a well –informed supporter of the work? You can receive a copy of the new book Animist to Anabaptist, describing the development of the Mennonite Church in West Africa when it is released in April this year. Please make a minimum contribution of $15 to cover the book and shipping. If you wish to receive a copy of the book for your donation, please return the slip below to New Holland Mennonite Church, 18 Western Ave., New Holland, PA 17557 Att. Robert E. Martin. All proceeds from the sale of books go into the fund that supports Beryl’s ministry. If you are only making a contribution, it is not necessary to return your address slip.

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A Report on the Annual Meeting of

Mennonite Church West Africa

Brethren from Gambia pray together before returning to Gambia from the annual conference, Dec. 2014

This report is about the annual gathering of Mennonites from Gambia, Casamance (southern Senegal) and Guinea Bissau. Usually we meet at the Kitti Mennonite Church near Brikama, Gambia, where we would normally expect 60-80 people in attendance. But this year there were travel restrictions for groups going into Gambia from Guinea Bissau. Thus, we chose to meet as smaller group of leaders at the mission facility where I live in Bourofaye, Senegal. The annual conference meets during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day because many of our leaders are either students or teachers and it is during those days that most are free to attend.

The Mennonite believers from the three countries are a multi-ethnic faith community, representing a half dozen tribal people groups scattered throughout this region in the westernmost part of Africa. We are an Anabaptist oriented faith community that has grown out of EMM’s West African mission.

The two day event was opened with a study of Ephesians 1 where the Apostle brings to our attention the blessings that we both give and receive from God the Father through Jesus Christ. The two-way blessings are expressed as both benedictions and benefactions: both words and deeds of blessing. In this chapter we learn about God’s blessing upon his covenant people, both his words and deeds, and we also learn about the words of worship we return to God and the good works we express through our lives as we interact with the rest of God’s creation. Both our words and our deeds, but of first importance, our godly works, belong to the worship we bring to the Father.

Following that keynote the group discussed specific issues of faith and practice in the community of Christ that are common in our life together here in West Africa. An important factor in the formation of a discipled community of Christ is that we are able to sit in a circle to talk and discern what God’s will is for us, opening ourselves as to how we can experience his redeeming work in our lives and community. We gather as equals, listening to each other and the Holy Spirit, with the goal of faithfulness to our covenant with God.

I have learned that in this kind of a gathering of believers, where decisions are made and policies established, everyone owns the decision. And people are far more willing to be faithful to the policy growing out of this process than when a decision is made for them by a clerical body and then dictated to the rank and file of believers. This is one of the significant functional differences between an Anabaptist faith community and either the evangelical or Catholic faith community.

1.     We talked about the need for restoration of those who stumble in their faithfulness to Christ and the community, focusing especially on the instructions of Galatians 6: 1-2. Our goal is restoration of what is broken rather than the exclusion of people who err. One brother shared how his church community helped him walk through a difficult period in his faith in relation to cultural traditions that are demonic and should be abandoned as Jesus’ followers. He is still in the process of restoration and he expressed his appreciation for the support and healing he is finding in the fellowship of the church.

2.     We talked about the threat so prominent in our society of using our sexuality in ways that is contrary to God’s design for marital faithfulness between a man and his wife. We discussed ways the church can especially help our youth understand that sexual relations are only for a man and a woman united in a lifelong covenant. We lamented that the cultural taboos which helped previous generations with respect to the sanctity of marriage have been replaced by permissiveness and pleasure-seeking.

3.     We talked about the appropriate timing for baptism of new believers. In our context we understand that baptism should not happen until there is evidence that the candidate is clearly on a track of faithfulness to Christ. This does not mean we wait until they are perfect but that they are experiencing transformation into Christ likeness and are submissive to the counsel of the church in their faith and conduct.

4.     We talked about the challenges of being a fissional people in the midst of poverty. Nearly everyone in the church does subsistence farming, combining that with a petty economy enterprise on the side. Keeping one’s nose above water economically and barely able to provide for the family, leaves little time and energy for focused faith formation and evangelism. All believers are eager to share their faith with friends and family but there is little time to do that along with providing for their households.

As a pioneer missionary who had a role in bringing the gospel to these people I am deeply satisfied with what I see in the faith development of these people:

·       Everyone is clearly aware of where they came from (unbelief, animism) to where they are now, on the journey to the Promised Land as God’s people.

·       In their spiritual vision there is little ambiguity about what is the light of Christ as opposed to the darkness of Satan.

·       They have a sense of urgency in sharing the joy of life in Christ with others, especially with their extended family, still without hope in Christ.

·       Their self-perception as a people of God goes above and beyond their ethnicity.

·       They have a remarkable ability to hold in tension the values of peace, forgiveness and humility towards others, together with maintaining the righteousness/justice God expects of his sons and daughters.

Other developing news briefs:

·       The book- Animists to Anabaptists, detailing the story of this West Africa Mennonite mission, 2000- 2014 could possibly be in print and released during April. I am working with the book editor at Dove publications on final editing.

·       My EMM co-workers, the Bakers and Shirks are in the U.S. making final travel plans back to West Africa and expect to arrive here by Feb. 10^th.

·       I am working with a church group in Togo, a West African nation 1,500 miles to the southwest on providing with a seminar on Ephesians.

·       I now have full-time internet access from my house in Bourofaye, a major step forward in my ability to stay in contact with friends and supporters in North America. I particularly enjoy having Skype conversations with people interested in this work. My Skype contact is:   bjforrester2

Would you like to make a donation to Beryl’s ministry in West Africa and at the same time become a well –informed supporter of the work? You can receive a copy of the new book Animist to Anabaptist, describing the development of the Mennonite Church in West Africa when it is released early this year. Please make a minimum contribution of $15 to cover the book and shipping. If you wish to receive a copy of the book for your donation, please return the slip below to New Holland Mennonite Church Att. Robert E. Martin. All proceeds from the sale of books go into the fund that supports Beryl’s ministry. If you’re only making a contribution it is not necessary to return your address slip.

          Name________________________________________________________

          Street address for UPS Delivery_______________________________________

          Phone (required for UPS delivery (_____) ______________________________

Make checks payable to New Holland Mennonite Church and mail to New Holland Mennonite Church 18 Western Ave. New Holland Pa. 17557