By Ben McGlamery, World Missions Field Representative
At the Indiana camp meeting in June, pastors brought offerings in excess of $26,000 for the purpose of building a health care facility in Lesotho, a tribal enclave located in the country of South Africa.
At its spring meeting, the Indiana Missions Board, with the approval of Bishop Keith Ivester, adopted this special project with the theme, “Lesotho Clinic: A Miracle for Ministry.” The purpose was to promote the funding of this project by bringing collective offerings from Indiana churches. The goal was to raise $50,000. On offering night of camp meeting, pastors brought their offerings in an atmosphere of victory and praise!
What happened prior to this significant night merits our attention. That very week, Indiana was hit with some of the worst flooding it had experienced in years. Several of Indiana’s churches, including those in Shelburn and Columbus were victims of the flood’s onslaught. The Shelburn Church of God, one proposed site of a regional camp meeting, had to be evacuated the night of its meeting and moved to a Baptist church. In a later incident, the Shelburn church was struck by lightning, inflicting additional unexpected loss.
However, neither the Shelburn nor Columbus pastors’ spirits were dampened. As examples of all the generous souls in Indiana, Pastors Jerry Adams and Jerry Ballard joined the march to bring their offerings to the Lord. Forgetting their own misfortune, they never wavered in giving to those in Lesotho who ultimately will be blessed—body, soul and spirit.
Indiana churches and pastors have proved once again what missions is all about—giving to souls that may never be seen in this life, but who will live forever together with us in heaven!
Lesotho Clinic Project Number 1325044
(Source: Church of God World Missions)