BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (Lifeway Research) – Not only are churchgoers watching Christian movies, but some find them useful as an evangelistic and discipleship tool. A recent study by Lifeway Research finds 68% of American Protestant churchgoers have watched a Christian movie in the last year. Around 4 in 5 (81%) say Christian movies are effective evangelism tools. “The Forge,” the latest film from the Kendrick brothers, releases in theaters nationwide on August 23, 2024. The movie focuses on … [Read more...]
Ministry to Eswatini never ended for missionary alumnus
ESWATINI (IMB) – When Wayne Myers, a retired International Mission Board missionary, returns to visit Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) he never goes alone. He wants churches in the United States to catch the vision he has for the church in Eswatini. So, he always takes a short-term mission team with him. Susan Bryant remembers well the trip she and others took with Myers. It was in 2017, two years after he and his wife Barbara retired from the IMB. As they drove down the road, Susan couldn't … [Read more...]
Korean American nurse returns to Korea, supports missionary presence
SOUTH KOREA (IMB) – The first time God caught Peace Joo’s attention, she was in high school at a summer youth retreat in Texas. While rafting down a river, her raft overturned. The current was too strong. She felt herself being pulled under. But her youth pastor’s hand reached out and pulled her to safety. Once back on dry land, she realized that in that moment she wasn’t just drowning in the rapids. She was also drowning in her sin. And she didn’t want to be. “I felt it was God who … [Read more...]
‘When can I return to Uganda?’: IMB missionary shares cancer journey
UGANDA (IMB) – Rebekah Lockhart drove past leafy, vibrant banana trees on her way to the airport in Uganda. As she passed them, she wondered if she would ever see them again. Was this the last time she would be in this land she had grown to love? Healthy, and in her early 40s, the International Mission Board missionary to Uganda had begun feeling intense exhaustion. She wondered if the exhaustion was just from having a lot on her plate. She was planning for her family’s stateside … [Read more...]
Street evangelism works in East Asian megacity
EAST ASIA – “Street evangelism just doesn’t work here.” That’s what Markus Feirer was told by members of the church he was training in evangelism. The International Mission Board missionary didn’t believe the church members were right. Walking up and down the streets of the East Asian megacity, people were everywhere, yet they were so disconnected. Looking down at their phones while they boarded buses and metros. AirPods in ear as they crossed the street. No one stopping — all laser … [Read more...]
Southern Baptists reminded to ‘tell others what He has done’ at IMB Sending Celebration
When Patrick and Kathryn Thompson arrived to plant a church in New York City with their two kids, the reality that they were already doing cross-cultural missions set in. Patrick walked into a grocery store, glanced at the outrageous price of eggs, and immediately knew his grocery bill was going to triple. Kathryn remembers walking windy, icy streets in the winter because they sold their cars when they left Georgia. In New York City, it was all about walking and navigating crowded … [Read more...]
Heart of Hispanic mission team revolves around discipleship
EDITOR'S NOTE: Para leer este artículo en español, haga clic aquí . (To read this article in Spanish, click here.) Who is Jesus? Why did He come to earth? Is eternal life guaranteed? Is a believer truly transformed through Christ? Who is the Holy Spirit? Are we guaranteed a life without suffering if we follow Christ? Standing in front of believers in a village off the beaten path, 19-year-old Jaelin opened her Bible. Speaking through a translator, she answered those … [Read more...]
Gospel arrived right on time for believer in Himalayas
SOUTH ASIA (IMB) – International Mission Board missionaries are grateful that the gospel got to Shanti, a new believer from a formerly unengaged, unreached people group, right on time. Last year, the IMB shared about national believers Lalita and Sandeep. In partnership with IMB missionaries Mike and Beth McKenzie, Sandeep located an unreached people group on a trip that Mike commissioned among his national partners. The national partners were tasked to go into hard-to-reach areas and … [Read more...]
Five Missouri Baptists recognized at IMB’s Sending Ceremony
Missions legacy highlighted during SBC annual meeting in New Orleans NEW ORLEANS, La. (IMB) – Rachel grew up with a deep understanding of what the missionary life looked like. Her church had a strong missions program. In addition to her training at church, she developed a love for missions through her family. She learned about the missionary life as she played with her cousins and sat around a family holiday table and heard her aunts and uncles share their adventures of watching God work … [Read more...]
Their new missions assignment: caring for the called
The specifics of Tim and Annie’s call to missions changed, but the calling itself never altered. God led the Tidenbergs to bring the gospel to the nations, and they’ve obeyed. When they retired from their church planting role in East Africa, they moved to the U.S. to lead a church. Then, they felt led to move back overseas. Now, they spend their time in West Africa resourcing, equipping and supporting missionaries as member care consultants with the International Mission Board. In this … [Read more...]
From New Age to new life: Art ministry in Spain leads to salvation
Henar was searching for the truth everywhere she thought she could find it — her Catholic background, through Jehovah’s Witness friends and even New Age religion. She tried crystals, meditation, energy and healing. The search left her overwhelmed and without peace. That’s when she met Emilio and Hannah Marrero, International Mission Board missionaries to the Basque region of Spain, through an online Bible study. She connected deeply with them and the message they taught using … [Read more...]
Missionary returns to field a third time to finish task
'My heart was still here. I didn’t feel like the job was done.' THAILAND (IMB) – As a 22-year-old Journeyman, Jeri Whitfield saw long-term missionaries commit their lives to God and the people they served. That was her model for missions — a missionary presence that creates gospel access and transforms lives. It’s still her desire today, 40 years later. It’s also why she’s returned to serve in Thailand through the International Mission Board three times. The first time she left, … [Read more...]