Questions and Answers about Our New Ministry
I am posting a letter from our Mission Leader, Gary Hunter, but I also wanted to write to you personally about a change coming up in our ministry. God is opening a door for us to work with church planters on a global scale.
What will your new ministry be?
I will continue with the same mission, ReachGlobal, in the same area of calling and service, but from a new position: Church Planting Director. This will be a global ministry developing and coaching Church Planting leaders and helping them with best practices and new initiatives. It’s working with and through a team of Church Panting leaders from every region of the world.
What does this change involve on a personal level?
Since the ministry is global and my team is international, it doesn’t require a move. It will involve more diverse and longer trips since our five areas are Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. The learning curve is great. We will be learning about ministry in many diverse areas of the world and meeting new people. It may sound overwhelming, but I can see how God has been preparing us for it. He has allowed me to live in Morocco, France, the U.S., and Quebec, and serve in Latin America. For several years, Linda and I have had the desire to help other regions develop training and use our fluency in French. This will be another step of multiplication.
What will Linda’s role be?
We have always worked as a team. Linda has great insights into people and their needs. Initially we would like to go together to each of the areas of the world together to meet the people and understand the facts on the ground. We will look at each trip and ask: “Is this for Gene, for Linda, or for both of us?”
How will this affect your finances?
We won’t have a guaranteed salary or ministry budget. We will continue to depend on prayer and financial supporters like you. This increased job responsibility does NOT mean ANY increase in salary. As always, we must raise our support, and will need to raise finances for the increased cost of travel and ministry development in 2009. My leaders have agreed to help by referring us to new potential partners. So please continue to give as the Lord leads you, and pray that our support team will expand.
How did this come about?
We did not seek this increased responsibility. We love working with our Latin America team. In March 2008, our leaders asked us to consider expanding our ministry because of the great needs in other parts of the world. In May, after time in prayer and seeking counsel, we accepted.
What is next?
In the upcoming months, I will be meeting with our international leaders to identify church planting coaches from each area of the world that can be part of our global church planting team (GCPT). That will take me to St Louis, MO later this month and probably to Europe and Asia before the end of the year. Please pray for God’s favor and for wisdom. We would like to see the GCPT assembled by April 2009.
Would you pray at least weekly for us?
Here are some immediate prayer requests:
1. Understanding & wisdom as we plan and strategize; every trip directed and used by God.
2. That God would provide enough for us to go together for our introductory trip to each area.
3. Meetings with International Leaders in St Louis, MO June 22-24.
4. That God would expand our support team with new ministry partners.
5. Blessing on our time with our families and with supporting churches this summer.
“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ throughout all generations.”
In Him,
Gene and Linda Wilson
ReachGlobal, 901 East 78th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55420-1300,
(954) 915-8085, gene.wilson@efca.org, lindawilson@efca.org
