Missionary Messenger W i n t e r 2 0 19 / Vo l u m e 8
2 0 1 9 GIFT TO THE KING
BUILDING IN
“ I B r i n g Yo u G o o d N e w s
2 0 19
The Good News of Jesus Christ starts as an announcement. It is
church development has a Sunday
an announcement for all people.
night worship service as well as
God “sends” angels, prophets, and
weekly activities for children and youth.
witnesses to reveal the Son of God,
The Rev. Carlos Santos and his wife
Jesus Christ. The revelation is for all
Priscilla, a candidate for the ministry,
nations.
pastor both the organized church
The Cumberland Presbyterian (CP)
I BRING YOU GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY… BRAZIL!
missionaries, the Rev. Josue Guerrero
the most populated country in South
and his wife Sara, help with the new
America, the sixth largest in the world,
mission. This year, we would like to
decades there was only one CP church
challenge the Cumberland Presbyterian
in Brazil, located outside the town
Church to help announce good news of
Mata de São João, but this is changing.
great joy. We hope to raise $100,000
There are now three CP missions.
(US) to build a new CP church in Brazil.
Japan Presbytery started Mata de São
That is a great deal of money. This
João fifty years ago as a ministry to
Gift to the King Offering is going to be
Japanese immigrants who moved into
a real step of faith. Your donation this
the Brazilian countryside to farm. The
year to the Gift to the King Offering
church is in a beautiful building in the
will go to the Living Word new church
countryside about 30 minutes outside
development in Brazil. We would
of Mata de São João.
like to move the mission out of their
It has always been our vision to
store front (it is too small) and build a
expand in Brazil beyond one church….
permanent church in the town of Mata
it is happening! The town of Mata de
de São João.
São João has approximately 50,000 By Lynn Thomas
and the Living Word mission. Our
Church is announcing Jesus Christ to
the amazing country of Brazil. For many
GIFT TO THE KING OFFERING
to 70 people in attendance. The new
Please pray for this project and
people. It is about an hour and a half
promote it in your church. As we
from the large city of Salvador, Brazil.
live in the blessings of the angels’
Living Word CP Church was established
announcement, let us be mindful
two years ago as a second mission in
that this announcement is for “all the
Mata de São João. Living Word meets
people.” Help the CPs in Brazil continue
in a small rented store front with 60
to proclaim this Good News.
W I N T E R 2 019
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Contents 5 20/20 in 2020 6 Wanted: Cumberland Presbyterians on February 26, 2020 8 The Necessity of Prayer 9 Fasting in Preparation for Feasting 10 Brazil Mission Trip 14 Missionary Tour in the United States 16 Bible Study
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PERSPECTIVES by Milton L. Ortiz
M M W I N TER 2019
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for
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all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the
MISSIONS MINISTRY TEAM OF THE CUMBERL AND PRESBY TERIAN CHURCH
heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’” (Luke 2:8-14 NIV) ART DIRECTOR Sowgand Sheikholeslami ext:211
This issue of the Missionary Messenger is full of good news of great joy. The articles focus on three different areas. First, it is Christmas and we celebrate the birth of our King. “The Returning, Waiting, and Anticipating the Good News of Great Joy” is a call to remember this good news gives us free access to God, calls us to be the people we are created to be, and opens us to joyfully witness through our words and service. “The Call to the Gift to the King to Build a New CP Church in Brazil” is good news of great joy to Brazilians. This ministry is growing and, during our last mission trip, the team experienced leading children in Christian education and spiritual formation in collaboration with Brazilian lay leaders. Missionaries to Brazil, Josue and Sara Guerrero, also share their experience of becoming like children, learning a new language, and ministering in a new culture. Second, there is an article to help us be aware that we are approaching a new decade, a new opportunity to adjust our 20/20 vision to God’s vision as Cumberland Presbyterians in 2020. One opportunity is the denominational Day of Prayer and Fasting on Ash Wednesday, February 26, 2020, for God’s Spirit to move and to renew the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in its mission and calling. There is a necessity for prayer, alone and with others, in order to enter God’s presence, experience his judgment, grace, and power, and celebrate his goodness. You will read about our new missionaries to Spain visiting Cumberland Presbyterian Churches in the United States and experiencing the love and transformative touch of the Lord through Cumberland Presbyterians everywhere. You will also read about a new church start in Middle Tennessee; a new Korean speaking presbytery in the United States; an encouragement to us as individuals, churches, presbyteries and agencies to think about giving perpetual memberships in honor of people in our lives; Second Mile Project – missionary cars; and about the Missions Ministry Team (MMT) acting as a Presbytery. MM 4 MISSIONARY MESSE NGE R
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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Milton Ortiz ext:234
PUBLICATIONS MANAGER Matthew Gore ext:221
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jinger Ellis ext:230
CONTRIBUTORS Johan Daza ext:202 Cardelia Howell-Diamond ext:264 Kristi Lounsbury ext:263 T.J. Malinoski ext:232 Milton Ortiz ext:234 Lynn Thomas ext:261
8207 Traditional Place Cor dova, T N 38016-7414 phone 901.276.4572 fa x 901.276.4578 m essenger @cu m berland.org VISIT US ON THE WEB
ht tp://cpcmc.o rg/m m To read the previous issues of The Missionary Messenger visit us at
http://cpcmc.org/mm/mm-archives MEMBER • Associated Church Press
May The Lord Bless You This Christmas!
20/20 IN 2020 Toward a New Decade, a New Opportunity to Adjust Our 20/20 Vision of God’s Mission as Cumberland Presbyterians
By Johan Daza
In 1820, Finis Ewing wrote a letter to Robert Donnell after receiving the report from the committee on “state of religion” at the Cumberland Synod. Ewing said “…who would have anticipated, but a few years since, that our little, untaught, scoffed at and despised body would, in the course of ten years have grown into such consistency, respectability, and usefulness? Who by this time be scattered through or in six states and one or two territories, as the unlearned, from the noble as well as the ignoble?” This letter from Ewing two hundred years ago could serve as an inspiration for Cumberland Presbyterians today. Over two hundred years ago, we were doing things differently from the standards of Presbyterianism. We were theologically and spiritually progressive in our understanding of Scripture and our relationship with the Holy Spirit of God. Our probationers, ministers, elders, and congregations were building the base of what and who we are today in the midst of a new generation and decade in front of us. And, joining Ewing’s thought, as Cumberland Presbyterians today, we have to recognize with humility there are unimaginable and difficult things to anticipate; however, we today, as well as Ewing then, can enjoy a grasp of a growing denomination in its identity, theology, and spiritual relationship with Christ and others as a strong base for the future. Today, who could anticipate we could come closer to unification than ever before with our sister denomination, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America. Who could imagine our presence in seventeen or eighteen different countries, with twentyfive different presbyteries, six hundred eighty-two organized congregations not including seven different councils of churches abroad, seven provisional congregations, and over forty new church developments and new exploration initiatives? Who could imagine Our United Outreach is still the strongest denominational effort to support and finance the different ministries, programs, projects, and plans of our denomination? Who could anticipate we have over eight hundred ordained ministers and almost eight hundred reported professions of faith in 2018-2019? Our numbers are more than mere statistics, they show me human beings loving God; but when our vision is distorted by our preoccupation, lack of interest, polluted controversy, and self-interest we won’t be able to see the goodness of God and we will see just bad, challenging, and awful numbers. The good news is that it is not too late, we can still adjust our 20/20 vision to God’s vision. When we have our 20/20 vision in God’s plan for God’s kingdom, my brothers and sisters, then and only then will we start to see all the opportunities we have in front of us—opportunities to honor God, to come to Scriptures with Christ as our center in new ways, opportunities to have a prophetic voice not only in our preaching but also in our sharing of the ministry of reconciliation. We will be able to love each other as Cumberland Presbyterians and set any diabolic intention of division aside in order to seek for unity, purity, and peace. The year 2020 is a Godly opportunity to have 20/20 vision in God’s vision for the world. Cesar Restrepo, a longtime Colombian Cumberland Presbyterian and elder, my youth pastor and friend would say, when a Cumberland Presbyterian understands that he or she belongs to something bigger than themselves, then, and only then, will they be able to capture the 20/20 vision of how great the Kingdom of God is and how important it is to be a Cumberland Presbyterian today, because we belong to something bigger than us, we belong to God and God’s mission, that is how big we are. So, my Cumberland Presbyterian brothers and sisters, we always have the option, to return to God, the ophthalmologist, to adjust our 20/20 vision as individuals, congregations, presbyteries, synods, and denomination to God’s vision. Can you imagine all the plans and vision God has for us in the coming new decade? Please enter 2020 with that in mind. Peace of Christ be with you and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. MM W I N T E R 2 019
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DAY OF PRAYER AND FASTING PRAY PRAY FASTT FAS ACTT AC
WANTED: Cumberland Presbyterians on February 26, 2020 B y T. J . M a l i n o s k i & Cardelia Howell-Diamond
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For the first time in Cumberland Presbyterian history, or at least in a very, very, long time, Cumberland Presbyterians will join together on Ash Wednesday, February 26, 2020, to pray and fast. Why, you may ask? We are coming together as a denomination to confess, both individually and as the Church, we are in need of God’s redemption. Through our prayer and fasting we want to be renewed in God’s grace so we can be recreated to love and glorify God and to love and serve our neighbor. In short, we are praying and fasting to confess, to be recreated, and to be living witnesses of God’s grace in our families, communities, and in the world. The need for a specific day for all Cumberland Presbyterians to pray and fast is not new. Born three years ago from a discussion in a class for ministerial preparation, many individuals working on committees, in presbyteries, and at the general assembly level have collaborated to develop resources and ideas rooted in the Confession of Faith and the Directory of Worship for Cumberland Presbyterians to celebrate this day. On February 26, 2020, the day of prayer and fasting will include people across the denomination. Prayers in many languages will be offered asking for God’s Spirit to move and to renew the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in its mission and calling. We will be praying with Cumberland Presbyterians in Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Guatemala, Haiti, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Belize, France, Cambodia, Cuba, the Philippines, and the United States—anywhere and everywhere there is another Cumberland Presbyterian. We will be praying and fasting together for God’s Spirit to move. What an amazing thing!
Currently, resources are being developed by Cumberland Presbyterians for the whole church in preparation for this day. These resources will include: prayers from across the world, worship service ideas, Ash Wednesday service examples, prayer journal and cards, fasting suggestions and ideas, and opportunities to pray with others in real-time through social media. The goal for these resources is to help us as individuals (who may be at school, work, or at home), small groups (like Sunday school classes, youth groups, and women’s ministry groups), and as a congregation which will want to hold services and open the building for the day to provide activities and space for prayer and fasting. Mark your calendar, set a reminder, make plans for you, your family, and your church to join all Cumberland Presbyterians to pray and fast together for God’s renewal and redemption to revive us to bear witness to God’s mighty act of reconciling love accomplished in Jesus Christ in which the sins of the world are forgiven. MM Additional information: July 2019 CP Magazine article with the history of how the day of prayer and fasting came about. Website(s) and Facebook page(s) that will have resources and ideas for the Denominational Day of Prayer and Fasting. cpcmc.org/pray-fast-act facebook.com/events/ 1589236061236376/ or search for Pray Fast Act: Cumberland Presbyterian Day of Prayer and Fasting
DAY OF PRAYER AND FASTING PRAY PRAY FASTT FAS ACTT AC
That the Memorial from Presbytery del Cristo which states:
THE MEMORIAL FROM PRESBYTERY DEL CRISTO Regarding A Denominational Day Of Prayer And Fasting
B y K a r e n Av e r y, Presbytery del Cristo
“189th General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Believing that God, in creating persons, gives us the capacity and freedom to respond to God’s mighty act of reconciling love accomplished in Jesus and that we are responsible for our choices and actions toward God, one another and the world; Confessing that we rebel against God, reject our dependence, abuse the gift of freedom, willfully sin, both individually and collectively, and stand in need of God’s redemption; Rejoicing that God acts to heal the brokenness and alienation caused by our sin to restore us through the reconciliation of Jesus Christ and the outpouring the Holy Spirit calling every person toward repentance and faith; Responding to God’s acts of saving grace and forgiveness of sin, we make honest confession of sin against God, our brothers and sisters, and all of creation, amending the past so far as in our power through our choices, actions, and prayer;
Reminding all Cumberland Presbyterians that prayer is inseparable from the Christian life and to be a Christian is to pray and to join others in prayer and that we pray not primarily to receive from God but as an expression of our creaturehood and our dependence upon God as our Creator; Guided by the primary purposes of prayer being to enter the presence of God, to experience anew God’s judgement, grace, and power, to praise God and to invite God into our world and into our lives; Declaring that the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, being nurtured and sustained by worship, by the proclamation and study of the word, and by the celebration of the sacraments, is commissioned to witness to all persons who have not received Christ as Lord and Savior; Calls upon the 189th General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church who is meeting concurrently with the 144th General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America and;
Requests that a denominational day of Prayer and Fasting be set and observed by all members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Recalling that the renewal of Church at every level and in every believers is solely of God’s grace, nation to renew and revitalize us that when we trust in the Lord to bear witness to God’s mighty Jesus, we are recreated, born again, act of reconciling love accomrenewed in spirit, and made new plished in Jesus Christ by which persons in Christ who are empow- the sins of the world are forgiven. ered by the illuminating influence MM of the Holy Spirit to love and glorify God and to love and serve our neighbor; W I N T E R 2 019
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DAY OF PRAYER AND FASTING PRAY PRAY FASTT FAS ACTT AC
The Necessity of Prayer Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people. Isaiah 64:8-9 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13 Words fail to express how necessary prayer is, and in how many ways the exercise of prayer is profitable. John Calvin
B y T. J . M a l i n o s k i
One of the most important aspects of the Christian faith is prayer; a conversation with God which can happen alone or with others. Prayer is our way of talking with God and yet it is so much more. We pray to God because we believe in God through the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. In this way we can approach God in prayer with confidence and a joyful certainty, not because of our good character, or piety, or faith, but out of a dependence upon God who speaks to us through the scriptures, nature, history, and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God is inviting us into a relationship; a relationship which demands communication. So, if God is speaking to us through the scriptures, nature, history, and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, what do we have to say and how do we say what is on our minds? Of course, there is a danger in how we answer these questions. There is the temptation to, both individually and corporately, ask God for things. Our prayers attempt to pigeon-hole God into a genie, a wish granter, to fulfill our needs and desires. We want to mold God’s actions and words into our own. We want the work and very being of God to be crafted in our own image. We want God’s will to match our own. Each time we communicate with God in this way, we crumble the necessity and purpose of prayer into a measurement of satisfaction on whether God meets our expectation. The only way to avoid this temptation is by the acknowledgement God already knows our needs. This allows us to completely surrender our will, our agendas, and our plans which always obtrude in the way of communication. We can then embrace the Cumberland Presbyterian understanding of the primary purposes of prayer through which we enter into the presence of God and experience God’s judgement, grace and power. This frees us to praise God and invites God into our world and into our lives (Directory of Worship Section C Basic Resources for Corporate Worship 2. Prayers.) This approach to prayer turns our wills, agendas, and plans on their heads, allows us to joyfully celebrate God moving in our lives, and makes God the sole focus of communication freeing us from a false confidence in our own prayerful efforts. Our prayers are to revolve around the reconciling work of Jesus Christ and we look to him as our guide. In what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6 and Luke 11), Christ teaches his disciples not only how to pray but what to pray. In saying the Lord’s Prayer, we are announcing we believe God earnestly listens to our prayers, transforming the earth into a place where love abides. We yield our wills, our agendas, and plans to God’s will so that we, too, can be transformed into instruments of God’s love. We acknowledge and embrace everything we need to live and everything we receive daily is a gift from God. We admit we are sinners, in need of God’s grace, trusting that God will forgive us. Likewise, we ask for strength to forgive those who have harmed us. We seek God’s help to keep us from activities, perceptions, and words destructive to others and to all creation knowing God’s grace and love is stronger than evil. The Lord’s Prayer guides and informs how and what we are to pray. This prayer does so whether we are communicating with God alone or in concert with other Christians. The Lord’s Prayer can also help our denomination as we jointly celebrate a day of prayer and fasting. Individually and corporately, we will confess, rejoice, respond, recall, remind, declare, and be guided by God’s reconciling love accomplished in Jesus Christ. We will respond in these ways through our prayer and fasting together. Our expressions on Ash Wednesday will be a reflection of the necessity of prayer in our lives as Christians. MM
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DAY OF PRAYER AND FASTING PRAY PRAY FASTT FAS ACTT AC Christian tradition has observed fasting as a spiritual discipline throughout history. One thing is for sure, we cannot fast and feast at the same time. We do one, or the other, but never both at the same time. For this reason, I see fasting as a preparation for feasting. During Advent and Lent there are times of fasting in preparation for the birth of Christ (Christmas) and the resurrection of Christ (Easter). And, as individuals, congregations, presbyteries, synods, a denomination, and the Church Universal we can recall all the feasts related to God’s grace, the gift of Christ, Jesus’ resurrection, and Jesus’ missionary church.
Fasting in Preparation for Feasting DENOMINATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER AND FASTING
By Johan Daza
The Old Testament presents God commanding Moses (Leviticus 16; 23:26-32) to commemorate the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. On that day the high priest made an atoning sacrifice for the sins of all the people as an act to bring reconciliation between God’s people and God. Today, Yom Kippur is still a day of repentance, prayer, and fasting— fasting in repentance and self-denial, prayers to seek for God’s forgiveness of sins. The New Testament presents our Lord Jesus Christ fasting for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness in preparation for the beginning of his ministry. For this reason, the Christian liturgical year includes times of fasting in preparation for God’s feasting.1 In Acts, the early church preserved fasting as a discipline of the church, especially church leaders. For instance, while worshipping God and fasting, the Holy Spirit asked the prophets and teachers of the Church at Antioch to commission Barnabas and Saul. The scripture says, after fasting and praying, they laid hands on them and sent them off (Acts 13).
The Didache indicates by the end of the first century Christians were fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays. The liturgical value and purpose of fasting has been to cultivate a spiritual discipline, putting down our own desires in order to focus on God’s living word. 2 Fasting has been also traditionally observed in preparation to celebrate and receive communion. And as a spiritual discipline, fasting is also accompanied by other spiritual disciplines such as praying, serving and feeding those in need, and thanksgiving worship. Today there is no exclusive way to fast in terms of time or food. Some people fast for 24 hours starting after the evening meal. Some people fast starting after dinner and fast until the following day at noon. Some people drink water during the time of fasting, other people eat juicy fruits, and still other people avoid any kinds of foods and drinks while fasting. So, in preparation to celebrate the goodness of God in the new decade of the twenty first century in our denomination and following the spirit of fasting in our tradition, let us set apart a denominational day of fasting and praying on Ash Wednesday, February 26, 2020. In the past, we have fasted as a denomination asking for divine guidance in the writing of our Confessions of Faith, for repentance, for peace with other countries, for the call of more men and women to the ordained ministry, and for revival. On February 26, 2020, all Cumberland Presbyterians around the world are invited to fast and pray asking our God for a renewal and revitalization in us to bear witness to God’s reconciling love in Jesus Christ by which the sins of the world are forgiven. MM 1
2
Frank Senn, Introduction to Christian liturgy (Augsburg Fortress, 1989), 104. Ibid., 105.
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Brazil Mission Trip By Kathy Woods-Dobbins
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It had been a long time since I was part of a mission team. I grew up immersed in the missions ministry of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. My parents, Bill and Kathryn Wood, served as missionaries to Colombia for over thirty years. As a ‘missionary kid,’ I remember how exciting it was to welcome a delegation from the United States for a visit and recall those occasions I was pressed into service as a young translator and guide. I recently had the opportunity to experience a mission trip from a different perspective as part of a sevenmember delegation to our churches in Salvador, Brazil. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Brazil is energetic and growing. It is led both by dedicated pastors and a dynamic group of lay leaders. Its history tells a story of God’s plan to spread the Gospel by connecting people across international lines and across generations. The first Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Brazil was started by a group of Cumberland Presbyterian immigrants who, looking for a better life and economic opportunity, moved from Japan to Brazil after World War II. They founded the first Mata de
São João church amid hundreds of acres of lemon trees in rural Bahia. They constructed a church building with a large house and dormitories to accommodate groups such as ours which included 30 children and fifteen or more adults. A new church has begun in the nearby town of Mata de São João and is celebrating its one-year anniversary. Over the years, many members of the original Japanese congregation died, and their children moved into more urban areas. A few members of the original Japanese congregation, now in their later years, attend the church for Sunday morning worship along with Brazilian congregants. They gather around a table afterwards to share an iPad connecting them to Rev. Keishi Ishitsuka, their former pastor in Japan. Once our team arrived in Brazil, our focus was leading “Camp Cristo” in collaboration with Brazilian lay leaders. Camp Cristo served thirty children with Christian education and spiritual formation. We taught Jesus’ parables and, through music, crafts, stories and movement, expressed his love for each of them. We worked side-by-side with our Brazilian sisters as they, too, brought music, stories, play ( C o n t i n u e o n p a g e 12 ) W I N T E R 2 019
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( C o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 11) Praying for women exploring a call to m i n i s t r y.
R e v. D r. M i l t o n O r t i z , Priscilla Cequiera, R e v. D r. J o s u e G u e r r e r o , R e v. C a r l o s S a n t o s .
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time, and drama. We took turns leading activities and communicated well in spite of our different languages. After leaving our three-day stay at the camp we settled into the city of Salvador and took the children’s program to two churches in Itapua and Peri-Peri, connecting with a hundred more children and their families. Sherry Poteet added her musical talent in teaching the children the song “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” which she learned in Portuguese. Although a familiar song to us, it was new for them. The children embraced it with delight and the song became our theme song for the week. Sherry commented, “something I learned about the church is that the worldwide Cumberland Presbyterian Church and God’s plan of diversity is beautiful. Language is not a barrier. It is part of seeing the world through a different lens. Every one of us on this earth is made in the very image of God. We are all beautiful and perfect just as He planned. Everyone has gifts and talents that when used together create a perfectly orchestrated plan. I am forever grateful and changed.” While the focus of our trip was interacting with the children, the chance to work side-by-side with the extraordinary women leaders of the Brazilian Cumberland Presbyterian Church was quite meaningful. Their enthusiasm and love for the Gospel of Christ was inspiring as was their
camaraderie and love for each other. What an experience to be present with Priscilla Cequiera as she was accepted as the first woman ministerial candidate in Brazil! Even more so, was the experience of having eight women come forward following an invitation to prayer for other women experiencing and exploring a call to ministry in the church. The one-on-one conversations and prayers with our new friends left us inspired and feeling a deep sense of solidarity as sisters in Christ. On Sunday afternoon, after the children headed home from camp, we had a quiet moment to sit on the porch, listen to a soft-falling rain, and enjoy a cup of steaming Brazilian coffee. It was a pleasure to visit with missionaries Josue and Sara Guerrero who moved to Brazil from Colombia earlier this year to work as missionaries. Along with Milton Ortiz, Sara and Josue reminisced about their experience as youth in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Colombia and shared memories of the influence my father, Bill Wood, had on them as a mentor and encourager. He would be so proud of them and their ministry. In that moment, I stood in reverence of the unseen threads of grace connecting a missionary to Japan and to a new Japanese congregation in Brazil as well as the threads connecting an American missionary to Colombia with the next generation of dynamic Colombian church leaders spreading mission work to other parts of the world. These threads form a dynamic living tapestry of God’s grace connecting people across international lines and from one generation to another. I wondered what new connections were being made as the Spirit moved among us in Salvador, Brazil. What fruit might it bear in the future in the lives of the children, the women with whom we worked side-by-side, and others we met? How might we, too, be changed by expanding our world view and opening our eyes to the blessings before us? God works through us when we are fully present and his grace spreads as we make genuine connections with each other. This presence and connection were gifts we received and, hopefully, gifts we bestowed on this mission trip. Thanks be to God. MM
BECOMING CHILDREN By Josue and Sara Guerrero
“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3 (ESV)
R e v. D r. J o s u e Guerrero, wife Sara, and daughter Raquel.
Words as uncompromising as these words by Jesus, recorded in the gospel of Matthew, have profoundly resonated in our missionary life in Brazil. Let me elaborate on these words. These words are like the vibrations of a gong that affect even the innermost part of our being. With confidence, as we study this scripture, it allows us to understand the hand of God in our lives. It is a great model of our creator polishing our imperfections and molding our Christian character. This verse speaks about a child allowing their loving parent to mold them into something special. A child innocently trusts people who show them sincere affection. A loving parent gains the love of their child by their acts of sacrifice and love. The child is hoping that those around them, through their good will, will meet the child’s needs in the best possible way. The child depends on those with strength to speak and act for them, to be their voice and their strength. At the same time, the child lives in the midst of an absorbing and complicated world. Because of a parent’s love the child is able to rest peacefully because the parents take care of them. Thus, the child is able to rest in their calm and peaceful thoughts.
As new missionaries to Brazil this reality confronts us day by day. We are becoming like children. We have returned to a place in our lives, a place of trust and dependence that we thought we had long left behind as children. Missionary service asks us to become children and trust in our Lord. Thinking and reflecting on the above concept has unquestionably helped us better understand how to carry out the ministry God has entrusted to us in Brazil. Our work involves: learning a new language (Portuguese), visiting churches (one of them was planted as a Japanese CP church), getting to know new brothers and sisters in Christ, preaching the Word of God, and administering the Sacrament. We are also leading a mission group. We have formed a Council of CP Churches. We are working with the Council to find ways to expand the CP Church in Brazil. And in the midst of all of this we are active workers in ministry and learning to be passive children. We are learning to trust in God’s plan, rest in God’s peace and follow God’s plan for our ministry. We are becoming children. MM
Becoming like children changes our worldview, it is a step-by-step journey. In our relentless pursuit of God as followers of Christ, we realize the expectations of our Messiah. Ironically God’s process, as seen in the text, makes us passive and humble followers (children) by molding us. Christ uses his delicate hands as a loving potter, a loving parent, giving us the privilege of being uniquely sculpted. W I N T E R 2 019
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MISSIONARY TOUR IN THE UNITED STATES By Wilson and Diana Lopez
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On June 14, 2019, we started our church tour in the United States. We visited 28 Cumberland Presbyterian churches located in the states of Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The tour lasted 25 days and was one of the most wonderful experiences we have lived as a family. The challenge of riding in a minivan for many miles to reach the different churches was a time of high expectations. As Colombians who live in Cali, Colombia, we were unaware of the context of the Cumberland Presbyterian churches in the United States, which we realized is completely different from ours. We were in an unknown land full of new things to discover. We experienced a different culture and met people we did not know—people with a different language. We wondered how they would receive and accept us. This was our concern every day of our tour. During our visit, we experienced the concept of brotherhood and unconditional love. We found this in each of our brothers and sisters. Regardless of how many things we may or may not have in common culturally, the only important thing, we realized, was to know that we are children of the same Father and share the same faith in our savior Jesus Christ. Our US tour was a time of many emotions seeing how each church loves our Lord Jesus Christ and seeing their willingness to support the church’s missionaries. We were very happy to visit each church, meeting its pastors and
members. We felt a great joy seeing each church’s vision move forward and continue to grow in all aspects. That said, we are committed to crying out in prayer for the churches that are declining because of their many challenges and the absence of young people. We believe that our prayers for each other have an incalculable value. During our tour we received amazing lessons of love and grace from the Lord through our CP family of faith. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your warm receptions, the hugs, and the smiles which filled our hearts with courage and more love for the work of the Lord. We are grateful for the hospitality you gave us, the time spent, every detail, the delicious food, and for your financial support. It was an unforgettable time. We sincerely guard in our hearts the memories of how each church opened their doors to listen to God’s purpose for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Spain and, of course, in the rest of Europe. MM Reverends Wilson and Diana Lopez, and their daughters are currently in Cali, Colombia pastoring the Renacer CP Church. They are making plans to move to Spain in early 2020. As of the writing of this article (Sept. 19, 2019) they have received $42,788 in setup support which covers these expenses: deputation, legal expenses, plane tickets, car, moving). The Lopez family are totally dependent on the Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering for their salaries and benefits, as are all missionaries supervised by the MMT.
A New Church Start in Middle Tennes see B y T. J . M a l i n o s k i
At the beginning of September, Columbia Presbytery held a called meeting to begin a new church. This presbytery of less than 40 congregations has been very active in starting new groups in the last five years, giving birth to one church already organized and to two new groups in various stages of development. Inspired and trusting in God to provide ways of reaching people for the building of God’s reign, the presbytery met on a Thursday night to start a new church in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Rev. Chris Caldwell, whose roots include both middle and east Tennessee, was approved to lead a group in one of the fastest growing areas in the United States. He brings the gifts of ministry with him to this new endeavor as well as some church starting experience. Columbia Presbytery and the Missions Ministry Team are partnering together for at least 28 months to help this new church effort take shape, form its mission, and provide ministry to the Spring Hill community. Chris said, “one of the leading motivations for the new church is from Mark 11:17
in which Jesus said, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations.’ We will begin each day of this Spring Hill journey on our knees.” Please be in prayer for this new church in Spring Hill, Tennessee. MM
The Cumberland Korean Presbytery of the South East By Milton Ortiz
On May 2, 2019, the Synod of the South East approved the organization of a non-geographic presbytery, the Cumberland Korean Presbytery of the South East. A Synodic commission organized the new presbytery on September 21, 2019, at Walking with God Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Duluth, Georgia. This is the second Korean Presbytery in our denomination after the East Coast Korean Presbytery organized in 2012. The Cumberland Korean Presbytery of the South East will serve Korean communities and congregations in the United States in their work to extend the kingdom of God on earth. Ministers, elders, and probationers signed as founding members of the new presbytery. Denominational leaders, members of Tennessee-Georgia Presbytery, East Coast Korean Presbytery, Cumberland Presbyterian brothers and sisters, and other guests were present at this historic event. The Rev. Forest Prosser led the constituting prayer. Rev. Prosser has been instrumental in developing Korean ministries in various presbyteries of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in the United States. MM W I N T E R 2 019
M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R 15
BIBLE STUDY/DEVOTION
Returning, Waiting, and Anticipating the Good News of Great Joy I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Luke 2:10 But as for you, return to your God, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God. Hosea 12:6
B y T. J . M a l i n o s k i
Return, fast, and wait are words one might not often find in the same sentence, yet these three action words describe what we are inspired to do in preparation for the Christmas season. We return to the store to purchase a gift for the forgotten person on our Christmas list. We move fast to get to the next work, church, or school function. We wait in the grocery line, in congested traffic, and for the Christmas ham to thaw. The prophet Hosea had a different understanding of these three action words. Addressing his kindred during a time when Israel is caught up in following their own prerogative, Hosea encourages anyone willing to listen to return to God’s compassionate love and patience, to hold fast and be deeply rooted in the principles and practices of love and justice, and to wait, like a child confidently trusting the tenderness of a parent’s words, continually for God to move in, through, and around you. Hosea’s words would have been familiar to Zechariah, the first individual mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. Zechariah is the priest who loses his voice in the disbelief that he and his wife will be having a son in their twilight years. Zechariah and the covenant community have been waiting generations for God to provide a savior to give them mercy from their enemies and to show them God’s compassionate love and justice. The news from the messenger Gabriel is the wait is almost over. When Zechariah’s voice returns, he, too, speaks like a prophet proclaiming blessings toward God for their newborn son, John, who will prepare the way for salvation, the forgiveness of sins and the tender mercy of God. The proclamation continues as the months tick by. From a messenger to Zechariah and back to a messenger again, shepherds are disarmed by words spoken in the night air: Do not be afraid; for you will see—I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. The good news that the savior is arriving, and has arrived, is given to clerics and laity with equal enthusiasm. The shepherds make plans to witness this good news for all people. The anticipation and the waiting are over. Or are they?
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Every December, we as the covenant community, return to the revelation of God manifested in the birth of Jesus. We return to the seasons of Advent and Christmas challenged to see the coming of the Christ Child with a renewed vigor for a proclamation familiar to us. Anticipating the good news of great joy for all the people does not mean that the news is stale. We can always look forward to hearing good news that brings joy to everyone even when the news is familiar and anticipated. My wife, Melissa, and I have two children; one is four years old and the other is seventeen. As the season of Advent begins, I am familiar with our Malinoski family history and traditions. I anticipate an array of Christmas ornaments will be disproportionally arranged by joyful four year old fingers on the lower branches of the tree. I anticipate a seventeen-year-old will divide his last Christmas vacation as a high school student to spend more time with friends and a little less with family than in previous years. While one may think my anticipation is tinted with bit of melancholy, I look forward to experiencing the joy of making new family traditions to add to those well established and familiar in the Malinoski home. For the covenant community, the proclamation of Jesus’s birth is the experience of joy knowing God consummates our lives and histories together. The good news brings our past and our present together anticipating and peering ahead into the unfolding future that the good news will bring great joy in days yet lived. This good news gives us free access to God, calls us to be the people and persons we are created to be, and opens us to joyfully witness through our words and service. As the calendar page flips from the month of November to December this year, may we return to the news of great joy with anxious waiting and wild anticipation. May we search for places where the good news of great joy is most needed. May we share and become enthusiastic witnesses of this great news to all the people we encounter this Advent and Christmas season. MM
2018 Loaves & Fishes Offering $54,297
Financial Update By Jinger Ellis
Last year’s Loaves & Fishes Offering went to provide meals and supplies for the Child Development Program in the Philippines. This program is administered by the Council of CP Churches in the Philippines. Our missionaries, Daniel and Kay Jang provide strong administrative leadership for this program. There are various Child Development Programs in different CP churches/missions located on the island of Iloilo, Philippines. The program consists of a Saturday event where the children receive a hot meal, hear a Bible study, have classes on hygiene or some other relevant subject, sing and play games. 2018 Gift to the King - $102,243 The Gift to the King Offering went to the Iloilo Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The church has been meeting in rental property for years and the Missions Ministry Team (MMT) has been raising money for a building for the Iloilo CP Church for as many years. They have about 80 people attend each Sunday morning and the rented meeting space is full. They have youth, a strong women’s group, young professionals, and lots of children. The Iloilo CP Church also conducts a “Child Development Program” that feeds, educates and shares Christ with dozens of children each week. The ministries of the church march on, despite the challenges of suitable meeting space. Because of your gifts the building is going up and there are enough funds to finish the project – it is “wrapped up.” 2018 & 2019 Builders Fellowship Each year the Missions Ministry Team sends out three calls to Builders Fellowship members and churches to help raise funds for purchasing or building a first worship center. Below is a list of the calls for 2018 and 2019 with the amounts that were raised.
First call 2018 – Amaga Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Amaga, Colombia - $11,318 was raised to help finish their building. Second call 2018 – Bugalagrande New Church Development in Cauca Valley, Colombia - $8,665 was received for this call. Third call for 2018 – Roca de Salvacion, Birmingham, Alabama - $9,244.00 was received for this call. First call for 2019 – Aguadas, Colombia - $9,655.00 was received for this call. Second call for 2019 – Rios de Agua Viva, Colombia - $9,485.00 was received for this call. Missionary Set-Up Fund Jang Car – Financial Goal was $14,000; received $15,227 Missionary Cars – Financial Goal is $42,000; received $6,630 The Lopez Family (missionaries to Spain) – Financial Goal was $40,500; received $42,788 Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering 2017 - Donations totaled $259,529; expenses were $341,763; deficit of $82,234 2018 – Donations totaled $319,144; expenses were $319,710; deficit of $566 2019 - $257,850 has been received as of October 8, 2019; expenses are $266,334; deficit of $8,484. Many thanks to our faithful donors to the Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering! Last year’s gifts totaled $319,144 and we were only $566 short of our expenses! Thank you!!! In previous years, the Missions Ministry Team has used a portion of OUO and other resources to help cover the budget shortfall. Your gifts have made it possible to send a new missionary couple to Spain and another one later next year to Guatemala. Thank you for all that you do to help our missionaries! MM W I N T E R 2 019
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WOMEN’S MINISTRY
Memberships By Cardelia Howell-Diamond
When my parents first stated attending First Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Lubbock, Texas, they were young college students. The church hired my mother to sing in the choir and my father, who was courting her at the time, came along to be with her. An elder in the church, John Paul Craig, and his wife, Juanita Craig, invited my parents to join them for lunch. It was a simple gesture, not too terribly inconvenient for the Craigs. They had four boys of their own around my Dad’s age and adding a couple more to the table was just a matter of adding chairs. But that simple act led to my parents falling in love with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. They were married in that congregation. My brother and I were raised there, and eventually both my mother and I would be ordained as ministers of word and sacrament in worship services with that congregation. A little gift had a huge impact. In 1924, Mrs. Eva Hughs of Missouri, a pioneer and courageous worker who had labored sacrificially for the cause of missions, became concerned that her life would soon be spent and she would no longer be able to serve. The banks were then paying 4% on “time deposits.” So she wrote the Board of Missions and asked where she might place $30.00 on a “time deposit” to assure that the accrued interest of $1.20 per year might perpetuate her dues. It was a little gift in the grand scheme of things, but a gift that has lasted more than a lifetime.
Above : Mrs. Eva Hughs. Right: John Paul C r a i g f a m i l y.
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As we come into this season of giving I want to encourage us as individuals, churches, presbyteries and agencies to think about giving perpetual memberships in honor of the people in our lives to help Women’s Ministry continue to support the mission of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. You don’t have to be a woman to receive a perpetual membership! Many congregations give them to all graduates of high school or college, to their pastors, as well as to faithful women in the congregation. W I N T E R 2 019
Right: R e v. L i n d a S . Howell and Sonny Howell
There are several distinct memberships. Make sure you pick the right one to honor your special person.
PERPETUAL OR PATRON MEMBERSHIP As in all endowment giving, people who are currently enjoying the peace of mind, the joy, and the economic tax advantage, are offered an opportunity to make a gift that will become a living reality. The money is placed in an endowment fund and only the income is used for the mission program of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Perpetual and Patron Memberships are available for all people who are concerned about strengthening and sustaining mission work, either living or deceased.
DIAMOND PERPETUAL MEMBERSHIP The purpose of the Diamond Perpetual Membership is to recognize women who have served the church faithfully for a period of ten years or more. The Diamond Perpetual Membership is available to all people who are concerned about strengthening and sustaining mission work, either living or deceased.
SILVER PATRON MEMBERSHIP The purpose of the Silver Patron Membership is to recognize women who have served the church faithfully, but have joined the church later in life, making it virtually impossible to
reach the age of eligibility for the Golden Patron Membership. Silver Patron Membership is available to women who have served 25 years or more in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church or women’s ministry. The person may be living or deceased.
GOLDEN PATRON MEMBERSHIP The purpose of the Golden Patron Membership is to recognize and honor these women who have served the church faith fully. Many women have served quietly and effectively, without fanfare, for the greater portion of their lives, but have received little recognition. Through the presentation of the Golden Patron Membership, the person honored will make a perpetual contribution to the work of the Missions Ministry Team in keeping with the personal contribution the person made within her lifetime. The Golden Patron Membership is available to women who have served 50 years or more in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church or women’s ministry. A memorial membership may be given to honor women now deceased. On payment of a specified amount of money by an individual or group of individuals to the Membership Endowment Program, one may receive membership status and a certificate from the Missions Ministry Team.
Each of the memberships can also be given in memory of someone. The types of memberships are: Perpetual - $30, Diamond - $50, Patron - $100, Silver Patron - $125, Golden Patron $150. How is a membership given? Memberships for the Missions Ministry Team may be established by an individual, Women’s Ministry (local/region), or any other group or organization in the church, presbytery, synod or Convention. Memorial memberships may also be bestowed. An application should be secured which includes the name of the recipient and the donor(s), the name and address of the person to whom the certificate is mailed, and the other necessary information. Mail the application along with a check to the Missions Ministry Team, 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414. Please allow three to four weeks to receive it. MM W I N T E R 2 019
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The Missions Ministry Team (MMT) Acting As A Presbytery
2 0 1 9 GIFT TO THE KING
The General Assembly granted the MMT permission to act as a presbytery in countries where we have no presbytery. People often wonder what that looks like. The key to this approach is forming councils of churches/missions on the mission field. A council is a group of CP pastors and lay leaders from the different congregations in that country. They coordinate ministry under the guidance of the Missions Ministry Team (MMT).
This is what it looks like to become a candidate in a country where there is no presbytery:
The person will meet with their church session and/or missionaries.
The Session will make a recommendation to the Council of churches and the candidate will meet with the Council for an interview. All is in the language of the Candidate.
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“I feel God’s call to the ministry.”
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The MMT, in its regular meetings, takes time from its regular business to meet as a presbytery. The members of the MMT consist of ordained pastors and elders. In its presbytery meeting the MMT names a “mission commission” of four to six ordained persons to review and approve the recommendations that come from the councils and missionaries. When the MMT meets as a presbytery the MMT reviews the actions taken by its
4 The Council of churches will recommend the person to the MMT as a Candidate, providing these documents: • Session request • Council request • Biographical information • Written testimony • Confirmation the person answered candidate questions.
5 The MMT will review the translated documents to make sure the process is correct. It will give final approval and then instruct the Council to announce the person as a Candidate and pray for them in an appropriate setting (worship service or future Council meeting).
BUILDING IN
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“ I B r i n g Yo u G o o d N e w s
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“mission commission.” The time-consuming part of reviewing documents from the mission field and working with the mission field is done by the commission. The minutes and actions taken by the MMT are reviewed each year by the General Assembly’s Permanent Judiciary Committee (acting as a synod).
GIVING NEWS/Second Mile Project for Missions
Missionary Cars - Project #34041
The Missions Ministry Team has new missionaries to Brazil. We plan to deploy new missionaries to Spain in early 2020. We are also working with another missionary couple that will deploy to Guatemala early in 2020. One of the benefits we provide new missionaries is a safe car. Sometimes they are new cars, but often they are good used cars. Our missionaries need a car in order to fulfill the church planting and ministry responsibilities that they have on the mission field. We are asking Cumberland Presbyterians to help us with this Second Mile offering.
Financial Data:
Amount needed from Second Mile: $42,000 Amount received to date: $6,630
We know this is an ambitious project. At the same time, it reflects the exciting reality that we will be deploying three new missionary families within a twelve month period. As you prayerfully consider this Second Mile project please pray for these three families that will be using these cars: Rev. and Mrs. Josue Guerrero and daughter (Brazil), Rev. Wilson and Rev. Diana Lopez and two daughters (Spain), and a missionary couple we are not ready to announce by name at this time (Guatemala).
Contributions:
Please make check payable to the Missions Ministry Team indicating for Missionary Cars - Project #34041 and mail to 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414.
Contact Lynn Thomas at lynndont@gmail.com, (901) 276-4572 ext. 261.
901.276.4572 / For more information and resources visit our website at cpcmc.org /mmt /gift2king
Cumberland Presby terian Church, Missions Ministry Team / 8207 Traditional Place • Cordova, TN 38016-7414 /
A l l T h e P e o p l e . ” L u k e 2 : 10 N I V
Of Great Joy That Will Be For
BRAZIL
POLICY: THE MISSIONARY MESSENGER is published for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church by the Missions Ministry Team. Opinions expressed by the individual writers are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editors. THE MISSIONARY MESSENGER does not accept advertising. ADDRESS CHANGE: send new address and label from a recent issue to the Circulation Secretary at the address below. THE MISSIONARY MESSENGER (ISSN 08868344), (Publication permit number: PE14376) is published quarterly by the Missions Ministry Team of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church,8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414. Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, Tenn. The magazine is sent free of charge to each household in the denomination. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: THE MISSIONARY MESSENGER, 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414.
The 189th General Assembly adopted a Denominational Day of Prayer and Fasting for renewal and revitalization. The date chosen for the day of prayer and fasting will be February 26, 2020. We invite all Cumberland Presbyterians from around the world to join together for a day of prayer and fasting. The Ministry teams of the Ministry Council are developing and will provide resources and ideas to help you, your congregation, and your presbytery participate in our denominational day of prayer and fasting. For more information go to: cpcmc.org/ pray-fast-act. Join our Facebook Event Page: facebook.com/events/1589236061236376/ or search for, Pray Fast Act: Cumberland Presbyterian Day of Prayer and Fasting