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.
Losing a baby could be a powerful and understandable reason to give up a mission. Not for Nathan’s parents. The one-year-old son of Lagyi Sin Nang and Sarawut Sikrinpacdekun, a Burmese missionary couple in Thailand, died recently. He was seriously injured when an audio speaker fell on him during a worship service. Despite the deep sadness, his parents have decided to keep holding onto God and trusting Him, working among Burmese migrants in Bangkok.
Earlier this year, we witnessed the first steps of the Sudanese Alliance Fellowships in North Africa. They are translating the Word of God into the believers’ mother tongue, training new leaders and deacons, and much more. They continue to grow wonderfully despite this difficult time.
“Cecilia Albornoz: her convictions, words, joy and desire to reach the lost will be engraved in our hearts as a constant sound that will last forever.” These are the words of Pastor Jorge Barra, Director of the National Department of Missions (NDM) of Chile, when remembering Cecilia, who died on May 11, 2020 in the city of Temuco, Chile.
The meeting of the International Commission on Theological Education (ICTE) echoed the theme of the next AWF Quadrennial Convocation: the intersection between Deeper Life and Missions. The draft of the Guayaquil Declaration was concluded and the two winners of the AWF Theology Award were selected.
The miracle of salvation that happened when a missionary met a man on the road to Magar, Nepal.
The Alliance in Africa is willing to expand its missionary effort, especially targeting unreached people groups inside their countries, in North Africa and among the diaspora population. This is the conclusion of the discernment process that took place during the AWF Africa Missions Consultation in Cotonou, Benin, January 23-25.
Latin America takes strength and prepares for a great wave of missionaries, with focus on the Sixth Region and the unreached people groups. As Latinos we are ceasing to be a mission field to become a missionary force, where men and women dispose their lives, their resources and their professions to respond to the need to reach the unreached. With this emphasis and with the presence of 135 brothers and sisters from different Latin American countries, the Latin American Missionary Training Week was held in Colombia, from January 28 to February 2, 2020.
The Rev. Dr. Arnold Lorne Cook, president of the Alliance World Fellowship from 2000 to 2004, passed peacefully into God’s presence surrounded by family and friends on January 23, 2020 at the age of 87.
The Christian and Missionary Alliance of Canada is developing new and innovative ways to cultivate a passion for mission, start new churches and engage unreached people groups in the birthplace of founder A.B. Simpson.
In a year that was marked by civil demonstrations in many parts of the world, from Hong Kong to Santiago, Beirut, Paris, La Paz, Lima and Barcelona, there is a diffuse agenda but one clear message: people are hungry for justice, freedom and dignity.
God’s works and plans never fail, because He will do all that is His good pleasure. God isn’t just watching the entire happening of history, but He is directing the event. Truly, we are so blessed and excited about what God has planned for the APAC (Asia Pacific) Region throughout the year. That is something worthy to celebrate for His glory.
The 6th Asia Pacific Alliance Women Conference and Prayer Journey was a powerful, enlightening and victorious encounter. More than 200 women gathered and learned more about the theme “Transformed for the Great Harvest.” Without a doubt, God’s all-surrounding presence was an essential part of this blessed event. Let us praise the Lord for all He has done!
The Alliance church in Spain began in 1978 by Fred and Ann Kowalchuk, missionaries sent out from the U.S. Alliance. The early years were difficult, with five congregations being reduced to three. A relay team ministered from 1993 to 1994, and the focus changed from Barcelona to Madrid.
A group of indigenous churches started 27 years ago by a pastor in a wheelchair to evangelize disabled people is the core of the newly formed C&MA Church in Nepal. This national church will join the fast-growing evangelical church in the country that was officially Hindu until 2006, when it was declared a secular state.
The C&MA churches in Central America are young and small and its largest national church (Guatemala), with more than 9,000 members, is an exception in the region. With the theme “Deeper Life in Jesus Christ,” the AWF family in Latin America met in Guatemala to bring encouragement and deeper understanding about the Alliance and its missions to the pastors and leaders of the region.
The leadership of AWF-APAC (Asia Pacific Region) chose Japan as their meeting venue to encourage the century-old Japan Alliance Church to continue to share Jesus Christ in this country. Japan is totally open to missionary work but still has a population of less than 0.5% of evangelical Christians and an evangelical annual growth rate of -0.4%.
The work in Ecuador began 120 years ago through the efforts of Guillermo Fritz and Eduardo Tarbox. Later, missionaries Homero Crisman and Guillermo Reed joined in the work. The national C&MA was established in 1945. Today, the church celebrates the 120th year of work in Ecuador, grateful for God’s sustaining at each step. The church remains completely committed to continuing the task to see societal renewal in Ecuador, and to forging and forming generations that shine for God’s glory.
