I Believe in the Gospel

It has been many months since my last post as we have been busy, busy, busy! The beginning of 2009 saw us packing up our house in St. Andrews and moving from cold and rainy Scotland to hot and sunny Phoenix, Arizona. Being nearly finished with my PhD, we decided that since we had significant relationships in Phoenix and the Southwest from living there for many years while in college and seminary, that this would be an excellent base of operations from which to begin building Leaders 4 Life. Lisa secured a job there with Leadership Catalyst, Inc. This is an exciting time for this ministry as they have just published a book in the same spirit as The Shack called Bo's Cafe, so be on the look-out for it. You can pre-order a copy here: http://www.amazon.com/Bos-Caf%C3%A9-Novel-Bruce-McNicol/dp/193517004X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247685058&sr=1-1. As for me, I made one final push and completed my thesis, having submitted it at the end of June. I flew back to St. Andrews the last week in August to defend my work and passed my oral exam with some minor revisions. For now, we are in need of some major REST and RECOVERY.

(Our last picture in St. Andrews ...)

But all of this is very good news. For that which God has been calling us to can finally begin to take fuller shape. In view of this transition from PhD to full time missionaries, I would like to write about some convictions which God has been working into Lisa and I about the gospel and the church.

As our calling to Sierra Leone has developed over the past eight years, we have said that we want to create a wholistic ministry which would restore people in 4 ways: physically, spiritually, socially and intellectually. Thus the "4" in Leaders 4 Life. To build a hospital and minister to amputees would obviously meet some physical needs, an educational orphanage would fill a social gap, and a seminary to train pastors would be, largely, an intellectual endeavor. All of these, done in the name of Jesus, would be good things. But over the years, I have felt increasingly uncomfortable with the lack of a "spiritual" component which has caused me to ask more and more in my prayers, "Lord, what about the role of the gospel in our mission to Sierra Leone? What about the role of the church in our efforts?" In answer to those prayers, two central convictions have re-ignited themselves in my soul over the past months.

First, I believe in the gospel. I didn't grow up in the church. I had never read a page of the Bible before my teenage conversion. Rather, I spent my days sliding deeper and deeper into all that the world has to offer in "sin city"--my hometown of Las Vegas. I lived a life of decadence and depravity, smoking drugs, breaking into cars, and a whole host of other activities which are well beyond an "R" rating. But when my sister Heather shared the gospel with me--how Jesus had died for my sins and was raised to life to reconcile me to God and that I needed to make a decision to receive him and follow him--after a season of resistance, I believed. I had a radical conversion to Christianity and had peace in my life for the first time. And I have never looked back. If it weren't for Heather sharing God's gospel of peace and reconciliation with me, I wouldn't have a PhD in New Testament, I wouldn't be headed for the mission field in the world's poorest country which has been wracked by an 11 year civil war. If it weren't for the gospel and Jesus coming into my life, I'm positive beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would either be in prison or dead. Most people who meet me today actually don't believe me when I tell them of my past. Such is the power of the gospel to change a person's heart.

Second, I believe in the church. Bill Hybels of Willow Creek has a great phrase about this. He says, "The local church is the hope of the world." I truly believe that. It's not education or medicine or technology which will ultimately solve the problems of this world. Nor will our universities, businesses, or governments save us. The Bible declares that the problems of our world ultimately stem from within the human heart. James 4:1 asks, "What causes wars and conflicts? Don't they come from your desires which wage war within you?" Likewise, Jesus' declares that, "out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, blasphemy" (Matthew 15:19). Microsoft cannot solve the problem of evil in the world. Neither can George W. nor Obama can change the human heart. Only the gospel can do that. And it is the church which is the steward of this life-changing message of redemption. The church, while not perfect, nonetheless carries the message of the gospel and gathers those who have believed. The church truly is the hope of the world.

Eighteen months ago these two convictions--belief in the Gospel and in the church--began to shape our mission to Sierra Leone which is now on the horizon. A year and a half ago Lisa and I began to square my gifts of teaching and preaching, my training as a New Testament scholar, and my calling as a minister of the gospel with the mission as we had outlined it--to build a hospital, orphanage, and a seminary. The conclusion we came to was that if I was to be faithful to my calling as a minister that the gospel and the church would have to be central to our mission efforts.

So, you might be wondering, "Chris, you went to Bible school, Seminary, you now have your PhD in New Testament and you're just figuring this out?" Well, not exactly. I think when a person is beginning something such as a mission to the most underdeveloped country in the world, it's important to think through exactly what you're all about so that you can be as effective as possible. I have researched NGO's, I have observed parachurch ministries, and there is a centrality about the church and the gospel which I think is missing in many of these organizations. Yet at the same time, I have found that much of the church's mission efforts (at least in the Protestant tradition in which I came to faith) is sadly lacking in any kind of socially oriented expression of the gospel. It seems that the church has a difficult time striking a healthy balance between sharing the gospel with people and more socially oriented gospel-acts such as feeding them physically. Hybels recently talked about how when their church began they were very high on evangelism and how years later they swung way over to racial reconciliation and the feeding of Chicago's homeless. They have recently swung back over towards evangelism and are trying to find a balance between the two poles. Likewise, Rick Warren's unabashedly evangelical message has of late been supplemented by his work in African with AIDS, education, and the like. Franklin Graham began his ministry with the relief effort of sending practical necessities, toys, and Bibles in shoeboxes to needy children during Christmastime in "Operation Christmas Child." Roughly a decade later he began focusing upon evangelistic campaigns on par with his father's ministry. For me personally, I think I've come full-circle. I began my Christian journey with a powerful Gospel-conversion. My study of the Scriptures over the past 15+ years awakened in me God's very large concern for justice, physical healing, and the like. So where as we began with a vision to do lots of socially oriented ministry, this is now being balanced with a vision to preach the Gospel and to do so in and through the church.

So what does all of this mean for our mission? It means we must be church-based and Gospel-centered.

About six months ago, a friend of mine sent me the best article I've ever read on how to help Africa. The title says it all and sums up what I'm getting at: "As an Atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God: Missionaries, not aid money, are the solution to Africa's biggest problem - the crushing passivity of the people's mindset." Read it here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article5400568.ece. What struck me in the article was how the author--walking through various mission compounds around Africa--could see a change upon the peaceful faces of those who lived there. And this even an Atheist could recognize--the power of God changing people's hearts with the gospel. Or, in the words of a missionary on the ground in Sierra Leone, "I am convinced that Sierra Leone will remain the poorest country in the world by UN standards as long as the hearts of the people remain the same. ... What is the solution for Africa? It is found in Jesus alone." Without a central core of the gospel and the church, we wouldn't have a mission ... it would only be yet another humanitarian effort done in merely human power. But by drawing upon God's power by preaching the gospel and by building up the church, I believe we can truly transform Sierra Leone.

Anniversaries

Today, the 6th of January, 2009, is the 1 year anniversary of Leaders 4 Life. I want to take a moment to look back over this first year and thank two people who've been key-leaders in year one.

It was on January 6th, 2008 that I was commissioned at Holy Trinity, St. Andrews to head to Sierra Leone for the first time. It was on this trip that I learned of the significance of this date for the country--a day when rebels entered Freetown and wreaked havoc on so many (see my early post here: http://leaders4life-sierraleone.blogspot.com/2008/03/january-6th.html). When our son James was only 6 weeks old, I headed to West Africa for the first time, beginning to live out this dream which God had placed in our hearts several years ago. I returned home from Africa three weeks later only to move our family into another house a few days after my return, just in time to host Tom & Ninie Hammon of Young Life. Needless to say, it was a whirlwind Winter. Much of the rest of the year has been spent bearing down upon my thesis in an effort to finish the Ph.D. In the Spring, however, I did have the opportunity to present our vision for Sierra Leone a number of times, including speaking at Paradise Valley Community Church in Phoenix where we began receiving diamond rings in support (See this post: http://leaders4life-sierraleone.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html). God has done some amazing things ... not bad for year one!

Lisa and I also celebrated 12 years of marriage a few weeks ago. Over the years as this committment to Sierra Leone snowballed into a life's calling, I had long forgotten much of how it all began. As an anniversary gift, therefore, Lisa did some sneaky fact-finding in order to recover which documentary I first watched about Sierra Leone. She discovered (or re-discovered) that it was a well-known Canadian rap group called the Rascalz which travelled to Sierra Leone in 2000 and produced a documentary about their journey which was aired on MTV in 2001. You can see short clips of the program here: http://www.getloud.ca/en/gpi_av.asp?ID=4. It was this program which God first used to inform me about Sierra Leone and through which He began calling us to this country. Yes, God can even use MTV and a rap group to call people as missionaries! I guess it is fitting that God would use a rap group to call us to this country since the rap culture has always been big in Sierra Leone. I have to admit, being able to watch the documentary where it all began for us eight years ago was pretty nostalgic. Besides providing great memories, Lisa has also been key in helping keep Leaders 4 Life organized. As many of you know, Lisa is amazingly gifted with names, dates, and details. And of course, she keeps our busy household running smoothly by wiping noses, changing diapers, teaching colors, and helping with homework. She is an invaluable member of our team. Thanks for who you and and all you do, Lisa!

I also want to highlight another member of our team who has helped us tremendously over this first year. My long-time mentor Danny Golich travelled with me to Sierra Leone back in January. Danny has no Ph.D. nor does he hold a seminary degree. Danny is not a pastor, nor a big name in the Christian community. But it's for these and many more reasons why I like him. Danny helped start and run six different businesses in his years. But it's not his business experience per se why he is so valuable to me and to Leaders 4 Life. For the things Danny has gone through in his years have been, in his words, merely "preparation for promotion." You see, God has been working on Danny's heart to use his wisdom in leadership for God's kingdom, and we are blessed to have him as a part of our team. As I have read leadership books over the years, I have always found something lacking. They weren't practical enough; they didn't show the reader how to actually lead, how to actually do it. Experience is, of course, the best teacher and Danny has plenty of it. But not all gifted leaders have the ability to translate their experience into teachable insight. But God has not only given Danny tremendous insights into leadership, but also the ability to communicate these insights in ways which cut straight to the heart of the matter. Over the years Danny has coached me on creating "consistent consistency" and a sense of "team." I have learned about prioritization, organization, and delegation. While I have focused upon the big vision, Danny continually reminds me of "all the little steps in between which nobody thinks about when they're starting out." But most importantly, Danny has taught me about patience, faith and balance and has helped me to order my life in a way which honors the calling God has placed upon me. Danny is another invaluable member of our team. Thanks for who you are and all you do, Danny!

This has been a year of learning for us. We have learned that balancing a Ph.D., 3 children, beginning a ministry, along with other committments of Christian service can be challenging at times. We have been learning how to "clear away the clutter," and stay focused upon the single mission and calling God has placed upon our lives: Sierra Leone.

As Lisa and I continue to process the years ahead, Danny will be right there guiding and helping us along the way. And I look forward to the future as we sharpen our vision and begin taking, in Danny's words, "all the little steps in between," to get where God is leading us. At the finish of year one this is just the beginning folks, this is just the beginning ...

L4L Summer Update

Over the summer, we received two more rings, bringing the total number to 7!



Thanks to Andy Walker, Leaders 4 Life officially became a non-profit organization in the US. We are still awaiting tax-exempt status ...



God has been working some convictions into Lisa and I about the gospel and the church, but more on this another time ...


Come live with children in Sierra Leone for 3 minutes by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zig3Eqpf6ek

Reality Check

Some alarming news came to me recently from Kathy, a missionary friend in Sierra Leone, about a plane which had landed at Sierra Leone's Lunghi Airport a little over a week ago without permission. The plane was carrying over 1,500 pounds (700 kilos) of cocaine. CNN picked up the story, explaining that the illegal trafficking of drugs from South America through West Africa is booming, with most of the drugs ending up in Europe. This has officials at the U.N. worried that such illegal smuggling (not only of drugs, but also of guns and people) could spark off violence in the region, undoing the stability created in West Africa after years of conflict. You can read the article here: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/07/31/africa.drugs.trade.ap/index.html. Sadly, Kathy pointed out, there are local Sierra Leonean government officials in partnership with the drug traffickers. Please pray that the region remains peaceful. While in Sierra Leone back in January, we visited a Christian children's school near the Airport where this plane full of cocaine recently landed. Here are some pictures from that school.






On a more positive note, Kathy also reported that the litter on the streets of Freetown is being cleaned up, improving both the health and beauty of the capital city. She is also involved in a Bible study prayer group held at the home of the President, as the First Lady is a Christian. Below is a picture of Kathy at the home of Dr. Modupe Taylor-Pearce (he's on the left). Also in the picure is our team: David Musa of S.A.V.E. in the middle, Danny Golich, and myself. You can learn more about Kathy's ministry in Sierra Leone here: http://missions.beavertonfoursquare.org/

Kathy also speaks of the fervency with which those in her Bible study engage in prayer. While in Sierra Leone, Danny and I were struck by the importance placed upon prayer by the Christian leaders in Sierra Leone--Dr. Taylor-Pearce and David being two of them. When I think about this, James 2:5 always comes to my mind: "Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to be inheritors of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him?"

So, as alarming as the contrast of a large shipment of cocaine landing near a children's school may seem, the believers in Sierra Leone have something even more powerful than drug trafficking on their side. They have the ear of the Creator of the universe!

What does Young Life have to do with Leaders 4 Life?

Twenty years ago, a young Texan girl named Bonnie went to a Kanakuk summer camp. This was a transformative week for Bonnie, as a Young Life staffer named Stacy had the opportunity to pray with her as Bonnie gave her heart to the Lord.

Fast forward about 10 years. Although Bonnie had lost touch with Stacy, she continued growing in her faith. She attended Baylor University where she charmed a guy named Steve Mason with her dance moves. Besides both being avid dancers, they had in common the fact that Steve was also introduced to Jesus through the ministry of Young Life. Steve and Bonnie married and after seminary, Steve felt that a Ph.D. in theology was the next step for him. Bonnie, being the fervent prayer-warrior that she is, was excited about the venture. So they packed up and moved to a quaint little town in Scotland called St. Andrews (where Steve resisted golf long enough to complete his degree).

It was in St. Andrews that Lisa and I met Steve and Bonnie and instantly became good friends. But it was as the Mason's were leaving St. Andrews, that something amazing happened in our relationship with them. (If you've already heard this story, keep reading ... its better than the first time you heard it!) As Steve was applying to teach at LeTourneau University back in Texas, we learned that LeTourneau has a L.E.G.S. program which designs low-cost prosthetics legs for people in third world countries. And even though we'd known Steve and Bonnie for a couple of years, oddly enough we hadn't told them about our amazing calling to Sierra Leone involving prosthetics. When we finally sat down to talk about everything on our way to the airport for Steve's interview, we realized that this was a God-thing! After Steve got the position, we found out further that the next country LeTourneau's L.E.G.S. programe wanted to focus upon was Sierra Leone. Pretty amazing stuff. But it gets better ...

Back in St. Andrews, I had an inkling. For three years since we had moved to Scotland, I kept hearing church leaders talk about the dire need to reach the lost youth of St. Andrews but I never saw a comprehensive outreach to kids get underway. So I got this inkling from the Lord to help bring Young Life to St. Andrews. (And keep in mind, at this time I didn't know Steve and Bonnie had come to Christ via Young Life.)

I got in touch with a fabulous guy in London named Tom Hammon who has worked for Young Life for over 35 years. Tom worked to bring his good friend Randy Nickel, who is currently serving in Tanzania, to oversee what is happening with Young Life in Scotland. (Randy is on the left in the picture below, with Graham from Holy Trinity, St. Andrews.) Now here comes some more amazing bits ...

Tom and Randy suggested I get in touch with their friends doing Young Life in Liberia, next door to Sierra Leone. So I begin praying that Young Life would start in Sierra Leone and commit myself to help Young Life get started there when I become more active in the country. Low and behold, a couple of weeks later I get an email from James Davis of Liberia who had recently travelled to Freetown, Sierra Leone to hold a Young Life club meeting. Wow. I guess God beat me to the punch, but He did answer my prayers! Here are some pictures of the Freetown meeting below ...

Not amazing enough you say? Okay, how about this: As Randy contemplates shifting his focus from Tanzania to Scotland, he receives an email from his good friend "Stacy" who is praying for him. Here is some of the ensuing email correspondence:

Stacy: In the midst of praying for you, I get a call from an old Kanakuk camper that was in my cabin 20 years ago. I was able to pray with her to receive Christ, and so as a result, she talks about me every time she gives her testimony. Just this week, she was giving her testimony and decided to hunt me down. Through a long, strange course of events she was able to find me. We obviously talked for hours, but when she told me that she and her husband had lived in St. Andrews from 2002-2006, I couldn't believe it. I shared with her your story, and realized what a huge affirmation this could be for you. Her husband became a Christian through Young Life in San Antonio, and still remains very close to Tiger Dawson.

Me: This brings tears to my eyes ... Steve and Bonnie are close friends of ours from St. Andrews. When Steve finished his Ph.D. here in St. Andrews, he applied to teach OT at LeTourneau Univ. in Texas. In the process, we learned that LeTourneau's engineering department (called L.E.G.S.) is developing a low-cost prosthetic leg for people in third-world countries and that the next country they decided to focus upon is Sierra Leone. Steve and Bonnie are big champions of our work in Sierra Leone and an important part of the story of how God has been bringing everything together for us ... Randy, this is a nice confirmation for us both that God is indeed working not only in Africa, but also in Scotland!

Bonnie: WOW! Isn't God amazing...this is an Ebenezer for sure. Praise the Lord that Tiger Dawson and Stacy Santen heard the call to share Christ with Steven and Me many years ago....and now for his kingdom, things continue to grow and come full circle so that others may know him...awesome God indeed.

Randy: Chris that is crazy how God works. Stacy leads Bonnie to Christ at camp, Stacy and Matt become our great friends, Bonnie and Steve become your friends. This is what heaven will be like.

I've said many times before that Leaders 4 Life is about bringing heaven to earth. I cannot yet tell you specifically what Young Life has to do with Leaders 4 Life. What I can say is that it is amazing to watch God work and it is encouraging to see the Body of Christ work the way it should--each part functioning to help the other build the kingdom. What does Young Life have to do with Leaders 4 Life? The only answer I have is, "This is what heaven will be like!"

My experience in "Paradise"

This may be my most amazing post yet ... Yes, just when I thought God couldn't top himself, He goes and does it again!


We recently spent a few weeks in the U.S. where we spent some time with family and I spoke about Leaders 4 Life. At the invitation of our friends Jake and Trisha Posey, I spent some time at John Brown University learning about their Institute for Biblical Community Development which is training missionaries to do holistic mission work via basic engineering skills (see: http://www.jbu.edu/academics/ecm/accomplish.asp). Lisa and I also sat down with other mission-minded folks--doctors, pastors, and business leaders--to share the vision of L4L. We had a tremendous response from everyone and were really encouraged by our visit. If this was all we had done and experienced, I would've considered our trip a success. But it seems God had other plans ...


The initial reason for our trip was to speak about Sierra Leone at Paradise Valley Community Church in Phoenix, AZ (http//www.paradisechurch.com/) and to celebrate Lisa's birthday with her twin sister Lyn. This church is led by good friends and mentors of ours, Frank and Jackie Switzer. Lisa and I were the first couple Frank ever married as an ordained minister. Frank and I went to University and Seminary together and have always dreamed and prayed about doing ministry alongside one another. But we never envisioned it would look like this ...


As I spoke at PVCC's two Sunday morning services, I shared the stories and pictures of utter poverty and despair in Sierra Leone. I also told of the amazing ways God has led us to this country, beginning with our dedicating Lisa's diamond wedding ring to help the people of Sierra Leone who had lost limbs over the diamonds. And then God began to move in people's hearts. This is such a difficult thing to describe when it happens, but those who have had such experiences can relate. Frank was crying, I was crying, people in the congregation were weeping. A few times in my life I've been a part of such amazing movements of God, but this is the first time I was involved in leading one.



After the two services were finished, an offering which had been collected for Sierra Leone was counted up. And for the first time ever, someone had put a diamond ring in the offering plate. Frank, Bruce McNicol, along with Gene and Terry Ratley and I huddled around it, ooing and aahing and smiling--not at the diamond--but at how powerfully God had moved and how filled with faith such a response was. And then, after the service, some good friends of ours who we've known from our seminary days, who hadn't seen the diamond ring from the offering plate, handed me their wedding rings. How does one receive such a gift, even on behalf of others? It seems God's Spirit was prompting people to give their diamonds, and people responded.

Sunday afternoon I called David Musa (the Sierra Leonean who took me to the country back in January) to share with him what God had done earlier that day. Giving money to someone in the world's most underdeveloped country in the world is one thing, but for Sierra Leoneans to hear that people are giving their diamond rings--even their wedding rings--to help those who have lost limbs over diamonds is redemptive on so many levels. What else can I say ... God has done it again!

Here is a link to my message, which you can download as a podcast: http//www.paradisechurch.com/explore/messages/audio_archives.php. It is more powerful to listen to the message live and see the pictures, but if you've never heard the whole vision in one shot, it's worth a listen.

Theological Education in Sierra Leone

Having had a wonderful experience at Fuller Theological Seminary (http://http//www.fuller.edu/) and being months away from completing my Ph.D. in New Testament at St. Mary's College at the University of St. Andrews (http://http//www.st-andrews.ac.uk/divinity/), theological education is something which I am, of course, passionate about. However, while ministers in the West like myself have been able to benefit from some of the best evangelical scholarship in the world, many pastors in second and third world countries are much less fortunate. It is encouraging, therefore, to see some organizations facilitate missionaries who want to teach theology on the mission field. For instance, my friend Kelly taught at a seminary in Costa Rica for 4 years with an organization dedicated to theological education in Latin America called ESEPA (http://http//www.esepa.org/). Or consider the neat work Geoff Pound is doing through Theologians Without Borders in connecting seminary teachers with institutions on the mission field, mostly in Asia (http://http//theologianswithoutborders.blogspot.com/). Like everything else in Sierra Leone, theological training began to suffer beginning with the onset of the war and continues to suffer today even though Sierra Leone is at peace.

We visited two main centres of theological education in Sierra Leone. Fourah Bay College began in 1827 as an Anglican missionary school and is the oldest western-style academy in West Africa. (Their JFK building is in the picture on the right.) From 1867 it began an affilliation with Durham University in England (which today is still a powerhouse for theological education) and in 1966 became a constituent of the University of Sierra Leone. Fourah Bay College gained a reputation for training in theology and education, churning out missionaries who went into other parts of Africa and garnering the epithet, "The Athens of Africa." Fourah Bay trained many influential leaders including the first Prime Minister of Sierra Leone, Sir Milton Margai, as well as the current President, Ernest Bai Koroma. Today, however, many evangelicals in the country feel the college has lost its missional roots. In addition, although the campus has an active InterVarsty Christian Fellowship as well as an Anglican chaplain dedicated to the faith, the Muslim influence there seems to be gaining dominance.

The college chaplain, Canon Emmanuel Thompson, is sitting on the right in the picture to the left.

The second place ministers go for theological training is The Evangelical College of Theology or TECT. This college was started by Wesleyan and Baptist missionaries. The Christian leaders I met seem to feel TECT has stayed grounded in its evangelical and moral roots. It survived the war admirably, but its academic rigour has suffered since. The missionaries who began the college left during the war for reasons of safety, and with them went precious funding. During this time the college also stopped receiving up-to-date journals and books. TECT learned a valuable lesson from the war which they kindly passed on to us: mission work must empower nationals. Western missionaries are appreciated and needed, but they must train and empower nationals to stand on their own. Just above on the right is a picture of me talking theological education with the Dean and other administrators of TECT.

Most pastors in Sierra Leone have barely finished secondary/high school. It is rare for a pastor to have bachelor's degree, much less a master's or Ph.D. What if Leaders 4 Life could provide a high calibre of leadership training and bring an intellectual and spiritual vigour back to Sierra Leone by providing some of the best theological education possible? Wouldn't it be an amazing act of empowerment to unleash an explosion of highly trained leaders who could not only stand on their own but also empower others?