August 2007

EFM Casts Vision For Church And Mission Multiplication

The Evangelical Friends Mission (EFM) Board recently held its Spring Retreat at Quaker Ridge Camp. A wonderful spirit was in evidence as the Board heard from candidate missionaries Edwin and Maria Giron (Mexico), Joe Swan (Rough Rock), and David Howell (Ireland), and from Jaime and Lydia Tabingo as they shared their vision for future ministry in the Philippines. In less than thirty years, the Lord has blessed EFM with the stewardship of ten fields—nearly 300 churches with an average attendance of 14,000.

EFM Vision: Every Church a Sending Church, Every Mission a Reproducing Mission
“Every church a sending church” implies that each established church is called to send workers into the harvest. This process has begun in places such as Rwanda, the Philippines, and Nepal. Taiwan Yearly Meeting has sent missionaries to the Philippines, Myanmar, and Mainland China, and has sent Friends on training trips to Nepal.

“Every mission a reproducing mission” suggests that the task of every missionary is to build a missions vision into the DNA of a new work. God calls missionaries from every people group to take the gospel across cultural and national barriers. Examples of how this vision is being fullfilled include:

• Edwin Daliya and the Garhwal people launched a mission among the Tharu people group. They support one supervisor, and the Tharu now support ten evangelists with about thirty Friends house churches.

• John Vanlal and the Nepalis started a mission in Bhutan. They also reached across the border to India.

• Bob Adhikary sent evangelists to new districts with villages untouched by the gospel, and is planning for ministry in Malaysia.

EFM News Briefs
Summer interns
Julie Penna and K. K. Lawski are serving in Nepal. Martha Hodson will do a short stint with Kathi Perry before working with another mission in Ireland. All three are from Barclay College.

Short-term missionaries
Michelle Carpenter and Chrissy Muhr are doing a great job in Rwanda teaching missionary children. Chrissy is on a two-year term and Michelle has decided to stay for a second year.

Nepal
Dr. Samson Retnaraj received a new community health ministry vehicle. Priscilla Retnaraj is in her second year of a Masters Degree in Nursing Education, studying in India. The separation is hard on Dr. Samson and the family.

Sangi Vanlal went through major surgery in Kolkata, India. She had a plate and some bone inserted into her neck to take pressure off a nerve that had caused extreme pain and some paralysis in her hand. She is recovering well, the pain is gone, and her hand movement is partially back.

Mexico
Jeremy and Betty Smuck and Candi Foster now have their permanent visas, which allow them to do missionary ministry. Andrea Byrne has a permanent visa for music since she plays in the local orchestra.

Ireland
Celesta James’ brain aneurism and vein malformation (separate problems) continue to be under observation. So far, the tests are showing little change. Kathi Perry moved to Greystones, a half hour away from Dublin, with the intent of starting a new church—a second Cairde Christian Fellowship. Cairde is Gaelic for Friends. David and Tricia Howell look forward to ministry in the community of Tallaght.

The Philippines
Jaime and Lydia Tabingo plan to move into a church planting and Gospel/Ministry Team role in the Philippines. They have pastored the Pasig Church for the past twenty-nine years. Now they will have new freedom to lead and mentor new leadership in the Philippines Evangelical Friends Church.

Rough Rock Friends Mission
Joe Swan, a pastor in Alaska Yearly Meeting, shared his testimony and sense of God’s call to work among the Navajo in Rough Rock (AZ). The EFM board approved Joe and Tina Swan as missionary candidates to Rough Rock.

Good News From the Field Brings Joy
These wonderful reports reminded me of Paul’s words to the church in Colosse, “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth” (Col 1:6). I pray your hearts are filled with the joy of the Lord as you hear this good news from EFM fields. Join EFM in praising God for spiritual growth.

—Phil Burgi with Chuck Mylander

Phil Burgi is a member of First Denver Friends Church (CO). Phil serves Rocky Mountain Yearly Meeting as President of the Board of Missions Ministries. A member of the Evangelical Friends Mission (EFM) Board, he chairs the Finance Committee.