CRUCIAL ASPECT OF MISSIONARY WORK

CRUCIAL ASPECT OF MISSIONARY WORK

At a time in the Church of God when great emphasis is being placed on education and training disciples, Missionary Vance Massengill is stepping up his activities. The Massengills have been in missions for 22 years. Although often unrealized, one of the most crucial aspects of missionary work is the training of national pastors, leaders, and missionaries. Recently, Vance spent time teaching some great men and women whom God is calling for His purposes. While they come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, speak many different languages, and have diverse religious histories, they all have one thing in common … they know Jesus Christ and desire to make Him known. Vance states: “The ministry God has given us in the Middle East involves many tasks. From sharing our ‘life’ with those in the region, to mobilizing the many immigrant churches in the area for the work of the Great Commission, to working with the local churches. Of the many things God has blessed us to do in this region, one of my favorite is the training and development of young ministers. In a region where born-again Christians in most countries make up less than 1 percent of the population and only 2 percent of where the global mission force works, future laborers for the harvest are essential!” A couple of months ago, Vance had the joy of credentialing and commissioning three young men that he has been working with on a weekly basis. He has peace that the future work in the fields of the Middle East will continue long after they are gone because of these dedicated workers for the Kingdom.