Category Archives: Africa

THE GREAT COMMISSION RESET—By Paul Cowley

I have the unique opportunity to travel between North America and East Africa quite often. Ministry responsibilities require my presence on two continents. They are separated not only by distance, but also by culture. North America being historically a Western Judeo Christian culture. East Africa lies at the frontier of traditionally Eastern Oriental cultures. As missionaries, much of our advance training was focused on Cross-Cultural Adaptation. Knowledge and skills for Immersion, Infiltration and Impact. It’s one thing to “Go!” It’s quite another to be fruitful…especially if you find yourself in a Spiritually Hostile Culture.

“Westerners”, whether Christian or not, carry vestiges of a Christian heritage and worldview. What we assume as “basics” (i.e. human rights, rule of law, the intrinsic value of human life) are rare exceptions in historically Eastern cultures. This is not a disparagement. This is a bona fide anthropological and sociological fact. It has everything to do with the pervasive impact of Christ and Christianity on mankind. Where Christ is foundational, mankind thrives. Where He and the Gospel are absent from culture, mankind suffers under incredible bondage, oppression and corruption. This is true Historically, and Currently.

There was a time when the Christian missionaries launched from their cultural heritage of Spiritual Abundance (in Christ) to minister in faraway Eastern cultures in Spiritual Bondage. Thousands devoted their lives to be “Ambassadors of Christ.” With noble, righteous and holy aims: reaching the unreached, setting the captives free…making disciples of Christ in all nations. Countless missionaries endured the shock and awe of living in cultures untouched by Christianity. Seeped in idolatry, licentiousness, carnality and oppression. The Word of God explains “Why?”…

“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the Wicked one.” 1 JOHN 5:19

The “Wicked one” continues his “sway” to this day. And seems to be doing a yeoman’s job of it. The Enemy of our souls has his foot on the accelerator. Down to the floor. The whole world is in an uproar today. Not just boisterous little identity groups…but entire nations. Indeed, even whole cultures. The Signs of the Times indicate a new season of unparalleled spiritual degression, cultural suicide and fashionable Paganism. Boston hosts “Satancon 2023”. Palm Springs boasts “Coachella”. Colorado churches provide Ayahuasca drug retreats. Wall Street sponsors Pride parades. As missionaries, we see the Signs of the Times quite starkly. It’s a new “shock and awe” of Cultural Dissonance for us…but in Reverse! Let me explain…

While in East Africa, I encounter pervasive Spiritual Curiosity and Sincerity amongst the locals. I can comfortably converse about “things of God” with everyone I encounter. Whether from the elite, privileged political class…or from the destitute urban slums, I can engage them, evangelize them, invite them, intrigue them….in things of Christ. Even pray with them. The prevailing culture is one of great Spiritual Interest… and Respectful Discourse. There is an ever-expanding Cultural foundation of Christ- like behavior, norms and attitudes.

It is an increasingly recognizable culture to me as a “Westerner”. If I ask someone if I can pray with them, I will never be denied. It is not mere  courtesy to the foreigner. Nor some vestige of post- colonial deference. Our Pastors and Ministry Leaders receive the same reaction. These are the hallmarks of a society not only “touched” by Christ and Christian culture…they have largely embraced it…and made it their own.

Counterpoint: from the time I enter the airports in Europe and head back to North America, I experience Cultural Dissonance… in Reverse. Whether in mannerisms, clothing, conversation or interests, the prevailing theme is one of carnality, licentiousness, spiritual Apathy at best…and increasingly anti-Christian. I courteously engage in light conversation with people as I travel. All goes quite well. Until the point when they ask what I do for a living. Or I pull out my Bible to read. From that point forward, almost without fail, the discourse ends…never to be picked up again. From fellow passengers to ticket agents, immigration officials to storekeepers, the prevailing culture is one that I instinctively recognize. Afterall, it’s my calling to work cross culturally. What is it? In one word: Paganism.

The “West”  is a post-Christian society. It is NOT “becoming” post-Christian. It is Here and it is Now! On the other hand, large swaths of the “East” are now bastions of fundamental Christian culture.

Case in point: the ongoing disintegration of main-line Christian denominations in the West. (Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, etc). are in all sorts of theological turmoil over fundamental principles. Who has drawn the line in the sand? The churches in Africa and Asia! Who has stepped “over the line” into apostasy and heresy? The churches in the West! It is the bishops of Africa that are most vocal about the need to “return to our roots” as God-fearing Christians. By failing to recognize this  epic Reversal, we are apt to continue on as before…and become increasingly irrational, ineffective and irrelevant in our own society and culture! Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His day for much the same…

Jesus…said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the Signs of the Times.” MATTHEW 16:2

Where do we go from here? What are we to do? First, recognize (like Dorothy) that “we’re not in Oz anymore.” We all live in a new, foreign and increasingly hostile culture. With that in mind, we’d do well to begin ministering like missionaries in hostile cultures.  Not expecting easy reaping, but rather hard-core sowing. Planting the first seeds of Christ and Christianity. We call them “Pioneers.” There’s much to be said here. More than I can fit into this brief. But a few basic “Do’s and Don’ts” of Basic Pioneer Missions Training might prompt some prayerful consideration…

  1. Don’t be the Christian caricature. Remove the Christian T-shirt, yard signs and bumper stickers.
  2. Don’t be Rude: crashing the Pride parade, blocking the downtown sidewalk on a Friday night, criticizing unbeliever’s lifestyles or beliefs. Do that as a missionary in a hostile country, and you’ll be thrown on the next plane.
  3. Don’t complain about Working among unbelievers. Missionaries pray for opportunities to find secular jobs in pagan cultures. It’s the most effective place to engage others.
  4. Don’t be a day-trader in Christianese rhetoric. Speak their “language”. Stop the Bold Font All Caps Red Letter KJV with unbelievers. Use the vernacular (but not the vulgar).
  5. Spend most of your time with Unbelievers. Be Sincere. Don’t befriend someone just to save them.
  6. Serve outside the Church tribe. Wash the Unbeliever’s feet. And don’t broadcast it.  
  7. Start with Outcasts whom no one wants to deal with.
  8. Be an Example. They’re looking for the fraud. Don’t be one.
  9. Infiltrate Individuals, not causes,
  10. Be prepared to Suffer… God will allow it… because that is when they watch you the most!

 The world is in the midst of “The Great Reset.”  We need to make a Reset, as well. The Signs of the Times dictate as much.  It’s high time we Reset our Great Commission approach:
Pioneers in a hostile culture. Infiltrators behind enemy lines..in our own land!

The Kiberia Slum, Nairobi, Kenya — Testimony from one of Pastors of the Least

 PAUL COWLEY:  EXCEPTIONS THAT UNLEACHED THE EXCEPTIONAL

Pastor Peter didn’t arrive at the DSM Bible Institute as a Pastor. He was merely an Usher serving in a local slum church. He bounced from one church to another trying to “find” something. He wasn’t quite sure what “it” was, but he was sure something was missing. Everyone seemed to be so sure of what they were doing for the Lord. Peter was not. No matter how much he tried to get involved at the church, he seemed to be disqualified, delayed or discouraged by those in authority. He yearned to be more engaged, more knowledgeable, more effective in the Body of Christ. Ambitious for holy things. But all to no avail.

Normally, we would not accept an “Usher” into the Bible Schools. For no other reason than limited space and resources. With the little we have to work with, we seek to disciple those with the greatest spiritual influence in the slum communities. Consequently, we only accept Pastors and Ministry Leaders into the Bible Schools. No congregation members, no matter how insistent they may be. It’s always a gut-wrenching situation to explain this to those who are otherwise wonderful candidates, but not serving in Ministry Leadership.

We rest in this: the “multitudes” will be taught and discipled by our Graduates in their churches…not at the DSM Bible Schools.

We do, however, make some Exceptions. Peter was one of them. One of our Graduates pleaded for an Exception for Peter. “He is a serious man. He loves the Lord. He…” We’ve heard it a thousand times. We aren’t easily moved. The answer remained “No!”

But then God… clearly told us to make an “Exception” for Peter. And we did. Not fully understanding “Why?” But walking by faith according to His Counsels. Not all of which are written down in the Bible. It’s not that simple. We don’t follow the Book. We follow HIM! God is a God of infinite Order and Purpose. Yet even He makes “Exceptions” to His Laws and Ordinances…based upon “Priorities of Purpose.” Not all of His Laws are equal. In fact, none of them are. They are all established within the Perfect Hierarchy of His Perfect Purposes. Find a “Law” in the Bible and you will often find an Exception as well. Except for these Two:

“Teacher, which is the Great commandment in the Law?” Jesus said to him, “’You shall Love the Lord your God with all your Heart, with all your Soul, and with all your Mind.’ This is the First and great commandment. And the Second is like it: ‘You shall Love your Neighbor as yourself.’ “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” MATTHEW 22:36

God’s Laws are not to be obeyed indiscriminately. But rather with the greatest of sober-mindedness, prayerful consideration and God-given Discernment. Afterall, we are not in a religious system. Christianity is not a Religion. It is  a Relationship. As such, every “Law” we apply must be done considered in the Light of God’s holy and preeminent concern for People. If, in “obeying” a Law or Standard, we violate the “two greatest” commandments, then we have violated all the Law! On this, the Pharisees and Scribes stumbled repeatedly. It continues today.

God sets our parameters. In the Ministry, and in our lives. His Laws provide boundaries. And we are not to casually make Exceptions to God’s written directives simply because we “feel it’s the right thing to do”.

Rather we are called to Pray! To continually cry out for the ever- available counsel of the Holy Spirit. Not simply at our bedside every morning and evening. But “without ceasing.” That might sound tiring and wearisome. Quite the opposite! It is restful, comforting, infinitely wise and efficient in God’s economy.

And so Peter’s holy discontent led to him being directed by a Graduate Pastor, who was then led to request an “Exception”…leading to our Prayerful consideration, and God’s clear counsel: “Accept this young man into the Bible School. It’s Me making this Exception . Not you.”

Peter enrolled in September, 2009 and did not complete the two-year program until November, 2014. Five years of intense Bible studying…not because of delays or disruptions, but because he just kept coming and coming and coming!  During those five years, he grew in every holy and righteous way. Bearing witness to one of God’s Foundational Principles and Promises…right before our eyes!

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain comes down … So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” ISAIAH 55:8

According to God’s higher “thoughts and ways”, the “Usher” became a Deacon, and eventually an Assistant Pastor! The “Exception” was becoming quite “Exceptional” right before our eyes!

After graduation, Peter continued to come…as a Volunteer, helping with tutoring, and eventually Translating. In this regard, he really blossomed. He has continued translating at the Bible Schools for over seven years.

A few months ago, Peter came to me personally about opening a new church himself! “I’ve been teaching some people in my house for the past two years. A small home church. Now, a local businessman who had heard me preach, sought me out and asked me to consider opening a church in our slum. He has a piece of land he is willing to donate. We can build whatever we like. He’s offered to donate some material for the floor.”

What a journey we have witnessed! God knew the intended end of making an Exception to His own standard at the Bible School. If we do not Pray and continually seek His confirming Counsel, we risk missing the Highest Purposes of the very One we seek to serve.

Jesus touched the leper…against the Law. Jesus healed on the Sabbath…against the Law. Jesus gathered grain on the Sabbath…against the Law. Every one of these “Exceptions” were not, in fact, breaking God’s Law. But rather obeying even Greater Laws. How much we miss by two common missteps:
#1. Making Prayerless Exceptions under the guise of “Grace”.
#2: Legalistically applying God’s Law without considering the Purpose. Two extremes…that will crush any efforts to “make Disciples.

Peter and his church continue slowly building the structure and the people of the slum community. One piece of sheet metal…one tiny step…one single soul…one day at a time. So much of what Peter has done in the past 13 years is “out of the box.” Who would have thought he’d find a free Bible School in the squalid slums of Nairobi? “But then God…” Who would have imagined the Usher would become a Senior Pastor, and a church planter?

“But then God…” Who would have dreamed a stranger would donate land in an overcrowded slum? “But then God…”

All kinds of rules, laws and methods were “broken” before Peter’s eyes…and ours. And every single one was God ordained . Serving His Purposes according to His Priorities. Exceptions that unleashed the Exceptional!

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

Has God not chosen the poor in this world to be rich in in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?”  James 2:5

             This scripture applies aptly to the Pastors of the Least in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya.  They have the least of earthly goods, but they have the riches of the Word of God imbedded deeply into their souls and hearts, and endeavor to apply Biblical principles in their own lives, thanks to the labor of love and mentoring by Paul and Marcia Cowley.

Twenty years ago, this young American-Brazilian couple heard God’s call to uproot from living the good life in South Florida, and moved to serve in Kiberia, the largest slum in Nairobi, Kenya, Africa. The assignment? Establish a Bible Training Institute for the thousands of largely uneducated slum pastors living there. Little did they know that their plan to have a group of 20-25 students graduating per semester, has grown to 250 during the last 20 years. Students and graduates have seen the power of the Word of God transform thousands of people’s lives under their care.

Peter is one of these individuals.  He pursued  and reached his goal through faith, endurance and persistence: to establish & pastor a church in the slum!

 

 

                                                                                     

Update from South Sudan – Matthew Deng Dut and Elohim International Ministries

There has not been a comprehensive Bridge Report update published on Matthew and his ministry since the October 2019 issue, which you will find by clicking on SOUTH SUDAN under the COUNTRIES tab above.  We start  this  report  with  great personal  news:

October 2019:  CHURCH CONFERENCE FOR SOUTH SUDANESE CHURCHES IN NAKOUWA SUBURCH IN KAMPALA, UGANDA

In 2013, two years after South Sudan was declared a separate new country, internal civil war broke out between the new President and the Vice President.  Many who had returned from diaspora after living for decades in refugee camps in neighboring countries, left for fear of violence and fled back abroad. Matthew remained in the country and continued bringing the Gospel to his countrymen.  There are now many small South Sudanese fellowships of believers in diaspora in Uganda. The Bridge helped sponsor Matthew and his team who visited Kampala and gathered these churches to a Praise and Peace Conference where thanksgiving and prayer were in focus. “We give glory to God for all He has done for us,” Matthew reports.

November 2019: A COUNTRY-WIDE CHURCH CONFERENCE TO DECLARE A NATIONAL DIALOGUE OF PEACE IN SOUTH SUDAN.

Matthew reports, “We had been prayer for this for a long time.  All the churches of South Sudan came together to pray for repentance and reconciliation. It was unifying—peace will come!” 

December 2019: GOSPEL OUTREACH TO THE PEOPLE OF ABYEI AND VISIT TO HIS HOME STATE OF TWIC

After Matthew had returned from living as refugee in Israel to resettle in his new homeland, he told me he was born in the very northern part of the country, the state of Twic, where he had family who owned land.  It is located due south of Abyei, the most disputed and troubled region between Sudan proper and South Sudan.  However, he was not ready to visit his family, as yet. His call was to settle in the capital of Juba and care for the believers who had returned with him from Israel.

Seven years later, after he was established and had planted two churches in Juba and done a number of conferences and Gospel outreaches, the Lord laid upon his heart that the timing was right to bring the Gospel to his home region. In December, he conducted a Gospel outreach in Abyei.  After that, he traveled to the rural village  where he was born and grew up.  He had not been back for 36 years, since he at eight years old was abducted by Sudanese enemy soldiers and brought to Khartoum!

The reunion was cause for a great, joyous celebration!  His father died when Matthew was young, but Matthew reconnected with his mother and two sisters.  His uncle, his father’s brother, now more than 100 years old, expressed that he had been determined not to die before he would see his nephew, again.  Matthew had told me his close family counts about 3,000 people and his Dinka family tribe in the region close to 30,000! 

The Dinka tribe is traditionally a very tall nomadic people who support themselves largely from herding cattle.  They live today the same subsistent lifestyle as they have for hundreds of years.  I realized that for Matthew, who had for decades lived in large metropolitan cities abroad, visiting his family’s rural hometown was like stepping back in time several centuries to a simple lifestyle with no electricity, no roads, no infrastructure, no technology!  “I have come home!” he expressed. His uncle took Matthew to the family property, a vast land area of rich, raw fertile soil with plenty of water available—an agricultural paradise.  “All of this is yours, Matthew, I give it to you to manage this and lead our people.”  And then, his uncle, being the local tribe leader, passed on the leadership to Matthew and appointed him Chief over their land and people!  Before Matthew left for Juba, he promised to return three months later as he had a clear vision how he could help his people prosper by utilizing the rich land to grow their own food.  When he returned in March 2020, he helped clear and plant a couple of acres with various seeds.

February 2020: TRAVEL TO SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA AS ONE OF 16 SOUTH SUDANESE REPRESENTATIVES AT AN INTERNATIONAL PEACE SUMMIT

The new Vice President is a committed Christian, and had noticed Matthew’s ardent pursuit and leadership in bringing believers in the country together to intercede for peace and reconciliation. He invited Matthew to meet him in Khartoum, Sudan, during which he appointed him to be one among 16 delegated representing South Sudan at the Interreligious and International Federation of World Peace (Matthew’s official name is Manyang Ayii).  Upon his return, Matthew was offered a leadership position in the government, but declined. “I am called to be a Pastor and  Evangelist, not a government worker.”

THEN—COVID-19 ARRIVED AND CURBED PUBLIC OUTREACHES AND ACTIVITIES   Although the infection rate was extremely low (to date less than 11,000 infected and a total of 115 deaths among a population of close to 14 million) the government restricted most activities. The believers met in homes, and  Matthew focused on strengthening the home base.

The Bridge helped finance a new Computer Training School by providing 2 desktops, 3 laptops, a printer, and a scanner, and we recently added 3 more laptops. 16 students have completed the three month course.  20 are presently attending classes, 3 groups per day for three days a week with two teachers. Today, a year later, the school is self financed.

Every one of the women’s cottage industries in which we initially invested are all thriving and able to support them and their families: sale of women’s clothing, a shop selling homemade tea and snacks, a restaurant serving home made food and beverages.

Matthew continues to do what he loves the most via different forums: preaching and teaching the Word of God.  We help pay for his once a week Gospel hour on the largest FM radio station in Juba, which reaches most of the capitol’s half mill people.

SUMMARY REPORT FROM ELOHIM INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES by Matthew

                 Since I arrived with my church members in 2012 from Tel Aviv, Israel in Juba, South Sudan, we have been working very hard to fulfill the vision and mission the Lord gave us when we were refugees in Israel: to preach the Gospel, that the South Sudanese people will come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. We have experienced God’s blessings and His provision and watched how He has used us to bring wonders and miracles to the people who have come to faith.  

We have now two churches in Juba with about 300 believers in each, and many have been trained in leadership.  The believers meet in Bible study groups, groups for teenagers and young adults, and groups for young mothers. We have Sunday school for younger children, and leadership meetings for the training of pastors and leaders.  Once a month, we gather the two churches for a conference where we teach on specific topics, or we gather for worship and thanksgiving, where there is food and fellowship.

Every year I bring our leadership team to other regions in the country where we conduct crusades in unevangelized areas.  In 2019, we were in Wau, capital of Western Bahr el Gazal State and in the Abyei area, near my home town, where we have planted a church in each place.   In 2020 because of Covid-19, we could not preach the Gospel publicly, but God was still in control!  Now, South Sudan is free from Corona, and the country has opened up, so we will continue our outreaches!  I am planning to devote my time between Juba and my home area in the North.  We have ordained a new local pastor for the Juba churches, Robert Simon Tombe, as I will be focusing on my new marriage and church planting, preaching and teaching.  Thank you, Bridge partners who have helped us with finances and prayers!

FROM R.K.’s CORNER

You may have noticed that the May issue of The Bridge Report was not published, nor mailed to our contacts.  The reason for skipping this report was that both Steve and I had contracted Covid-19.  We felt that the best cause of action was to shut down the Stateside activities of The Bridge office  while we quarantined in our home to give us time to heal, but also ensuring that we would not infect anyone else coming to the office or in contact with us.  Fortunately, this did not affect any of the work or activities of our field partners overseas!

We had decided not to be vaccinated, but rather let nature take its course by allowing our natural immune system to do the fighting.  We both had a mild to moderate case; I chose to stay at home, while Steve, due to precautions regarding a lowered immune system caused by the anti-cancer chemo therapy he is given, was admitted to the hospital for a few days.  Today, six weeks later, we are both healed and back to life before Covid, with no lingering side effects, thanks to God’s grace and the prayer and intercession by brothers and sisters across the globe!  THANK YOU!!

This is therefore a bit longer publication where I present an update on Matthew Deng Dut’s life and ministry in South Sudan from the fall of 2019 until now.  There is some exciting news, and much fruit for God’s Kingdom!

If you want to partner with Matthew and Regina’s life and ministry in South Sudan, please mark your donation SOUTH SUDAN WORKERS. 

The Fear Factor—The Church and The Pandemic: An American’s View Seen through an African Lens By Paul Cowley

The Fear Factor

Fear is a good thing. It alerts us to potential harm, activates our defense responses and, if harnessed properly, motivates us to timely, appropriate self-preservation behavior. It keeps us Alive.  It is true not only in the physical realm but also the Spiritual.

Alternatively, Fear can be a bad thing. It can blind us to reality, cloud our analytic processing and, if not harnessed properly,  send us into paralysis, inaction and further vulnerability. In short,  it can lock us into a Death Spiral.

The “Fear Factor” is an opportunity, and also a dilemma. The choice between the two remains within our grasp.  Grasp onto “living Life” too freely or casually, and we end up foolishly encountering death prematurely. Grasp onto “preserving Life” too earnestly or analytically, and we miss the opportunity to Live Life to its fullest. This predicament presents itself throughout our daily activities and responsibilities: at work, leisure, pleasure, exercise, diet, education, decision-making, communication, social interaction, spirituality, Christian-living, ministry and our eternal destiny.  Yes, it impacts our final destination—Forever!

When Fear is harnessed properly, it is first and foremost focused on our Creator. After all, if we don’t Fear God, how can any other Fear even be relevant in the final analysis? Only with the Wisdom of God can we effectively thread the varied needles of Fear in the tiny eye we call “Life” God Himself has declared, “The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge.  But fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  Proverbs 1:7

When Fear of God is maligned or ignored, it doesn’t go away. It cannot.  It exists and must settle somewhere. That Fear simply mutates into a  Fearful Life. It becomes what the Bible calls “fear of man.”   “The Fear of Man brings a Snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be Safe.” Proverbs 29:25

The Church and The Pandemic

A snare. A trap. Stifling life, placing it on a sure course of inactivity, paralysis and death. It’s happening to Ministers and  Ministries all over the world. While pastors and people pontificate over how, when and whether to “reopen” their churches on Sunday, we miss the Spiritual Reality hidden in plain sight: Christianity is in a Death Spiral,  like an airplane that has lost “lift”—plummeting precipitously with precious little opportunity to dodge disaster. To continue our circular conversations about churches reopening is to miss the main point:  We are not doing Christianity. The works, fruit, and eternal purpose of the Christian Life amount to much more than Sunday service. The Enemy knows , but we act as if we don’t.

Having promoted a Pandemic of Fear in the masses, the Enemy has redirected our focus from Fear of God to fear of man. It was cunning, stealthy and quite ingenious. But now that Christian ministry is in the crosshairs of cultural irrelevance, what should the Church be doing? Struggling to reopen Sunday services? That would be like replacing professional Nascar racing with virtual video “races” online. Sounds absurd? That’s exactly what largely is happening.  And with it, they begin the certain Death of actual “in-person” Nascar racing. How about replacing Christian ministry with images and voices on a digital screen every Sunday?

Christian Life and Christian Ministry go far beyond Sunday’s holy huddle. As people bark and banter about restrictions on Sunday services, they blindly miss the open eradication of Christian works: counseling, visiting orphans and widows, feeding the hungry, door to door evangelism, open air evangelistic crusades, nursing home/hospital/hospice visitations, prison ministry, chaplaincy, grieving and honorably burying the dead, discipling anyone, leading by example, helps ministry, teaching (let alone making) new Disciples, marriage, baptism, communion, missionary endeavors, mission trips, reaching the unreached, reaching the digitally unconnected—42% of the world have no access to the internet!

The list goes on and on. These are not optional side dishes in a buffet of Christian Ministry. These are commands and imperatives from the mouth of God. Christianity cannot be reduced to Sunday service, much less a digital imitation of it. Touchless, virtual ministry has become the golden calf. An idol that keeps the money flowing, the congregation seeing and hearing…and subtly anesthetizes us from obediently Doing!

We tend to think that “Fear of  God” can coexist with “fear of man”. It cannot! They are mutually exclusive. And so, we are called to press forward into the vast imperatives of Christian Life with one Fear: Fear of God. It is high time we get back to the Christian Life before the possibility of participating passes us by. God does not need us to accomplish His work. Rather, He grants us the divine invitation to co-labor with Him. This will cost us dearly. It will divide communities, churches, ministries, homes, friends, marriages and loved ones. Make no mistake about it. The “days” are upon us.

“… and he who does not take his cross and follow after Me, is not worth of Me.  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake, will find it.”  Mt. 10:34

THE DISCIPLE SUPPORT MINISTRIES BIBLESCHOOLS AND THE PANDEMIC

The DSM Bible Schools are up and running. Indeed, because of corona virus restrictions, due to complying with “social distancing” mandates, we are now teaching more days per week than ever before. This has led to an INCREASED ENROLLMENT! In fact, we cannot even process new students because of the overwhelming response from current and prior enrolled Pastors and Ministry Leaders. Life is being proclaimed from the hilltop!

But more important is what our Pastors and Ministry Leaders are Doing. They are marrying the unmarried. They are baptizing believers. They are partaking in communion services. They are evangelizing door to door. They are visiting the widows, the sick, the elderly, the shut-ins, the disabled and dying. They are counseling face-to-face. Most, if not all, of this is illegal. Some of our Pastors have been tracked, apprehended and imprisoned. I cannot provide specifics without furthering endangering them and others. But suffice it to say, their Fear of God has enraged kings and kingdoms of this world. The Christian Faith is being tested worldwide… and the Faithful and Faithless are quickly being sorted and sifted.

Our most pressing need is for your Prayers. Fervent prayers. Faith filled prayers.  For our Pastors and Ministry Leaders—to courageously Do the Will of God; for the Bible School Ministry—to boldly continue Discipleship through the Ministry of the Word of God; for Fear of God—to suffocate any and all Fear of Man in us.

The time for Christ-like Courageous Ministering is Today—lest we dare to presume we even have tomorrow!

 

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

Almost two decades ago, Disciple Support Ministries (DSM) was founded by Paul and Marcia Cowley with a call to minister in the heart of Africa. Since their move to East Africa in 2002, the Lord has blessed them with three children (Isaac, Joshua, and Alegria).
Today the ministry has grown to operate two Bible Schools directly inside the two largest slums of Nairobi, Kenya. One in Kibera slum, the single largest slum in Africa, with over 1,000,000 residents. The other in the Mathare Valley slum, with over 500,000 residents. The Schools are strategically located on opposite sides of the city, in the two largest and most easily accessible slum.

Steve and I have known Paul and Marcia from the time they were newlyweds living in South Florida, a couple of years before they heard God’s call and moved to Africa.  We have had the joy of serving them on their extraordinary journey.  In this issue, Paul gives his perspective on the Church at large and the Lord’s commission to His people, especially  during hard times, seen through the eyes of his slum Pastors of the Least, for whom overcoming insurmountable hardships through faith and trust in God’s caring love and provision, are daily occurrences. We have much to learn from them! We highly recommend DSM worthy of your support.

Please mark your gift 8344 Kenya Workers.

A Personal Note from R.K. to my Fellow Americans—The Upcoming Presidential Election

From its inception, The Bridge’s primary purpose has been to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the nations via primarily indigenous peoples—a mission we continually endeavor to faithfully follow.  Sometimes, however, events take place in one country which have far reaching consequences throughout the rest of the world. The Covid-19 pandemic is one, and I dare to state that the United States Presidential election is another.  Our fellow believers we serve in the nations all are fervently praying for this country, expressing their concern that the United States is at a crossroad, whereby her people may lose their freedom, liberty, and egalitarianism, which up till now have been the bulwark against other nations’ tyrants who oppress their people.  Most of our partners live in countries where their freedom is limited. There is only one reason that America has been called a “Shining City upon a Hill” – The American Constitution!  The words “WE THE PEOPLE” is the fundamental bedrock which makes it different than any other  governing document in the world, guaranteeing its individual citizens Equality of Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness as given by our Creator!  That means, no ruler can demand total loyalty and obedience of his subjects!

Don’t get lost in the two candidates’ rhetoric, or promises fueled by the election campaigns of the two parties; don’t get lost in the idiosyncrasies of the two individual candidates – and PLEASE tune out the noise from the media!  Rather, study the ideology and philosophy shaping the views of the two individual parties, policies and the individual Presidential candidates.  Then, vote for the candidate whose past record and future platform most closely confirm, honor and shape his policies in accordance with the American Constitution!

In Kibera – Kenya’s Nairobi Slum: A Day in Pastor John’s Life

HAPPY EASTER TO FAMILY, FRIENDS AND PARTNERS FROM THE BRIDGE TEAM!

“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”  John 4:9-11

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

How is it possible that Covid-19, this nano-tiny, attractive-looking ball with heart-shaped spikes, although not being alive, nor possessing a brain or a heart, has the ability to plow through humanity and cause death, distress and disruption in close to 190 countries in less than four months, while shaking the very world system to the core?

This pandemic is making it evident to all that man is not ultimately in charge of his destiny; he must look beyond himself to find purpose and security. Let us pray that  the many who are seeking a higher power for answers will, during this Easter Season, experience the fulfillment of the words in Jeremiah 29:12-13, “You will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” … and come to faith in a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ!

I find it easy to fall into a complaining mode over the inconveniences of being quarantined at home. When I come into that mode, I am reminded of the scores of our brothers and sisters abroad whose life conditions are continually on the brink of disaster, yet they thank God for His love and care and steadfastly share the Good News with others – that makes my seeming hardships non-existent!!  Pastor John, one of the Pastors of the Least in the Disciple Ministry Support Bible Institute in the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya, founded by Paul Cowley, is one of them.  May his testimony edify you as you and your family celebrate the Risen Lord during this Easter Season!

A DAY IN PASTOR JOHN’S LIFE – by Paul Cowley

It’s cold and damp this morning. A brisk wind is sweeping through the valley, making the 40-degree temperature seem much colder. With his thin Sunday suit jacket and hard sole shoes, Pastor John sets off for work. It is 3 a.m. The only light guiding him through the dark slum is the moon. It is a one mile journey weaving through the mud, stick and sheet metal shacks, over raw sewage ditches and finally onto the rail line. Shortly he is on the road, joined by hundreds of others beginning the day. Thankful that he has a job to go to, Pastor John shares the Good News with anyone and everyone he happens to be walking next to. He has at least several opportunities each morning. After all, it’s another 2 1/2 hours and 13 miles to work.

Like many of our students, Pastor John works as a security guard. He is fortunate to have the better shift… daytime duty. His official hours of duty are 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. He works 6 days a weeks. No food, no latrine, no water, no breaks are provided. And, ironically, no weapons other than a wood baton. Should any incident occur at the facility he is guarding, he will be arrested, and charged with either complicity with the criminals or criminal neglect. Either charge will result in immediate detention in “remand” waiting for a trial. Most remands continue for at least 60-90 days. His job will be lost even if found not guilty. It has happened to him twice before. To get such a job, every applicant must pay a “consideration” fee to those processing the applications. To keep such a job, every worker must pay a “appreciation gift” to the personnel manager every month. No delay, no complaints, no tattle-tales allowed.

Pastor John’s Path to Work

At 6 p.m., Pastor John begins the walk home. Within a half hour, darkness descends on the city. Another 14-mile journey along busy roads with no shoulder, no lighting and lots of thugs. He prays continually to arrive home safely…and find his family safe as well. It takes longer to get home, due to the countless masses of people walking. Nairobi is called “the Walking City”. There are in excess of 1,000,000 people in the Kibera slum alone, where Pastor John lives. The vast majority of the working poor walk to work because they cannot afford the public transport vans. Transport for John would cost $3 per day round trip. His net pay per day is $2.50. He walks 28 miles per day in order to simply eat.

At 9.30 p.m. he arrives home. His three children are already asleep. He sits down with his wife Janet and thanks God for another day of work, safe travel and provision. Janet uncovers a plate with his one meal for the day: maize and beans.  The couple whisper quietly as the children sleep nearby…very nearby. The house is the standard ten by ten foot shack. That space is the living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom…for two adults and three children. It is a combination of mud and stick walls, with sheet metal roofing. The sky is clearly visible through the holes and gaps in the rusted tin. During the two rainy seasons each year, the water literally flows across the floor and pours through the roof. In the dry season, the windowless shack becomes unbearably hot and suffocating.

Pastor John and his wife, Janet in front of their shack called Home.

Malaria ridden mosquitoes torment the family throughout the night. These accommodations are in Kibera, one of the most “preferred” slums in Nairobi. There are 199 slums and over 3,000,000 slum dwellers in Nairobi. Most slums are much worse than Kibera. But regardless of where one settles, there is no such thing as “squatting” on land in Nairobi. Everyone pays someone. John will work two full weeks to pay the rent. And that is just the beginning.

The DMS Bible Institute (white building in the background) towers as a Bright Lighthouse in the Kibera Slum

With the remainder of his pay, John and Janet must overcome a mountain of necessary expenses. They have to purchase and carry their water from a vendor… at nine times the rate the City charges customers with piped water. Then they must purchase wood or charcoal to boil the water. A bucket bath is a luxury. Once per week in the hot, dry season. Much less often in the cold rainy season. To use a pit latrine, they will have to “rent” a key. That is a luxury few slum dwellers can afford. Instead they will use a plastic bag and toss it out the window. They and another 3,000,000 people…every day.

Inside John and Janet’s 10 foot by 10 foot shack called Home

Janet shares with Pastor John the pressing news and needs of the day. She still has severe cramping and bleeding from her recent miscarriage…her third. They would not even examine her at the community hospital. She didn’t have the necessary “gratuity” to even enter the waiting room. And she was in such severe pain, she could not wait the two to three days to be seen. Their eldest daughter was sent home from school for failing to pay the school fees. It takes another 10 days of work to pay the basic tuition for the three children: Maureen is 14 years old in grade 6…the twins, Abel and Milcah are 7 years old in grade one. That does not include exam fees, marking fees, uniform fees, supplies or the development” fees charged by every school. Pastor John instructs Janet to send their daughter back and plead for mercy from the headmaster once again. He then gives her food money to buy some Tylenol.

By 10:30 p.m., dad and mom are asleep in their one bed with their children. Privacy is a luxury they and their children will never know.    Never to have their own bedroom, never to use a latrine…nor to use toilet paper or own a toothbrush. Pastor John is one of the fortunate ones…he has a job. At least for today.  In just four hours, he will awaken, put on his hard sole shoes and Sunday suit coat… and begin the long walk again… looking for every opportunity to invite people to the church… and to share with them the Good News in his life.

If you want to know more about Paul and Marcia Cowley and their life’s work at the Disciple Support Ministries’ Bible Institute for the Pastor’s of the Least in the  Kibera Slum, Nairobi, Kenya, please see a prior update:  https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2019/08/ 
Would you consider becoming a sponsor?  Please donate above and mark your donation  8344 Kenya Workers.

Update from Elohim Shalom Church in Juba, South Sudan by Matthew Ayii Deng Dut

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

In 2012, when Matthew arrived back in South Sudan after a lifetime as refugee in diaspora, he came to a scorched land, physically and spiritually. He returned empty-handed with a broken people to a broken land caused by a three decade long war perpetrated by Khartoum’s Muslim forces which had left 3 million dead and 5 million in refugee camps abroad.
This did not deter Matthew, who carries a passionate vision for his country—South Sudan will rise from the ashes and become a Light to the nations by the power of God’s Word and the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! True peace will come to South Sudan when his nation acknowledges and embraces the Prince of Peace!
In the seven years since his return, he has been in full force about the Father’s business. He has planted two churches in the capital city of Juba, has discipled and trained new believers in Biblical leadership and then commissioned them to pioneer churches in the cities of Wau (to the northeast) and Abyei (in the northernmost part of the country). An evangelist at heart, he has conducted crusades in several states, and every year brings a team from his church to Uganda where he ministers to believers among his countrymen in diaspora. He reaches thousands by broadcasting weekly Bible teaching by radio, and he regularly gathers other pastors and ministers for intercessory prayer and fellowship.
We have been in partnership with Matthew and helped sponsor him since 2008 when I met him as refugee in Israel,  while he was pastoring a group of fellow countrymen.  The Bridge, in conjunction with our local church, sponsored Matthew’s three year Bible College education in Israel before he returned to South Sudan.

I present you with the below update report with thanks to God, to our Bridge supporters, and to our friends and readers:

MATTHEW’S UPDATE REPORT

The vision for 2019 was clear: The hearts of the South Sudanese people are like the dry bones in the valley mentioned in Ezekiel 37:1-7. Can these dry bones live? Yes, says the Lord, but only through revival of the power of the Word of God! So,  throughout January, our church fasted and prayed for the Kingdom of God to be preached in our country.  The theme for the year is Isaiah 11:9, “for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” This has set the tone for our outreaches and conferences this year.

During the month of fasting and prayer, I stayed for 10 days at  William Levi’s ministry, Gordon Prayer Mountain in Nimule.  Doors opened for me to preach the Gospel on the radio which reaches all Southeast states in our country and the northern parts of Uganda.  I preached in English and Arabic at the same time and covered many topics: repentance, knowing God, faith in Christ, eternal life and the Kingdom of God. The theme was Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” The response was great—many responded with testimonies that gave glory to God!

In February, five of our leaders and I from our Elohim Shalom church in Juba and our affiliate church in Wau, conducted a five day crusade, and four day leadership conference in that city. Wau, pop. 150.000, is located 400 miles Northwest of Juba.  It was an open air crusade in Freedom Square, a field located next to the city’s largest mosque.

Thousands came, many received Jesus Christ in faith, and there were many testimonies of healing and deliverance from witchcraft and oppression.  The local pastors responded well to the teaching of the Word of God and were refreshed and encouraged.   I gave out four boxed with books on Biblical topics, but many more are needed, as there is a great hunger to learn more about the Lord. They asked me to stay longer—we will return soon, God willing!

In the Spring, the construction of Elohim Shalom Church was completed, and we celebrated the move into the new building.  It is a great blessing for us!  The church building is in use, not only for weekly services, but for many activities during the week: prayer and Bible study, leadership meetings, youth group activities, and Sunday school. Thank you, Bridge, for helping us accomplish this!

In May, we had a conference for Mothers by more mature women who were teaching younger women Biblical ways to be Godly women, good wives and mothers.  The Bridge has helped several of the women to start micro businesses. Right now they are selling food, and making a profit which helps their family be lifted out of abject poverty.  10 percent of the net profit goes to the church.

We are also engaging the youth in our church and teach them how to be active participants in the Kingdom of God  by engaging in regular evangelism outreaches in the city where they serve people in need.  There are many children in our two churches in Juba.  Next year, we are planning to open a school for the children with a Bible based curriculum.

In June, The Bridge helped us buy a SUV vehicle to help transportation of people and goods in the church.  During the week it is used as a business to make money; the weekly profit of $100.00 will go towards buying another vehicle next year.

Every year I bring some of our leaders in Elohim Shalom in Juba with me to Uganda, where we conducted evangelistic outreaches and conferences in several South Sudanese churches in diaspora.  When we visited this Fall, many families received Jesus Christ as Savior, and were baptized in water and the Holy Spirit.  We encouraged them to return home to South Sudan with the Good News.

We thank God for the support from The Bridge who has helped us with the finances to build our fellowship, and has supported me and so many of other projects and outreaches!

“Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and teaching.” 2. Timothy 4:2