FELLOWSHIP INDEPENDENT BAPTIST CHURCH
We are back online!!!! A few weeks ago we lost our entire email program including our email update lists. Therefore, my dear wife has worked tirelessly for the past few days to recreate the lists by inputting the addresses that were lost. So, yes, we are still in Tanzania, and, no, we have not fallen off of the earth.
Is there a better way to celebrate Easter and the resurrection of our dear Savior than by starting a new church in His name?
As we had mentioned in several previous email updates, we planned to start a new church (Fellowship Independent Baptist Church) in the village of Igekemaja on Easter Sunday. I wish I could put into words the joy that it is to plant a church in a village with no gospel witness at all. This village has one small Catholic church and a small Pentecostal church. The many, many people in this village that we had talked to before starting this church had never heard a clear presentation of the gospel message. Since surveying this area in December of last year, we have prayed and prayed that God would raise up a solid fundamental Bible-believing church in this village. The last few weeks we continued to pray, visit, promote, and invite the people of this village to our first service on Easter Sunday. Last week, we were very excited to see what the Lord was going to do in this village.
In preparation for our first worship service on Easter Sunday, we held special evangelistic meetings each afternoon on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We had around 100 in attendance for the Thursday meeting and around 200 for the Friday and Saturday meetings. Each evening we would sing a bit, promote the opening services of the church on Sunday, and preach a clear presentation of the gospel message of Christ. During these three days of evangelistic meetings, we had the joy of leading 36 adults and teenagers to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!!!
On the morning of Easter Sunday, there was an air of excitement and anticipation of what God was going to do in the first service of this new church. Many people from our church in Fumagira traveled over 10 miles to attend this first service in order to encourage the people of Igekemaja. About 15 ladies from Fumagira spent the night in Igekemaja on Saturday evening so that they could start cooking the Easter meal bright and early on Sunday morning. We were prepared to cook for 500 people, and I think we probably exceeded that figure. At one point, someone counted 360 people inside of the church building, which was packed. There were also many people standing outside of the building listening to the service on our sound system. During the service, our adult and children's choirs from Fumagira sang several songs which were such a blessing to this new church. Pelegrino, our national pastor from Fumagira, then explained what we believe and teach from the Bible. Pele then preached a simple but powerful salvation message from the Book of Romans. At the conclusion of the service, another 35 adults and teenagers publicly acknowledged that they were receiving Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Therefore, we had the joy of seeing a total of 71 precious souls receive Jesus as Savior during the four days of meetings as we started this church. Please pray for these dear new believers that they would be grounded in the Word of God and that God would strengthen and protect this new church.
We want to thank you, our supporters and friends, for standing with us in your prayers for the work here in Tanzania. God is doing a marvelous work here in the hearts of many. Let us be found faithful when Jesus returns.