An update from Riley Spring (Lead Pastor, Sovereign Grace Church Parramatta, Australia)….

One of the great comforts I have as a Pastor is that I am not doing this alone. Not only do I have the blessing of pastoring an incredible and supportive church here at Parra, but I get to work with, plan with, and be supported by Sovereign Grace Churches, especially, with Dave Taylor and Brendan Willis at Sovereign Grace Church Sydney.

I truly believe that we are better together when we operate as a tight knit family of churches here in Australia. We collaborate, support, aid, protect, and assist each other in so many ways relationally, institutionally, and practically. And this not only blesses me, but our partnership strengthens and blesses my local church also!

Recently, our partnership was on full display as Dave, Brendan and I went on our first Regional Assembly of Elders trip…a fancy term for a Planning Retreat!

We also invited all the ‘Pastors and Planters Academy Students’ along for one of the nights and it was such a great time. We spent time in worship, study, prayer, planning, and hanging out. We took time to re-watch some of the key messages from the recent Pastor’s Conference and were refreshed and renewed in our love for Jesus and our need for spiritual protection. Through our time away we got better clarity and vision for the future of both of our churches and for SG Australia as a whole.

There’s lots of exciting things coming up as we look ahead for SG Australia. We’ve got our first Sovereign Grace Churches Australia ‘Together’ Retreat in July 2022, which is a chance for both of our churches to go away together for a weekend of worship, teaching, and fellowship. We are going to be having an ‘Unchanging God’ concert in November 2022, playing through both volumes of the new album. We’re aiming to promote and start another year of the Academy in 2023. And we have bold gospel ambitions to see new churches planted and our region strengthened. 

All in all, our partnership in the Gospel makes gospel ministry all the sweeter and more enjoyable. 

An update from Andy Farmer, Pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills Pennsylvania USA.……

This month we are finishing up the 2021-22 Church Planting Cohort. The church planting cohort is a program the North American Church Planting Committee has been running for a number years to help church planters take the final, crucial steps in planting Sovereign Grace churches. To date fifteen men have participated in the cohort over the past five years.

Church planting is both a glorious and a challenging endeavor. In Sovereign Grace we have always desired to plant and build well; not just starting but establishing new churches that play an immediate part in our mission together. The idea behind the cohort is to give planters a focused preparation for the pastoral and personal and family implications for starting a new work. We do that through a combination of monthly video calls interspersed with three retreats over ten months preceding the launch of a church. One of the retreats involves wives, and is focused on helping planters lead and care for their families in the stressful experience of beginning a new work. The cohort aspect - connecting men on similar paths for support and fellowship has proven to be tremendously valuable. Guys are learning from each other, supporting each other, praying for each other over the time. As we’ve done this over the years we’ve seen these cohort relationships grow into friendships across regional lines. We also utilize gifted men throughout our family of churches to lead discussions and advise planters in our monthly video chats and on our retreats.

The main ‘project’ for the cohort is the development of a Church Planting Prospectus. The prospectus is a tool to help church planters do what they have to do to plant well - understand their target area, structure a vision and strategy, and create a plan that can be communicated to the region and to potential team members so that the plant can be fully vetted and supported by a sending church and a region. We use the cohort to walk through that prospectus development and help the planter prepare his plan for approval by his region.

This year we have had four guys in the cohort. Where there is space we are experimenting with what we are calling ‘re-missioning’ plants in the cohort. The term re-missioning applies to an existing healthy church that is transitioning to a next generation lead pastor who is being asked by the church to help it focus and implement a new mission strategy for the future. Our cohort this year includes one ‘traditional’ planter, Nick Kidwell, who is planting Valley Creek Church outside of Philadelphia in Malvern, Pennsylvania. In addition we have three re-missioning pastors: Bart Lipscomb at Christ Church in Conroe Texas (outside Houston), Adam Campbell at Living Hope Church in Gambrills Maryland and Jesse Phillips at Redeemer Church in Orlando, Florida.

We are scheduled to begin the next cohort in September. It looks like we will have up to five planters in this year’s cohort including possibly two who will be planting churches that will be reaching folks whose primary language is not English. Please pray for this upcoming year for the churches I mentioned above and for the men we are gathering for the 2022-23 Cohort.

An update from Joselo Mercado, Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana in Gaithersburg, and Emerging Nations Representative to Latin America…..

By the grace of God, we recently had the opportunity to serve as a family for two weeks on two different occasions: one in Colombia serving in a more private context meeting with key pastors and their families, and the other in Dominican Republic serving in a more public context at a conference. My hope is that God would continue to build His church through these two occasions.

Santa Marta, Colombia

As a family we arrived in Santa Marta Colombia on Wednesday, June 8, after spending a night in Bogotá. We quickly met with the family of Pastor Jacobis Aldana and spent several days with them. The purpose was to communicate our love to them and to be able to create relationships of deeper biblical communion with them. Kathy enjoyed getting to know Keila, Jacobis's wife. And our children were able to meet the two children.

In addition to sharing with the Aldanas, we were able to have a dinner with the leaders of the church. This was a time to get to know them and also talk about the adoption process that Sovereign Grace Church is going through. They left very edified and it is evident the excellent job that Jacobis is doing in developing leaders.

On Sunday I was able to teach a class on Bible fellowship and preach Romans 7. It was inspiring to worship alongside the saints of this beloved church. There is no doubt that this church embraces the same values that our denomination embraces. Let us pray that God gives wisdom and guides us in being able to complete the adoption process.

On Monday we were able to share with Pastor Alejandro Cueto and his family. They came from Barranquilla to share and get to know each other better. The Biblical Church of the City wishes to evaluate the possibility of adoption to SGC. In December I will be sharing with the church, but this was a good time to have important conversations with the pastor and the family to meet my wife Kathy and children.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

On Wednesday the 15th we left for Santo Domingo after spending a day in Bogotá and spending time with a pastor friend and his family. In Santo Domingo I was able to participate in the Por Su Causa Conference sponsored by the Integrity and Wisdom Ministries. My friend Miguel Núñez invited me to participate in this conference that has been a prophetic voice for Latin America of sound doctrine. This conference is attended by hundreds of people, but is viewed by hundreds of thousands of people online. On this occasion Carlos Contreras was also able to serve at mass. This opportunity is a more public, but not more important.

By His grace, we were able to serve the church of Christ and represent SGC both in Dominican Republic and in Colombia.

An update from David Del Castillo, Pastor of Gracia Soberana, Santa Cruz, Bolivia……

Personal

I want to firstly thank God for sustaining my family in recent times: Dad with his eye troubles, and Mum recovering well from her recent hip operation. Thank you for praying! Please continue to pray for full healing and recovery.

Workshops in Santa Cruz and La Paz

I would also like to update you on two Simeon Trust workshops, one held in Santa Cruz and the other in La Paz. They both went well, and see the hand of God in everything. Many people were affected.

Abelardo Muñoz from our sister church in Ciudad Juarez Mexico came for the workshop. It was an incredible blessing, as he preached at our church , and the people were very happy, as it reminded us we belong to a very large family called Sovereign Grace. Nicolas Osorio, who is in charge of South America for Simeon Trust also came and we had a good time of fellowship.

Both Abelardo and Nicolas served as instructors at both workshops, with me as the apprentice instructor. It was two weeks of a lot of learning that I thank God for it. About 40 people attended the workshop, half of them pastors, and half of them young people with the desire to be trained to preach the Gospel. This allowed us to work with and meet other churches in our midst that have similar visions.

Retreat in Guadalajara

Later, together with Cristian Monje (a brother who supports us in worship at church), we went to Guadalajara, Mexico. We joined up with Rich Richardson, Joselo Mercado and Carlos Contreras with their entire pastoral team at the Mexican retreat. I am also very grateful to be under the teaching and encouragement of Bob Kauflin. It was an incredible time, where Pastors and Leaders of Sovereign Grace Latin America participated. There were people from the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Colombia and us from Bolivia. It is very nice to see what God is doing in Latin America.

Church update

We continue to thank God for his mercy and for him sustaining the church here in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. We are looking forward to starting the Bridge material in two weeks. This material has been developed by Jim Donahue with his team at Covenant Fellowship and have been translated into Spanish. We look forward to learning it and please pray that God will use it to bring new believers.

Please pray God continues to sustain our church here in Santa Cruz, for wisdom to lead his church, and for his provision as the economy suffer from high level of unemployment. We know His grace is sufficient!

For us in Sovereign Grace, we see global missions as “the great commission work of making and maturing disciples around the world.” This is something that Jesus himself calls us to in Matt 28.18-20, when he says,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We’re therefore passionate about this. Knowing that Jesus is always with us, we’re eager to embrace this call and run into this mission, with both purpose and faith. And this new newsletter and blog, taking over from the EN newsletter and blog, is the joyful reporting of the fruit of those endeavours.

Make no mistake, it is all the Lord’s doing. In our global endeavours to establish new congregations (Church Planting), partner in new places (Emerging Nations) and reach new cultures (Missionaries), it is Jesus who is leading and strengthening the charge. Wherever we are, it is always His doing, and so what a joy it is to tell you about what He’s doing!!

Please feel free to help us spread the word about this newsletter and blog. You can access it directly here (www.sgcmissions.org/blog) and can have folk sign up for the monthly newsletter at the bottom of the page here (www.sgcmissions.org).

May the glory always go to Him and may this always be marvellous in our eyes!!

John Piper says that "prayer equals dependence on God” and when it comes then to all that we have planned globally, oh how we need Him! Here’s some headlines for you on how you can be praying for the work of Sovereign Grace Churches around the world in June...

1. Please pray for Joselo Mercado (Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana in Gaithersburg), as he heads to Colombia (7-15th June) to spend time with two churches that are seeking adoption into SGC: Iglesia Soberana Gracia, Santa Marta and Iglesia Biblica de la ciudad en Barranquilla. He then heads to the Dominican Republic (15-20th June) to give a main session at the Por Su Causa, a conference run by our friend Miguel Nuñez. This is a big platform to share the gospel of Grace and the centrality of Jesus in everything. Please pray for much grace and favour for Joselo as he serves in this way.

2. Please pray for Andy Farmer (Pastor in Covenant Fellowship, Glen Mills, USA) as he leads the final US Church Planting Cohort retreat (3rd-5th June) for the 2021-2022 intake. Each of the men involved in this cohort face distinct opportunities and obstacles, as relating to mission, and so please pray that this time will bring Holy Spirit illumination and faith as they spend time together as a group.

3. Please pray for Songhwan Kang (Lead Pastor of Lord’s Grace Church, Seoul, South Korea) as he leads the Gospel & Family conference, supported by a whole team coming over from Cornerstone Church of Knoxville, US (6-14th June). Please pray that they have a great time of favour with the parents and kids alike, and that the Gospel goes forward in mighty ways.

4. Please pray for Jeffrey Jo (Lead Pastor of CCSGM, Manila, Philippines), as he leads a team to Surigao del Sur, Philippines (23-29th June) to lead a mid-year leadership conference. In addition to the 13 churches that we have in that region, that are presently ‘SG Candidate Churches’, we are expecting around 130 church leaders at that conference, with so many showing a keen interest in Sovereign Grace. Please pray for protection, provision and Gospel-passion in their hearts. Please also pray for the two elders that will be staying behind for three weeks to minister and strengthen the thirteen churches that are already involved with us.

5. Please pray for Dyonah Thomas (Lead Pastor of Gracelife Church, in Monrovia, Liberia) as he prepares for the launch of the ‘Sovereign Grace West Africa Pastors & Planters Academy’, at the end of this month. There will be 10 students attending with their families, on a full-time basis, coming from four different countries - Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast. We’re so excited to see this coming together, as we plan for a number of SG West Africa Church Plants in 2023-25.

6. Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, and in particular those that are connected to us through Jeff Purswell and the Arche Church in Hamburg, Germany. In their own words, “Please pray that the Lord will give His peace in the hearts of believers and remove all fear. For the Gospel of Jesus to be a stronghold and a strong foundation in rebellious circumstances. For believers to support one another and keep their eyes on Christ. And for Christians to witness the Gospel to unbelievers and help them find peace in Jesus.” May they know His nearness and peace at this time, even in their darkest hour.

... Thank you so much for your prayers, may His grace abound to us all!

An update from Jeff Purswell, Dean of the US Pastors College, Director of Theology for SG Churches, and Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville, US…

When most Christians think of Germany, they think of Martin Luther and the birth of the Reformation in Wittenburg. As precious as that history is, my own thoughts of Germany run first to the city of Hamburg and the Arche Church, led by my dear friend Christian Wegert and his remarkable pastoral team. In early May, after 3 long years of Covid-delayed fellowship, I had the great joy of returning to Hamburg to teach a course in their Pastoren Kolleg (Pastors College) and to participate in the college’s second graduation ceremony.  Of the many trips I have taken there, I don’t recall a sweeter one.

The existence of this college grew out of the Arche’s passion to plant churches and, as they like to say, “to bring the gospel to the land of the Reformation.”  Having sent two students to the US Pastors College in 2007 and 2011, the pastors of the Arche were keenly aware of the lack in Germany of training that is theologically sound, gospel centered, pastorally oriented, and local church centered. As a result, they launched the Pastoren Kolleg as a lengthy, part-time program in 2014, led by Markus Kniesel, a 2012 graduate of the US Pastors College.

The college graduated its first class of 12 students in 2018, with seven students from Germany, three from Russia, and two from the Ukraine. One can only marvel at that composition in light of the world events that have transpired in 2022—and it was the effects of these events that made this trip particularly poignant for me.

Of the 23 students who attended my course on Biblical Theology, 21 were from Germany and two were from Ukraine—both now living in Germany as refugees. Four more students joined us via livestream: two from Ukraine and two from Russia. The Arche has affiliated churches in both of these countries, although the Russian churches have had to break off all formal relationships due to government restrictions and surveillance. Despite this, the undaunted, unifying, and hope-giving power of the gospel was palpably present over my days in Hamburg.

I wish I could recount the harrowing stories I heard from the two Ukrainian students, along with our Russian translator, Marina, who has translated every course I’ve taught there. I wish I could introduce you to Michael Ostanin, a 2018 graduate of the Pastoren Kolleg and the pastor of Ark Church Dnipro, who remains in Ukraine, working around the clock to serve wave after wave of refugees with food, shelter, and the hope of the gospel. (SGC’s European fund has been a vital means of support for the work Michael and his church are doing).

More striking than the tragic details of these stories, however, were the heart-felt expressions of unwavering trust in Christ and hope in the promises of the gospel. As Marina told me, “We stand firm on the rock of the one thing they cannot take away.” I emerged from every conversation deeply humbled, but also inspired by the fortifying effects of God’s Word in the lives of these dear saints. It’s difficult to imagine a more rich context in which to explore the glories of Scripture together.

Sunday brought me the great privilege of participating in the college’s second graduation ceremony. Fifteen students graduated, hailing from nine different cities and 10 different churches in Germany. Two of these churches, in the cities of Stade and Hannover, are church plants from the Arche. Some of these men are pastors; others are exploring church plants with the Arche; all of them are delightful, devoted servants of Christ who are sacrificing to be equipped to serve the cause of the gospel.

As I stood on the stage with these graduates, along with Christian and Markus who were leading the proceedings, it struck me that all three of the Arche churches in Germany, along with the two affiliated churches in Ukraine, are led by PC graduates. Four of these churches have students enrolled in the current class of the Pastoren Kolleg. The wisdom of Paul’s instructions in 2 Timothy 2:2—entrusting the gospel and sound doctrine to faithful men who will be able to teach others—landed upon me with intensified force.

Please pray for our dear brothers in Hamburg: Christian Wegert, Markus Kniesel, and the rest of the Arche team, as they train men and plant churches in Germany and beyond, and support pastors and gospel labors in over 10 other nations. Pray for their associated churches in Stade, Hannover, and Görlitz, Germany. Pray, too, for our brothers in Ukraine—among them Michael Ostanin and Oleksandr Heiko—as they care not only for their churches but for devasted refugees with the hope of the gospel.

As I write these words, my mind goes beyond Germany to Dyonah Thomas in Liberia, Josh Pannell in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Jeffrey Jo in the Philippines, Brendan Willis and Riley Spring in Sydney, all of whom are training faithful men in Pastors Colleges and similar contexts. Let us pray for these men as well, whose strategic labors in pastoral training carry church--, city--, even nation-transforming potential.

An update from Ed O’Mara, SG Church Planter relocating Italy…

In July my family is relocating to Italy to start the process of church planting and establishing Sovereign Grace Churches in Italy! (You can learn more and stay connected with us at www.omaras.org). We are in the midst of much planning. Proverbs 19:21 helps me: ‘though our plans are many, it is the purposes of the Lord that stand’. We are experiencing this in important ways and wanted to share highlights of God’s activity in our family of churches with respect to reaching Italy.

Our desire is that the Lord will establish Italian men to lead gospel-centered churches and we value teams in Sovereign Grace. So our prayer has been that the Lord would bring us gospel-partners to establish the first SGC church in Italy. In His kindness, the Lord has been answering this prayer through a friendship with Rocco Dalia and his wife, Madalina.

I met Madalina through a project to translate Sovereign Grace songs into Italian to serve the local church there. She heard we were relocating to Italy to plant churches and got me in touch with her husband, Rocco, who is finishing up seminary in the UK. His desire is to return to the north of Italy, where he grew up, to plant churches. Rocco and I built our friendship and discussed theology for a couple years. In this time he was instrumental in completing the Italian version of the Sovereign Grace website and is now working on the Statement of Faith. The Lord used these projects to convince Rocco that he belongs in SGC (and I agree!).

In the kind providence of God, after the European Development Fund was established, a decision was made to send Rocco and Madalina to Pastors College for this upcoming academic year. So while we are in Italy learning language and culture, Rocco and Madalina will be in the US learning SGC culture and values! Our hope is that they will return after Pastors College and we will plant the first SGC church in Italy in 2023/24 together! We are so thankful for the plans and purposes of God and for those who have given to the European Development Fund! It is already being used to lay important groundwork for the spread of the gospel through our family of churches in Italy!

A second important highlight is that my wife, Robin, and I just returned from Catania, Sicily, which will be our family’s landing place. The first goal of the trip was to find housing, enroll our children in schools, and explore the area where we will live.

It was a great success, on all fronts! We spent loads of time with Chiesa Grazia e Verità (Grace and Truth Church), our new church home after relocating. The church is led by, Giuseppe Fortuna, who has been an incredible help in our family’s relocation planning. Giuseppe and his elders are exploring partnership with Sovereign Grace. So in our first year in Italy we will have the opportunity to serve them as they navigate this decision. May the Lord’s will be done!

The second purpose of this trip was to serve the broader church in Sicily with a marriage conference. Larry and Gladine McCall of Christ’s Covenant Church (the SGC Church in Winona Lake, IN) joined me and Robin to lead this conference. There were over 50 couples who heard of the power of the gospel for strong marriages. It was also a terrific opportunity to connect with around 6-8 pastors from diverse backgrounds, which is not normal in Italy. Sadly, even with a sparsity of gospel-preaching churches there is much division and parochialism in the Italian Evangelical church.

These pastors relayed their sadness over this reality and an earnest desire to be united in the gospel. While not all of these pastors will have a long term interest in joining with Sovereign Grace, we could see that we left them with a palpable sense of encouragement. So this aspect of the trip was also a great success!

There is so much still ahead of us and we are just beginning to get started. But we can see the hand of God and we are deeply grateful for how that is coming through our family of churches. Your prayers, your giving to the European Development Fund, and your commitment to seeing the gospel go forward in your own community is all having a strengthening effect on us and we thank God for the privilege of partnership! May God be glorified all over the earth!

An update from Philip Estrada, Lead Pastor of Mission City Fellowship, San Antonio, TX, USA…

By God’s grace, Mission City Fellowship officially had our first worship service just over 12 months ago now, on Resurrection Sunday in April 2021. We had started gathering with our core planting group mid-January of 2021 to establish our gospel vision and shared values. Planting in the midst of COVID has tweaked some of our plans. Despite this, the Lord has continued to build. We have seen the church grow from a planting group in the 20’s to being beautifully diverse and in the 70’s at full attendance. Because of COVID we were meeting outdoors in a park at the beginning of 2021, but the Lord provided a place to worship in a movie theater that is an incredible blessing both logistically and financially. Along with a place to gather, I’m especially grateful for being able to plant with a plurality of Elders to serve the church. The Lord kindly provided in such a way that from day one we have been able to plant with two full time pastors.

We planted in an area heavy with catholicism and prosperity teaching. By God’s grace have seen a few brought out of the prosperity gospel and into our church community. They are understanding the gospel and grace in ways they have never heard which has resulted in growing affections for Christ and his people. It has been so sweet to see them eager to be a part of the church community and to witness their fresh amazement when we talk about the permeating reaches of grace. We also have had several people begin coming that were in search of a gospel centered, expositional preaching church - that is almost non existent in the area we are located. One family expressed that prior to our arrival they were praying for a faithful church and felt as if they were in a spiritual desert. They have attended since our first public worship service and have eagerly leaned into fellowship. The Lord has been doing an incredible work in a man who was a slave to drugs, given to homosexuality, and even engaged in acts of prostitution. We have seen him progressing in the faith and faithfully attending the churches gatherings. We have also had a man who is homeless attending the church which has had its challenges but has been a blessing to our church community. We have thanked the Lord for the privilege of sending him to us and were able to host him for Thanksgiving which the Lord used to continue to expand our hearts for the gospel to go to all people.

With Halloween being on a Sunday, that posed a challenge for us. We had a lady that attends the church gathering show up with a killer clown costume. The Lord was kind to overflow our hearts with compassion for her and allowed for a meaningful conversation in the midst of a unique experience. When I told her that she was welcome to join us in worship but she would need to leave the “scary stuff” in the car, she stormed off and said she was never coming back. By God’s grace, a few minutes later she met me in the lobby with repentant tears and a humble heart. That service I sat in the front row singing All I Have Is Christ next to this lady in a clown costume and a man without home - that will forever be one of my sweetest memories. In November we had the oldest member of our congregation die, her name was Jewel and she truly was used in the church to teach us the rare “jewel” of Christian contentment. The Lord used her prayers in our Sunday pre-service prayer time to point our eyes towards Christ and eternity. It was a bitter-sweet moment to stand before our little church and tell them that her faith had become sight. The Lord builds his church in unique ways and we are grateful for how the Lord casts a wide net and gathers all sorts to himself.

When I think about all the Lord has done, I am often amazed and overcome with gladness. Not only has he been gathering people but the Lord has kindly provided several “pillar” leaders to the church. These men are leading our praise band, our church prayer gatherings, and along with their wives are leading our fellowship groups. I believe they could be future deacons and possibly elders of the church. We meet with these men for our Men’s Leadership Cohort once a week for a time of care and equipping. We express thankfulness to the Lord often for these men who by God’s grace are faithful, able, intentional, teachable, and humble. They are a gift to the church and love Christ and his people joyfully.

As we have planted in southeast San Antonio we have seen a need for a faithful Spanish speaking church in our area and are praying towards that end. We believe we are being stirred to be a means to plant a faithful Spanish speaking church in the next few years. I envision other SGC Spanish churches sending planters to join in the congregation for a time with the aim of gathering the Spanish speaking and ultimately planting out of us. Pray with us in this.

Pray for the Lord to continue to build his church at Mission City Fellowship and that he would be greatly glorified in and through us.

An update from Kyle Huber, Lead Pastor of Greentree Church in NJ, USA, and Emerging Nations Representative to Belarus…

The church in Belarus has suffered a series of massive blows:

• Most of the world no longer allows flights into Belarus after the Belarusian government’s violent crackdown on demonstrations, which included hijacking a commercial plane and removing a dissident who was on board. Russia and Turkey are the only nations that will fly into Belarus.

• The Belarusian government has ordered all non-governmental organizations to officially disband. Churches have not been included, but many Christian ministries operated by churches have had to shut down.

• The Russian invasion of Ukraine has turned life in Belarus upside down. Belarus allowed Russia to stage parts of the invasion from their soil and all young men are required to register with the military. Belarus and Ukraine share centuries of cultural and economic friendship. These two nations have never been at war with each other. This makes Belarus’ support of the war a sickening shock to the Belarusian people.

• The war has crippled Belarusian economy. Many companies have shut down or left the country. Job loss and inflation have reached frightening levels.

• Belarusians wonder if Russian troops encamped on their soil will become a permanent occupation. Belarusians who have vivid memories of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster are afraid that Russian will use nuclear weapons in the current war.

• Many churches have had a significant percentage of their members leave the country. New Covenant Church, which is seeking partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches, has lost two-thirds of their congregation this way.

• Pastors are overwhelmed by all of these burdens, and they struggle to know how to best serve their congregations. Additionally, the government has warned churches against voicing any form of dissent. A few pastors have already been arrested.

Yet, in the midst of widespread fear and uncertainty, churches in Belarus are pressing into faithfulness. Sergei and Philip who pastor New Covenant Church, are ministering daily to the fearful, the jobless and the displaced. People are coming to them to find hope in their despair. Pastor Sergei writes:

“I continue to receive messages from unknown people because of my online posts about God, the Bible, Jesus, and the events going on today. They are frustrated and looking for answers. Mission opportunities are everywhere!”

Each week, new people are visiting their church. One of these is Ben, a young Jewish man who started attending the church and is now preparing for baptism.

But, Sergei and Philip are not satisfied to share Christ within their own country. They have sent some of their few remaining members to plant a church to the Russian speaking emigrees in Turkey! Nikita, who is a leader at New Covenant Church, moved to Turkey with his wife in early May. Since then, several other church members have joined them. In addition, a church planter from Russia who was mentored by Pastor Sergei is now part of the church plant team.

In God’s providential care, this team from Belarus has found an unexpected connection with Sovereign Grace Churches in Turkey. Sovereign Grace already has a Pastors College graduate who was sent by Sovereign Grace Church Dayton, OH to help church planters in Turkey. This dear brother is in a city near where the New Covenant Church team is located and is eager to be a help to them.

At this time, the church plant team is settling into their new surroundings. Their first step will be to establish a small group which will be the core of this new gospel proclaiming congregation. We praise God for the courage and gospel commitment of these Belarusian believers!

Here are prayer requests that have come from pastors in Belarus to guide how we pray for them:

• Pray that God will meet basic needs and sustain weary souls

• Pray that God’s people will not be ruled by fear

• Pray for peace, and an end to the suffering caused by the Russian invasion

• Pray for the church plant in Turkey

• Pray that God will bring about a great harvest in these nations affected by war

Psalm 127.1 says, ‘Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labour in vain’.

Unless the Lord builds the house, we labour in vain, it’s so true!! And so as we look out on the month of May and what’s ahead, here's some headlines of things you can be praying for us in. For everyone involved globally, we so value your prayers…

1. Please pray for Jeff Purswell (SG Director of Theology & Pastor in Sovereign Grace Church, Louisville), as he travels to Germany this week to teach in the Pastors College there in the Arche Church, that he helped to start. There will be 23 students attending from Germany, 2 from the Ukraine, plus three livestreaming from the Ukraine and 3 livestreaming from Russia. He’ll also be preaching on the Sunday morning in the Arche Church and participating in the graduation of 15 students from the PC. Please pray that Jeff will be a wonderful blessing to all involved and that God would knit us ever closer to this wonderful Church in Germany.

2. Please pray for Ed O’Mara, Larry McCall and their wives, as they head to Italy this month to run a marriage conference in Catania, focused on the gospel-centered marriage. Please pray that they’d serve the churches in Catania well and continue to build well with ‘Grazia e Verità’ in particular, as they continue to explore adoption into Sovereign Grace. In addition, please pray for Ed & Robin as they seek to find appropriate and affordable housing in a good location ahead of their relocation to Italy in the fall of 2022, with a view to Sovereign Grace Churches Italia.

3. Please pray for David Del Castillo (Pastor in Iglesia Gracia Soberana, Santa Cruz) as he participates and helps to run two Simeon Trust Conferences in Bolivia – 6-7th May (Santa Cruz) and 12-14th May (La Paz). Please pray for much grace and wisdom for him as he takes on this new endevour.

4. Please pray for Dyonah Thomas (Lead Pastor of Gracelife Church, in Monrovia, Liberia) as he prepares for the launch of the ‘Sovereign Grace West Africa Pastors & Planters Academy’, in June. There will be 10 students attending with their families, on a full-time basis, coming from four different countries - Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast. We’re so excited to see this coming together, as we plan for several SG West Africa Church Plants in 2023-25.

5. Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, and in particular those that are connected to us through Jeff Purswell and the Arche Church in Hamburg, Germany. In their own words, “Please pray that the Lord will give His peace in the hearts of believers and remove all fear. For the Gospel of Jesus to be a stronghold and a strong foundation in rebellious circumstances. For believers to support one another and keep their eyes on Christ. And for Christians to witness the Gospel to unbelievers and help them find peace in Jesus.” May they know His nearness and peace at this time, even in their darkest hour.

… Thank you so much for your prayers. May His grace abound to us all!

An update from Mark Prater, Executive Director of Sovereign Grace Churches, and Pastor in Covenant Fellowship Church, Glen Mills, PA…

I continue to be amazed at the opportunities that God is giving our small family of churches to partner with churches and plant churches throughout the world. I also marvel at how God is providing like-minded, theologically-sound, gospel-centered, Jesus-loving leaders who are helping us steward these opportunities to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ in Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. 

In response to God’s gracious provision, Dave Taylor and I co-led a Global Leadership Development retreat in Southern California, April 5-8. Men traveled from different parts of the globe to participate in our retreat. Jeffery Jo came from Manilla, Philippines; Barnabas Shrestha from Nepal; Carlos Contreras from Juarez, Mexico; Ed O’Mara who will be moving to Italy in July to plant a Sovereign Grace church in that nation; Joselo Mercado who represents Sovereign Grace in Latin America; and of course Dave Taylor traveled from Sydney. Dyonah Thomas from Monrovia, Liberia couldn’t get a visa to get into the States, but he joined much of the retreat via Zoom. Likewise Michael Granger from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was unable to attend this time around, but is also a part of this group. Each of these men are gifts from God because they are Christ-like men who have a passion for our shared gospel mission.

The purpose of our retreat was to invest into these men and in so doing fulfill the responsibility found in 2 Timothy 2:2, “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” Jeff, Barnabas, Carlos, Ed, Joselo, and Dyonah are faithful men who all have a proven gift of leadership. Therefore, it was quite a privilege for Dave and me to come alongside them and equip them to help us lead in our mission to advance the gospel by planting and strengthening churches throughout the world.

We used our time to build relationally by hearing personal updates, enjoying conversation over good food, encouraging, and praying for one another. Dave did a masterful job leading each guy to share the challenges they were facing, and the dreams they have for gospel ministry in their nation. It was humbling to hear the unique challenges and persecution that some of our global leaders are facing. Jon Payne joined us to talk about the importance of building healthy eldership teams in every local church. And Eric Turbedsky took an afternoon to cast vision for church planting and to make our global leaders aware of the church planting resources that are available to them through Sovereign Grace. I took a session and talked about the things I’ve learned about leadership as the Executive Director, and Dave wrapped up our retreat by imparting hope to all of us from Isaiah 41:10.

After spending a week with these men, living in the same house, sharing meals together, seeing pictures of their families, and hearing how they are leading in their nation, I found myself thanking God for each of them. In a short time, these men became friends, and they are men that Dave and I trust. Do you know what is amazing? As God has given Sovereign Grace opportunities to partner with churches and plant churches throughout the world, He has also given us quality leaders who will help us steward these opportunities with wisdom and care. Our future in Sovereign Grace is bright because God has given us Jeff, Barnabas, Carlos, Ed, Joselo, Dyonah, Michael and Dave. Please pray for them asking God to give them wisdom, discernment, and grace to lead well for the purpose of making more people, from every tribe, tongue, and nation aware of the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

An update from Bert Turner, Pastor in Covenant of Grace Church, Copley, Ohio, and Emerging Nations Representative to Brazil…

It is a joy to bring an update from Brazil. The Lord is knitting our hearts together with five gifted, godly pastors that are pursuing adoption with Sovereign Grace Churches. My monthly Zoom calls with each of them are a joy as we discover the Lord has been leading us to the same theological and cultural values. Please pray for them and their churches. Also, please pray for my wife, Karen, and I as we plan to spend six weeks with them in Brazil this September and October.

FABIANO MEDEIROS & THE CLOSING OF THE SÃO PAULO CHURCH PLANT

After seven years of faithful preaching, pastoring and sacrificial service by Fabiano, Marcia and the family to plant a church with Sovereign Grace Churches in São Paulo, it seemed to be the will of the Lord to close the church plant at the end of last year. It would take volumes to recount how God-glorifying and grace-filled are the lives of Fabiano and Marcia. The humility of Christ in them inspires me every time I’m with them. 

Fabiano continues to be a great gift from the Lord as we respond to the Spirit’s leading to serve local churches in Brazil. It is a great joy, indeed, to announce that Fabiano successfully completed all requirements for ordination with Sovereign Grace Churches, including acing the oral exam with a wonderful display of a Spirit-filled pastoral heart. The Lower Great Lakes Regional Assembly confirmed Fabiano as the first Sovereign Grace Churches’ ordained pastor in Brazil.

GUILHERME GUIMARÃES - PASTOR OF PRIMEIRA IGREJA BATISTA NACIONAL NO BUTANTÃ, SÃO PAULO

The church Guilherme is leading was planted about five years ago through a charismatic Baptist convention in Brazil. Guilherme is very excited by the values and relational way we build in Sovereign Grace Churches. Guilherme is gifted to study and teach. He has undergraduate degrees in mathematics and theology and is mostly through a doctorate program at an Evangelical seminary. He currently teaches theology for a seminary and has been accepted into a rigorous Masters program in theology.

RICARDO SILVA RICCO – IGREJA FAROL IN MARÍLIA, SÃO PAULO

Igreja Farol is a recent church plant in the interior of the State of São Paulo. From his experience as a missionary to children and families in the prison system in Bolivia, Ricco has developed a children’s Sunday school curriculum that is remarkably similar in approach to the Gospel Story Curriculum. Ricco has the grace to reach people from all stations in life – including those trapped in poverty and crime. We have a lot to learn from him.

JADER BITENCOURT - PASTOR OF IGREJA BATISTA CASULO. PORTO ALEGRE, RIO GRANDE DO SUL 

Jader was saved out of a lifestyle where he played music in bars in a popular neighborhood in Porto Alegre. God led him back to that neighborhood in 2020 to plant a church with the help of Acts 29. The Lord is prospering the church in an area where there are almost no Gospel preaching churches. Jader has the unique gift of relating to those in the neighborhood while establishing a solidly Gospel-centered church community.

EMERSON SOARES – IGREJA GRAÇA SOBERANA IN RIO GRANDE, RIO GRANDE DO SUL

The Lord has done marvelous work preserving and flourishing this church. Since 2018 this church has walked through tragedy, division and the difficulties of COVID, yet, by God’s grace and Spirit empowered faithfulness they not only survived, they are thriving. The Lord has opened the door to a larger, better location for the church to gather and is adding to their number. Emerson has led humbly and wisely. He is also the lead on translation of the Moore Theological College course into Portuguese. Emerson and Tati are prayerfully making plans to attend the Pastors College in 2023.

There is so much to give thanks to God for… Soli Deo Gloria!

An update from Chris Deloglos, Pastor in Kingsway Community Church, US, and Emerging Nations Representative to Bolivia…

It’s a joy to share a brief Church Plant update for Iglesia Gracia Soberana Santa Cruz – (Sovereign Grace Church of Santa Cruz, Bolivia), as well as let you know how you can be praying for them at this time.

I had the wonderful opportunity on April 3rd to travel to Bolivia to participate in David Del Castillo’s ordination. What a huge blessing! David was ordained after much study and preparation and is our first ordained SGC pastor in Bolivia and South America! He is a graduate of the SG Pastors College and working hard to complete his MDiv at Southern Theological Seminary.  There is so much to thank God for about the work that is happening in Santa Cruz.

For those who are unaware, Jorge and Terre Del Castillo along with David and Jadwy Del Castillo and their two young daughters moved to Santa Cruz from La Paz, Bolivia in Jan 2020. The first church service began Feb 16, 2020. This is only one of three reformed churches in a city of 2 million people. Member testimonies describe the treasure of Gospel preaching that this church is bringing. Several are coming to the church in response to Jorge and David’s online messages. 

Strategically, the church is located in the center of Bolivia and South America which is a strategic advantage to reaching the country of Bolivia and all of South America.  This location offers men within the country and in surrounding countries (who could otherwise never afford to come to the US) the access to reformed theological training in the context of a local church. 

Currently, the church meets weekly (virtually or face to face) for Sunday service, weekly prayer, Bible Study, discipleship and worship rehearsal, as well as fellowship groups. Both David and Jorge share the preaching, teaching and counselling responsibilities while David also cares for matters of worship and administration. Several have come to the church after discovering the online gospel preaching.  The online events are attended by many including folks in other cities and even other countries. Please pray for God’s continued direction, supply and wisdom in this. 

The church is planning for its second annual all church conference wherein members and guests gather for three days of teaching, fellowship, worship, and community. Last year over 150 folks - church members, friends, guests, and fellow pastors-joined in. This year, plans (Oct 6-8) are being made for double this amount.

In addition, the Simeon Trust organization has been seeking a location in Santa Cruz to bring its training program.  David has recently been selected and appointed to conduct the Simeon Trust Conferences in Santa Cruz. Praise God!

In terms of prayer, there’s a couple of ways you can be praying for this dear Church at this time:

Summer 2023 Mission Trip - We are in process of planning a summer evangelistic mission trip to Santa Cruz, Bolivia to serve this church plant.  Please pray for this and if you want to come along with us, then please contact Kingsway Community Church for more information. 

Health Challenges - Please pray for healing.  Jorge has had six eye operations in the last ten months for detaching retinas (emergency surgery) and cataracts. He has partial vision in one eye and continues to need treatment. The surgeons are hopeful for a slow but full recovery. Nevertheless, this has severely restricted Jorge’s work ability.

Financial Challenges - The church was planted in 2020, opened its doors February 16, 2020, and two weeks later the Covid pandemic began.  Not ideal!  Since the onset of the pandemic, Covid has riddled this third world country of Bolivia with a severe number of fatalities, repeated extended government-imposed shutdowns, extreme curfews and meeting closures and restrictions. While these restrictions hav severely impacted the growth of the church, it has nevertheless continued to grow, albeit very slowly. Please pray therefore, for continued financial provision.

Once again, there is so much to thank God for about the work that is happening in Santa Cruz.

Ukraine is going through ongoing dark and worrying times. With the outbreak of war, fear and uncertainty are filling the whole nation. Every day brings more alarming news, with continued shelling and growing numbers of casualties. Yet in the midst of this evil and carnage, there are pastors and their churches in the Ukraine that are labouring hard to care for people, and to offer hope that can only be found in Jesus.

We are eager to pray for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, what an important gift that is to them, and we’re also eager to support them financially in anyways that we can. 

To that end, we’ve been working closely with our partner Church in Germany - Arche Church, in Hamburg, throughout this difficult time. A few years ago, Arche Church planted a church in Ukraine with one of the PC graduates, a Ukrainian pastor. His Church is located in a place in Ukraine where people are fleeing from some of the Southern cities, port cities that are being heavily bombed. They’re making their way through his city on the way to the West, trying to find refuge and safety. They’ve set up 90 beds in their church, but typically on a given night, they’ll have over 150 people that arrive with the need for food and a place to sleep. 

To help partner with them in this, through the generous giving of personal donors and churches, we’ve been able to send out over $60,000 in support of this church’s relief efforts, money that we’ve been able to send over to them on a weekly basis. They are so very grateful for this gospel partnership, so much so that our contact on the ground (Pastors name name not included for his protection) wrote this to us just yesterday by way of an update:

           ‘Dear brothers and sisters. I just received the money. We thank the Lord for your commitment to the gospel, for the brotherhood of the cross, for your practical love. You point us to Christ. We spend your donations to receive refugees from the destroyed cities, we offer them hot meals, lodging, showers and administration for further movement to the West.  Also, we make food packages for migrants, for all those who have lost their jobs and livelihoods. We purchased a washer and dryer for the refugees. We refuel the cars of volunteers who transport people from the war zone in their cars. In addition, we help financially single mothers with children. We purchase the necessary medicines for patients with chronic diseases. We have not done this before on such a scale, but now, we are already "professionals" in social assistance to people and their accommodation. Of course, we want to show them Christ in us, and we are therefore looking for every opportunity to speak the gospel to suffering people. May the Lord Jesus be glorified in our ministry together with you.’

What a privilege we have to partner with these dear brothers and sisters in this way. Please pray that God would work to put a stop to the war in Ukraine, and that He would protect pastors and their churches as they labour for the gospel in the midst of very difficult circumstances.

In addition, if you or your church would like to give financially to support these relief efforts in Ukraine, then please give directly to the European Development Fund here (last one on the list), and your monies will then be sent directly to the church and pastor we’re working with. Right now, we’re able to get money over to Ukraine on a weekly basis, however, given the fluid circumstances there’s a chance our way of getting money over to Ukraine may close. If they do, we will look for a ‘plan b’, and do all we can to continue to get all financial gifts over to the Ukraine, and to where it’s needed most.

What a privilege we have to partner with our brothers and sisters in Ukraine in this way, as they seek to shine the light of the gospel, even in their darkest of the days. We’re so much better together. Soli Deo Gloria. 

Charles Spurgeon, in his book “The Power of Prayer in a Believers Life," writes:

“Do not bring before God stinted petitions and narrow desires, but remember, as high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are His ways above your ways and His thoughts above your thoughts. Ask, therefore, after a Godlike fashion, for great things, for you are before a great throne.” 

In God’s amazing kindness, you and I get to before his “great throne” and ask Him for “great things”. It’s an astounding reality, and so here are some ways you can be praying for our Global work over the next month…

1. Please pray for wisdom for Matthew Williams (Lead Pastor of Kingsway Community Church, VA, USA), as he travels to Namibia, to help Josh Kruger Jr. explore and pursue his desire of planting a Sovereign Grace church in Windhoek, Namibia. Josh and his wife, Lieze, have served as full-time missionaries in southern Africa for over a decade and long to see a gospel-centered witness established in the region. 

2. Please pray for Chris Deloglas (Pastor of Kingsway Community Church, VA, USA), as he travels to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, for the ordination service of David Del Castillo. Please pray for David & Jorge as they continue to faithfully serve and shepherd the church; for Jorge as he continues to struggle with some serious eye challenges due to retina detachments; and for their Church, Iglesia Gracia Soberana, that the Lord would bring good growth to their flock. 

3. Please pray for our ongoing conversations with our Chinese speaking Pastors College graduates. It’s our hope to begin planting some Sovereign Grace Chinese Churches in the US in 2023/24, an exciting endevour for everyone involved, and a dream that in God’s kindness, is increasingly becoming reality. 

4. Please pray for Myself (Australia), Mark Prater (USA), Ed O’Mara (Italy), Carlos Contreras (Mexico), Barnabas (Nepal), Jeffrey Jo (Philippines), Joselo Mercado (Latin America), Dyonah Thomas (West Africa), Michael Granger (East Africa), as well as Eric Turbedsky & Jon Payne (Leadership Team), as we gather for our very first Global Leaders Retreat – April 5th-8th, in Newport Beach, CA. Please pray that God would refresh each of these men, help us to build together relationally, and envision us for a future of increased global partnership. May this be a rich time together. 

5. Please continue to pray for ARK Church in Dnipro, Ukraine, led by our friend Pastor Michael. Michael is a dear friend of Jeff Purswell and a graduate of the German Pastors College, hosted by the Arche Church in Hamburg, Germany. In Michael’s own words, “please pray that the Lord will give His peace in the hearts of believers and remove all fear. For the Gospel of Jesus to be a stronghold and a strong foundation in rebellious circumstances. For believers to support one another and keep their eyes on Christ. And for Christians to witness the Gospel to unbelievers and help them find peace in Jesus.” You can hear an update on all that is taking place through our contacts in Ukraine by clicking here.

   … Together, may we take these “great things” and head to His “great throne”.

An update from Abelardo Muñoz, one of the pastors of Gracia Soberana de Ciudad Juarez, Mexico…

In 2014 our church, Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Juárez, asked the leaders of the Charles Simeon Trust to conduct an expository preaching workshop in our premises. They kindly agreed to do it, and in May of  that year we hosted what was the first 3-day workshop of this kind not only in México, but in all of continental Latin América (prior to this, only a few lectures had been taught to a few pastors in Cuba). The response of all the pastors who completed that first workshop was very enthusiastic, and we entered into a partnership with the Charles Simeon Trust in order to conduct a workshop in Juárez every year, which we’ve done ever since.

The workshops had a strong and positive impact not only on the pastors preaching skills, but on their lives as well, and in order to make the workshops more accessible to a greater number of pastors from the central and the south regions of México, in 2018 we decided to conduct  two workshops annually, one in Juárez and the other in Guadalajara, the second largest city of the country, located in the west-central state of Jalisco. As expected, the response in Guadalajara was as positive as it had been in Juárez, as more and more pastors from all regions of our nation are eagerly looking for opportunities to be trained and grow in their expository, gospel-centered preaching skills.

This year’s workshop in Guadalajara took place from March 9th to the 11th, and we studied the book of Acts, which belongs to the biblical genre of Gospels/Acts. By the grace of God we had a total attendance of 55 pastors and/or teachers of God’s Word, with about 50% of them attending their first workshop. The participants came from 26 different churches and from 13 different states, and their level of preaching experience went from brand new leaders and/or pastors in training to seasoned pastors with over 30 years of experience.

The workshop went really well. All the attendees were very attentive to the instruction received, and they participated with enthusiasm during the hands on sessions of this training event. As a result, the main goals of the workshop were accomplished and all the pastors/teachers went back to their churches better equipped to handle with precision the precious Word of God. In this way, these workshops become a valuable means by which we can promote the crucial but rather ignored or neglected practice of gospel centered preaching in our nation. 

In addition, these workshops always give us wonderful opportunities to meet and connect with pastors who express an interest in knowing more about our dear family of churches, or to continue  the conversation and strengthen the relationships with those pastors who are already actively seeking adoption into our family of churches.

The workshop in Juárez took place from March the 14th  to the 16th, and the biblical genre and book under study was the same as in Guadalajara. Mostly due to our remote location, the attendance in Juárez is always smaller, and about 30 pastors/teachers came to our workshop this year, and for almost 50% of them this was their first workshop. We had 20 different churches represented at the workshop, most of them from our city, and despite the distance, we had pastors from six other cities. As was the case in Guadalajara, the workshop in Juárez was also successful, and the main goals of motivating and equipping the pastors/teachers to handle with precision the word of truth were accomplished.

On Saturday March the 5th, Hellman Ávila (senior pastor of Iglesia Misión de Gracia in El Paso, Texas) and myself, accompanied by Jaime Chow (associate pastor in Misión de Gracia) and Manolo Quintal (senior pastor of Iglesia Gracia Sublime in Silao, Gto., Méx.), then had the joy and privilege of conducting the ordination ceremony of Enrique Villegas, senior pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana of Orizaba, Veracruz, México. 

Enrique is a fine young pastor who began his ordination process early last year. He  passed all his written and oral exams with flying colors, and then he completed the rest of the ordination requirements during the first two months of this year. He is married to Maricruz, and they have two pre-adolescent daughters. He began serving what is now Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Orizaba about seven years ago, and continues to serve as the only elder of that church.

Besides the members of the church, the ordination ceremony was attended by several local pastors who are friends of Enrique, and by the pastor, leaders and wives of a sister Sovereign Grace church in the nearby city of Córdoba, Veracruz. The ordination ceremony was solemn and moving, as Enrique acknowledged the Statement of Faith of SGC as his very own faith, and as he declared his submission to the biblical principles contained in the BCO of SGC. And the congregation affirmed their willingness to submit and respond to his leadership and to support his ministry among them.

All ordinations are very significant, and Enrique’s ordination is also special because with his ordination we now have in our region, five churches with at least one SGC ordained pastor, which enables us to continue moving forward in the process of eventually becoming a Sovereign Grace Nation outside of the USA. We thank God for raising up men like Enrique, and look forward to all the fruit his ministry will bear for the advancement of the Gospel in our dear nation of México.      

An update from Doug Hayes, Pastor in Covenant Fellowship, PA, and Executive Director of Covenant Mercies…

February of this year marked the 20th anniversary of the founding of Covenant Mercies, the nonprofit organization I lead from my role on the pastoral team at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA.  There is something about a milestone like this that puts a person in a reflective mood, with at least one eye on the rearview mirror.  That has certainly been the case for us in Covenant Mercies.  

It is amazing to recall that, at the time of our founding in 2002, we knew none of the African friends we now regard as family; and not only family, but integral partners in ministry.  It is no overstatement to say that without these dear brothers and sisters, it would be impossible for us to carry out the mission we so deeply believe God has called us to fulfill. 

In collaboration with these friends and partners, we are now serving approximately 1,600 fatherless children in Uganda, Zambia, and Ethiopia.  In two of those countries, we are also working together to build and develop Christian schools where the vast majority of our sponsored kids receive their education.  Year by year, we are seeing an ever-increasing number of students – many of whom started in our program as small children – graduate from high school, vocational school, and even university.  Most would not have expected to attend high school at all (let alone graduate), yet now they are stepping into the future as competent young adults who are ready to make an impact in their workplaces, churches, and communities. 

Looking in that rearview mirror brings us a lot of joy and satisfaction these days.  But by God’s grace, we reach our 20th anniversary with exciting new opportunities in front of us as well.

Readers of this newsletter will already be familiar with Dyonah Thomas and GraceLife Church in Liberia.  Recognizing quality education as an intensely felt need in their community, this church launched GraceLife Academy a few years ago.  Through this school, they are already touching the lives of dozens of children in the local community, and they are ambitious for much more.  I am therefore thrilled to announce that, in collaboration with GraceLife Church, Covenant Mercies is launching its Orphan Sponsorship Program in Liberia this month.  Lord willing, we will also work together to build and develop GraceLife Academy’s permanent campus on a plot of land just a 5-minute walk from the church.

One of the primary lessons we have learned through 20 years of ministry in sub-Saharan Africa is that quality Christian education is a key element to the success of our mission.  Finding compatible partners like our new friends at GraceLife is therefore an answer to prayer for us, and a tremendous opportunity.  

The team in Liberia is currently working with engineers to develop a comprehensive site plan for GraceLife Academy’s campus, and a coalition of donors has made a $50,000 matching challenge to help us raise the funds needed for Phase One construction.  What a way to turn the corner into our third decade in ministry!

Looking in the rearview mirror is gratifying indeed, but we are even more excited to be celebrating 20 years while looking forward.  God has been exceedingly gracious to bring us into partnership with our friends at GraceLife, and we look forward to seeing his plan unfold in the lives of countless children in the years to come. 

An update from Brendan Willis, one of the pastors of Sovereign Grace Church, Sydney, Australia…

To be a part of a Sovereign Grace church is to be a part of a global family. 

Though for some this might conjure up awkward memories of the extended family gathered around the table at thanksgiving, we mean family in the best sense. We mean family with its great richness of relationship. Family with the deep commitment and loyalty of its members to one another. And family in the radical generosity members will often show towards each other in times of need. Families at their best support one another as they journey through life together. 

Our experience of partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches in Sydney has been nothing short of family at its best! So many churches have sacrificially sown into our two churches over the years and none more so than Covenant Fellowship in Glen Mills PA. The Covenant Fellowship team have prayed for us, supported us financially, loaned us Mark Prater (not once but twice), taken on an intern, given of their time to supporting our pastors and even sent out their church prophecy team! 

This past March in another act of generosity, Covenant Fellowship also sent out Andy Farmer to join us for the week. Andy Farmer – who has been a pastor at Covenant Fellowship for more than 25 years – was a wonderful blessing to both our churches in his week with us. When he wasn’t sipping beer at the Opera house or milking an Eastern Taipan (This is for real – check it out on YouTube) we put him hard to work serving both the church in Wahroonga and Parramatta. 

Andy served his socks off in Sydney. Here are two of the highlights. 

Andy ran a full day training seminar for all of our small group leaders and their assistants across both our churches called “The Gospel, Counselling & Mental Health”. This was such a wonderful time for all our group leaders as we paused to consider a topic that is often the cause of much confusion. It was a jam-packed day as Andy outlined the basic structure of the mental health system in Australia, its limitations in a fallen world and our calling as Christians to move towards others in love as the Holy Spirit works in our midst. It was wonderful to see the way Andy dealt with the many questions our leaders had with great compassion and wisdom.

On the final night of Andy’s trip we ran an evening for our churches and any guests in the community called, “Dealing With The Realities of Mental Health”. Despite having a significant COVID outbreak and multiple church members in isolation it was a full house with many people deeply affected by the content shared on the night. I’ve had multiple conversations with members of our church who have had significant struggles with mental health and who described the night as ‘eye opening’. In addition, a follow up conversation with a non-Christian friend who also attended the evening has led to them signing up for an Alpha course we are running as a church! 

When I pause and consider our partnership with churches like Covenant Fellowship it’s hard to feel anything but overwhelming gratitude. The amount of time and energy they have sowed into us is so incredibly generous you could be excused for questioning their discernment. 

But this is family. And as churches we look to the future eager to follow in their example. As Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians,

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” (Philippians 1:3–5) 

From everything I’ve seen and heard, Josh Pannell has been doing a marvellous job of leading our Sovereign Grace Pastors College in Ethiopia!

They got off to a wonderful start in September, but then with the war in Ethiopia beginning to get so close to Addis Ababa - November, December & January had some unavoidable setbacks. There were a few weeks in which it appeared the PC might not survive. But under the leadership and hardwork of Josh, often carrying double the weight in those difficult days by teaching classes that he had never intended to teach, the pulled through and are now very much back in business! 

Just recently Mark Prater, our SG Executive Director, went out to teach at the Pastors College and spend time with Josh Pannell, Michael Granger and Trinity Fellowship Church. He was deeply moved and encouraged by the time, you can hear all about it below... Wonderful stuff!

Trinity Fellowship Pastors College

Ethiopia And The Future With Africa