Dear brothers and sisters, it is my wish that in this special time when we remember the birth of our beloved Savior Jesus Christ, we can enjoy it together with our family and church, thanking God for all his love poured into each one of us.
As we approach the end of the year and prepare to celebrate the Christmas season and the new year 2021, I wish each one of you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. I pray that the presence and blessings of the Lord will fill your lives. May the Lord protect each one of you and use you during this difficult time to be a blessing to those around you.
Always relying on His promise that He will not forsake us, I would like to wish everyone a new year filled with blessings and success in all our endeavors.
God understands the challenges that we are each walking in during the global pandemic that’s entering a second wave in most places. God also reminds us that as He does His work in the most difficult of circumstances, His redemptive purposes among the nations will cause us to wonder and be astounded beyond belief.
To our dear Alliance family worldwide, thank you so much for all your support in prayer and finances in the Lord’s ministry. Praying for all of us to have a wonderful Christmas celebration and a very fruitful New Year.
The International Commission on Theological Education (ICTE) is very thankful to our Lord who continues to enrich and bless theological training throughout the C&MA.
Who could imagine that a trip to New York would have resulted in the birth of the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Costa Rica? This national church is young but full of energy to fulfill the Great Commission alongside other churches in Central America.
Two books on A.B. Simpson were published in 2019. One of them, A.B. Simpson and the Making of Modern Evangelicalism, will be discussed by its author Dr. Daryn Henry during the Alliance History and Thought Symposium hosted by Ambrose University on November 24, 2020.
An Indonesia Alliance pastor, Reverend Yeremia Zanambani, was shot dead in the Hitadipa District in Papua, Indonesia, in September. Let us pray for God’s peace and consolation for the pastor’s family, as well as for the members of the church he led.
India is the country with the second highest number of COVID-19 cases, behind only the United States. Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 100 families in Kolkata and Maharashtra have received aid for basic foodstuffs.
For the past 30 years, Reverend Silas Yang has been studying and serving as a pastor in the Alliance church of Taiwan. He was elected President in October of this year and he hopes the Lord will guide him in preparing new church planting strategies, furthering the education of their pastors, and taking care of each ministry.
The Alliance in Latin America is building its missionary vision as it finds new ways to fulfill the Great Commission in urban areas and in cross-cultural projects. The emphasis of the Alliance Ministerial Update in Latin America in November 2020 will be missions.
Reverend Liusbel Utrera Morgado opened his heart to Jesus 15 years ago. His ministry has always been pastoral, and he has worked in leadership roles from the local church to the national office. As the new president of the C&MA Church of Cuba, the Lord has given him a vision for a healthy and growing church that aims to fulfill the Great Commission.
Mongolia is a large country in East Asia, located between Russia and China. Almost 30% of the population is nomadic or semi-nomadic and the majority are young (30 years old or younger), Buddhist or identifying as non-religious. All these factors challenge evangelism. But the C&MA Church of Mongolia has been faithful to the call to preach the gospel.
The women of the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Latin America will hold conferences in October 2020 about the ministry, life and development of Christian women. Men and women are invited to participate in the third part of the Ministerial Update organized by CLA, AWF and FATELA.
During the first phase of AWF’s Global Response to COVID-19, three African countries have had many fruits and blessings. Our brothers and sisters from Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, and Mali ask us to continue praying for them. May God bless many more lives through them.
In Phase One of the AWF Global Response to COVID-19, we were able to allocate over US $100,000 in grants to assist with immediate relief needs of congregations and communities. More than 170,000 people from vulnerable communities received food and hygiene products from volunteers of local Alliance churches.
Mission leaders of the Alliance national churches will meet in October to discern together God’s direction for our movement. Disciple-making, businessmen in missions, compassion ministry, and diaspora missions are some of the topics that will be discussed.
The Ministerial Update will present the ministry philosophy that drives the mission of a generation that is assuming key roles in Latin America, starting September 21.
“To think that all this damage occurred in one second, but it needs about one whole year to repair is mind-boggling!” says Dr. Milad Dagher, Alliance pastor in Lebanon. The explosion that happened in Beirut on August 4th this year damaged several buildings, including the Christian Alliance Institute of Theology (CAIT), churches, ministries and offices. Let us pray and find ways to help our brothers and sisters rebuild.