NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–In addition to working with Southern Baptist missionaries and introducing LifeWay resources to Baptists and other evangelicals in their regions of the world, LifeWay Christian Resources’ four missionaries spent much of their second year multiplying themselves by training others.
The four serve in a LifeWay partnership with the International Mission Board. They are: Steve Cretin, Southeast Asia/Oceania, based in Singapore; Neal Cordle, Central and Eastern Europe, based in Prague, Czech Republic; Michael Woolridge, Eastern Africa, based in Nairobi, Kenya; and Ernie McAninch, western South America, based in Quito, Ecuador.
They returned to Nashville, Tenn., in early December and, on Dec. 7, presented formal reports on their year of service.
McAninch, who used 41 persons trained by him or LifeWay, said, “Our goal is to multiply ourselves, to multiply LifeWay.” His plans for 2001 include several LifeWay conferences conducted totally by others.
“It’s intentional serendipity by which we plan,” said McAninch, who focused his efforts in Chile, Peru and Ecuador. “We put ourselves in places where God can open up relationships. We’ve had nothing but open doors.”
He cited the need for Christian resources and other helps for families.
“That’s the number one need for western South America and, I dare say, for all of Latin America,” McAninch said.
Cordle, who moved during the year from Frankfurt, Germany, to Prague, said much of his work was accomplished through partnerships.
For example, an all-age Bible study was launched in Belarus through a partnership involving Belarussian Baptists, LifeWay, IMB, International Teaching Ministries (translated LifeWay curriculum) and the Missouri Baptist Convention (partnership with Belarus).
“Because God brought us together, we are accomplishing things none of us could have done alone,” Cordle said.
He cited language as his biggest challenge.
“Every country [in the region] has a different language. We’re very dependent on people who will help us logistically. We have worked through IMB folks in deliberate and intentional ways,” Cordle said.
Woolridge said training pastors was a primary focus of his work this year. In addition, he attended numerous annual meetings of Baptist groups, staffed exhibits and led conferences at booksellers and publishers meetings and made contacts with numerous Christian bookstores.
Walking each day in his Nairobi neighborhood where most homes are surrounded by fences and have guards posted, Woolridge said he met many of the men who serve as guards. He now leads a Bible study for about 20 of them.
“Even with all the danger, people want to know about God,” Woolridge said.
Cretin conducted the first official FAITH Sunday school evangelism clinic in Singapore, hosted a Beth Moore women’s conference, hosted Vacation Bible School and Sunday school conferences and taught in several seminaries.
“Our relationship [with IMB missionaries] over the past two years has grown into a working partnership of mutual respect and support,” Cretin said.
He plans to expand services throughout his region in 2001. “The longer we are on the field, the more convinced we become that the best solution to our expansion of LifeWay missionaries is to train national trainers to take our place,” Cretin said.
Ted Warren, executive vice president and chief operating officer of LifeWay, said, “The whole group has more than met our expectations.” He challenged them “to think about and be attuned to opportunities to multiply your efforts.”
LifeWay President James T. Draper Jr. called the efforts of the missionaries “a dream come true for many of us here.” In his 1991 inaugural address as president of the Sunday School Board (now LifeWay), Draper envisioned sharing the agency’s expertise in other parts of the world.
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(BP) photo posted in the BP Photo Library at www.bpnews.net. Photo title: LIFEWAY MISSIONARIES.
