Torch, Fall 1985

, t continued from page 5 World Evangelism is preparing infor– mation for potential tentmakers. They will suggest contacts for those interested in specific types of work such as medical personnel and those interested in teaching English as a second language. Their ALIVE pro– gram (Alert Laymen Investing Voca– tions for Evangelism) is under the direction of Rev. William T. Commons. Baptist Mid-Missions is develop– ing contacts with organizations that use tentmaking personnel. Signifi– cant opportunities are now available in China. Mission personnel are working with Dr. Dwayne Frank of Cedarville College for making ar– rangements for this work. Potential tentmakers are encouraged to contact Dr. William H. Smallman for further information. Evangelical Baptist Missions has a church planting team in Germany under the direction of Rev . David Seefried. His plan for utilizing tentmakers is called "Missions Cen– tral." (Editor's note: See Rev . Seefried's article on p. 8) . God called a shepherd named Moses to do a job and his response was that he was not capable of per– forming the task. God asked him what he had in his hand . It was a rod , the tool of his trade . God commanded Moses to cast it down, whereupon it became a serpent. That same rod later became the rod of God in Moses' hands. The simple wood stick of a shepherd became a mighty instru– ment for God's use through Moses. Give your training and skills to God. I believe He has great plans for , individuals who, like Moses, Paul, Aquila, and Priscilla, will surrender their trade for His use. Will God call you to be a tentmaker? Dr. Paul A. Beals is director o Continuing Education and professor of missions at Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary in Michi– gan. He has a Th.D. from Dallas Theologi– cal Seminary and served in the Central African Republic as a missionary. Students Find Spiritual Gloom in England Left to right: JeffLyle. Anne Edwards, Bill Mosher (missionary), Missy MacMichael, Kim Bragg, Temple Knowles, Sherri McAllister, Randy Johnson, Gina Long, Dave Robinette, Jodi Peters, Jim Reiter, Bryan Crump. Twelve Cedarville College stu– dents and assistant professor of Bible Dan Estes returned from England this summer to confirm the gravity of England ' s spiritual · condition. The first Missionary Internship Service (M.I.S.) group to visit England, they spent one month assisting five Bap– tist Mid-Missions missionaries. England is the country that gave the world William Carey, Hudson Taylor, and Charles Spurgeon. Yet today , this mother country of evangelistic outreach is character– ized by a spiritual gloom that can be compared to the cloudy, rain-filled days for which that land is noted. Team leader Jim Reiter, a senior preseminary major, shared his impressions from the trip. "The people on the streets seemed so ugly . By that I don't mean their physical features. It was their unhap– piness, apathy, hardness, and cold– ness that I sensed. One day we passed out 6000 pieces of literature inviting people to our concerts. Not one per– son responded. While you could tell that individuals listened to our street performances , afterwards they turned away with no further interest." Looking back, Reiter sees that his team's greatest ministry was to the missionaries and believers in the little churches . "Our church concerts were before small groups of 12-20 people . As we sang, church members just drank in COPYRIGHT READING NEWSPAPER CO. LTD. BRACKNELL 56611 the words and music. As I watched one fellow's eyes well up with tears, I could hardly continue singing. You could just tell our coming meant so much to them." Two children received Christ while the team worked in what the English call Holiday Bible Clubs (VBS in the U.S.). The group also sang and used puppets in public schools, nursing homes, community centers, outdoor bandstands, and malls. On one occasion, they visited Salisbury Cathedral in Salisbury. When Reiter asked if the group could sing, they were permitted to stand at the center under the rotunda of the vast structure. "We stood in a ring," remembered Reiter, "and sang,'It is Well' a cap– pella. You could have heard a pin drop . It was so quiet as tourists stopped and stood listening. Our music filled the chambers . It was awesome." This summer, Jim Reiter gained an eye-opening slice of missionary life, a firsthand look at a country sinking in godlessness, and a greater appreci– ation of the sincere love the commit– ted Christians in England. Jim is happy that his college experience included a summer of missionary endeavor that built into the lives of a part of the Body of Christ so many miles from Cedar– ville. 15