October 14, 2002
In addition to ministering locally,
Arlington church reaches globally
___By George Henson
___Staff Writer
___ARLINGTON--Dennis Wiles believes one church can change the world, and his congregation at First Baptist Church of Arlington is making plans to prove him right.
___"Look at the church at Antioch," Wiles said, referencing one of the earliest churches recorded in the New Testament. "The church at Antioch sent out two missionaries, and they changed the world forever. The church there had a group of willing Christians that God called to embrace the world, and they did."
___First Baptist Church of Arlington has a history of making a difference. Through the church, Mission Arlington started with one small Bible study meeting off-site. On a recent Sunday morning, more than 3,400 people worshipped off-site for Bible study, in addition to the 2,300 people who attended services at the church.
"Our goal is to enable mission workers and do whatever they ask us to do to reach people. We want to serve as a link between the mission workers and the stateside church."
--Cindy Wiles |
___"Who would ever have believed that when they started that one Bible study just 16 years ago, that we would have more than 3,000 people opening and learning God's word coming out of that?" asked Wiles, who has been pastor of the Arlington church one year. "That's not to mention the hundreds of people who are ministered to through the week by receiving groceries, having their gas bills paid, having their rent taken care of and all of the other things that happen during a typical week at Mission Arlington."
___With that kind of vision and obedience to God's leadership, Wiles believes, the Arlington church is poised to make an even bigger impact beyond Texas.
___"That's the kind of congregation that's also going to be on the front lines of global missions," he asserted.
___With that challenge in mind, the church is making preparations to launch a global missions center. The scope of the center is still being formulated, and even what to call the endeavor remains undecided.
___Although nothing has been put to the church for a vote, in some ways the church's global missions perspective already has morphed into a new creation.
___Ministries in Nuevo Laredo and Juarez, Mexico, as well as New York City and Poland have evolved from once-a-year mission trips to year 'round involvements, noted Cindy Wiles, the pastor's wife and a key leader of the global missions focus.
___The church has purchased diagnostic and mobile dental equipment for use on mission fields. Recently, the equipment was used for checkups given to about 200 International Mission Board missionaries gathered in Senegal, West Africa.
___This fall, the church will sponsor a forum in Senegal for missionaries working with the Fulani tribe. Mission workers will be taught how to install and use computer encryption software for security and also how to use global positioning systems, since many of the villages they work in are unmapped.
___"Our goal is to enable mission workers and do whatever they ask us to do to reach people," Mrs. Wiles said. "We want to serve as a link between the mission workers and the stateside church. We want to find personnel who can help these missionaries and equip them to do whatever needs to be done."
___For example:
___ Wiles has developed a contact in West Africa with someone who contracts air-freight shipments. He has an opportunity to purchase unused space at deeply discounted rates, which could allow the Arlington church to become a collection point for Christmas presents going to international missionaries.
___ The Texas church is working with Wycliffe Bible Translators and other missions-support organizations to get coloring books, drama materials and other materials to people in their own language.
___ The church recently sponsored a camp in Senegal where English was taught. No church members traveled to Senegal, but the church organized the trip and selected and trained the workers.
___Training people to organize international mission trips will be one of the goals for the missions center, Mrs. Wiles said.
___In creating a missions center, the Arlington church is not reacting to any other Baptist missions organizations or seeking to replace them, Wiles said.
___"This whole thing really has nothing to do with any controversy. It is not a reaction to (IMB President) Jerry Rankin asking missionaries to sign the Baptist Faith & Message. This is not being done because we are upset with anyone but is a response to a calling from God and a conviction that missions should begin in the local church.
___"It is the job of any pastor to mobilize the local church in missions, regardless of where that church is located," he said. "This does not supplant the work of any entity that we already have; it only enhances it."
___First Baptist Church will not back off its support of existing missions programs and agencies, Wiles said. "This is a win-win situation, because it is only going to deepen the calls to missions in individual people.
___"Every human being on this planet has a right to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ in their own heart language. That is not the IMB's responsibility. That's my responsibility, because I'm a Christian."
___
The Baptist Standard
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!/ Signup for FirstLook
|