feature section | pioneers of mission c h r i s t i a n u n i o n : : t h e m a g a z i n e
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Christy and the people of CCCK ministered to ambassadors and their families , to hippies traveling through Kabul , and to many students . One day , after several hippies had become Christ-followers , a very diverse group of believers lined the edge of a nearby lake , standing in wonderment , many crying softly , and all sensing a powerful unity of God ’ s Spirit . Suddenly , one of the CCCK members broke the silence , noting to the person standing next to him , “ Do you realize that this is the first public baptism to have been held in Afghanistan for over one thousand years ?”
On another occasion , after a travelling musical group had completed a triumphant tour in Afghanistan , Christy drove the young musicians to an unconventional tour site : the only cemetery in Afghanistan where “ infidels ” could be buried . Stopping at the first gravestone , one that was worn with age , Christy explained , “ This man worked here thirty years translating the Bible into the Afghan language . Not a single convert . And in this grave next to him lies the man who replaced him , along with his children who died here .” Strolling among the gravestones , Christy told story after story about the early Christian workers in Afghanistan . The group leader later recalled , “ It was one of the great moments of my life . I watched their faces as it suddenly dawned on these exuberant American teenagers that the amazing spiritual awakening they had witnessed was but the last step in a long line of faithful service stretching back over many decades .”
William Carey Library published the recently-released biography on J . Christy Wilson .
A Church Building Destroyed , A Government Overthrown
Finally , after Christy had been ministering in Afghanistan for 18 years , CCCK was permitted to build the only Christian church building on neutral soil in Afghanistan , constructed following a personal assist from President Eisenhower . The Afghan government permitted this place of worship only for use among the foreign community ; it was never to be used by the Afghan people .
One Sunday morning , only three years after the sanctuary ’ s dedication , soldiers arrived and began to hack away at the wall between the street and the church building .
One gentleman in the congregation went to Kabul ’ s mayor and prophetically warned , “ If your government touches that house of God , God will overthrow your government !” The mayor responded by ordering the congregation to turn over their church for destruction , thereby eliminating the need for the Afghan government to pay compensation .
“ This building does not belong to us , but to God ,” the people of the church replied . “ We can ’ t turn it over for destruction .” And they proceeded to serve tea and cookies to the soldiers who were destroying their place of worship .
Rumors had reached the Afghan secret police that an “ underground church ” existed in Afghanistan . Therefore , while the workers demolished the church building , they carefully dug twelve feet below its foundation in search of this secret subsurface sanctuary — but to no avail .
Before long , Christy Wilson was declared persona non grata by the Afghan government . Students were becoming followers of Christ , and certain Afghan officials were determined to rid themselves of the corrupting influence who was behind all of this . Eventually , on March 24 , 1973 , Christy and Betty Wilson departed Afghanistan , each carrying only a suitcase of personal belongings . They were leaving the land in which they had lived and ministered for twenty-two years . As they made their way to the airplane , Christy shook the dust from his feet .
Just four months later , on Tuesday , July 17 , 1973 , the Afghan soldiers completed their destruction of the church building . That very night , King Mohammed Zahir Shah , who had ruled for forty years , was overthrown in a coup , and the 227-year-old monarchy in Afghanistan came to an end forever . When Christy heard the news , he fell to the floor and wept .
Christy spent the following two decades serving as professor of world evangelization at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton , Massachusetts . His former students ’ remembrances of Christy are remarkably consistent : he would pray with you anytime and anyplace ; he knew your name long before you knew his ; he loved to tell stories of what God is doing throughout the world ; he had a contagious smile and an infectious laugh ; and he gave them a picture of what it looks like to be a lover of Christ .
The ripple effect of his life continues to spread to people , ethnic groups , and nations throughout the world . His life continues to grow God ’ s kingdom and to reveal the splendor of the God he loved so much and served so well . | cu
This article is adapted from a new biography of Christy Wilson entitled Where No One Has Heard , written by Ken Wilson ( no relation ) and published by William Carey Library . The book is available at www . missionbooks . org .