The Ohio Independent Baptist, April 1968

The Ministry Of Home Missions by Arnold Olsen 1 r<>t/1, r ( lsc11 is l ; iel<l D i , c,·tc>r /c>r l· .IJ .J{ .,, t . c111cl 1~ a,·<1ilable fc>r . JJc>a'A – i11~ t 1 11,l!c1~c,11e11ts i,, 1/1e cl111rcl1 e of <>111 () ,4RB( fellc> \\\\ /1ip. His 111c1ili11g ,1,l<l1c ,·s is [ >. 0. Bo.'\: 455, E l) 1 ria , /1i(>. he \' it ,1 l qt1c ti )n that f:ace every ' h rt"t 1a r1 n1eri an i . ur ation a ( hri tian nati n? a tion unto <..i d is ur hi t r} . · et, with al·l the \ i lence and upheaval, rthi eem.ing- 1) i n t true. A jungle pirit has cap– t i\ at d An1erica with unbelief. ome– th ing n1u t be done when 74% of ur ecular c llege tudent u e al- h lie beverage · every twenty-four hour 1200 alcoholics are made in the United State · and three out of four high chool tudent have taken one drink of an alcoholic beverage be– fo re graduation. Do we need to say anyth,ing about narcotic addiction, with more money pent on gamb1ling 1n the e United State ltlhan on medi– cine, education, religion and automo– bile combined - a toitail amoulllt of thirty- ix billion dollars? We will not take the time to give the breakdown of moral which is staggering. This i the re ult of a Nation which has de– parted away from righteousness that exhalt a nation and gone the way of in which i a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:34). A Great Challenge The greait oh,a1 leDJge fuoing the Church is reaching America with the Go pel. Can we afford to give up our Nation to the Devil, sin and Hell? Are we willing 1to accept the re- pon ibility of reachin1g the United States through Home Missions? A tremendous field is before us. There are 38,000 citie with a population 0 1 f 10 000 and over in the Un.ited Sl!astes that do not have one Bible-1believing church in them and church after church which no longer have preached from their pulpits the Gospel of sal- vation. Germany, the first great mission- ary nation under the Moravian move– ment, forgot to evangelize her own people and went into higher criticism. England, second great nation in mi - sionary endeavor wit h ome of the greatest missionaries coming from her shores, forgot to evangelize her own people, and it is said less th,an 1 % of the population of the Briti h Isles is saved. Our own Nation, the last stronghold for missions, is in a like position with approximately 2% of APRIL, 1968 PAGE 14 l)llt [1<)1'lll1ati011 lr\11 11 r,1 agai11. We 11c c l l ll) l ,l Cl' tl1c c l1 ·1llc11g ' given 11 ( ' h11,t in ct, I :H l<l l1c a witnc"\ ~ thi~ •" ,1 per onal witn s ancl ,1 ( ' ht1rch wit ncss. Rev. Arnold Olsen Of the sever,al Home Mission agencie approved by the General A ociation of R e g u l a r Baptist Churches, ours i the Fellowship of Baptisrt:s for Home Missions, organ– ized in 1941 with its Home Office in Blyria, Ohio, at 1387 Grafton Rd. The 1 objeotives of the Fellowship of Baptists for Home Missions are: ,the ev·angelization of the unsaved, e tablishmen1t of New Testament B,ap– tist churches, and the ministry of such other Christian wol'k a may properly be called Home Missions. This minis,try i currellltly being car– ried on by more than three hu·ndred and twenty-two missionary personnel. The Fellowship of Baptists for Home Mission i a team-wo.rk organization as "laborer together." Could we count on you to join our TEAM to reach totterin·g America? I not .thi the hour to demonstrate the dynamic aind relevancy of beliefs that matter? You wiJ·l never exceed your vi ion. The tragedy is ,that our churche do not see the need and little 11raycr ancl ,financial st1pport C<l111es to .a. si. t in ,thjs wovthy work. J-.' t,w 1today wish to fiace the challenge ot going into Home Mis ionary work, to go into an area and start. a Bible cla s to do a great deal of vJ itation to get a nucleous of people together to begin a Bapti t fellow5hip until . uch a time as a oh,urch can be or– ganized and then reach self-suppont– i n,g taitus. I perso na,1 1 1 y am gr atetu,l t:o the Lord for giving me the privilege to work with the Fellowship of Baptist~ for Home Missions as Field Director to assist in reaching the U ni1ted States for Christ. Springfield Holds ''Youth Emphasis Week'' The Blessed Hope Baptist Church of Springfield, Ohio has recently com– pleted a ' 'Youth Emphasis Week,'' featuring as speakers, Mel Johnson of Minneapolis, Minn.; Cedric Whiit– comb of Covington, Kentucky, and Dr. John Reed, Cedarvi,1le College. The three day series of meetings be– gan March 13 and continued through Sunday, March 17. The young people of the churoh were in complete charge of the services ,and planned the special music, prepared the advertising or– ganized prayer partner groups, did Christian service assignments con– sisting of the handing ,out of tracts and "Youth Week' ' flyers at each school ii n the area, all under the di- I rection of youth director, Ken Nichol . The week climaxed with a special service ait Cedarville College in con– junction with the "Youth for Truth" ~ area-wide monthly youth rally. Mel Johnson was the speaker. A "Teen Ohoir'' from GARBC churohes of the Fort Wayne, Indiana area pre- ented a program o£ special music after which everyone was 1 treated to • a paghetti supper and tile viewing of ·the film ' 'I Hear a New Song.'' AN INTERESTING SOLUTION Years ago a young man k,nelt w~th his pastor and prayed as he committed himself .to God to tithe. Hi fir t week' s pay was $10 and the t~the was $1 As he grew older he became more prospe~ous and his itithe was $7 .50 a week then $10. He moved to another city and soon his tithe was $100 a week, then $200, then $500. He sent bis old firiend a wire, ' 'Come to see me." The pastor arrived at the man's beautiful home. They had a good time talkin,g over old rtimes. Finally the man came ,to his point. ' 'You remembe1 thait promise I made years ago to tithe. How can I get released?'' "Why do you want to be released?'' ' It's like this," the man repl,ied, ' 'when I made the promise I only h,ad tx give $1, but n·ow it's $500. I can'.t afford to give away money like that." The old pastor looked at his friend. "I'm afraid we cannot get release froo the promise, but there is something we can do. We can kineel here and ask Goe to swink up your incoime so you can afford to give a dollar." -Selectec THE OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTISl