Let me introduce to you Pastor Oliver. He is a church-planting missionary pastor in eastern Nigeria, whom my family and I have had the remarkable privilege of supporting for the past few years.Pastor Oliver is part of The Evangelizers' Team Ministries International, who reach out to the Akaeze, Edda and Efikpo people in Nigeria. God has been bringing great glory to himself through the work they are doing in this impoverished, strife-ridden land.
The head of TETMI is Pastor David, pictured here with my family. (Can you guess who is whom?)He has been on deputation for the past several weeks, going throughout Canada to share with sponsors and churches about this marvelous work
And connecting us, those whom God has blessed with resources, with these brothers whom God has blessed with powerful gospel ministry amongst the poor, is a wonderful organization called Partners International.
Partners exists to link Canadian Christians with indigenous Christian ministries in various countries throughout the world. My wife and I have been involved with them for several years, in various projects, and we have been consistently delighted with their passion, sincerity and God-oriented focus.
Although they are indeed involved in feeding the hungry, clothing the poor and educating the ignorant, they have always maintained the centrality of the gospel in their mission. TETMI is focused on equipping, sending and supporting missionary pastors who bring the gospel, assemble the resulting churches, and train local leadership to repeat the process. In the process, they also create schools, teach children, dig wells, and feed the hungry.
And we Christians who cannot go to Nigeria can send our abundance to supply their needs, and thus participate in the glory that God is bringing to himself. We can love our African brothers and sisters, bless the hardworking pastors, and have this little but vital part in the growing body of Christ.
I'm looking forward to meeting in heaven family I never knew I had. Hopefully they will teach me to worship Christ in tongues I've never known, music I've never heard, insights that never occurred to me, and all to the praise of our Triune God.
...your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” (2 Cor. 8:14-15, ESV)
