Jeff Straub Few things have so universally affected the missionary movement like the current COVID-19 pandemic. As the world’s economy has ground to a halt, so too has the advance of the gospel been significantly curtailed. With “shelter-in-place” orders stretching from California to Canada, Romania to Rwanda, the world is facing the pandemic with vigorous… Continue Reading
Jeff Straub During these past two weeks I have been writing about the deaths of Charles Wesco and John Chau, men who perished in violent ways doing mission work. In the first essay, I praised their dedication to follow Christ into dangerous situations. Last week I addressed the issue of peril in gospel advance. We… Continue Reading
Jeff Straub Last week I wrote of the deaths of Charles Trumann Wesco and John Allen Chau, two men whose lives ended in recent days in the service of God. Wesco was a newly-arrived missionary in Cameroon when he was shot in the head in Bamenda, while Chau was killed when he tried to contact… Continue Reading
Jeff Straub Two fresh missionary deaths have made the news in recent weeks. The first was the unexpected death of missionary Charles Trumann Wesco (1974–2018), an independent Baptist missionary from Indiana. Charles, a father of eight, was accidently caught in the crossfire of civil unrest in Bamenda, Cameroon, having been in the hostile northern part… Continue Reading
Missionaries do their work in a perilous environment. Such has been the rise of ideas such as “multi-culturalism”, that many missionaries now go by a different title: aid–workers, social-workers, educators, or even consultants. Opting for different titles is understandable. In the popular imagination, missionary is increasingly synonymous with colonialist, imperialist, or patronizing religious types “forcing” their… Continue Reading
In Africa, particularly where black nationalist sentiments arise, it is not uncommon to hear the title of this post thrown around in conversation. Similarly, half-formed sentiments are uttered about missionaries who replaced the harmonious earth-religion of the peaceful indigenous people with their foreign religion, so as to steal their land and subjugate them. The saddest… Continue Reading
Jeff Straub One of the real delights of working at the seminary is the opportunity to hear the visiting chapel speakers. Our students get the privilege of hearing from some choice servants of the Lord. A recent missionary was no exception. It was a special blessing for me to hear him, as the brother who… Continue Reading
Jeff Straub Teaching overseas is a great opportunity, but it is not without challenges. These challenges abound in the wider world. Little things or big things cause discomfort to Westerners who are accustomed to conditions back home. Last week, I mentioned waiting in line. This is a standard feature in some parts of the globe.… Continue Reading
Jeff Straub So, you made it overseas. You cleared customs and now you are on your way to you host’s home. Hopefully you have arrived early enough to allow your system to adjust. You have even exchanged a few dollars to have local currency. Now what? Things will likely be different than what you are… Continue Reading
Jeff Straub Last week I began a series on overseas teaching. This week I want to consider the preparation necessary for such a venture. For those who regularly travel internationally, this essay may seem a bit rudimentary. But for others who are less experienced, there may be some helpful information here. Once you have decided… Continue Reading
Jeff Straub We live in days of tremendous technological advances. We carry phones that take pictures, tell time, serve as alarm clocks and stop watches, and keep track of our daily schedules. Our computers are smaller, more powerful, and have more storage than anyone imagined just thirty years ago. I carry a library of more… Continue Reading
Jeff Straub I love encountering new cultures. The sounds, the smells, the tastes—pungent, bitter, sweet, loud, soft, ebullient, quiet. What a world we live in! Last week I spoke of the global ministry of teaching that the Lord has given me in the last twenty years. This ministry has carried me to four continents. I… Continue Reading
Jeff Straub Throughout my 12-year tenure here at Central Seminary, I have been using part of my time to teach overseas. When I was hired, I told the administration that it was my intention to be a participant in world missions even if I had to do it on a part-time basis and use my… Continue Reading
Jeff Straub The modern missionary movement is now about 225 years old, if you mark its beginning with the journey of William Carey to India in 1792. Of course, students of missions history recognize that missions hardly began with Carey. It dates to the New Testament era and the great missionary apostle, Paul. Moreover, looking… Continue Reading
Jeff Straub Recently, I returned from the Far East after another blessed ministry trip. As I journeyed home, I began to muse on the incredible opportunity which the Lord had given me. What a world we live in! Thinking back on the history of Christian missions, my teaching trip was extraordinary. Compare my journey with… Continue Reading
Friday, January 8, was the sixtieth anniversary of what is likely the best known missionary sacrifice of the twentieth century. Jim Elliott and his four companions, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming, and Ed McCulley, all surrendered their lives to follow Christ. They gave up those lives on a lonely stretch of sand by the… Continue Reading
Can you help us send copies of A Conservative Christian Declaration to a conference for pastors in Kenya? We have had a request from missionary Dan Huffstutler to have copies of A Conservative Christian Declaration sent to a conference for church leaders he hosts in Kenya. We’d love to be able to help these faithful missionaries and… Continue Reading
Jeff Straub Last week, I began to evalutate Steve Shadrach’s book on raising ministry support, The God Ask. It is a how-to manual for Christian workers who need to secure personal funding for their ministry. I found it an interesting and engaging book, with a number of helpful suggestions that can make the efforts of… Continue Reading
This week and next, I want to interact with a recent book that has some bearing on the discussion we have been having over the past several weeks. I have been writing a series of articles to encourage churches to become more missions-minded. As I was writing this series, my son (who will be returning… Continue Reading
Jeff Straub All churches should be growing in their commitment to fulfill the Great Commission, and having a missions-minded church is one way to increase this commitment. Already in this series, we’ve seen that the pastor or lead elder needs to set an example of missions-mindedness. This equips him to lead his church into deeper… Continue Reading