Empowering Leaders in Asia
By P and M *, Asia / Pacific Regional Directors , OMS Global
We were serving in a creative-access country when we received the request to teach English to the parents of local kids at a bilingual school . Through these classes , many became followers of Christ . These believers met in small groups in private homes due to active persecution .
The Lord moved among this fledgling group . With great enthusiasm , they shared their faith , led others to Christ , and saw the Spirit move as he grew their little church . Initially , they looked to us as foreigners to lead , especially in spiritual matters . However , recognizing that we could not be primary leaders in the group because we could be kicked out of the country at any time , we encouraged Brother W * to lead these house church services . He grew rapidly in confidence as a leader , as well as in his knowledge of the Word .
About 1½ years after they started meeting , a number of members professed their faith through baptism . This kind of declaration of faith is a significant step in a country where believers are persecuted , so in order to keep them safe , the baptisms were done in the privacy of one member ’ s back yard in an inflatable children ’ s pool .
Our missionary friend baptized Brother W first . It was critical that Brother W be empowered to lead , so as soon as he was baptized , he dried off , put on dry clothes , stepped back into the pool , and proceeded to baptize the other five adults and two children .
What a thrill to see God move . Leaders were being empowered , believers were being multiplied , and churches were growing and maturing . Sadly , a few months later , we were forced to leave the land we had grown to love . But by God ’ s grace , the church that was started still meets and is multiplying and being led by the Spirit through its dedicated and growing new leaders .
* Names withheld for security reasons .
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