Mission News

Our mission work in Kenya continues.  Here are more excerpts from a letter from Missionary Pastor Robert Schmalzle.

We emphasized "Good News"  Each of the eight weeks of our recent home assignment was filled with opportunities to talk about missions in Africa.  Not just at Sunday worship, but with quilting groups, mission societies, vacation Bible Schools, and even at the Global Mission Event in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania.

There is so much happening in Africa today, it is sometimes difficult to know what to highlight in a presentation or a sermon.  What most are aware of through the media is the bad news.  Americans are exposed to graphic images of poverty, suffering, and starvation.

It is well known that Africa now has 80% of the world's HIV/AIDs cases, as well as 80% of the world's political refugees.  The "bad news" are are well-acquainted with.  But, there is another side of the story about Africa that is rarely heard of in the media.

With few exceptions, Americans rarely hear about the "Good News" of God's Mission that is sweeping across Africa in an unprecedented manner.  As missionaries, we felt compelled to talk about God's Mission in all of our visits because the Good News is that God's Mission is very much alive and well in Africa today.

The sensational part of what God is doing in Africa can be understood, at least in part, by a few numbers.  Each and every day, over 15,000 Africans become Christians.   (This could be compared to the fact that we are now losing from our membership roles over 5,000 a day in our congregations of Europe and North America.)  That means that in the course of an average week, over 100,000 Africans have become Christians.   That also means that the Church of Jesus Christ has never grown this fast in its entire history.

There are now over 350 million Christians in sub-Saharan Africa today!

What God is doing, through the powerful work of the Holy Spirit, is making Africa the "center" of vitality in the Church today.   Despite the inconveniences we experience living in a developing continent, we are overjoyed to see and experience the miraculous and sensational work of God's Mission ....

As missionaries, we all get involved in trying to respond in a loving way to the infinite details of Africa's "bad news."

However, our primary objective is to call attention to the power, the presence, and the promises of our Lord's unfolding Kingdom.

We consider it a great privilege to be here in Africa today where the Kingdom is experiencing such rapid and dramatic growth ... it is truly "Good News!"