Alliance Life: March/April 2022 by The Christian and Missionary Alliance

ALLIANCELIFE ALLIANCE T H E M AG AZI N E O F THEALLIANCE SI NC E 1882

VOLUME 157

No. 02

MA R/ A PR 2 0 2 2

BE FRUITFUL Multiplying what God has cultivated in us

THE WAY HOME Finding our place in God’s Kingdom pg. 4

DON’T PLANT ALONE Addressing the loneliness of church planting pg. 8

RICH BEYOND ALL MEASURE Using God’s resources to raise up and send out pg. 28

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EDITORIAL

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MULTIPLICATION OR LONG DIVISION?

N o. 0 2

Founder A. B. Simpson Editor-in -Chief Peter Burgo

In seven separate instances in Genesis 1, God declares His creation to be good. In His final act of creation—the birth of humanity—He proclaims His handiwork very good. Clearly, of all His acts of creation, this was His most prized. He saw endless potential in His image-bearing children to carry out His plans and purposes. So, He instructed them to be fruitful and multiply. This was not merely a child-bearing mandate. It was a command to perpetuate what He declared good among all peoples through all ages. Then, when sin and rebellion corrupted the garden, multiplication became our loving Heavenly Father’s redemptive plan to reclaim and restore it. To restore the land to its intended fruitfulness, the Master Gardener plants, cultivates, and prunes. It is not His intent to allow weeds, thistles, or an overabundance of leafy outcroppings to flourish. Accordingly, we can’t bear fruit by nurturing weeds, thistles, and leaves in the plots entrusted to us. “On earth as it is in heaven” requires that we multiply the very best of what He has cultivated in us. Today we find ourselves at one of the most divisive crossroads in recent history. Politics and pandemics have pitted father against son, neighbor against neighbor. The watching world will take note of how God’s people respond. Will we multiply the best of what He has cultivated in us to help restore the garden? Or will we engage in the long division that further reduces it to a thistle-infested wasteland? As The Alliance, we seek to carry out the restorative work of the Master Gardener in some of the most spiritually parched landscapes here in the States and throughout the world. We multiply church networks to establish the ground for fruitful harvest. We serve communities to allow Christ’s love to irrigate and nourish the ground. We develop people to sow gospel-sprouting seeds on prepared soil. And it’s making a difference. Do the math: 6.3 million Alliance believers worldwide and counting!

Peter Burgo Editor-in-Chief

Scan this code with your smartphone or visit cmalliance.org/ impactreport2021 for a glimpse of what we did together in 2021.

Managing E ditor Emmy Duddles Graphic Designer Caylie Smith A ssistant E ditor Julie Daubé Staff Writers/E ditors Julie Daubé Hannah Ader Hannah Packard E ditorial A ssistant Carola Thompson Circulation Fulfillment Julie Connon

© ALLIANCELIFE ALLIANCELIFE i s p ub li s h e d by T h e Christian and Missionary Alliance, 8595 Explorer Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 8 0 9 20. M e m b e r, E v a n g e l i c a l P r e s s A s sociation and A s sociated Church Press. Printed in the U.S.A. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ALLIANCELIFE, 8595 E xplorer Dr, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. When requesting a change of address, pleas e gi ve b ot h t he old and new addresses. Direct all correspondence and changes of address to ALLIANCELIFE, 8595 Explorer Dr, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. Toll free: (877) 284-3262; email: alliancelife@cmalliance.org. Website: www.alliancelife.org.

The Alliance is committed to world missions, stressing the fullness of Christ in personal experience, building the Church, and preaching the gospel to the ends of the earth. ALLIANCELIFE carries on the tradition of 140 years of publishing stories of God at work through Alliance people in the United States and throughout the world.

www.alliancelife.org cover: Photo by Olivia McCash. The Alliance

is dedicated to cultivating and raising up leaders to establish Christ’s Church in the farthest reaches of the world.

MAR/APR2022 04 Christ-Centered THE WAY HOME Finding our place in God’s Kingdom by Leah Broach | pg. 4 DON’T PLANT ALONE Addressing the loneliness of church planting by Iván Martí | pg. 8 THE TOZER ANTHOLOGY Compiled by Harry Verploegh | pg. 11 FREE VERSE Quotes from the Kingdom | pg. 11 PASS THE MIC by Jelani Aswad Nkosi Pinnock | pg. 12

10 Acts 1:8 A LEGACY OF LIFE Celebrating 60 years of the LIFE youth conference by Scott Wakeley | pg. 16 WHO IS WILLING? Letting God fill our emptiness by A. B. Simpson | pg. 20 FROM ALL PEOPLE Bringing gospel access to the Deaf world by Hannah Packard | pg. 22

8 22 CONTENTS pg.

RICH BEYOND ALL MEASURE Using God’s resources to raise up and send out by Emmy Duddles | pg. 28 YOUR GENEROSITY IN ACTION Breaking the cycle of poverty by an Alliance international worker serving in West Africa | pg. 32

32 Family

PRAYER IS PRIMARY Prayer requests from Alliance workers around the world | pg. 38 ALLIANCE FAMILY NEWS Personnel changes, obituaries, and classified ads | pg. 39 OUR LIFE Snapshots from around The Alliance | pg. 46 FOUNDATIONS Silence in Heaven Adapted by Alliance Life staff | pg. 48

Plus 02 EDITORIAL 14 INFOCUS 26 PEOPLE WE SERVE 36 INFOCUS

T H E WAY H O M E Finding our place in God’s Kingdom

by Leah Broach

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s the director for children’s disciplemaking ministries at the Alliance National Office, I spend my days encouraging and equipping leaders of the local U.S. church toward discipling the next generation. Often, I am asked to give insight on successful ways to lead children toward resilient faith. And while there are many excellent tools and helpful curriculums that I happily share, I most often begin with the simplicity and beauty of the purpose of the Church.

This was an anxious time in my life because I had finished my studies and yet remained vastly unclear about the next journey I should take. I felt compelled to follow the Lord in service to Him, but I had no idea how it would look. My education centered on international missions and evangelism, yet somehow, I was perplexed at my role in it all. What did I have to offer the world? My ambition clamored for a platform, but this sanctuary hushed the noise. THE COMMUNAL BEAUTY OF THE CHURCH Sitting in the middle of a church that had survived more than 700 years uncovered the immature arrogance of my beliefs of personal influence. I was still but a child in the world, and while I believed God had uniquely gifted and called me to follow Him, I recognized that innumerable hosts of others, long before me, had taken up their cross so that I could one day find my own. I brought nothing new to the table, except my willingness to serve Him. I noticed the beauty of the Church rested in the whole and not in the individual parts. In its collective of parishioners throughout time, this church painted a picture of the Bride of Christ impervious to the world, shining a bright light in this village. I recognized that afternoon that heaven’s story was far more comprehensive than I could possibly understand. I pictured my own home church, nestled in the foothills of Appalachia, Tennessee, and I realized that the same thread of Christ’s love through the Church was woven everywhere Christ was proclaimed. The Church, Christ’s avenue of reaching the world, was His pathway for us to find our eternal home.

QUIETING THE NOISE During my first summer after Bible college, I traveled to Spain where my family served as missionaries. While visiting, we took a small family vacation through the Basque Country of France, and I took some time alone one afternoon to wander through the streets of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. The small village’s history and architecture seemed to whisper its stories on the wind, and I wanted to hear them all. My walk took me right through the doors of a 14th-century church where I quietly observed an afternoon choir practice. The heavy fragrance of warm candle wax mingled with dust hung thick in the air. I took a seat in the antiquated pews and absorbed the details: the shuffle of elderly feet, the sun coming through small cracks around the windows, and the unfamiliar sounds of French words in acapella hymnody played out around me. This sanctuary, clearly treasured by its people, was a light in the heart of the community. Welcoming smiles assured me that I was accepted in this space, and time became irrelevant. The atmosphere was warm and grounding, a sacred invitation to see God and His Church in a way that, until that moment, I had not.

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If we give the next generation the truth but do not give them the love of the Church, we have failed. If we have trainings and workshops but miss the gathering of the believers, we have cut short the blessings of belonging. The Church was breathed into existence by our outstretched Savior. He promised that the very gates of hell could not prevail against it, so we must be this glorious Bride of Christ standing impervious in our decaying world. And we must bring our children. If the world will know Him by our love, then how much more will our own children? I often return in my mind to that historic church in France. I picture the faces of the people hundreds of years ago faithfully serving the Lord, never knowing their influence would reach me. And I am just one small story in a tapestry of others touched through the witness of this church. But that is precisely the way of the Church. It is the way of the collective influence of Jesus followers planting for a harvest they may never see, planting in love and trusting the Lord of the Harvest for the increase. While our individual story matters tremendously in our walk with Christ, our collective witness in the Church is the bigger story of heaven. It is one that we will enjoy for eternity, the one where all the chords of love and faith lead straight to the heart of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is the story that leads us home.

THE CLOUD OF WITNESSES Often, I hear the stories of faith from believers across the country and the world. And while each story is priceless and unmatched, it almost always overlaps into the local church’s story. Being led in truth to faith and repentance is the beginning, and being loved and carried by the local church is the balance. No two churches mirror one another in the same city, let alone the same culture, but the centrality of Jesus and the love that binds and survives through His people is the essence of nearly every testimony of faith. His Church leads the way for the lost to find their place in His Kingdom. Resilient faith is ours through the saving work of Christ alone—and resilient living in that faith is framed by the Church, this broken Body of imperfect believers being made new by their Savior. This blessed Church of Jesus is known for its gripping love, and it compels us to follow Him and reflect Him. It is His love that binds us together with chords of grace to carry us home. Christ said the world would know us by our love (see John 13:35). That world includes our children. They will judge the truth by the love they witness and the love they receive. They need the Church of Jesus to drench them in the love of Christ. The many hands and hearts of believers united, that cloud of witnesses, matters in the life of faith.

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Leah Broach currently serves as the national director for Alliance Kids. She has also served in international ministry and Christian education. Her commitment to empowering the local church toward discipling lifelong believers remains steadfast for the Church of today and tomorrow.

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Illustration by Kenneth Crane

Jesus gives His believers His glory as we unite through Him in His Church. Our Savior’s holy force and promise is that the world will know Him by knowing us, His Church (see John 17:20–23). Through Him, His believers send an unparalleled message to a lost world, a lost generation, and a lost culture that the way home goes through the arms of the Church to the very heart of Christ.

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D O N ’ T P L A N T A L O N E

Addressing the loneliness of church planting

by Iván Martí

GOING FAR, NOT FAST The challenging reality is that regardless of the church model, approach, or heritage, most church planters face difficulties that often lead them to question if they should quit. Rick Warren, Saddleback Church founding pastor, said, “Planting a church is possibly the loneliest, hardest thing on the planet.”

very year, approximately 4,000 new churches are planted. That means more than 12,000 church planters are commissioned during any given threeyear period. Thousands of these planters are struggling, not just with the logistics and dynamics of birthing a new church but with loneliness and discouragement.

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During my first church plant, it was a lonely time. There was not a lot of support back then. The modern church-planting movement was starting, and I was planting a church in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, which was a new city for my family and me. I was also lead pastor for the first time. And while I had an amazing church-planting team in the trenches with me, I did not have other church-planter friends or a coach to guide me along the way. I was passionate and determined, but very soon I realized I was alone and needed to figure it out by myself. Although my total dependence on the Lord led to a season of miraculous blessing beyond what I had experienced, I often reflected on how things could have been different for my family and me if I had received the support I acutely needed. There is a well-known African proverb that states, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This could not be more true for a church planter. The metaphor of “planting” churches comes from the long and arduous process of agriculture and yielding a harvest. A harvest requires the tilling of soil, seed planting, proper irrigation, pest suppression initiatives, and, most importantly, co-laborers to accomplish these steps. The final ingredient is time. If I could create a church-planting proverb, it would say: “If you want to go far, go together. If you want to go fast, don’t go.”

Only through the submission of the heart can the planter allow God to take control of their dreams.

LEAN INTO THE LORD OF THE HARVEST There are two critical dimensions that need to be addressed before pursuing church planting. The first is a vertical dimension. Are you planting with God at your side, or is He going in front of you? One of the key characteristics for the church-planter archetype is their entrepreneurship: their God-given ability to start something out of nothing. Although entrepreneurship is a strength, the planter must submit themselves to God first, lest they start believing that planting depends on their skills and efforts—or worse still, that God is the proverbial “cherry on top” and the planter is the cake. Only through the submission of the heart can the planter allow God to take control of their dreams and efforts and, in total dependence on Him, move forward trusting in His wisdom and knowledge. The planter must be connected to God, continuously filled by and walking day-by-day with the Holy Spirit. Friends, Jesus has been in the church-planting business for thousands of years and has planted in seasons of rain and seasons of drought. Lean into the Lord of the Harvest and watch what He can do with faithful laborers.

When I was a child, my father took me on a trip to a wax museum. I had never been to one before, and by the time I got home, I was scared stiff. When I lay in bed that night, I asked my dad, “Can you check under my bed and in my closet and make sure there’s nothing there? Can you leave the hallway light on? Can you stay for awhile?” Each question was an attempt to keep him in my room a little longer. As long as he was near, I knew I had nothing to fear. The presence of my dad made all the difference. It’s one thing to be scared; but being afraid and simultaneously feeling alone is almost unbearable. That is what was missing in my early days of planting. I felt alone and scared all the time. I felt like this work was entirely on my shoulders. I missed the encouragement Jesus offered His disciples. He didn’t call them to mission without also providing His presence and power. We only need the presence of our Heavenly Father in our lives, and the fear will go away. God has promised to be with us—always—as we proclaim the good news that Christ saves sinners. It’s His work, and He is with us as we go and make, baptize, and teach disciples. Though you’ll likely walk through many dark days, you won’t walk alone. Your Father is near, and His presence is more than enough to help you keep going when you’re not sure what tomorrow will bring.

No one should plant alone.

EXTENDING GOD’S KINGDOM TOGETHER The second dimension to address is horizontal. We need to work with others so we can be extending God’s Kingdom together. Church planting is a team effort and must be done with others. As the author of Ecclesiastes wrote, “By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped” (Eccles. 4:12, MSG). This team effort involves like-minded individuals whom God calls to work side by side with you. You need a core team that will work with you week by week in reaching the lost, healing the sick, and serving the community God has called you to reach. You also need an experienced multiplication coach to help you sort out any inevitable challenges you face. Prayer team support is also essential. Find people who are willing to pray for you, your family, and your planting team—and who have a burden for the lost in the community where you’re planting. No one should plant alone. Church planting can be one of the most difficult and lonely callings out there,

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but it doesn’t have to be that way. The Alliance Church Multiplication Collective wants to play a crucial role in advancing Alliance church-planting efforts in the United States. We want to expand our Kingdom impact by creating a thriving community for our planters. Community is critical, so we have woven it into the process of becoming a planter. Jesus sent out the disciples two by two, never alone. Paul had Barnabas and Timothy. Priscilla had Aquila. If we want to plant churches that model biblical community and missional impact, we need to be creating that kind of community for our planters. We desire to see the vision God has put in our planters’ hearts come to pass. The Alliance Church Multiplication Collective can help—not only with resources but also with people who are willing to coach them through the process and remind them that they are not alone. We provide assessments of ministry, marriage, and financial health to make sure the planter is prepared for the rigors of church planting. We hope to provide the support our planters need for the long haul, starting before they even launch. Ministry is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. And marathon runners need a street lined with people cheering them on. It’s those people who help give us the strength to keep putting one foot in front of the other. That’s what church planting is: pursuing the finish line even when it’s hard with the assurance that God and His people are running with you. Iván Martí is the national leader for church multiplication and leadership development for the C&MA. He and his wife, Lizzette, have three sons and two grandsons.

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FREE VERSE

THE

TOZ ER “What a power the believers in Christ will be in this world, where such multitudes are hateful and hating one another, when they all come to abound in deep, pure, fervent love to God and to their neighbors! How they will be stimulated to labor and give and pray for the gathering of every creature in the world into the fold of Christ, when they love God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” CHARLES OCTAVIUS BOOTHE

“Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if He were you.” DALLAS WILLARD

“Fortunately, God made all varieties of people with a wide variety of interests and abilities. He has called people of every race and color who have been hurt by life in every manner imaginable. Even the scars of past abuse and injury can be the means of bringing healing to another. What wonderful opportunities to make disciples!”

ANTHOLOGY

compiled by Harry Verploegh

The spiritual essence of a true church cannot be reproduced anywhere but in a company of renewed and inwardly united believers.

The testimony of the true follower of Christ might well be something like this: the world’s pleasures and the world’s treasures henceforth have no appeal for me. I reckon myself crucified to the world and the world crucified to me. But the multitudes that were so dear to Christ shall not be less dear to me. If I cannot prevent their moral suicide, I shall at least baptize them with my human tears. I want no blessing that I cannot share. I seek no spirituality that I must win at the cost of forgetting that men and women are lost and without hope. If in spite of all I can do they will sin against light and bring upon themselves the displeasure of a holy God, then I must not let them go their sad way unwept. I scorn a happiness that I must purchase with ignorance. I reject a heaven that I must enter by shutting my eyes to the sufferings of my fellow men. I choose a broken heart rather than any happiness that ignores the tragedy of human life and human death. Though I, through the grace of God in Christ, no longer lie under Adam’s sin, I would still feel a bond of compassion for all of Adam’s tragic race, and I am determined that I shall go down to the grave or up into God’s heaven mourning for the lost and the perishing.

CHARLES R. SWINDOLL —from The Set of the Sail and The Next Chapter After the Last. Originally published in The Alliance Witness, November 11, 1987

PASS THE MIC a poem by Jelani Aswad Nkosi Pinnock

Editorial Note: The Alliance is a diverse family, and Alliance Life welcomes a diversity of expressions of faith and culture as we journey together in the Christ-life.

didn’t want to take my ordination exam this year. I had so much anxiety and fear, it was weird. But I sat down one day, opened my emails, and above the subject line it said right there: “Jeff Miller.”

You know how it is, or maybe you don’t. When a kid like me, from a different kind of background like I am, who looks like how I look, gets an email from an authority figure (which is almost always, everywhere, an older white male), often, your first thought is . . . “What did I do? Why am I being emailed?”

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Jelani Aswad Nkosi Pinnock is a recording artist and an ordained pastor with The Alliance. He serves as an associate pastor at Grace Church in Middleburg Heights, Ohio.

But that’s my pain and past trauma clouding the details. And I’ve come to know Jeff, so that let me slide my inhibitions to the left and take the next step . . . “open the email . . . ” That email led to a call, that call was all it took for my unprepared, unaware, full of fear self to take the test. Yes, I was overwhelmed— but compelled—and since I was anointed to run people outta hell, I said, “Well?” Let’s do it.

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Jeff said, “What’s the worst that could happen?” Well Jeff . . . a whole lot, but since the lot you’ve given young men like me has been pretty pristine, I can humbly take your words at face value and say, “I know what you mean.” You see, what he said was a double entendre meant to mean, he believed in me. Because when I presented challenges, I didn’t have to wait for Jeff Miller to just listen; I didn’t have to wait for him to understand to make a decision; I didn’t have to curate myself and all of this black wealth to feel accepted by a man who clearly was different. Jeff, like Abraham, held our dreams in his heart, and whether they manifest now or years after I depart, I know now that Jeff’s faithfulness to God allowed their manifestations to start. His encouragement gave me a long gun when all I had was a dart. I don’t know another leader that did it like this. “But don’t you come from diversity?” Yes, but there are caveats and twists. I mean a lot of diversity initiatives are just new fits of assimilation while many people of color cover their own frustrations, because the main result we see is a bunch of folks who only know how to coexist. Just because diversity was there didn’t mean it was bliss. I still had to raise my hand and scream as they overlooked these black lips. I still saw leaders’ voices suppressed just because they had hips. See, Jeff is a true pioneer, and pioneers are always missed. Yes, like a fog in a mist, pioneers are often missed. We honor them when they’re gone but never the same while they’re in our midst— especially when they hear the unheard and who society wrongfully diagnoses as cysts, ready to Tom Hanks them, remove and Cast Away. No voice, but like Wilson, they have a lot to say. In this time, it might take an “old praying mantis with a jump shot” like Jeff to keep it real, pass the mic, step aside and say, “You got next, it’s your turn today!”

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inFocus Cathy Nielson, Seeds of Hope Community Garden coordinator, harvests produce for the next food distribution in Olympia, Washington. The garden project provides northwest honey, berries, apples, and fresh vegetables for people in the community in need of food assistance. “We plant and grow to generously feed thousands annually,” says Tim Heffer, pastor of Hidden Creek Community Church which funds this ministry. “As a result, the wonder of God’s justice is revealed, resulting in praise to Him. This is the type of beauty seen in Isaiah 11:61.” Photo by Olivia McCash

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“God met us, and we responded. Thank you for alI your time and prayer in preparing and planning for LIFE. Our students were impacted deeply. Praise God!” —Jennifer Meyers, youth leader at Edgewood Alliance Church in Conneaut, Ohio

A LEGACY OF LIFE Cel�brating 60 y�ars of the LIFE youth confer�nce

by Scott Wakeley

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n 1962, The Alliance started the LIFE Conference as a gathering of a few students and young adults from one church to grow deeper in their walk with Jesus and their understanding of God’s call on their lives. Over the last 60 years, the LIFE Conference has continued to seek to glorify God in everything, introduce Jesus Christ into the whole life of each student, expose God’s heart for the lost, and inspire students to join the global Alliance family. But that’s only part of the story—the impact goes far beyond the week of LIFE. God meets students and leaders and changes their trajectory. After LIFE, many students gain a deeper understanding of their identity and belonging as Christ followers and members of the Alliance family. Many are called into full-time ministry. These changed lives have impacted families, churches, and communities to the ends of the earth. All of this happens because God continues to create a special sanctuary space at LIFE where He engages with His people. I am humbled and blessed to be a part of what God is doing and couldn’t do this without the Alliance family praying and investing in the next generation and the future leaders of The Alliance.

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“The Lord used LIFE Conference 2019 to keep me going after what He has for me. I conquered a few fears while I was there, and chains were broken off that had been there for many years.” —Elizabeth, an Alliance Youth student

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LIFE will celebrate its 60-year anniversary this summer and will return to Orlando, Florida, to encourage and challenge Alliance youth from across the United States and around the world to deepen their understanding of the greatness of Jesus. Our theme this summer is Jesus Is Greater than Everything. This springs from Colossians 1:15–22 —a timely word for this generation as it faces significant individual, cultural, and global pressures. Jesus is the answer.

Please join us this summer for LIFE 2022. We are excited for what the Lord has planned for the lives of the students and leaders who attend! Scott Wakeley enjoyed 32 years of youth ministry at Allegheny Center Alliance, a diverse metropolitan church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Over the past five years, he has directed the LIFE Conference, and in 2021, he started directing Alliance Youth.

“Both the Justice and Prayer experiences resulted in chains being broken for our students, calIings being accepted, and eyes being opened to the realities of sin and victory.”

“All of the speakers spoke directly to the students’ hearts. It was a huge blessing for me to watch my students discover how much they are valued by this denomination-and more importantly, Jesus!”

—Chris Backhaus, pastor of Little Falls (Minnesota) Alliance

—Mikki Newell, youth leader at Northside

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Community Church in Bellingham, Washington

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“While leading teams from AlIegheny Center, students returned with increased interest in smalI groups, desire to engage our church community, and increased passion for discovering and using spiritual gifts. God created momentum that His Spirit continued in our students for the next school year.” —Joe Oliver, youth pastor at Allegheny Center Alliance Church

Special LIFE 2022 Contributions We have established funding to provide scholarships for our international workers’ children, under-resourced communities, and first-time churches. Please consider investing in these students to help them experience LIFE 2022! You can give by using the link below or the QR code above.

cmalliance.org/give/#gift-form

WHO IS WILLING? Letting God fill our emptiness

ho then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord? (1 Chron. 29:5, KJV). The word for "consecrate" in this passage is a suggestive one. In the margin it is translated, “Who, then, is willing to fill his hand this day unto the Lord?” This suggests two thoughts that embrace the most important aspects of the consecrated life.

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TAKING EVERYTHING FROM GOD The filling of the hand implies an empty hand. We bring our emptiness to Him to be filled, and then we take it back to Him and pour it out as an offering of loving service. This is a lesson which our self-sufficient human nature is slow to learn. Our natural idea of consecration is to give something to God. However, the gospel con-

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Illustration by Kenneth Crane

adapted from a sermon by C&MA founder A. B. Simpson

LET OUR CONSECRATION BE PROMPT AND WHOLEHEARTED Who is willing this day? He is calling you, dear friends, to do this now. Here are some reasons for a full consecration of all your life and power to God:

ception of sanctification is the revelation of our nothingness, poverty of spirit, and insufficiency. This leads to our dependence upon God alone for all the resources of grace so that we bring to Him an empty hand and He fills it, and all that we give to Him is but a giving back of that which we have already received. It is said of our good works in Ephesians 2:10 that they have been “before prepared that we shall walk in them.” We must receive them from His hands and return them back to Him as His gifts. In our works, we must remain dependent upon Him, and the more He uses us the more true it will become: “Apart from Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

1. He created you, redeemed you, and gave you every power you possess. Everything in you that ministers to your own happiness came from His hand and belongs to Him. 2. He only can satisfy your heart. He who gave you all your heart’s affections and has ministered so often to them through the friends with which He has surrounded you; He who created all your senses and surrounded you with a world of beauty to gratify you; how easy it is for Him to fill the highest capacities of your immortal being and make you happy both now and evermore. 3. He alone can make the most of your life. You will surely miss the supreme object of your being if you try to pilot your own course and live without God. Your blessed Master sits supreme above all the forces of nature and the events of providence, and He is able to bend every circumstance and condition to your highest good, and He loves to work for those who live for Him. 4. He gave His life and His all for you. Every drop of blood in His body He freely shed; every glory of yonder heaven He laid aside that He might be poor, despised, rejected, and crucified for you. He is saying to you, “I left it all for thee; hast thou left aught for Me?” 5. He is able to give you all that He asks of you. He demands no service without supplying the strength and the resources necessary to fulfill it. You do not serve Him at your own charges but out of His ample resources, and all He asks of you is a faith that accepts the needed grace. 6. He will give back all that He asks you to give to Him. You will find that your surrenders and consecrations are simply splendid investments which will bring you a hundredfold now and in the ages to come.

WE MUST GIVE ALL BACK TO GOD Having taken all from Him, we now return His gifts in loving service. “We fill our hand unto the Lord” in the sense of bringing our spiritual gifts and graces and offering them to Him in worship and service. He will condescend to take the gift and use it for His glory, and when we give our feeblest resources to Him and He fills them with Himself, they become efficient in His hands for the mightiest blessings. “What is that in thine hand?” was the question He asked Moses as he stood on the back side of the desert with a little rod which he had cut from the thorn bushes. It was only a rod, but it was enough for God to use to break the power of Pharoah and the fetters of Israel. “What is that in thine hand, little lad in the crowd that is following the Master?” “Five little buns and two fish.” That is enough with Christ’s blessing to feed the hungry multitude of perhaps 20,000 people, including women and children. Bring them to Jesus, and His touch will make them sufficient for all. “What is that in thine hand, poor widow, dropping your humble gift into the treasury of the Lord and striving to conceal its smallness?” Thy Lord hath seen it through all thy poor disguise, and He is saying, “She hath given more than all.” God is still using the lowly hands to accomplish His work and glorify His name. Do not try to run away from your vocation or think that if you were in some more spiritual calling you could do more good. Give God what you have to give, do the thing nearest to you, serve Him with the instruments He offers to your hands, and you will find that He needs not our greatness but only our love. His glory consists in gilding the commonplace things of life with a light that can never fade away.

God is still using the lowly hands

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Consecration is an act of our will. It is a simple deliberate decision that all you do and say shall be in accordance with His will and for His glory. Do not wait until you are able to profess some deep emotion or moving experience. His call is, “Who is willing?” Will you simply choose to be the Lord’s, believe that He accepts you, and begin to act as if you belong to Him and all His grace and fullness belong to you?

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FROM ALL

PEOPLE ALLIANCELIFE

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Bringing gospel access to the Deaf world

by Hannah Packard

nvision is one of the four specialized structures of Alliance Missions, functioning to identify and develop missional leaders through short-term trips and leadership development. In the past, Envision has been structured solely around geographically based sites, both domestic and international. More recently, a need has been identified for specialized sites, which focus on people groups instead of locations and are specifically directed toward marginalized groups. David and Aleah Nishizaki have pioneered the first specialized site with Envision Deaf Ministries. The vision is simple yet far-reaching: to help create greater gospel access for and from all Deaf people. This is derived from a phrase used by Tim Crouch, vice president for Alliance Missions, as an extrapolation of our Alliance vision, All of Jesus for All the World—we are working to create gospel access for and from all people. For the Nishizakis, this means they are not only helping to create gospel access for Deaf people who may have never had access to the gospel but also mobilizing Deaf believers into gospel ministry.

OVERLOOKED AND UNDER-REACHED According to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are approximately 72 million Deaf people globally, and over 80 percent live in developing nations. While Deaf people in the United States use American Sign Language (ASL), there are over 300 different sign languages used in the world today. It is reported that only 2 percent

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Photo by Olivia McCash

EVERYONE IS ESSENTIAL As Christians, we are all commissioned by Jesus to make disciples and preach the gospel to all nations. This is why, in The Alliance, we talk about gospel access for all people—this is the essence of the Great Commission. But what does gospel access from all people mean? First, it’s important to remember that the global Body of Christ is diverse (see Revelation 7:9). It’s multilingual, multiethnic, and composed of individuals with countless experiences, backgrounds, and giftings. If every language will be represented in heaven, this includes hundreds of signed languages! Second, we should look at Paul’s description of the Church in his letter to the Corinthians: The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. . . . If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. . . . The eye can never say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you.’ The head can’t say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you.’ . . . If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad (1 Cor. 12:12, 17–18, 21, 26, NLT).

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This passage describes the global Church through the metaphor of a body. We are made up of many members with different functionalities, but everyone has a part to play in the functioning of the Body. Everyone is essential. We need one another. When talking about missions, the reality is that certain members of the Body will be more effective at certain tasks than others because of how God has formed and called each one of us. David explains this well in relation to the Deaf community: For the Deaf world to have access to the gospel, Deaf people need to be mobilized. We don’t need more hearing people to learn sign languages and be mobilized as workers with Alliance Missions. We need Deaf people, Deaf believers, to be given the opportunity to be mobilized and make an impact for the Kingdom in the Deaf world where there is limited access to the gospel. And a Deaf person is going to do a far better job creating gospel access opportunities—far more efficiently, far more effectively—than what Aleah and I, or any hearing person, could do. This is why we talk about gospel access from all people and why Envision has created specialized sites to focus on marginalized people groups. If we are to fulfill our All of Jesus for All the World vision , we must mobilize marginalized people because they are the ones best equipped to reach those on the margins. The Nishizakis’ goal is to work themselves out of their jobs. “We’re hearing people who are filling a space that a Deaf person should absolutely fill—and they can do it better than we can,” Aleah says. Every member of the Body of Christ has been commissioned by Christ to make disciples, though our varying functions may differ. “We’re all called, but we’re unequally sent. We’re all gifted,” David says. “But unequally given opportunity,” Aleah adds. God has specifically designed us to need each other’s perspectives, theological understandings, and giftings. We desperately need those who are currently on the margins. The Church is not a whole and complete Body unless every part is functioning; and if one member suffers, we all suffer. Failing to create gospel access from all people as we work toward completing the Great Commission is like letting the air out of our tires and attempting to drive cross-country—it won’t work. MAKING PATHWAYS CLEAR While presenting on specialized sites at Envision’s Stateside gathering this past November, David shared the story of the paralyzed man who was brought to Jesus in the Gospel of Mark:

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Illustration by Caylie Smith

of the Deaf community worldwide knows Jesus. An ASL translation of the Bible was only recently completed in 2020, and it is the first of its kind. David and Aleah live in Washington D.C., not far from Gallaudet University, the only university in the world specifically designed for students who are Deaf and hard of hearing. The Nishizakis also work in close partnership with FOR THE Deaf pastor Bruce Persons, who DEAF WORLD leads The Table Church, an ASL-signing Alliance church TO HAVE in Frederick, Maryland. Aleah ACCESS TO describes the Deaf community there as vibrant and diverse. THE GOSPEL, “A lot of our Deaf friends say to DEAF PEOPLE us, ‘The only thing I can’t do is hear. And I don’t care that I can’t NEED TO BE hear—I can do everything else, MOBILIZED. and yet I’m treated differently.’ So, there is that tension. Hearing is the only difference,” Aleah shares. Accessibility is a significant obstacle for Deaf people living in a hearing-dominant world, and much of the Church is no different.

GLOBAL DEAF POPULATION STATISTICS 4 OUT OF 5

DEAF PEOPLE LIVE IN DEVELOPING NATIONS

72 MILLION

Stats from the World Federation of the Deaf

DEAF PEOPLE GLOBALLY

300+

DIFFERENT SIGN LANGUAGES EXIST IN THE WORLD TODAY

OF THE DEAF COMMUNITY WORLDWIDE KNOW JESUS

When Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:1–5).

through. The majority was an obstacle for the man on the margins, so this man’s friends created access for him where there was none. They ripped open the roof and laid him at Jesus’ feet. Here is a challenge for us, Alliance family: How can we be like this man’s friends and create gospel access? How can we make pathways clear? What is the roof that might need to be ripped open so that those on the margins can get to Jesus? For David and Aleah, this looks like not only working to create greater gospel access for Deaf people but also developing ministry opportunities for Deaf believers. Aleah explains: Gospel access for all Deaf people means we want to see all of our Envision sites, and even all of Alliance Missions fields, have a focus on their local Deaf community. Because no

In this story, a man needed access to Jesus. The crowd who was gathered was an obstacle—perhaps they didn’t see or hear him, perhaps no one wanted to let him

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THE

matter where you are, there are Deaf people. But then, if we are to create gospel access for all people, that means we have to focus on “from all people,” which then gives us a local focus. How are we going to contribute to creating opportunities for training and development for Deaf believers? Within Envision, what does it look like for our Deaf friends to have the opportunity to go on a short-term trip or take part in an internship? For unchurched Deaf people, there is a need for gospel access. But there are Deaf believers, and there’s also a need for access to gospel opportunities for the Deaf church. The Christian and Missionary Alliance has always been a missional and sending family. We are also a very diverse family—over 40 percent of U.S. Alliance churches are from non-majority cultures. Let’s keep multiplying our diversity, especially in those we send. The Spirit is leading us; let’s keep in step with Him and keep learning from one another. Let’s keep following Jesus toward the margins, where He already is—preaching good news to the poor, binding up the brokenhearted, proclaiming freedom for captives, and freeing prisoners from darkness (see Isaiah 61:1). Hannah Packard is the digital content writer for the National Office. She recently earned her master’s of divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary and is pleased to serve the Lord through storytelling.

PE O P L E WE SERVE

y name is Dana. In my village—and in many M others throughout West Africa—girls like me face an uphill battle. Because of the poverty in our homeland, we are forced to work from a very early age. When we reach our early teens, and sometimes even sooner, many of us are forced into arranged marriages with older men, while others become pregnant out of wedlock. Sometimes we endure horrible things, like genital mutilation, that our religion often forces on us. And because of gender inequalities, we are denied opportunities for education. We feel alone, frightened, and trapped. Last year, some women from CAMA’s Hands of Honor program approached me and told me about Jesus’ great love and care for me. They showed me that there was hope for a better future because I am God’s child. Today, I’m writing worship songs in my native tongue, and Jesus is calling me to reach my own people, who have never heard about His mercy and grace. And even though I face persecution—sometimes under threat of death—I will never go back to my old religion. I know that the odds are still against me in many ways, but I also know that Hands of Honor will walk with me every step of the way—just like Jesus!

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RICH BEYOND MEASURE Using God’s resources to raise up and send out

by Emmy Duddles

n Manahawkin, New Jersey, as a young couple during the early 90s, Bob and Valerie Nash stumbled into an Alliance church plant called King of Kings Community Church. Bob had been struggling with alcohol addiction, and though they weren’t married, Valerie was pregnant with their firstborn. However, this little church of 15 people walked beside them in deep discipleship, offering them the forgiveness and love of Jesus. “Only God could write this story,” Valerie says. “I’m so grateful for the women who came alongside me, loved me, forgave me, and showed me how to be a wife and mother. What the enemy intended for evil in my life, God transformed and used for good.” DON’T HOLD BACK Soon after Bob and Valerie accepted Christ and got married, Bob attended an Alliance church-planting conference run by Alliance Church Planting Director Bill Malick. During one of the sessions, Bob felt the call on his life to start planting churches: “I didn’t really know what church planting was, but I knew it was what I was going to do.”

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Bob and Valerie planted multiple churches out of King of Kings for a few years before the Alliance Metro District asked them to help revitalize a church in the middle of nowhere called Building on the Rock, which had dwindled to 13 people. “We were busting out of the seams right off the bat,” Bob says. “We were baptizing people, and we started to raise up and send out.” For 15 years, Bob and Valerie served as Building on the Rock’s lead pastoral couple, ministering to their community and sending out church planters, lay leaders, and international workers to build new churches and ministries across New Jersey and to other parts of the world. “We don’t hold back our people,” Valerie says. “We just say, ‘You’re the best man or woman of God to do this. Go!’ It’s death, and the church hurts, but the empty seat quickly gets filled with the next disciple.” FOR KALLIE While Bob and Valerie were planting churches, revitalizing Building on the Rock, and raising up leaders,

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Opposite: Bob (middle) and Valerie (middle right) on a vision trip to France with their executive assistant, Lizzie (middle left), and another pastoral couple from New Jersey, Suresh (left) and Carol (right) Batton Right: Bob and Valerie held a funeral for King of Kings, taking down the sign to signify a new beginning for this community of faith.

King of Kings was growing exponentially. Its congregation was 700 at its largest. According to Bob, it was practically a megachurch because most churches in their area have fewer than 100 people on any given Sunday. Unfortunately, when Hurricane Sandy hit in 2013, King of Kings came on hard times and their membership started to decrease rapidly. After four years and multiple church splits, the Metro District asked Bob and Valerie to return and do revitalization work at this church. The Nashes’ first Sunday back was eye opening. It was almost Christmastime when Bob and Valerie came to visit, so there were 11 Christmas trees set up in the sanctuary and projectors saying, “It’s Christmas! Rejoice and be glad!” Meanwhile, the parking lot was full of garbage, the gymnasium was full of boxes of donations from Hurricane Sandy that no one was coming to collect, the heating system was broken, there were 30 leaks in the roof, and the church owed $30,000 for their mortgage by the end of the month. “When we got there that day, I was convinced by the end of it we weren’t coming back,” Bob says. “There were only 27 people in a 28,000 square-foot building with a $2 million mortgage and only $400 in their checking account. I thought, There’s no way.” As Bob was walking out of the church, an older man, Jim, thanked him for coming. While they were talking, Jim’s granddaughter, a cute little girl about 10 years old with ponytails and freckles, came out to join her grandfather. She was the only child left in the church. “This is Kallie,” Jim said. Kallie’s dad had passed away when she was six years old. Her mother turned to drugs soon after and was in and out of jail for years, causing Kallie to live with no stability. “I went home that night and could not put Kallie out of my head,” Bob says. “I said to Valerie, ‘If it’s for Kallie, we’re going down there.’”

Photos courtesy of Valerie Nash

We just find where God is moving and move with Him.

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FORGIVENESS AND A FUNERAL Bob and Valerie both felt strongly that this was God’s next step for them, and when they brought it before Building on the Rock, the whole congregation decided to pitch in too. King of Kings was an hour away, but members of Building on the Rock chose to come and help, giving of their time, money, and labor to bring this church back to life. Starting this new life meant dying to their current ways of operating. Bob decided to hold a funeral for the church, where they locked the doors to the sanctuary and buried the sign that said, “King of Kings.” They even gave it a new name: Main Street Alliance. “The church forgot its purpose,” Bob says. “It had some of the most miraculous testimonies you’d hear anywhere. But somewhere along the line, they had forgotten that the work is to make disciples and watch them get revived and come alive. King of Kings just became a club to belong to.” Because of the hurt that had been caused, Bob and Valerie started meeting with the 25 church members who were still left in a small room in the church to write letters of repentance to the community, sending out 3,000 in total. These letters resulted in many people coming back to share their hurt and receive healing for the damage that had been done. One of the groups the church had to repent to was Renacer, the Hispanic church that met in their building. King of Kings had been housing Renacer, but they

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Left: Several families at Main Street Alliance host highschool aged exchange students during the school year. Five students are pictured here along with Lizzie (middle right), the church's executive assistant.

of the same things. Before Bob could say anything, Nancy asked Naomi, “Will you forgive me? This is my church. I let this happen.” Naomi cried and forgave her. Now both women are integral parts of the church. “It became two or three months of the most beautiful times we ever had seeing God heal hearts,” Bob says. “The first year was just about learning what God says the Church is supposed to be, which is His beautiful Bride on display for all the world to see.”

did not want anyone to know that a Spanish church was meeting in their building. Members of Renacer had to come in through a back door to perform their services on Sunday evenings. Bob didn’t know about them, so when he locked the doors to the sanctuary, he accidentally shut down Renacer too. “I had no idea I had hurt them so badly,” Bob says. “They felt like they were the embarrassing stepbrother no one wanted to talk about. They didn’t have a voice at the table. We went through the journey of repentance together, and today, we are working together and loving each other well.” The members of Main Street Alliance were also bitter about the decline of King of Kings and were pointing blame at the leadership. One of those members was Kallie’s grandma, Nancy. As she began to complain to Bob, he stopped her and said, “Would you please forgive me?” “Forgive you?” Nancy asked. “You didn’t do it.” “Yes, I did,” Bob said. “This is my family. I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?” Nancy started to cry, gave Bob a hug, and said, “I forgive you.” Later on, a woman named Naomi who used to attend the church came to visit and was complaining about all

"This is my family. I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"

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NEW LIFE FOR ALL In the midst of repentance and mourning, Main Street Alliance was imagining how its huge building could be used for the community. With its many classrooms and large gymnasium, they decided the building would be best used as a community center. They now host everything from Alcoholics Anonymous and basketball teams to after school programs, music lessons, and cooking classes. Main Street Alliance even held a nineweek long summer camp for the kids in their community to show them and their families the love of Christ. More than 1,000 people come through Main Street Alliance’s building every week from many different racial, cultural, and religious backgrounds. And they’re baptizing new believers all the time! “We just find where God is moving and move with Him,” Bob says. “We saw God moving in the seniors, so we moved with Him. Then we saw Him moving in the minority communities and in the youth, so we moved with Him again.” Because of these programs meant to care for the community, Bob estimates that 90 percent of the people coming through Main Street Alliance’s doors are nonbelievers or brand new to the faith. And God is doing miraculous things in the hearts of those who come. Drug addicts and prostitutes have become pastors and church leaders. Veterans have been healed of their trauma from war and found peace with Christ. At-risk teens are being fed and cared for, keeping them off the streets and leading them into the love of Jesus. “If I’m going to boast about something, I would boast in how Jesus has taken so many broken people with some of the craziest stories and transformed them,” Bob says. “Only He can do that.”

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MORE TOGETHER “They’re equipped to go wherever you need them,” she In order to continue planting more and more church- continues. “From hospital visits to overseas work, these es, Bob and Valerie have helped to start a collaborative women are equipped for Spirit-led ministry and Kinggroup of churches in South Jersey to share resources as dom work.” they plant churches together all over their area. In 2021, Right now, more than five churches raised $80,000 to send out their next 12 men and women from planter. The collaborative meets once a month to pray Main Street Alliance and together and train the new planters and their teams. their daughter church“We believe we can do way more together than alone,” es are also enrolled in Valerie says. “And we’re just scratching the surface of the Alliance Leadership seeing God raise up this generation of leaders to carry Development Center, a on the torch.” two-year program for lay Bob and Valerie’s main focus over the years has been leaders and pastors to reto raise up men and women for whatever God calls ceive spiritual formation them to—from church planting to missions work and and biblical theology anything in between. Since their time at Building on the training while learning Rock, they’ve had a “war-room” with about a thousand how to be licensed workers with the C&MA. Soon they Post-it notes covering the walls with the names of peo- will also be sent out to different churches and ministries ple they are praying over and raising up. And many of to further the gospel as the Lord leads. them have become pastors, international workers, and “Never in a million years would I have dreamed this church leaders. was the journey He would have us on, but I wouldn’t In its first year, Main Street Alliance became a host trade it for anything,” Bob says. “There are challengsite for The Empower Program, an Alliance ministry es, but our Father owns all the cattle on a thousand designed to prepare women for effective ministry with hills. All of His grace is available to us, and we are rich biblical and theological training that is supported by beyond measure.” the Metro District and Alliance Theological Seminary. Emmy Duddles is the managing editor of Alliance Valerie went through the program herself and became Life and has worked with the National Office for more deeply involved with it from then on. than five years as a writer and editor. She and her hus“The Empower Program helped get our women to band, Lucas, currently live in Denver, Colorado. step into the more that Jesus had for them,” Valerie says. Over 850 women have graduated from the 15 sites in the United States and one international site overseas.

All of His grace is available to us, and we are rich beyond measure.

John Stumbo

V IDE O B LO G Watch John tell a story, share a devotional, issue a challenge, or cast C&MA vision. Released on the 12th of each month

Recent Releases: Blog #102: Church Leadership in the New Year Blog #103: The God Who Goes Before

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YOUR GENEROSITY in action

BR E A KI N G T H E CYCLE O F P OV E RTY Seeds of Hope gives students a chance at a better life

hady’s* introduction to education began by attending the local school in her neighborhood. There she would sit on the floor with dozens of other students and be taught her religion’s holy book by rote memory. For half the youth in sub-Saharan Africa, this is the sum of their education. Poverty lies at the heart of many challenges that hinder children’s access to education. The pressures of poverty mean that parents must constantly make decisions about how to utilize extremely limited resources.

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DYING DREAMS Raised by her single mother, Khady lives in an informal settlement in Senegal. Shortly after Khady’s birth, her father abandoned his family. Khady’s mother was forced to leave her village and carve out a new life in the city, where she works long hours to provide for her daughter. Khady’s mom recognized that a better future for her daughter depended on her attending and finishing school. Khady excelled in school until it came time to take a government exam required of all West African students to move on to secondary school. Forty-two per-

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Photos courtesy of author

by an Alliance international worker serving in West Africa

Opposite: CAMA workers' kids helping with a back to school event Right: Khady (left) with her mother (right)

cent of Senegalese students fail to pass this crucial exam and drop out of school after sixth grade; Khady was one of them. Passing the exam is almost impossible for students like Khady, who come from low-income homes. Parents can’t afford a high-quality private school or tutors. After Khady failed the exam, her mother’s dream died—she had wanted Khady to have a career that would ensure she no longer lived in poverty.

CHANGE LIFE TRAJECTORIES!

AN OPEN DOOR In 2018, God opened the doors for the CAMA Senegal team to begin building relationships in the informal settlement where Khady and her mother lived. The government classified their settlement as a “community in crisis” due to its rapid growth. With the support of Alliance churches and donors, Alliance staff launched a medical initiative that had all the malnourished children in the community reaching their target weight within six months. CAMA staff gained the community’s trust and could better understand the felt needs of those who lived there. It became clear that parents like Khady’s mom could not provide the resources to help their children move into secondary grades. The dropout rate was alarming, and parents had few options to help their children finish school. To address the dropout rate, last spring CAMA launched an education initiative, Seeds of Hope, in partnership with the community and a local church and with financial help from many of you. The program is aimed at helping students in low economic households pass government exams to move into secondary classes. A total of 29 students, including Khady, entered the program. Most were within two years of taking the government exam; others like Khady were preparing to retake the exam. The after-school tutoring provided by Christian teachers focused on preparing them for the big exam day. Initially, there was pushback that the tutoring would be facilitated by Christians and a local church. Proselytizing children under 18 is illegal in Senegal, and a few parents alleged the offer of tutoring was just a front to convert their children to Christianity. CAMA staff and local partners assured parents that their primary motive was to help the students succeed. The parents would be informed and invited to additional activities that centered around Christian teaching.

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Khady’s story mirrors that of millions of girls in West Africa who face near-insurmountable challenges to finishing school. For girls in West Africa, life consists of rising early in the morning, cleaning and cooking, eating last, and marrying young with little to no chance for school, much less a future with a career. Approximately 56 percent of the out-of-school children are girls. Cultural attitudes, including forced early marriages and child labor, are contributing factors. Gender-based violence is the leading cause: 50 percent of women over the age of 14 experience gender-based violence in sub-Saharan Africa. From dropping out of school to forced sexual encounters, Africa’s girls are straining under the effects of poverty and gender inequality. Perhaps you feel helpless to address the injustice of life for girls in West Africa—the problem is just too big. But we can and we must do something! Our family sponsored a friend’s daughter’s education. Today, she’s the first high school graduate among her seven siblings and is pursuing a university degree in information technology. The trajectory of one girl’s life changed, and with your help, we have hope for many more!

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Parents soon came to realize their fears were unfounded as they recognized the value of tutoring for their children. Students remarked how different the Christian tutors treated them: “They don’t raise their voices; they are patient when we don’t understand right away.” A happy parent said, “They even help my son who’s struggling in school with his homework outside of tutoring hours.”

Below: The Seeds of Hope class with Mike Sohm, director for CAMA

YOU CAN HELP! By partnering with Seeds of Hope and other education initiatives in Africa, you give children in communities where Alliance workers serve a fair chance at an education. To invest in students as they take their first few steps out of poverty, visit cmallinace.org/give; select “a project you love/Find a project;” and type in “CAMA Seeds of Hope for Senegal’s Urban Poor.” Learn about more Alliance strategic projects throughout the world by requesting a copy of the 2021—2022 Strategic Giving Opportunities Gift Catalog at give@cmalliance.org or by calling toll free (866) 443-8262. Contact CAMA to get more information about additional educational initiatives in Africa—such as Yoonu Njub, a vocational boys’ school in northern Senegal; SOS Dialogue, a vocational girls’ school in central Senegal; and a Christian elementary school for students in a rural community that lacked an opportunity for quality education.

The intention for Seeds of Hope was never solely to provide tutoring. Plans are underway to add other activities and create additional relationship-building avenues with the parents and the greater community. Because of your gifts, a computer club became a huge success and met a need as most students did not know basic computer skills. A medical screening that included an eye exam helped identify students who needed glasses. An adult literacy course is planned for this fall for many illiterate moms in the community. These opportunities allow relationships to grow with old and new friends in the community and lead to greater openness for spiritual conversations. RENEWED HOPE Huge sighs of relief were expressed when exam results came in—24 out of 27 Seeds of Hope students passed, including Khady! “I never got to go to school; no girl in my family ever has,” Khady’s mom said with tears in her eyes. “But I now believe my daughter will be the first girl in our family to finish school.” In September, Seeds of Hope volunteers and staff registered another round of students. Word had gotten out about the success of the program, and parents eagerly signed up their children. A back-to-school family event kicked off the year with festival games and snow cones, and students received a backpack and school supplies provided by an Alliance VBS offering and Alliance Western Pennsylvania women’s groups. Khady’s educational success—as well as that of other students in the Seeds of Hope program—is significant for breaking cycles of poverty. Parental education is the single most important factor of a child’s likelihood of attending and finishing school. Tomorrow’s high school and college graduates will more than likely be the children of Seeds of Hope students today. Work remains to be done in Khady’s neighborhood and the other nearby informal settlements. The needs are significant but so are the opportunities for Alliance workers to represent Jesus in challenging lives and circumstances. The community now has an atmosphere of renewed hope. Parents are once again expectant about their children’s futures, and the students’ dignity is soaring as they move into secondary grades. Thank you for your generosity and prayers that have given such a gift to this community! “We have lived in these conditions for 18 years,” the community leader of the settlement told our CAMA team. “People of our faith have not cared, and our government has done nothing—but you, the Christians, you showed up.” *Name changed

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MAR/APR 2022

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inFocus In Olympia, Washington, Seeds of Hope began in 2009 after a request to “send seeds to the people of Bosnia.” Thousands of seed packets were sent by the congregation of Hidden Creek Community Church. The church later began serving the people of their own community with the project. They now have four greenhouses, which produce vegetable and flower starts for distribution. A half dozen gardens supply fresh fruits, vegetables, and preserves for those in need. Photo by Olivia McCash

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PRAYER IS PRIMARY Requests from our Alliance family CAMBODIA

preach on the radio even though their own churches might be closed. Familiar Christian songs can be heard, and believers can be encouraged through radio programming even when they can no longer attend their church.

Pray for the Lao people in Na Ong village. There have been new people hearing the gospel in recent months as our team members have done visitations, and some seekers have been given radios so they can listen to the good news. Praise the Lord for this ministry! Also, ask the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of these seekers’ hearts as they hear the Word of God so that they may know the hope to which He has called them (see Ephesians 1:18). Thanks for praying!

We are thankful for the vision that was birthed many years ago to plant Christian radio stations. In addition, we praise God that solar energy was installed so these stations can function even during power cuts. We are thankful as well for the many volunteers who give of their time to come into the studio to record these broadcasts.

—Joyce Johns

Pray that these Alliance radio stations will not be hindered from their work. Pray that believers will be encouraged through these stations’ ministries, that the Lord will protect them, and that they can continue to operate despite security issues. In many areas, radio is the only means for sharing the gospel.

GERMANY We have transitioned to Envision—the branch of The Alliance that focuses on developing the next generation of missional leaders—while living incarnationally in our bustling city. In our next 15–20 years of ministry, we want to invest as much time as possible cultivating leaders who love Jesus and represent Him well in a world that needs to see His love. Berlin is a great place to do that. Of the 5 million people living in the greater Berlin area, there are more than 190 people groups represented and fewer than 1 percent attending church.

—an Alliance international worker Christian radio brings a message of hope amid much discouragement

A subgroup of Berlin for whom we specifically have a heart are artists. There are more than 50,000 artists here but few ministries reaching out to them. We’ve seen how open artists are to spiritual things and want to meet them where they are! —Mike and Elissa Picconatto

WEST AFRICA Christian radio continues to be an important way to share the good news in our host country. Due to security issues in the last few years, our travels have become more limited; now we are staying within the confines of our city. Security problems have escalated to the point where many churches have had to close, and evangelists can no longer go out into unreached areas. But our four Christian stations continue to broadcast, and we are thankful. They bring a message of hope amid much discouragement. Local pastors can

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ALLIANCE FAMILY NEWS From around the block to the ends of the earth TO THE FIELD CONGO SOUTH TEAM David W. and Teresa L. Bill, in November 2021. The Bills are involved in church planting, leadership development, and women’s ministries. GABON Deborah A. Walker, in November 2021. Deborah is involved in medical/health ministries at Bongolo Hospital. INDONESIA Andrew T. and Kelly M. Trein, in November 2021. Andrew is involved in language study and teaching. Kelly is continuing her work as a bookkeeper and is involved in various discipleship activities and local church ministries.

PERSONNEL CHANGES Paige A. Adams, pastor, Staunton (Va.) Alliance Church Momoko A. Ahrens, director of ministry mobilization, North Springs Alliance Church, Colorado Springs, Colo. Col. Pierre M. Allegre, full-time institutional chaplain, Alliance Northwest District

David J. Beddoe, interim pastor, Restore Church, Poulsbo, Wash. Capt. Brice D. Bennett, reserve chaplain, Midwest District Baly J. Botten, pastor, Snoqualmie Valley Alliance Church, Fall City, Wash. John W. Campbell, church planter, New City Church, Georgetown, Ky. Meica B. Campbell, church planter, New City Church, Georgetown, Ky. Meica B. Campbell, coordinator of ordination and consecration, Ohio Valley District Oliver A. Cardenas, assistant pastor, The Awakening Church, Murrieta, Calif. Larry J. Carey, special assignment, Great Lakes District David S. Carlson, pastor, North Waverly (N.Y.) Chapel John P. Casey, special assignment, Crucible Project, MidAmerica District Chase J. Connolly, worship director, Ridgeway Alliance Church, White Plains, N.Y. Michele S. Crouch, director for community engagement, Faith Community Church, Columbus, Ohio Edgar Delgado, assistant pastor, ACM Oasis, Vega Baja, P.R. Anthony Diaz, associate pastor, Cross Life Church, Land O Lakes, Fla.

Timothy D. Allen, pastor, Calvary Alliance Church, Minot, N.Dak.

Joshua J. Eggerson, pastor, Faith Restored Church, Jacksonville, Fla.

Julio A. Aponte, seminary personnel, professor emeritus, Puerto Rico District

Philip J. Elmer, pastor, Glendive (Mont.) Alliance Church

Robert M. Bashioum, pastor of multiplication and executive director of RTI, Salem (Ore.) Alliance Church

Kyle A. Estepp, pastor, Summit Church, Simpsonville, S.C. Timothy J. Fehl, assistant pastor for worship ministries, Upper St. Clair C&MA Church, Pittsburgh, Pa.

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Jordan M. Flanders, pastor of youth and worship, Piedmont Park Alliance Church, Tallahassee, Fla. Thomas M. Friedrichs, worker on non-Alliance assignment, MidAtlantic District Fernando A. Gonzalez, DMin director, Puerto Rico District Julio A. Guzman Jr., pastor, Esperanza Orlando (Fla.) Major Jesse R. Hall, reserve chaplain, Ohio Valley District Luke E. Heberle, chaplain, Eastern Pennsylvania District Jeffrey S. Heinaman, operations specialist, Eastern Pennsylvania District Wayne C. Hoag, special assignment, Central Pacific District Gary M. Hrynoweski, transitional pastor, Lighthouse Church, Cape May Court House, N.J. Matthew J. Hull, associate pastor, Glendive (Mont.) Alliance Church Jung Hoon Kim, church-planting pastor, Anthem Church, Brunswick, N.J. Long Kue, pastor, Hmong Alliance Church, Des Moines, Iowa Lt. Kyle D. Lambertson, military chaplain, C&MA National Office, Columbus, Ohio James M. Law, associate pastor, Living Water Community Church of the C&MA, Bayville, N.J. Ryan D. Legg, associate pastor, Cape Cod Bible Alliance Church, Brewster, Mass. Jeremiah J. Lepasana, churchplanting pastor, City Chapel NYC (New York) Haoyu Ma, pastor, Triangle Chinese Alliance Church, Morrisville, N.C.

William W. Malick, executive director Fresh Start churches, South Pacific Alliance

Paige A. Reddick Morris, Veterans Administration chaplain, C&MA National Office, Columbus, Ohio

Jeff A. Wiesinger, spiritual formation director, Citylight North Lincoln (Neb.)

Jason A. Malone, special assignment, The Alliance South

M. Dean Reynolds, director of SEEDS, MidAmerica District

Alhoubele Mamo, pastor, Zion Evangelical Minneapolis (Minn.)

Derrick J. Ronk, executive pastor, First Alliance Church, WinstonSalem, N.C.

Donald A. Wiggins, interim pastor, Onamia (Minn.) Alliance Church

Rio J. Martinez, associate pastor of worship and young adults, Glendora (Calif.) Alliance Church Tyler J. Mass, co-lead pastor, Citylight Southwest Iowa, Emerson, Iowa Philip A. Meher, special assignment, Alliance New England Anthony Melillo, assistant pastor, Riverside Chapel, Florence, N.J. Christopher M. Miletti, pastor, Coshocton (Ohio) Alliance Church Zachary C. Monroe, associate pastor, Main Street Alliance Church C&MA, Manahawkin, N.J. Charles W. Moore, interim pastor, Church of Emmanuel, Foxboro, Mass. Cher T. Moua, special assignment, Hmong District Daniel Moua, assistant pastor, Twin Cities Hmong Alliance Church, Maplewood, Minn. Michael A. Mundy, executive pastor, Bedford Alliance Church, Temperance, Mich. Alan T. Nguyen, pastor, Vietnamese Bible Fellowship Church, Kent, Wash. Phuoc C. Nguyen, assistant pastor, Vietnamese Alliance Church, Forest Park, Ga. Tammy Nguyen, special assignment, Vietnamese District Thinh Q. Nguyen, assistant pastor, Vietnamese Alliance Church, Forest Park, Ga. Mike Nhu, pastor, Ever-Living Word Evangelical Church, Memphis, Tenn. Capt. Robert E. Ortiz, reserve chaplain, MidAmerica District Frank M. Perez, pastor, Iglesia ACM Alianza Con Dios, Clermont, Fla. Nathan P. Phillips, pastor, River Rock Church of the C&MA, Belle Plaine, Minn.

Shirley L. Sagarese, churchplanting pastor, Remnant Church, West Long Branch, N.J.

Ryan R. Wright, pastor, Bedford Alliance Church, Temperance, Mich. Lt. Kou J. Yang, military chaplain, Hmong District

James J. Schauerte, churchplanting pastor, Roots NYC Church, Long Island City, N.Y.

Nou Yang, youth pastor, New Life Hmong Alliance Church, Milwaukee, Wisc.

Dakota J. Shaw, pastoral intern, Salem (Ore.) Alliance Church

Timothy I. Yoder, minister of worship and music, Village Church Shell Point, Ft. Myers, Fla.

Grant C. Shaw, pastoral intern, Salem (Ore.) Alliance Church Brian T. Smeal, pastor, Epicenter C&MA Church, Clarion, Pa. David P. Smock, church planter, Western Pennsylvania District Lt. Col. Jefferson A. Taylor, fulltime institutional chaplain, Rocky Mountain District Mark W. Teyler, pastor, Central Pacific District Chao Thao, pastor, Central Grace Hmong Alliance Church, Modesto, Calif. Richard W. Todd, assistant vice president for development with Orchard Alliance, Ohio Valley District Carlos Vazquez, associate pastor, Crossing Church, Colorado Springs, Colo. Larry A. Vold, pastor, Central Pacific District Tou D. Vue, Hmong Bible study translator, Hmong District Nicholas R. Wackerhagen, family pastor, Citylight Council Bluffs (Iowa) Church Nathan L. Watson, station pastor, Celebration Church, Santa Ana, Calif. Jonathan J. Weibel, special assignment, Eastern Pennsylvania District Jeffery C. White, special assignment, Alliance New England

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NEW CHURCHES Denver, Colo., Anchor Church of the C&MA, Regis Groff Campus, 185250 E. 51st Ave., 80249 Lincoln, Neb., The Gathering Network Church, 2600 N. 70 St., 68507

NEW WORKERS Courtney Anderson, children’s pastor, East Park Church, Vancouver, Wash. Joellen M. Andree, assistant pastor, Main Street Alliance Church, Manahawkin, N.J. Todd J. Andree, assistant pastor, Main Street Alliance Church, Manahawkin, N.J. Maddie Ashcraft, ministry intern, Salem (Ore.) Alliance Church Emily Boatwright, ministry intern, Salem (Ore.) Alliance Church Douglas E. Bryant, youth pastor, Fremont (Ohio) Alliance Church Seong H. Cho, youth pastor and military chaplain candidate, Bethel Korean Church, Irvine, Calif. Christian A. Dzadek, assistant pastor, Alliance Church, Zephyrhills, Fla. Kailey Fritts, ministry intern, Salem (Ore.) Alliance Church

Adam L. Garman, minister, Metropolitan District Emily R. Geoffroy, director of worship, Living Water Community Church of the C&MA, Bayville, N.J. Brandon M. Glenn, assistant pastor/church-planting resident, Iron Mill Church, Danville, Pa. Jeffrey W. Hawthorne, pastor, Brent Alliance Chapel, Volant, Pa. Josh W. Jones, associate pastor, Gather Church, Redding, Calif. Henry Kim, military chaplain candidate, Bethel Korean Church, Irvine, Calif. Michael W. Koehl, director for prayer ministry, Fellowship Alliance Church, Medford, N.J. Pong Y. Kong, youth pastor, Triumph Alliance Church, St. Paul, Minn. Erin Laney, ministry intern, Salem (Ore.) Alliance Church Hope Lindstrom, ministry intern, Salem (Ore.) Alliance Church Rachel L. Massey, ministry specialist, Circle Drive Alliance Church, Sidney, N.Y. Aimee McGrath, ministry intern, Salem (Ore.) Alliance Church Garrett J. Mersberger, pastor, The Well, Elkhart Lake, Wisc. Paul T. Moffett, associate pastor, Lighthouse Christian Center, Puyallup, Wash. Brandon J. Pellatz, assistant pastor, The River Alliance Church, Chaska, Minn. Jeffrey G. Price, military chaplain candidate, Midwest District Bethany L. Rivera, director for discipleship and small groups, The Oaks Community Church, Bakersfield, Calif.

Crown’s Ministry Training Institute Continue your learning through our growing library of courses on CMTI. CMTI is a hub for biblicallybased professional learning and development. Courses are offered in various formats, including ondemand, instructor-led, email dripfeed, and live webinars. Get a 15% discount on your first course: TRYCMTI

Jerry W. Sanders, pastor, Restoration Church for the Deaf, Wausau, Wisc.

cmti.crown.edu 40 MAR/APR 2022

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Southwest Florida Retirement Living Resort Amenities | State-of-the-art Health Care Megan Seward, ministry intern, Salem (Ore.) Alliance Church Patience Sinur, ministry intern, Salem (Ore.) Alliance Church Kareem W. Smith, pastor of senior adults, Grace Church, Middleburg Heights, Ohio Clarence Stevens, associate pastor, One in Christ Community Church, Hockessin, Del. Roger G. Talbot, associate elementary pastor, Riverside Church, Big Lake, Minn. Dung H. Truong, assistant pastor, Light Alliance Church of Sacramento (Calif.) Katlyn Ueeck, ministry intern, Salem (Ore.) Alliance Church Nathan K. Witt, pastor, Hamlet Union Church, Palisade, Neb. Julian White, ministry intern, Salem (Ore.) Alliance Church Joseph P. Wong, assistant pastor, San Francisco (Calif.) Chinese Alliance Church Dale T. Woodring, church planter, Mid-Atlantic District

Vibrant Faithful Joyful Living Fulfilled Artful Healthy

Adam Y. Yang, associate pastor, Fairlane Alliance Church, Dearborn, Mich. Tai Wai David Yip, pastor, Greater Boston Chinese Alliance Church, Brighton, Mass.

RETIRED Kenneth P. Carlson, Alliance Northwest District Steven C. Clouser, The Alliance Southeast Douglas C. Hautz, The Alliance Southeast Philip Her, Hmong District

Join the C&MA Family for Your Retirement At Shell Point,® you’ll enjoy a fulfilling lifestyle where you can explore, worship, learn, grow and even continue to serve. And with new additions to our campus, like Tribby Arts Center, a sparkling centerpiece for the arts, and the state-of-the-art Larsen Health Center, you can rest on a firm foundation, knowing that your needs will be taken care of – both now and in the future. VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.SHELLPOINT.ORG

Gregorio Hernandez, Spanish Eastern District Kai-Ming Ho, South Pacific Alliance Ronald W. Kelly Jr., Eastern Pennsylvania District Franklyn J. Klein Jr., Western Pennsylvania District

Unparalleled setting. Unparalleled lifestyle.™ Shell Point is located in Fort Myers, Florida, just minutes from the islands of Sanibel and Captiva.

Mark E. Lafferty, Ohio Valley District Orville L. Mills Jr., Eastern Pennsylvania District Ronald D. Myers, The Alliance Southeast Jack E. Stimmel, Western Great Lakes District Richard C. Taylor Jr., Alliance Northwest District Larry L. Thorson, North Central District Rene V. Urquia, Central Pacific District Dennis K Whalen, The Alliance South Randy L. Woods, The Alliance Southeast

CLASSIFIEDS Living With Integrity A resource for Christian businessmen, pastors, and other leaders. “This book is a gift to all who read it. . . . It will equip and inspire many to live with integrity.”—Peter Greer, President and CEO of Hope International. “Living with Integrity is an accessible and insightful read.” —D. Michael Lindsay, President of Taylor University. “A very practical companion and guide.” —John Beckett, Chairman of The Beckett Companies. Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Home Assignment Housing MARYLAND—Completely furnished 4 bedroom/2 bath single-family house. Finished basement with a laundry room and large yard. Silver Spring is a suburb of Washington D.C. with easy access via the Metro. We are a short drive to Baltimore and Annapolis. Available to rent starting Summer 2022. Email inquiries to office@1stalliancechurch.com.

Inspirational Moments is a daily devotional written by Ramón Esparza, an Alliance international worker serving in Mexico. Drawing on decades of experience as a missionary and pastor, Reverend Esparza shares stories, vignettes, and musings on the Scriptures, the Christian life, and what it means to live for Christ in today's world. Available on Amazon. The author wishes to donate all net proceeds from the book to Alliance missions work. Grace Runners by former Alliance international worker James Albright, “is much like the outstanding work of C. S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. In Grace Runners, there are two angels of equal status; one rebels and follows Satan while the other follows the Lord. Albright’s book brings back a needed focus on the reality of Satan's demonic activity in today’s western world. I am happy to recommend this very interesting read.” —Dr. Paul L. Alford. Available on Amazon. From Broken to Beloved by Terry Wardle, invites you on a step-by-step journey of awakening, where the wonder of who you truly are is unleashed through the transforming power of Jesus Christ. As you take one step after the other, you will begin to realize that "awakening" is not simply a beautiful concept but a healing experience that will enable you to see who you are so that you can receive everything

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God intends for your life. Available on Amazon.

WITH THE LORD Robert (Bob) W. Ellenberger August 27, 1926– August 12, 2021 Bob was born in Vanderbilt, Pa., to John and Stella Ellenberger. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. When he returned home, he visited the Connellsville Alliance Church, where he gave his life to Christ and felt called to ministry. In 1949, Bob married Florence Richter, with whom he enjoyed 72 years of marriage. One week later they left for God’s Bible College in Cincinnati, Ohio. Later, Bob transferred to the Missionary Training Institute (now Nyack College, New York, N.Y.). For 42 years of C&MA ministry, Bob served in Martindale (1953– 1956), Acmetonia (1956–1959), Jeanette (1959–1967), Crestmont Alliquipa (1967–1970), Grandview Erie (1970–1983), and West Brownsville, Pa. (1983–1995). After retiring, he became assistant pastor for visitation at the Cherry Tree Alliance Church, Uniontown, Pa. (1997–2012). During his early years of ministry, Bob spent much time counseling at Edinboro Youth Camp and speaking at youth rallies. God gave Bob a genuine love for people, and they responded in love. He was the clergy representative on the medical board at Uniontown Hospital. Bob is survived by his wife; children Lynda and Robert; 7 grandchildren; and 8 great-grandsons. Janet Evelyn Van Schooten August 12, 1927– November 3, 2021 Born in Oak Park Ill., Janet attended St. Paul Bible College,

Come Serve Under the Big Trees ALLIANCE REDWOODS is seeking Volunteers for our Sonoma Treehouse Adventures (STA) and for our camps and conferences! TREEHOUSE HOSTS ~ greet our guests and see to their needs during their entire overnight stay. FRONT DESK HOSTS ~ welcome our visitors, answer phones, sort mail, and serve on our Guest Services team.

BECAUSE OF YOU . . .

We are looking for volunteers who are willing to commit to 24 hours a week for 1-6 months. Our volunteers have a passion for Christian hospitality and facilitate opportunities for guests to “meet the Creator in His Creation” (our mission). Volunteers must have an RV as we can provide a free, full hookup site.

A HARVEST HAS COME FROM PAST-SOWN SEEDS STORIES LIKE THIS ARE MADE POSSIBLE WHEN YOU GIVE TO THE ALLIANCE.

We look forward to welcoming you to our community!

More InforMatIon: Email volunteer@arcg.camp Call 707-874-3507 ext. #114 Or visit our websites listed below.

SonomaCanopyTours.com/SonomaTreehouseAdventures

www.cmalliance.org/algive

ARCG.camp

ARCG_ATS_Vol_Ad_11.03.21.indd 1

Winifred (Winnie) Kaetzel January 15, 1933–November 6, 2021

now Crown College, St. Bonifacius, Minn., where she met Alvin Van Schooten. They married in 1951 and pastored a church in Clutier, Iowa.

Winnie attended Nyack (N.Y.) College (1952–1955) and was a licensed C&MA worker for 30 years. She and her husband, Ollie, were Alliance missionaries in Laos during the Vietnam War and in Thailand; they also served in the CAMA Regional Office. Until the end, Winnie kept busy teaching the Bible and sewing. She taught at the Christian Women’s Job Corp until a few weeks before her death. Winnie loved Jesus and left behind a legacy of prayer.

In 1955, the couple departed for Japan, where they served for 25 years as C&MA missionaries. While there, Janet and Alvin were involved in planting and supporting churches, teaching at the Bible school, and chairing the mission field. When the couple returned to the United States, they served pastorates in Fullerton and Santa Ana, California. They were married for 50 years, and Alvin died in 2001. Janet carried out a social ministry at Town & Country Manor in Santa Ana before suffering a stroke. She moved in with family in Prescot, Ariz., and died peacefully of natural causes.

Winnie was predeceased by her husband; she is survived by children Thomas, Sharon, Jonathan, Barbara, and Becca; 16 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

Janet was predeceased by her husband and son Mark; she is survived by children Ruth, Tim, and Paul; 6 grandchildren; and 4 great-grandchildren.

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11/3/21

The Global Engagement major lays a strong foundation for graduates who desire to, in cooperation with the church, holistically minister the good news of Jesus Christ to peoples of other cultures. Students will take classes on language acquisition, church planting, discipleship, cultural anthropology, organizational partnerships, and more!

CAMA STUDENTS RECEIVE EXTRA $1,000 SCHOLARSHIP

MAJOR IN GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

Arline Westmeier July 27, 1936–November 11, 2021

Lois Ruth Nabors July 29, 1927–November 26, 2021

Arline was the daughter of the late Harvey and Verna (Miller) Maust. She began her missionary career as a nurse in 1965 and met her husband, Karl, in language school. They were appointed to serve as C&MA missionaries to Colombia, where they ministered for 20 years.

Lois was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., and received Christ as a young girl. She attended Toccoa Falls (Ga.) College, where she met Bill Nabors from Chattanooga, Tenn. They married on June 4, 1951, the day they graduated from college. Rev. Gustave Woerner, C&MA missionary from Indonesia, performed the ceremony. After serving at their first church in Oneonta, Ala., they departed to Thailand, where they had seven years of fruitful ministry as C&MA missionaries.

Later, Arline and Karl moved to Nyack, N.Y., to teach at the Alliance Theological Seminary (1986–1991). They also taught at the Alliance Seminary in Puerto Rico (1991–2002). Throughout that time, Arline had a counseling ministry and authored five books. Her most recent is the testimony of a majority-religion follower from Bangladesh who came to faith in Jesus. Arline was a member of Oak Dale Church, Salisbury, Pa.

When the couple returned to the United States, they served pastorates in Delray Beach and Ft. Myers, Fla.; and Chattanooga, Tenn. Bill then became district superintendent of the Alliance Southern District, a position he held for 15 years. He retired but then returned to Chattanooga to plant North River Alliance Church. They moved to the Alliance Community (DeLand, Fla.) in 2003.

Arline was predeceased by her husband; she is survived by son David; daughter Ruthie; and 2 grandsons.

Lois was predeceased by her husband, parents, and siblings.

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BA in English. On August 10, 1985, Joan married Robert (Bob) Sanford, a fellow Nyack student. Initially, they made their home in Nyack but lived in various locations as Bob served in several leadership capacities with the C&MA. From Nyack they moved to Colorado Springs, Colo., where they stayed for 32 years. In mid-October, the couple moved to Ohio with the C&MA National Office as it relocated to Reynoldsburg.

Suzanne (Sue) K. (Rosenfield) Kerrigan September 28, 1931–November 17, 2021 Sue resided in Colorado Springs, Colo., and formerly lived in Tonawanda, N.Y. She entered the Lord’s presence shortly after celebrating her 90th birthday. Sue served at the C&MA National Office from 1988–2009. As the switchboard operator, she was affectionately known as the “voice” of The Alliance.

Although Joan battled serious illnesses for most of her adult life, her quick wit, strong spirit, grit, determination, and love for her Lord helped her endure many trials. When her health would permit, she wrote numerous plays, skits, and several dramas, one of which was made into a short film. Because of her health challenges, Joan diligently studied how to combat her infirmities. As a result, she became quite knowledgeable about nutrition and was always willing to offer wisdom to her siblings and friends as they dealt with their own health challenges.

Sue was the devoted mother of Kathleen, Margaret, Tolnay, Timothy, and Daniel. She is survived by 10 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Joan Emily Sanford September 5, 1960–November 30, 2021 Joan was born in Corry, Pa., to Jesse Huff Jr. and Alta Joan (Ehrhart) Huff. She attended Bryan College and graduated from Nyack (N.Y.) College in 1985 with a

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Joan is survived by her husband; brothers and sisters; and many nieces and nephews.

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ENVISION MIAMI In Miami, a city of over 6 million, only 5 percent are Christians and 60 percent don't claim any religious affiliation. Envision Miami is working to mobilize the church and reach the inner city for Christ through ministries to the homeless, ESL classes, street evangelism, neighborhood outreaches, a public-school Bible club, and food distributions. In 2021, God moved in amazing ways through the ministry of Envision Miami: • 6,280 families served; • 597,000 pounds of food distributed; • 20 people prayed to receive Christ; and • 108 were trained in evangelism!

ABOVE AND BEYOND In December 2021, City Alliance Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, had a Christmas offering with the goal of raising $35,000 to help two church families who are in the adoption process as well as update their restrooms to be wheelchair accessible. The church exceeded their goal and raised over $54,000! Because of the members’ generosity, the two families have the funds to adopt, and the church will be able to update their restrooms to accommodate the disabled. “I was blown away by the end result,” says their pastor, Nithin Thompson. “I felt so grateful and humbled. I’m excited about what God wants to do in our church and our city. He’s not done yet!”

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We’ve always loved The Alliance and our latest gift also pays us income for life!

YOU’VE SUPPORTED YOUR CHURCH, THE ALLIANCE, AND MINISTRIES YOU LOVE FOR YEARS. Now, in retirement and on a fixed income, continuing your support may seem more challenging. However, with planned giving, you may have more options than you ever thought possible. If you’re over 65, with appreciated assets such as real estate or stock, a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) may be the right solution. With a CGA, you receive a tax deduction today for the full amount of your gift and you’ll receive income for life. The current annual payout rates are 4.2% to 8.6%, based on your age.

For a complimentary consultation with a planned giving expert, please call 833.672.4255 or visit orchardalliance.org/cga.

Start the conversation. C A LL US TO LL FREE 833.672.4255 EM A I L US service@orchardalliance.org

Loans Investments Planned Giving

8595 Explorer Dr, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920 / Toll Free 833.672.4255 / Fax 719.323.6218 / orchardalliance.org CGAs are issued by Orchard Alliance (Orchard) or as agent for The Christian and Missionary Alliance (the C&MA). Orchard or the C&MA, respectively, is responsible MAR/APR 2022Christian 47 ALLIANCELIFE for and liable for the CGAs that are issued in their individual names. The and Missionary Alliance issues annuities in the states of NY, NJ and CA.

ALLIANCELIFE THE MAGAZINE OF THEALLIANCE SINCE 1882 8595 EXPLORER DR. COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80920 (719) 599-5999 | email: ALLIANCELIFE@CMALLIANCE.ORG

EVERY PLACE YOUR FOOT SHALL TREAD

ast November, when we moved back to Madaba, it had been ten years since we opened the first station of The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Transjordan. We moved away two years later, Miss Best taking our place. Returning now after eight years, one cannot help but see the changes that the years have wrought. Praise God that the years of witnessing by His servants in Madaba have not been in vain. What a striking and suggestive figure of prayer—“incense!” Incense was composed of spices of different kinds, ground or beaten very small, and then burned in a glowing censer so that their form disappeared and their own life, as it were, went out, and a sweet fragrance went up as a sort of finer ascension life and became the divine emblem of the communion of the human soul with heaven. One great change has been in the women’s meetings. When we began having such meetings, women would flock to the school room in large numbers with seemingly no idea that they were coming to hear what we had to tell them. They would wander about the room visiting with their friends and neighbors as they do in the Greek Church, while my helper and I would wear ourselves out trying to talk above the confusion. But those who have kept on coming have learned to come with a different spirit. Now on Friday afternoons they gather into our home. Between thirty and forty women come and listen attentively to the Word of God. Yesterday I was talking with a woman whom I had known when I lived here before. She comes from a good family, but she is of the generation that did not have the privileges of education. When she was married at fifteen years of age, she knew her letters and that was all. She told me how Miss Best had led her to know the Savior, and when she would see the girls in the meetings read from the hymn books, she had such a strong desire to do the same. When her children were learning their lessons, she began to study with them and diligently applied

Mr. Smalley and a Greek priest of Madaba (Photo courtesy of C&MA Archives)

herself until she could read. Now she loves to read God’s Word for herself. There are a number here who are right on the border land. They have no faith in the traditions of the Greek Church, but they have not cut loose entirely for God, and it is for this that we pray—that the Spirit of God will give birth here to a group who will be true witnesses and soul winners. My mind has been going back to our first year as we prayed for an opening into Transjordan when it seemed so inaccessible. God had given us an opening in Madaba, and it looked as though the enemy might be able to close the doors to us and thrust us outside. As I walked over the cobblestones of the marketplace one morning, I thought of the word to Joshua, “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you” (Joshua 1:3). And He has allowed His Word to go forth here for ten years now. It is true that we have waited long for the full realization of the vision of those days, but God is encouraging our hearts anew these days to believe that it will come and will not tarry, and our prayer is that not only will it mean the salvation of many in Madaba, but that this little town will become a light center to those who wander about this area in their darkness. by W. F. Smalley Adapted from “Madaba Ten Years Ago and Now” published in The Alliance Weekly, March 12, 1932