San Antonio churches cooperate to reach Gypsies
___By Alison Wingfield
___World A Link Office
___Three Texas churches adopting unreached people groups helped the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's Adopt-A-People initiative pass the century mark in adoptions.
___Three San Antonio churches pushed the number beyond 100 when they joined a group of six other churches in the San Antonio area that had adopted the Gypsy people group. In October, Primera Iglesia Bautista, New Ministry Fellowship and Nueva Esperanza, all with predominantly Hispanic membership, signed a covenant agreement adopting the Gypsies.
___Adopt-A-People links churches, groups and individuals to a specific unreached people group--one of nearly 2,000 people groups that have limited or no access to the gospel. Adopters sign a covenant, committing to pray for and become advocates of ministries to that people group, including financial support and hands-on help for short-term mission projects.
___START, an acronym for South Texas Adopt the Romany Team, formed several years ago as part of a covenant among seven churches to adopt the Romany people, or Gypsies. The idea to join forces began when the churches decided they could be more effective while also getting to know other churches in the area if they adopted a people group cooperatively.
___"We wanted to have projects that would fit Sunday School classes, local churches and individuals," said John David Hopper, former president of the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, who spearheads the effort with his wife, JoAnn. The Hoppers are members of Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio.
___START members are Trinity Baptist, Woodland Baptist, Baptist Temple, Covenant Baptist, Primera Iglesia Bautista, New Ministry Fellowship and Nueva Esperanza--all in San Antonio--plus First Baptist of San Marcos and a women's Sunday School class from First Baptist Church of Hondo.
___With nine churches participating, START draws from a larger financial and people base than they would individually, Hopper said. "It has worked very well. Each church brings its own unique contribution and talent to the task."
___START provides a snapshot of the diversity of Adopt-A-People participants. As one of the newest members, Primera Iglesia is in the early stages of adoption, providing information about the Gypsies to church members.
___"This is going to raise more sensitivity and awareness of missions work," predicted business administrator Noah Rodriguez, a former member of CBF's Coordinating Council.
___Trinity Baptist Church, one of START's larger churches, has helped buy bicycles for indigenous evangelists, given $25,000 to complete an evangelist school/medical clinic in India and sent members to help renovate a Gypsy chapel in Hungary.
___The Ladies' Sunday School class from First Baptist Church of Hondo raised $300 for an operation to repair the bilateral cleft palate of a young boy in India.
___Meanwhile, Covenant Baptist Church, a fairly new congregation, is learning through the example of other churches in START.
___"Having a tangible reminder of missions is a wonderful way for a young church like ours to gain responsibility," said Pastor Gordon Atkinson. Covenant has found its niche in creating and maintaining a Gypsy website and coordinating e-mail among START churches.
___The impact of START and other churches that have adopted the Gypsies amazes missionary James Francovich, strategy coordinator for CBF missions among Gypsies. "Adopt-A-People puts an army behind your work," he said. "The moral support is unbelievable. Prayers make things happen that wouldn't otherwise."
___Creating awareness among church members is a vital part of Adopt-A-People, he added. "There is the ownership of creating a large missions emphasis around the world. People feel connected in a much more realistic way."
___The flexibility of the Adopt-A-People program allows each church to use its gifts to assist and pray for missionaries on the field, said Tom Ogburn, who heads the initiative as CBF's associate coordinator for church mobilization. "Churches use a diversity of skills to help missionaries fulfill the Great Commission."
___Most churches adopt people groups that have a missionary assigned to them. So when First Baptist Church of Dimmit wanted to adopt the Chechen people, Ogburn explained that CBF did not have a missionary with the Chechen people.
___Church leaders told him that was precisely why they wanted to adopt them. "Within a week of the adoption, new opportunities opened up to minister to the Chechen people," Ogburn reported.
___
The Baptist Standard
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!