Sum mer 2015
The Miracle of Deputation by Dr. David Canedy
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emories of church potlucks, failed PowerPoint presentations, and “memorable” overnight accommodations highlight a period well known to every missionary as deputation. What is deputation anyway? As defined by missionary Bill Pfaunmiller, “Deputation is an unknown period of time for calling, writing, and visiting an unknown number of pastors you do not know, driving on unfamiliar roads in unbelievable conditions at unearthly hours, staying with people you have never met, and eating food you do not recognize, in order to convince unfamiliar churches to support a missionary they do not know to go to a field where he has not been, to do a work he has not done in a language he does not know, with funds he does not have.”1 While comical, this definition offers much truth. It humorously portrays the reality that deputation is difficult, lengthy and sometimes unpleasant. Ultimately, God’s messenger must recognize that the goals of deputation are impossible to realize apart from the miraculous work of God. Deputation is a vital pre-field ministry in which missionaries establish important relationships and secure support (both prayer and financial), while informing and challenging churches about their missionary ministry. The word deputation comes from the word to deputize: to authorize someone to represent another and act on his or her behalf. A deputized sheriff maintains authority to act on behalf of the local sheriff. In essence, deputation serves as the process by which a missionary seeks to establish a relationship with local churches to become their deputized (authorized) representative to fulfill the Great Commission in some uttermost part of the world. How else does a local church fulfill the commission to go into all the world to preach the Gospel, baptize and teach all things our Lord has commanded, unless we deputize a host of missionaries to go on our behalf? Certainly, every Christian must go wherever he can with the Gospel, but to reach the whole world, we must deputize missionaries to go where we cannot go. The history of deputation begins with Barnabas and Saul (Paul) who were deputized (authorized) by the local church in Antioch to go on its behalf to the uttermost parts of the world (Acts 13:1-4). These pioneer missionaries set the example for others to follow. Close examination of this passage and the surrounding context reveals the circumstances that prompted the first deputation. The church recognized several traits in the first missionaries: 1)
their salvation and sanctification, 2) their passion for souls, 3) God’s blessing upon their ministry, 4) their ability to preach, teach and lead, 5) God’s calling upon their lives as His servants, 6) their faithfulness and 7) God’s separation of them for missionary service. The Antioch church observed all these qualities within the context of local church ministry before they were sent out as missionaries. Undoubtedly, Barnabas and Saul sensed God’s call to go unto the uttermost parts of the earth with the Gospel. Perhaps more importantly, the church leadership (and the corporate church) recognized God’s call upon their lives. The church also heard God’s command to separate and send these men as missionaries. Church leadership recognized God’s work in these individuals, united around this work, and acted on this work by dispatching Barnabas and Saul in order to fulfill the Great Commission. In today’s society, the challenge of deputation hinges on the missionary’s ability to demonstrate these same qualities to several churches during brief visits, as a precondition to representing these various churches on the mission field. They must be prepared to effectively communicate and demonstrate their salvation, calling, preparation, stand, leadership ability, work ethic, ability to teach and preach, and passion for the Lord’s work. They must be able to do so within their limited amount of interaction with the pastor, deacons and church family. Churches must demonstrate their commitment to the Great Commission by seeking missionaries, being prepared to send missionaries and remaining sensitive to the Lord’s leading as missionaries present their ministries.
In This Issue
2 For His Name’s Sake— We Go Forth
3 Inspecting Missionary Fruit The Miracle of Deputation (cont.)
The need for multiple churches to support missionaries in today’s economy contributes to lengthened deputation ministries. Whereas previous decades witnessed shorter deputations, it now requires years of commitment to gain the necessary support. How can we speed the process of deputation? Churches have Itineraries adopted various approaches to attempt to address this question. Ready to Go/Gone! Some have increased the amount given to each missionary. This is a great idea, as long as it does not result in the same dollars simply divided out to fewer missionaries. Generally, however, the increased support has fallen far short of inflation. Some have attempted to reduce mission expenses by cutting mission conferences. This may work for a short period of time, but could make matters worse if the effect is to de-emphasize missions in the local church. While these various approaches may help mitigate the current problem, they fall short of a real solution.
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Continued on page 3.
For His Name’s Sake—We Go Forth 3 John 7a
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e praise the Lord for the 15 missionaries who came to Orientation during the week of April 19-24 at Camp Joy near Whitewater, Wisconsin. It was a wonderful week of fellowship and training. The bonds of friendship that were developed will prove beneficial as each one begins (or continues) his journey of deputation. Though there were snow flurries in the air, our hearts were warmed with the Word of God and prayerfully, even set on fire to “go forth, for His name’s sake.” In his third epistle, John commends Gaius for his love for the truth and for those who left their homes and went forth with the Gospel for the sake of Christ’s name. Those who went forth for the sake of His name were likely the early missionaries. Going forth as a missionary is a great honor, blessing and challenge. Our theme for BWM’s 2015 Orientation week was “For His Name’s Sake—We Go Forth” from 3 John 7. We all were challenged by great
speakers who emphasized this theme for us. What a blessing to learn that those who are redeemed through the blood of Christ will one day stand around the throne of God. The redeemed will be from “every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9). For His name’s sake, we must go forth. What a tremendous blessing and responsibility that lies before us! There are things that can be a hindrance to anyone who chooses to go forth. One speaker warned of the snare of bitterness. Many good men have been turned aside because of this evil culprit that creeps into lives and ministries. For His name’s sake and through His power, we must forgive so that we can continue to go forth. A challenge was also presented to “open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it” from Psalm 81:10. Going forth as a missionary requires faith to see God answer prayer and provide in many special ways. God delights in answering our prayers! His name is glorified
as we testify of His gracious response to His servants. For His name’s sake, we must pray big with expectation that God will answer big. Many times, we don’t ask God for the big things, because we don’t believe He will answer. May God strengthen our faith as we go forth for His name’s sake. We offer a special word of thanks to the leadership and staff at Camp Joy who graciously host Baptist World Mission each year! Please pray for our missionaries as several begin and others faithfully continue their deputation ministries.
Neal and Melinda Ludwig (Ghana) Neal and Melinda are being sent out by their church, Prosperity First Baptist Church of Prosperity, South Carolina, to the field of Ghana, West Africa. Both Neal and Melinda grew up in a small town in western New York state. Neither of them attended church in their childhood days. As young adults, they both heard of Christ and His saving grace and received Him as their Savior. After Neal’s salvation, it wasn’t long before he moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where the pastor there spent much time discipling him. God, in His sovereignty, later brought Melinda to Greenville as well. Melinda too was discipled there and truly began to grow in Christ. God brought them together in marriage and has blessed them with four beautiful children. They both are very active in their local church. During a mission trip to Ghana, God planted a burden in Neal’s heart for the people there. That burden continued to grow until Neal answered the call to go to the people of Ghana and bring the light of the Gospel to that land.
Tejay and Karina René (Belarus) Tejay and Karina René are being sent by Heritage Baptist Church of DeWitt, Michigan. Tejay has been on deputation with Baptist World Mission for the field of Belarus. On May 29, Tejay and Karina were married. Shortly before their wedding, Baptist World Mission appointed Karina to serve alongside her future husband in her homeland of Belarus. As children in Belarus, Karina and her brother were invited to church by BWM missionary Steven René (Tejay’s father). When Karina and her brother were later placed in an orphanage, Pastor Schrock and his wife unofficially adopted them. Through the ministry of the René and Schrock families, Karina realized her need of Christ as her Savior and made a profession of salvation. She then went to the United States to attend Fairhaven Baptist College in Indiana, where she settled the assurance of her salvation. She graduated from Fairhaven in May. Tejay and Karina look forward to returning to Belarus to serve the Lord together there.
Robert and Mary Southard (Furlough Replacement) Robert and Mary Southard are former missionaries to the country of Japan. They are being sent out of Philadelphia Baptist Church of Rutledge, Georgia. The Southards have four grown children, and enjoy the blessing of several grandchildren. They served in Japan for many years until the Lord directed them to return to the States. Even while off the field, the mission field was never far from their hearts. Many times they talked of going back, yet the door did not open for them to do so. They occupied themselves by being active in their local church. It was at a recent mission conference that the idea was planted in their minds and hearts that they could go as furlough replacement missionaries. To their delight, the Lord has opened that door, and we welcome them at Baptist World Mission as furlough replacement missionaries.
Mission Matters: Inspecting Missionary Fruit by Dr. Bud Steadman
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of God’s servant. The extent of fruitfulness is the sovereign choice of God. In holding the missionary accountable, we must measure the frequency of his activity in proclaiming the Gospel, not just the results of that proclamation. In some parts of the world, much fruit is being harvested today from relatively little Gospel outreach. In other regions, little outward fruit is seen from much faithful Gospel witness. The focus of accountability must be biblical faithfulness to proclaim the Gospel.
But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium” (13:50-51). It has been said that no one can live and preach in the power of God’s Spirit without creating either a revival or a riot. This is illustrated throughout the book of Acts, and Barnabas and Saul were not exempt from such experiences.
Accountable for the Waging of Warfare “Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith” (13:8). None of us can be faithful to the proclamation of the Word of God without encountering satanic opposition. This is especially true of those advancing to the front lines of missionary endeavor. Ask any missionary who returns home from a field that has been long dominated by Satan, and he will attest to such warfare. We thank God that faithful missionaries know the blessing not only of battling, but of winning through Christ and the power of the Spirit and Word. Relating this warfare to accountability, Accountable for the Witness of the Gospel the local church must remember that its “They preached the word of God” (13:5). missionary is often returning stateside after Paul and Barnabas faithfully proclaimed the being attacked and brutalized by a real spiritual Gospel of the risen Christ everywhere they enemy. When we fail to remember that these went. “And the word of the Lord was published spiritually wounded warriors need our love and throughout all the region” (13:49). In the case encouragement, we do an injustice to them of the first missionary journey, the fruit of the relating to their accountability. witness of the Gospel included the glorious conversion of several individuals including Accountable for the Willingness to Suffer Sergius Paulus, the governor of Paphos (13:7). “But the Jews stirred up the devout and But will a missionary’s faithful witness always honorable women, and the chief men of the yield such bountiful fruit? Not necessarily so. city, and raised persecution against Paul and Faithfulness in preaching is the responsibility Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.
When a missionary reports persecution and suffering to his sending and supporting churches, the congregation is sometimes tempted to recommend his departure from the field out of concern for his life. The New Testament missionary, however, must be committed to a willingness to suffer for the sake of the Gospel. Likewise, the churches need to be willing to suffer alongside him so that the missionary can be enabled to do the work God has given him. There was a time when Paul fled the city of Damascus under persecution, and there was a time when he stood and allowed himself to be stoned outside Derbe and Lystra. When to flee and when to stay must be a Spiritled decision made under prayerful counsel. That being said, a godly missionary must be willing to suffer—it is part of his calling and accountability.
he accountability of missionaries was the theme of the lead article by Steve Anderson in the previous edition of The Messenger. While all those who love the Lord and His work would agree that there must be accountability to one’s sending and supporting churches, just what is a church to be looking for when it inspects the fruit of a missionary’s ministry? While the ultimate goal of missions must always be evangelism, discipleship and church planting, the local church must avoid the short-sighted trap of making reported professions of faith the sole basis of whether or not a missionary is doing the work God has given him to do. Rather, ministry accomplishments, such as those recorded of Paul and Barnabas, must be high on the list of any church reviewing the work of a missionary whom they support. Acts 13-14 gives the record of the calling, sending and reporting of the first two missionaries. In considering the specifics of what might have been reported to the church at Antioch, three accomplishments were no doubt the focus of their accountability, since these activities dominate the textual record of their first journey.
The next time you are inspecting the fruit of your reporting missionary, view it through the lens of Acts 13-14 to see how he is doing in proclaiming the Gospel, standing against Satan and being willing to suffer. “Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2).
The Miracle of Deputation (cont.) I believe the solution rests in the hearts of God’s people. The real need is a revival of the church concerning the centrality of missions to God’s agenda. Jesus came to seek and to save that which is lost (Luke 19:10). God is calling out a people for His name (Acts 15:14). The church at Ephesus, while taking a commendable separated stand, left its first love. The Savior’s gracious message came to these saints, “remember from whence thou art fallen, repent, and do the first works [return]” (Revelation 2:5). Certainly among the first works is a zeal and passion for souls that evidences itself in reaching out, not only at home, but also to the uttermost parts of the world. Sacrifice and rearranged priorities are needed on the part of both the church and the missionary. Some will undoubtedly say that the money is just not there in today’s economy. In some
respects that is true. However, the economy is all about values, or perceived values. One day, the stock market is up and the next day, it is down—all based upon society’s values and priorities, affected by greed and fear. Yet, God still owns the cattle on a thousand hills! God still answers prayer and invites us to come boldly to His throne of grace. Far from being a burden, deputation in the twenty-first century church serves as an opportunity to see the miraculous hand of God at work. Today’s economy is just further proof that deputation requires a miracle. Is it not our faith and our values that are being tested? Do we not need to see the miracle of revival and answered prayer? Deputation requires hard work, faithfulness, passion, commitment, God’s calling, faith and answered prayer on the part of the missionary. Ultimately, it requires a miracle of God to get
a missionary to the mission field! Even more so in this day, it also requires a revival on the part of the church and every believer. In these last days, may the Lord revive our hearts, revive His church and revive the work of missions so that the light of the Gospel may shine brightly from our lives and our churches. May God help us to remember our first love, repent and return to our first works. May God graciously revive churches and fill them with people like Gaius (3 John 1-8), who demonstrated his love for Christ by being a fellow-helper to those who went forth for His name’s sake! Let us pray that the Lord of the Harvest will revive His church and use each of us as He sends forth laborers into His harvest. May God graciously revive us to see the miracle of deputation. Pfaunmiller, Bill. “Great is Thy Faithfulness: Deputation Memories of Bill & Teresa Pfaunmiller,” 1994.
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Itineraries
Steve Anderson
David Canedy
Pat Delaney
July 1–September 30
July 8
No meetings scheduled
South Africa Furlough Replacement
Trinity Baptist Church Williston, VT
Jesse Garza
July 12
No meetings scheduled
Faith Baptist Bible College Laval, Quebec, Canada
Bud Steadman
Kevin Brosnan July 25–August 8 Germany/Romania
September 20 Bible Baptist Church Hampton, GA
August 4–27
July 19 Rimouski Baptist Church Rimouski, Quebec, Canada July 22 Grace Baptist Church Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Japan/Guam
September 20 Mt. Tabor Baptist Church Lebanon, IN
July 26 Beth Eden Baptist Church Fitchburg, Massachusetts
August 2 Hillcrest Baptist Church Elmira, NY
September 9–24 Kenya/South Africa
Ready to Go
These missionaries have almost reached 100% support. They are READY TO GO! Perhaps the Lord of the Harvest will enable you or your church to help get them to their fields of service. Contact them today! Jason & Leigha Carpenter (Cambodia) 85% jcarpenter@baptistworldmission.org Mike & Sarah Frueh (Hungary) 83% mfrueh@baptistworldmission.org Don & Jill Vanderhoof (Germany) 81% dvanderhoof@baptistworldmission.org
Gone! Philip & Bethany Herwaldt (USA-Native Americans) have reached 100% support and are now able to fully focus on the ministry the Lord has given them in Arizona.
Schedule an Administrator or Director at Your Church! BWM administrators and directors offer a wonderful blend of passionate preaching and current field experiences. Please contact the mission if you would like to schedule any of these men for your next conference.
This publication is available at baptistworldmission.org. Canada Office PO Box 51 Milton ON L9T 2Y3 Phone (905) 876-9936 bwmission@bellnet.ca
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