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Kingdom families could change history in Iraq, missionary says


PHOENIX (BP)–Southern Baptists have an opportunity to change history if they are willing to meet the challenge of being Kingdom families for Iraq, a missionary just arrived from that country told Southern Baptist pastors during their June 15-16 conference in Phoenix.

“The greatest need in Iraq right now is for five Kingdom families who will go and plant their hearts and their lives among the Kurds of the north, the Turkmen of Mosul and Kirkuk, the Sunnis around Tikrit, the ancient church that lives in that area, and the Shiite villages round Karbala and Najev,” said the missionary, whose name was not revealed for security reasons.

“We need people who will not only go for a little while, but will go and plant their lives and be the kind of families that reach other families and cause the kind of church planting movements that will truly change history there.”

The next three or four months represent a crucial moment to change the future of Iraq, SBC Pastors’ Conference President Mac Brunson said.

“Right now we have a 90-day, maybe a 120-day opportunity to get into Iraq. Everything is open to us,” the Dallas pastor said. “If we will give, and if we will go, … if we are willing to sacrifice in these economic times, we may very well see God do something we’ve always dreamed about.”

Brunson reminded pastors that the International Mission Board has “almost 200 missionaries right now, ready to go, who can’t go because we don’t have the money.”

He led the assembly in prayer: “Father, move on the hearts of Southern Baptists in a way that you have not ever moved before. Give us a hunger and a passion. Help us pastors to … go back to our churches and challenge our people and say, ‘These are days we must give. These are days we must sacrifice.'”
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  • Mark Kelly