September 12, 2012

 What is Legacy Work?  Jack and I, the Legacy Team of Kenya, believe our job is to work with the established Baptist work in Kenya, the churches and Believers who are the result of the past work of our IMB co-workers and their disciples.

Our job is to strengthen and encourage these churches and Believers as we engage lostness together (Acts 14:22; Revelation 14:6).  Our job is to work beside our Baptist churches and Believers as we carry out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) – as we “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything (He) commanded (us).” 

Jack is doing these things this week as he teaches a course on ‘cults’ at our seminary, Kenya Baptist Theological College.  My Legacy Team ‘job’ is to share what God is doing, how He has blessed the past work of our co-workers, supporters, and the work of Kenyan Baptists, and how others can join in His future work in the Harvest Field of Kenya – which I’m hopefully accomplishing in this update!

Legacy Work also includes our being an active part of a Baptist church.  God has taught us that that our involvement in church planting is more productive when we work as members of a church which new and growing churches can imitate.



We had a special view of Legacy Work this past weekend as we attended a luncheon for Parklands Baptist Church leaders and those being ordained as pastors and deacons later this month. The hymn we sang as the meeting began, “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,” was perfect, as was the day’s scripture, Matthew 9:35-38, our Savior’s plea for harvest workers! Parklands is committed to serving, obeying and praising our heavenly Father, and since their beginning in 1976, their desire has been to make sure that “ev’ry kindred, ev’ry tribe” are also serving, obeying and praising our Father!

As we listened to testimonies, we were amazed by the ‘network’ that those attended represented.  All were discipled by former colleagues or by East Africans that were discipled by past missionary co-workers.  Over and over, we heard references to the influence of those working with the Baptist University Ministry and once again we heard missionary’s names given or the names of those they mentored and trained.

The varied economic and social backgrounds of the participants also astounded us, as did their spiritual maturity and desire for growth in all areas of their lives! They represented diverse professional backgrounds and all, including those in careers such as pharmacy and accountancy, desire to use their jobs to be at work in our Father’s Harvest Field  This includes one future deacon, who will finish his PHD later this year is an area of electrical engineering, while many others are working on masters at local seminaries/universities. All are also active in reaching beyond Nairobi as they participate in mission trips in East Africa – one pastor had just returned from teaching discipleship to Kenyans living in England!

I could go on and on as this was a great time of ‘recharging’ for Jack and for me!  Join us in praying that God will use the established Baptist church members in Kenya to be shepherds to His harassed and helpless sheep as they seek to do His work in His harvest field in Kenya and beyond! BERT
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Yesterday’s Nudge from East Africa  and the two 'tap' photos share another of our ‘experiences’ this past week! To view last week's nudges, go to  http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com