PUEBLA, Mexico – Several years before leading his congregation to partner with a church in the Mexican state of Puebla, Pastor John Jones stood on the streets of a Sri Lankan city named Candy—a city popular among Buddhist pilgrims because of a large temple purportedly containing Buddha’s tooth. Some passersby on the streets of Candy spoke English, Jones recalled. But no matter what he said to them, they replied with the same question. “Have you been to the temple yet?” they asked. “Have … [Read more...]
First Puxico sees nearly 260 profess faith
TEHUECAN, Puebla, Mexico – Even the best plans are no match for the variables that pop up during a mission trip. But for First Baptist, Puxico, and their experience with partnership missions in Puebla, Mexico, sometimes God’s plans are better. The 13-member team from Missouri arrived in Tehuecan expecting to work with a local pastor the church had partnered with before, only to find that he had left the local convention and the Puxico team high and dry. “When God shuts one door He often … [Read more...]
O’Fallon’s Lifepoint Church multiplies disciples in Puebla
PUEBLA, Mexico – Launched as a Missouri Baptist church plant in September 2011, Lifepoint Church of O’Fallon has had a heart for missions and discipleship from its inception. Less than five years after Lifepoint’s inception, God is now using the church to encourage and equip the people of Puebla, Mexico, to reach out to their community and plant churches of their own. In the early months of 2014, Pastor Eric Darst and the members of Lifepoint began to pray that God would show them how they … [Read more...]
Partnership Missions luncheon focuses on Mexico, N.Y.
RICHARD NATIONS/contributing writer OSAGE BEACH – MBC Partnership Missions lunch attendees heard reports from a pastor in Puebla, Mexico, and a church planter in upstate New York. Stirring stories of fields wide open for spiritual harvest captivated the hearts of Missouri Baptists. Sergio Rebollar Oropeza, the president of the Puebla/Tlaxcala Regional Baptist Convention of Mexico, spoke of the gratitude that the churches in his region of southern Mexico feel for the partnership that … [Read more...]
Partnership Missions: Mexico, Upstate New York
OSAGE BEACH – MBC Partnership Missions lunch attendees heard reports from a pastor in Puebla, Mexico, and a church planter in upstate New York. Stirring stories of fields wide open for spiritual harvest captivated the hearts of Missouri Baptists. Sergio Rebollar Oropeza, the president of the Puebla/Tlaxcala Regional Baptist Convention of Mexico, spoke of the gratitude that the churches in his region of southern Mexico feel for the partnership that Missouri Baptists have had with them … [Read more...]
Puebla Baptists faithful amid persecution
PUEBLA, Mexico – Mexican pastor Javier Gonzalez knows firsthand the reality of Christ’s words from Mark 6:4, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town.” After training at a Bible institute in Mexico City, Gonzalez felt the Lord calling him to proclaim the gospel in his own hometown in the Sierra Negra (Black Mountains) region of Puebla. However, after he and his wife started sharing the gospel from house to house, they were resisted by Catholic priests in the area. This … [Read more...]
Lifepoint church establishes partnership in Puebla
PUEBLA, Mexico – Lifepoint Church of O’Fallon entered an official partnership with churches here when a mission team of eight from the church traveled to the region, Aug. 22 – 27, with financial backing from the Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) Vivian McCaughan Missional Living Endowment Fund. Established in 2010 to support MBC partnership missions efforts, as well as other ministries, the McCaughan Fund now has helped to inscribe partnership missions into Lifepoint’s DNA. During their … [Read more...]
MBC issues African missions alert
JEFFERSON CITY – With a deadly Ebola outbreak spreading across West Africa, the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) is advising churches to take caution before sending mission teams to the region. The latest Ebola outbreak infected at least 1,711 people, killing 932, in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone by Aug. 6, causing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a maximum level alert for responding to the outbreak. The death count for this outbreak makes up 30 … [Read more...]
Women rebuild, touch Filipino hearts
GIBITNGIL, The Philippines – When Barbara Studt bends down and hugs each child at the small school on Gibitngil island – and not one child escapes her – she whispers in each ear, “Jesus loves you.” They grin, wiggle free and run away. Studt stands up, grins and makes her way to the teacher’s office to change from her water shoes to her work boots. She’s here to help rebuild the school destroyed in November 2013 by Typhoon Haiyan, known locally as Typhoon Yolanda. The children are … [Read more...]
Pathway columnist contends for faith in Mexico
PUEBLA, Mexico – Missouri Baptist Convention Communications Team Leader Rob Phillips, who writes The Pathway’s “Once Delivered” column, contended for the faith during a two-day pastor’s conference at Primera Iglesia Bautista (First Baptist Church) here, June 27 – 28. Last year, the Missouri Baptist Convention partnered with 60 churches from the Mexican states of Puebla and Tlaxcala, under the direction of the MBC’s Partnership Missions Team Leader Rick Hedger. Church leaders from some of … [Read more...]
Missouri, Atlixco, Mexico churches forge partnership
WASHINGTON, Mo. – Thousands of people who need Christ live in Atlixco, a city in the Mexican state of Puebla. Faith Baptist Church in Washington and Rios de Agua Viva (Rivers of Living Water) Church in Atlixco have formed a partnership to meet that need. “We want to instill a desire in my people to show Christian love like Jesus,” Mario Ramirez, pastor of Rios de Agua Viva, told members of Faith Baptist Church during a visit to Missouri, Feb. 23. “It should be a priority regardless of … [Read more...]
First person: Pre-disaster trip to Islands shows God’s love
Katlyn Moncada/contributing writer MANILA, Philippines – Whether in your neighborhood or traveling the world, there are always opportunities for followers of Christ to live on mission. I had the privilege of going overseas to Southeast Asia for a little more than two weeks at the end of the summer. Many experiences were shared with our team of five. My other team members from South County Baptist Church were John Childers, lead pastor; Joe Spicer, minister of missions; Ed Moncada, my … [Read more...]