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| February 2004 Issue of the Pneuma Informer |  | |
In this issue:
Foundation Needs and Concerns Back in October 2003, there were a number of needs that the volunteer staff of the Pneuma Foundation asked you to pray about. God has clearly answered many of those needs, and we report the following with gratitude:
Thank you for your support in prayer and financially. What's New at www.PneumaFoundation.org New Articles and other Features on the Pneuma Foundation Website: New links on the following pages:
New books have been suggested on the Holy Spirit Reading List. Popular article: Many of the visitors to www.PneumaFoundation.org have been reading "Answering the Cessationists' Case Against Continuing Spiritual Gifts" By Jon Ruthven. From the Spring 2000 issue of the Pneuma Review (Vol 3, No 2). Read the full article online (42 KB in size).
Also, be sure to check out the "What's New" section on the Pneuma Foundation homepage. New articles and other features are being added regularly. Have a website you would like linked to the Pneuma Foundation? Write Webmaster Dave Driggs with your suggestion. Or use the on–line form to submit your suggestion: links.jsp#link. Recent Visitors: With new content being placed on the www.pneumafoundation.org site all the time, it is becoming a resource to thousands of people from all over the world. Some of the recent international visitors to the Pneuma Foundation website have been from these 122 different nations and territories: Bermuda, Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas, Jamaica, Aruba, Turks and Caicos Islands, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Dominica, Netherlands Antilles, Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Columbia, Peru, Brazil, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Benin, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Gambia, Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Burundi, Rep. of Congo, Gabon, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Malawi, Seychelles, Togo, South Africa, Bahrain, Zambia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Libya, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Turkey, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Guam, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Macao, Malaysia, Nepal, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Rep. Of Korea (South Korea), Mongolia, Taiwan, Moldova, Georgia, Poland, Finland, Norway, Faroe Islands, Netherlands, Denmark, Iceland, France, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Serbia, Malta, Gibraltar, Austria, Romania, Hungary, Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia, Germany, Luxembourg, Italy, Belgium, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Ireland, Switzerland, and Sweden. Come visit soon. Write to Member Services with any comments or questions you have about the website or the Pneuma Informer. Reports from Around the World Eastern Asia: 9,300 new churches planted in less than 3 years Less than three years ago, thirty tired farmers sat down to listen to a supposedly crazy missionary. The result is one of the most astonishing developments in mission in recent church history: the gathering started a movement in an East Asian nation through which over 9,300 new churches have been planted. Over 104,000 people have been baptized. What happened? 30 disciples becomes 104,000 "It was a long day," reports Baptist Press' Erich Bridges. Tired from their fields, thirty farmers sat in a small church — the smallest of three in a region with 700,000 inhabitants — listening to 'John', a Southern Baptist missionary. John told them about his vision of planting at least one church in each of the region's two hundred towns and villages in the next three years. The farmers looked at each other, then stared at the missionary as though he had lost his mind. "Each of you can start by beginning a family Bible study at home," said John. "But how can we do that?" they asked. "Who will teach the Bible?" "You are the teachers!" John replied. Frowning and shaking their heads, the farmers objected "But we don't know how." John then told them to say their own story out loud five times, then tell it to one of the others. He then told them to make a list of all their acquaintances who did not yet know Jesus, starting with their own relatives. "Divide these people into groups of five, and invite the groups to your house. Then tell them your story." Reaping what we sow John returned two weeks later to find out what had happened. Only eleven of the thirty had told others their story. He asked them to tell of their experiences, to encourage the other nineteen. John then challenged the 'silent nineteen' to tell their story to the people on their list, or to stop coming to the meetings. He taught the others a number of simple Biblical lessons which they could teach others. In January 2001, after only two months, twenty small groups had been started. Four months later, the number had already reached 327 small groups totaling around 4,000 newly–baptized believers in seventeen towns. By the end of the year, over 12,000 new believers were meeting in 908 house churches. Starting chain reactions "We don't teach teachers, we train trainers," John explains. One generation teaches a second, and the second teaches a third. Someone can train one group on Monday, another on Wednesday and a third on Thursday. One old farmer took up the challenge, planting over 100 new churches in one year. He gets up at 5am every morning, reads the Bible and prays for two hours, works in his fields until 5pm, then spends time with his family. At 7pm he goes out again — "this time to God's field, until midnight" as he says. What were the keys to these developments? Prayer (John points to the worn–out knees); passion; a clear vision of the aim; simple training concepts which can be passed on; people who are willing to be trained; committment; no fear of suffering; signs and wonders, and the openness of people who are insecure and in crisis. Source: resources.imb.org and www.bpnews.net by way of Friday Fax 2004, Issue 1. Used with permission. Triumph and tragedy of the 200 million persecuted Christians "The number of persecuted Christians increased in 2003, especially in North Korea, India and Indonesia," reports Open Doors' Jerry Dykstra. North Korea's estimated 400,000 Christians experience persecution daily — around 100,000 of them undergoing torture in prison camps. India passed new anti–conversion laws in many states. More Christians are now being persecuted than at any other time in history; some 200 million are being persecuted, with another 300 million experiencing discrimination. The increase is partly due to the fact that Christianity is spreading in nations and people groups which have been traditionally hostile to the Gospel. Standing Strong Through The Storm Thousands of pastors attended Open Doors' "Standing Strong Through The Storm" seminars in 2003, to learn to cope with persecution biblically instead of reacting to it from a human point of view. An ever–increasing number of Christians will need to be able to live Christ's love and truth in the face of growing discrimination. One Testimony from 2003 Kurdish taxi driver Ziwar Mohamad Ismaeel, an ex–Muslim, is one of 2003's Christian martyrs. He was murdered for telling another Muslim about Jesus. Before his death, he told friends "Jesus is on my side. I have nothing to fear. Even if they kill me, I will never deny Christ." Source: Jerry Dykstra, Open Doors USA, by way of Friday Fax 2004, Issue 2. Used with permission. Fiji: Political leaders urge spiritual renewal Christians have been divided for years in Fiji, but spiritual renewal has recently engulfed the South Pacific nation — and its president has publicly led his people in repentance. A U.S.–based Christian research and information agency — The Sentinel Group — has sent crews to Fiji to document in film the revitalization of Fiji's church as well as its national revival and reconciliation movement. Fiji — about two–thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand — had long identified itself as a devoutly Christian nation, but its almost 900,000 inhabitants were rocked by a coup on May 19, 2000, when eight gunmen stormed into the Fiji Parliament and seized 35 hostages, including Mahendra Chaudhry, the first Indian prime minister of Fiji. The group's leader said they sought to protect the rights of indigenous Fijians against the increasing influence of the islands' large Indian population. The action triggered a 56–day siege of Parliament and nationwide civil unrest, featuring looting and burning Indian–owned shops. For years before the coup, the country's established denominations had been mired in doctrinal standoffs while newer and more zealous churches fell foul of tradition. But after Vuniani Nakauyaca, senior pastor of Covenant Evangelical Church, and a group of pastors were allowed to see the hostages, he knelt in repentance before Prime Minister Chaudhry on behalf of all Fijians. The coup ended shortly thereafter. "One of the things that has impressed us very much has been an emerging unity amongst the people of God here," George Otis Jr., producer of The Sentinel Group's popular "Transformations" videos, which chronicle cases of Christian–led national renewal worldwide, says of Fiji. "It isn't just between denominations," he told "Charisma" magazine in the January 2004 issue. "... There's this wonderful, almost seamless working partnership between the church and the state here right now. ... Many senators and parliamentarians are also pastors and church leaders." Foremost among these government leaders is Ratu Josefa Iloilo, a born–again Methodist preacher and high chief, who was appointed president when the coup ended. In 2001, Iloilo, 83, approached the major denominations and asked them if they would formalize the growing unity of Christians in Fiji and lead a national reconciliation movement. His efforts led to the founding of the Assembly of Christian Churches in Fiji (ACCF) as an official proponent of church unity. Adopting a vision for "Fiji to Be God's Treasured Possession," the ACCF organized a nationwide Millennial Revival Mission, which Iloilo launched on July 8, 2001. As a crowd of 10,000 watched, he publicly bowed before God and said he and his household rose every morning to worship and seek God's guidance for the nation. Also present was Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, a committed Christian. Iloilo and Qarase lit a torch, which symbolized revival and reconciliation, and young Christians carried it Olympic–style to towns and villages nationwide. Churches joined together to host reconciliation meetings along the route, and reports about the torch's passage began to filter back — people were suddenly being healed; others were falling before God in repentance and giving their lives to Him. Source: Charisma News Service 1/27/2004. Used with permission. Report the News We are looking for stories about what God is doing in the world, reports about the persecution of Christians, and information about significant trends and ministry opportunities. If you have a news item to report, please send an email to the Informer.
Domain Name Pledge Would you consider pledging an annual contribution to register and maintain domain names that can point visitors to the Pneuma Foundation website? Perhaps you have noticed that new content is being added to the Pneuma Foundation web site on a regular basis. Every month visitors are coming to the site to read articles and find resources that help them in their ministries and their walk with the Lord. Wanting to increase both the content of the site and promoting the resources already available there, the Pneuma Foundation executive committee would like to begin purchasing domain names (internet addresses like pneumafoundation.org) to bring in new visitors. If you would like to pledge to purchase a domain name or make a one–time contribution towards this effort, please write to Member Services today. Annual registration fees are normally $35 per domain name, and you may pledge the full annual amount or as much as you wish. If you would like a way to regularly support the Pneuma Foundation, pledging to help with this effort may be just what you are looking for. Foundation volunteers would be happy to send you a pledge reminder, if you would like them to, as often as you would like one. Please write for more information or to begin your pledge immediately. Resources You Can Use New E–Book Available: Serve Him With Mirth Whatever you may personally find funny or appropriate, the use of humor is biblical and a great booster for effective evangelism and Christian communication. The new free e–book SERVE HIM WITH MIRTH from Web Evangelism Guide is flying off the virtual bookshelves. http://www.gospelcom.net/guide/resources/mirth.php Church Partnership Church Twinning International reports that there are churches in Togo (West Africa), Jamaica, South Africa, and Ghana (West Africa) seeking a twinship with USA Church families. For more information, contact Sidney Holston Thoughts to Ponder: Worry "A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work." "There is a great difference between worry and concern. A worried person sees a problem, and a concerned person solves a problem." "The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith; and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety." "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength." Excerpts from the Pneuma Review The Pneuma Review is a quarterly printed journal of ministry resources and theology for Pentecostal and charismatic ministries and leaders. For more information about the Pneuma Review, and to learn how to subscribe, click here. From "Rightly Understanding God's Word: Whole Book Context." Part 1 of 2 by Craig S. Keener Whole–Book Context While it is important to read each passage in the context that immediately surrounds it, it is also important to read it in the context of the entire book in which it appears whether John or Judges or James or other books of the Bible. Often the particular passage fits into the argument of the entire biblical book, or sometimes it connects with themes that run through that book. In some cases, the story runs over several books in our Bible that were once connected as extended narratives (for instance, the Moses story in Exodus carries over from the Joseph story in Genesis, and 1 Samuel through 2 Kings are one long story; so also is Luke plus Acts). 1. Jewish–Gentile Reconciliation in Romans Many Christians urge non–Christians to be converted by believing in Jesus' resurrection with their heart and confessing with their mouth that Jesus is Lord. This summary of how to respond to the gospel is based on Romans 10:9–10. Romans 10 does in fact describe salvation in these terms. But have we ever stopped to examine why Paul specifically mentions the mouth and heart here (rather than in some other passages which describe salvation)? Would Paul deny that a deaf mute could be saved simply because they could not confess with their mouth? Or does Paul choose his particular words "heart" and "mouth" for more specific reasons? We look first at the immediate context, as we did in the previous chapter of this study. Paul believes that we are saved by God's grace, not by our works. Contrary to the means of justification proposed by Paul's opponents (Rom. 10:1–5), Paul demonstrates from the law of Moses itself that the message of faith is the saving word (10:6–7). As Moses said, "the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (10:8); Moses was referring to the law (Deut 30:10–11, 14), but the principle was also applicable to the gospel, which was also God's word. In Moses' day one could not ascend to heaven to bring the law down from above; God in his mercy already gave it to Israel on Mount Sinai (30:12). Nor was it necessary to descend again into the sea (30:13); God had already redeemed his people and brought them through the sea. They could not save themselves; they had to depend on God's mighty grace (cf. Ex 20:2). In the same way, Paul says, we don't bring Christ up from the dead, or send him down from the Father; like the law and Israel's redemption, Christ's salvation is God's gift to us (Rom 10:6–7). Moses declared that this message was "in your mouth and in your heart" (Deut 30:14), i.e., already given to Israel by God's grace. Paul explains that likewise God's message was in your mouth when you confessed Christ with your mouth and in your heart when you believed in Him in your heart (Rom 10:9–10). Faith could come only from hearing this word, the gospel of Christ (10:17), as we noted above. The immediate context explains why Paul mentions the "mouth" and the "heart" in this specific passage, but it also raises a new question. Why did Paul have to make an argument from the Old Testament that salvation was by grace through faith? Was there anyone who doubted this? Reading Romans as an entire book explains the reason for each passage within that book. Paul is addressing a controversy between Jewish and Gentile Christians. Paul begins Romans by emphasizing that the Gentiles are lost (Rom 1:18–32); just as the Jewish Christian readers are applauding, Paul points out that religious people are also lost (Rom 2), and summarizes that everyone is lost (Rom 3). Paul establishes that all humanity is equally lost to remind us that all of us have to come to God on the same terms; none of us can boast against others. But most Jewish people believed that they were chosen for salvation in Abraham; therefore Paul reminds his fellow Jewish Christians that it is spiritual rather than ethnic descent from Abraham that matters for salvation (Rom 4). Lest any of his Jewish readers continue to stress their genetic descent, he reminds them that all people—including themselves—descend from sinful Adam (5:12–21). Jewish people believed that most Jews kept all 613 commandments in the law (at least most of the time), whereas most Gentiles did not even keep the seven commandments many Jews believed God gave to Noah. So Paul argues that while the law is good, it never saved its practitioners, including Paul (Rom 7); only Jesus Christ could do that! And lest the Jewish Christians continue to insist on their chosenness in Abraham, Paul reminds them that not all Abraham's physical descendants were chosen, even in the first two generations (Rom 9:6–13). God was so sovereign, he was not bound to choosing people on the basis of their ethnicity (9:18–24); he could choose people on the basis of their faith in Christ. But lest the Gentile Christians look down on the Jewish Christians, Paul also reminds them that the heritage into which they had been grafted was, after all, Israel's (Rom 11). God had a Jewish remnant, and would one day turn the majority of Jewish people to faith in Christ (11:25–26). And at this point Paul gets very practical. Christians must serve one another (Rom 12); the heart of God's law is actually loving one another (13:8–10). Ancient literature shows that Roman Gentiles made fun of Roman Jews especially for their food laws and holy days; Paul argues that we should not look down on one another because of such minor differences of practice (Rom 14). He then provides examples of ethnic reconciliation: Jesus though Jewish ministered to the Gentiles (15:7–12) and Paul was bringing an offering from Gentile churches for the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem (15:25–31). In the midst of his closing greetings, he offers one final exhortation: Beware of those who cause division (16:17). Getting the whole picture of Romans provides us a clearer understanding of the function of each particular passage in the work as a whole. It also suggests the sort of situation which the letter addresses. What we know of the "background" sheds more light on this situation: Rome earlier expelled the Jewish Christians (Acts 18:1–3), but now they have returned (Rom 16:3). This means that the Roman house churches, which had consisted completely of Gentiles for many years, now face conflict with Jewish Christians who had different cultural ways of doing things. Paul's letter to the Romans summons Christians to ethnic, cultural, tribal reconciliation with one another by reminding us that all of us came to God on the same terms, through Jesus Christ alone. (But we will turn to the issue of background more fully later.) 2. Justice for the Poor in James Some people, reading the letter of James, have thought that the letter collects miscellaneous exhortations that do not fit together very well. But their view is unlikely: when one examines James carefully, most of the book actually fits together quite well. In the "immediate context" section above, we asked how James expected us to resist the devil (4:7), and argued that he referred to resisting the world's values. This is a valid general principle, but were there any specific values that James was especially concerned about among his readers? Most likely, there were. In the introduction to James' letter he introduces several themes which recur through the rest of the letter. By tracing these themes, we get a simple outline of the basic issues the letter addresses. (When I preach on James, I often like to preach from the introduction of the letter, which allows me to actually preach most of the letter using just one or two paragraphs as my outline.) First of all, we see the problem James confronts: his readers encounter various trials (1:2). As one reads through the letter, one gathers that many of his readers are poor people who are being oppressed by the rich (1:9–11; 2:2–6; 5:1–6). (Background sheds even more light on this situation, which was very common in James's day. But for now we will continue to focus on whole–book context, since we will do more with background later.) Some of James' readers appear tempted to deal with their problem of various trials in the wrong way: with a violent (whether verbally or physically) response (1:19–20; 2:11; 3:9; 4:2). So James offers a solution demanding from them three virtues: endurance (1:3–4), wisdom (1:5), and faith (1:6–8). They need God's wisdom to properly endure, and they need faith when they pray to God for this wisdom. James returns to each of these virtues later in his letter, explaining them in further detail. Thus he deals with endurance more fully near the end of his letter, using Job and the prophets as biblical examples of such endurance (5:7–11). He also demands sincere rather than merely passing faith (2:14–26). What he says about faith here is instructive. Some of the poor were tempted to lash out and kill their oppressors, and might think God would still be on their side so long as they had not committed sins like adultery. But James reminds them that murder is sin even if they do not commit adultery (2:11). The basic confession of Jewish faith was the oneness of God, but James reminds his friends that even the devil had "faith" that God was one, but this knowledge did not save the devil (2:19). Genuine faith means faith that is demonstrated by obedience (2:14–18). Thus if we pray "in faith" for wisdom, we must pray in the genuine faith that is willing to obey whatever wisdom God gives us! We must not be "double–minded" (1:8), which means trying to embrace both the world's perspective and God's at the same time (4:8). James especially treats in more detail the matter of wisdom. He is concerned about inflammatory rhetoric—the sort of speech that stirs people to anger against others (1:19–20; 3:1–12). This does not mean that he remains silent toward rich oppressors; he prophesies God's judgment against them (5:1–6)! But he does not approve of stirring people to violence against them. James notes that there are two kinds of wisdom. One kind involves strife and selfishness and is worldly and demonic (3:14); this is the sort of view and attitude which tempts his readers. James instead advocates God's way of wisdom, which is gentle (3:13); it is pure—unmixed with other kinds of wisdom—and peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of mercy and the fruit of righteousness which is sown in peace (3:17–18). His readers were tempted to use violence (4:2) and desire the world's way of doing things (4:4). But rather than taking matters into their own hands, they should submit to God (4:7). James is calling us to keep peace with one another. And if he calls the oppressed not to seek to kill their oppressors, how much more does he summon all of us to love and remain gentle toward those closest to us, even those who are unkind to us? "Resisting the devil" may involve more work than some people think! . . .
From "The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today: Context" By J. Rodman Williams The matter before us next is that of the context in which the Holy Spirit is given. Already we have emphasized that the gift of the Holy Spirit comes to those who believe in Jesus Christ; thus faith is the only requirement. Hence we are not now speaking of additional requirements, but of the context or situation in which the gift is received. We have earlier seen that the gift of the Holy Spirit frequently occurs along the way of faith. Now we note the context, even atmosphere, wherein this takes place. The primary thing that must be stressed is God's sovereign disposition. The divine context of God's will and intention is altogether basic. From within the pattern of God's purpose, whereby He works all things according to the counsel of His will, God gives His Holy Spirit. Thus whatever may be and must be said on the human side about the situation, context, and atmosphere is altogether secondary to God's sovereign action. In this sense, God gives when He wills, not according to the human condition but according to His overall design and purpose. Hence, there is a continuing mystery and, humanly speaking, unpredictability about the giving of the Holy Spirit. This was surely true of the first Pentecost in Jerusalem. God had long purposed (and promised) the outpouring of His Spirit, and when the divinely planned time had arrived, the Holy Spirit was given. The opening words of Acts 2:1 suggest this: "When the day of Pentecost had come," or, better, "had been fulfilled."1 So when the day was fulfilled, the Holy Spirit was given. This was God's timetable—not man's. It had basically to do with God's overarching plan in salvation history. It was an event of "the last days" (Acts 2:17) according to the divine promise. Likewise, it is important to emphasize that the movements of the Holy Spirit throughout history to the present day are grounded in the sovereign purpose of God.2 The fact that in our present times there has been a crescendo of the Spirit's outpouring, and that the movement has now become worldwide, points basically to the divine intention. God is doing it again—and with such a universality ("upon all flesh") that we may surmise that "the last days" are being fulfilled, and history is reaching its consummation. However that may be, the critical point to score is the divine sovereignty. All of this needs first to be emphasized—the divine context—lest we too quickly come to the human situation. Primarily it is not a matter of our human concern but God's concern. Like the original disciples who participated in the coming of God's Spirit because it was God's time, so do we participate in our own day. We are privileged to be alive in what may be the climactic outpouring of the Spirit at the end of the age. Our concern is not unimportant, even our readiness to participate in what God is doing, but the basic matter again is God's sovereign purpose.3 Further, since it is a matter of the gift of the Holy Spirit, there is nothing man can do to earn it. By definition a gift is freely bestowed: it cannot be worked for or bought. It would be a serious mistake to think that while forgiveness is by grace, the gift of the Holy Spirit is by works. Here Paul's rhetorical questions are most apropos: "Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? . . . Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of law, or by hearing with faith?" (Gal. 3:2, 5). On the matter of being bought, the words of Peter to Simon the magician—who offered money for the power to confer the Holy Spiritare vividly relevant: "Your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!" (Acts 8:20). The gift of the Holy Spirit cannot be earned no matter how great the effort, nor can it be purchased no matter how large the amount. . . .
Special Report: Urbana 2003 First Nations leader Richard Twiss reports on a powerful Urbana conference he was part of in December. * * * * Urbana is the largest missions conference in the world. It is convened every three years in Urbana, IL, on the campus of University of Illinois. It is a ministry of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. This past December, at Urbana 03, 19,000 mostly college aged, people attended. The message by Ray Aldred, Cree pastor and ministry leader, was one of the most impacting I have ever heard. Likewise, the presence of the Lord that accompanied Mohawk musician, Jonathon Maracle and Broken Walls, as they led an hour of worship, joined by myself and eleven other dancers in full regalia on stage was amazing. (These can be seen and heard at www.urbana.org). There were 1800 small groups that met every day. Lindsay Olesberg, the Urbana 03 Small Group Manager, sent me the following comments and testimonies of both small group leaders and students, in response to the First Nations presentation at Urbana. "This was a powerful evening where God gave us an amazing gift through Ray Aldred and Jonathon Miracle. I appreciated the blessing that was given by the Native American community. Thank you for your risk and forgiveness of the church of North America." "This is my third Urbana, and there always seems to be one pivotal talk through which God speaks a prophetic word. I believe that Ray Aldred's preaching was that prophetic word. As an educated white man, I've grown up with the lies of power and self–sufficiency. I've been taught and trained to view my culture as having everything of value that needs to be shared with all other 'less fortunate' people. The Holy Spirit spoke powerfully through Ray and reminded me that I am just as much in need of salvation (conversion) as every other person. Praise God!" Several white and Asian–American students were struck by the idea of "white man's gospel." They said it made sense but that they had never realized that this was happening. A young man from Minnesota shared that he was from a town that was surrounded by three Native American reservations. He said that racism was prevalent and he had seen misunderstandings, anger, and bitterness prevail between the races in that area. He shared that he was deeply moved by the experience of the Native American worship leader extending a welcome from First Nations people to the rest of the people groups at Urbana. "I'm a white female staff worker who grew up in Southwestern Colorado, near the Navajo Reservation. I've begun to struggle through my own racism, and to understand the magnitude of the genocide committed against Native Americans. It was an inspiration to me as I struggle through racial reconciliation." Urbana 03 was a momentous event in the history of missions among First Nations people in North America for two reasons. First, it prophetically and profoundly embodied the paradigm shift for the Body of Christ in North America, where First Nations people are to no longer be singularly defined as the perpetual missions field; but instead are to seen through the lens of God's eternal purposes as co–equal participants in the life, work and mission of the Church of Jesus Christ among the nations. Second, a major, highly respected evangelical ministry organization did not acquiesce, nor compromise their biblical mandate in the face of political pressure to disallow Native North American Christian leaders from participating on their platform as part of the ministry team in a distinctly, culturally Native way. In relationship to Native peoples, I believe Urbana 03 was a manifestation of the Fathers heart that heralded a deeper call to Biblical reconciliation, unity and co–equal dependency among the many and diverse expression that make up the Body of Christ. To hear the message by Ray Aldred, and to watch the concert by Broken Walls, visit http://www.urbana.org/u2003.mediaplayer.cfm and scroll down to the December 29 evening session entries. Richard Twiss Wiconi International PO Box 5246 Vancouver, WA 98668 360–546–1867 www.wiconi.com Prayer Requests
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