International Missions
AFRICA: French-Speaking Nations
Brethren in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, West Africa, purchased land and built a distribution center for gospel literature in the French language to 12 nations in Africa. These nations have a combined population in excess of 200,000,000 people! God’s kingdom is growing among French-speaking Africans. The Lord’s church now exists in the Ivory Coast (50 congregations), Benin (39 congregations), Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo (32 congregations), Cameroon, Gabon (30 congregations), Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Senegal (24 congregations), Chad and Central African Republic (22 congregations), Togo (21 congregations) and Madagascar (17 congregations).
Barry Baggott, missionary, writes: “The White Rock Fund will provide a great service by helping get materials to brethren in several French-speaking countries on a regular basis, brethren who do not have the means to purchase the materials on their own.”
The White Rock Fund provides a grant to the Crieve Hall Church of Christ, Nashville, Tennessee, which sponsors the distribution of French literature.
AMERICAN SAMOA & SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS
On American Samoa the Randy English family is teaching and preaching the gospel faithfully, establishing new congregations in the islands of the South Pacific, and building up new Christians in the Faith. Through pulpit, home studies, printed materials and radio programs the gospel is being spread and people are responding for baptism on a regular basis. Randy writes: “Our major cities in the Pacific are crowded with people willing to listen. Our smaller towns are approachable with the gospel. Willing workers are finding people who are willing to listen.”
The White Rock Fund provides a grant to the Forest Park Church of Christ in Georgia for the support of Randy English.
BELGIUM
Recently the Lord’s church in Verviers, Belgium had 60 in attendance for Sunday worship. All of the older young people were on the front benches. Jean-Marie Frerot, the congregation’s pulpit minister, presented a forceful lesson on the new birth, after which he offered an invitation. I added that if 2008 were the last year of my existence, I would want everyone in the congregation to have been baptized. We asked everyone to stand to sing an invitation song, and that if anyone wanted to obey God in baptism, he/she should remain standing after the song. Three were remaining standing: a 20-year old law student, a 17 year-old teen, and a 16 year-old teen. After worship, a 18 year-old made the decision to be baptized.
According to a recent study, evangelicals are about the only ones to make progress in France. The study estimates the number of evangelicals in France at some 400,000. In December, the church in Verviers placed ads for Bible courses in a newspaper.
The White Rock Fund provides a grant to the Pinson, Tennessee Church of Christ, for the support of Jean-Marie Frerot.
BRAZIL
Giovanni Vantuil de Almeida preaches for the church in Betim, Brazil, South America, one of the suburb of Belo Horizonte (population 4,500,000). He also serves as an elder of the Portuguese-speaking congregation. Giovanni is the featured speaker on a national Christian television program, which has resulted in several conversions. The Betim congregation now numbers over 200. Many home Bible studies are conducted throughout the city, attended by almost 400 people.
The White Rock Fund provides a grant to the Wheeler Road Church of Christ, Midland, Michigan, for the support of Giovanni Vatuil de Almeida.
CAMBODIA
A grant is provided to the Hughson, California Church of Christ for the support of brother Oh, who preaches the gospel in Koh Dach, Cambodia. God’s work is expanding rapidly in Cambodia, as Buddhists and Muslims alike are coming to obedient faith in Jesus Christ. Baptisms are occurring on each and every day. Congregations are being established in a number of places. Centered in the Mekong River, the island of Koh Dach preserves the rich traditions of authentic Cambodian culture.
CANADA: Nova Scotia
Kevin and Nancy Cleary now serve the Lord’s church in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. A recent graduate of East Tennessee School of Preaching, Kevin is the congregation’s only full-time evangelist in many years. The church has a tremendous potential for growth as it is located in a city with over 400,000 people.
CHINA
Cliff Baird has been printing and distributing Bibles inside main land China since 1995. He has discovered an indigenous Restoration Movement which follows the New Testament teaching in doctrine and worship. Literally hundreds of thousands Bibles have been printed and given away to truth-seekers inside China. Sometimes those who have participated in this effort have put their own lives and freedoms at risk. Courageous men and women have made the commitment to make the word of God available to those who want it even though they may be imprisoned and persecuted for doing so.
The White Rock Fund provides a grant to the Church of Christ, Royal Oak, Michigan, for the work of Cliff Baird, printing and distributing Bibles in China.
CUBA
The Lord’s church in Cuba is alive and growing in a way unmatched by any other religious group. Since 1994, one hundred thirty four new congregations have been started. Over 200 evangelists and teachers are working among these congregations. They go throughout the island nation teaching the word of God. The church in Cuba is poor. Church buildings are rare. The average member does not own a Bible, but every congregation has at least one Bible in its possession. Printed materials are shared among the people. When one Bible student finishes a correspondence course, he passes it along to another student, who passes it along to yet another student when he has completed the study.
The White Rock Fund provides a grant to the Pleasure Island Church of Christ, Gulf Shores, Alabama, for working funds for twenty five (25) teachers and preachers in Cuba.
INDIA
The Rock Hill Church of Christ, Firsco, Texas oversees the support of 367 preachers in Andhra Pradesh, India, where 76,000,000 people live. The Andhra School of Preaching, which operates under the oversight of the Frisco elders, has over 2,500 students. These men gather at a number of locations for Bible classes. Course topics include: “The Church of Christ,” “Basic Christian Doctrines,” and “Common Religious Errors.”
The White Rock Fund provides a grant to the Rock Hill congregation for the support of 22 preachers in Andhra Pradesh, India.
GHANA
Just a few years ago American missionaries established the church in Yendi, in the upper east region of Ghana, West Africa. Although almost half of the native people follow the Islamic faith, many others believe in and worship additional spirits and gods. Each village sacrifices to its individual ancestral gods and the entire society collectively worships the more powerful gods.
Who would have anticipated that today there would be over 500 congregations of the Lord’s church in Yendi! Almost 1,000 souls are being baptized into Christ each year. Preaching students are being trained and sent into the villages. “It’s very hard to keep up with all the invitations to preach. At times as many as 25 villages are waiting with the request to come and preach,” says Jerry Reynolds, veteran missionary now living in Alabama. The Good News Child Development Center takes care of medical needs of 5,000 children each year.
The White Rock Fund provides a grant to the Mayfair Church of Christ, Huntsville, Alabama, for the support of native preachers, John Kumbunju, Timothy Nborsan and Peter Nborson.
NICARAGUA
The world’s largest Spanish-speaking congregations of Churches of Christ are found in Managua. Pedro Morales serves as pulpit minister and one of the elders of one of the faithful congregations in Managua, Nicaragua. The Lord’s church in this capital city is growing.. In addition to Sunday and weekday services, the church is active in benevolence and hosts a preacher training school.