My Pilgrimage to Missions: Part Eight
This is article eight of a series on the missions heart of J. Herbert Walker, Jr., former director of World Missions for the Church of God.
Rapid Growth
We developed a good master plan of education: however, we have had to modify it greatly because of the rapid spiritual growth that has taken place. Our work in Guatemala increased from just over 20,000 members to more than 70,000 members. Other countries in Central America also had had rapid growth.
In eight years, Cost Rica went from 39 churches to more than 400 churches. El Salvador and Honduras have also experienced rapid growth. The educational programs in these countries are now based on an extension system. Teachers go into the different geographical locations and set up courses so the pastors can attend classes without leaving their congregations. As of now, Guatemala alone has over 1,100 students in its extension program.
During seven years, World Missions has experienced a rapid spiritual growth. Encompassing the Assembly period of 1984 to 1986 more than 900 new churches were organized, and membership increased by more than 134,000.
We are like switchboard operators receiving incoming calls from all over the world telling of the news, both of victories and of difficulties. We pray together. We praise the Lord together. We worship together. We share together our thinking about the trends that are developing, and we make plans together for world evangelization. I thank the Lord for letting me be a part of this.
The Key to Victory is Prayer
In my pilgrimage I have learned that the key to victory is prayer. When I graduated from Bible school, the seniors were asked to leave a special saying to the other students. That which I left in our yearbook was “Prayer is the secret of success.”
I am convinced that as we increase our prayer, we more clearly see the world through the eyes of God. He so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to save the world. We, too, will have the great desire that is at the heart of God to see the world saved when we come into closer communion with Him.
J. Herbert Walker, Jr.
Taken from The Pentecostal Minister written in 1987.
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