Author Archive for: James

Hello, once again. We've just finished up our church's Church Planting Conference. Bro. Loren Steven and Bro. James Beller (Arnold Baptist Tabernacle) were the main speakers, with testimonies from Ed Bragg (Lafayette Bible Baptist), William Gillespie (Maranatha Baptist Church) and Don Ploesser. It was a real encouragement to me, to hear what these other men have done, to be challenged spiritually, and to get some practical advice on church planting, which I will be doing myself in Uganda. Several pastors from the Missouri and Illinois area were in attendance. It's good to see how God is working in churches all over the place, and to know that more churches are being birthed to replace the dearth of churches in America. As always, it's up to the pesky Baptists to do the real work of the New Testament church, and to hold the line against liberal philosophy and apostasy in our culture. We, the downtrodden, scorned, and maligned, are, in fact, God's agents in this world to preach the gospel and to occupy until the LORD returns. Seriously, if it weren't for Baptists, there'd be no Biblical churches anywhere, but we'd be like Europe, apostate, cold, and pertaining to the Gospel and sound doctrine, all too silent. I'm looking forward to starting churches of my own in Uganda, and to see faithful men trained to lead them, and then to help them birth churches also, and train their own leadership, and in so doing, ensure that the Great Commission will be fulfilled, and endure, no matter what, in Uganda. This little nation could conceivably become the epicenter for a Great Awakening on the African continent, that would sweep out from Uganda in ever-expanding circles until all have heard. We can save Africa from Communism, and Islam, and from Animism, in a few generations, by aggressively planting churches, training faithful men, and by training them to do likewise. If the LORD tarries, it could happen. I know it's my heart's desire, and that of every missionary already in Uganda. Tho' it may seem like there's an awful lot of missionaries either in Uganda, or heading there, there are definite reasons why God is calling so many to Uganda, and why, in reaching Uganda, we may in time reaching the whole of Africa.

Just a quick note. You may have heard the Jaws-inspired phrase "We're going to need a bigger boat." Well, we're going to need a bigger van. Why? Well, my wife may be carrying twins. That's right, TWINS. How cool is that? We won't know for sure 'til we can afford an ultrasound, but based on her symptoms, compared to prior pregnancies, it's a definite possibility. I am, of course, rooting for twin girls, which would balance the numbers nicely (3 boys and 3 girls). Anyway. I was driving past the place where I spotted that conversion van the other day, and it hit me – 'If this is twins, a conversion van won't be big enough". We would need 8 seatbelts, and a conversion van only has 7. So, I guess it has to be a passenger van now. Now, some of the eugenicist, population control types out there may be tempted to think, "Six kids!? Have they gone mad?!" I, however, feel honored that God would potentially entrust not one, but TWO sets of twins to us. Pretty slick. Good thing we're going to a country where large families are still considered good, and children are rightly regarded as God's blessing.