Taking a Back Seat

The word missionary often conjures up a picture of a pioneer venturing into the jungle with a safari helmet and machete—a self-starting, true-grit trailblazer who travels abroad to lay ministry groundwork with blood, sweat, and tears.

Missions in Europe, however, is less about missionaries doing it on their own and more partnership with national churches. God often calls us to support roles, which may be easy or difficult, depending on a person’s situation and gifts. It takes grace and meekness to place national brother and sisters at the wheel, but we are discovering the value of taking a back seat.

During our first 12 years on the field, our ministry focus was reaching university students—but we also helped plant two churches where we served on the board, led worship, preached, ministered to children, and helped lay the groundwork for a daughter church. That experience helped us learn to lead from the middle.

Leading From The Middle

As missionaries we don’t receive a salary from the church we currently pastor; allowing the church to employ a national associate pastor we are training to take the reins eventually. Whether we lead the team or simply belong to it, the goal is raising up nationals who will carry on long after we are gone.

This type of ministry is not uncommon in Germany and other countries with strong national churches. Missionary Steve Walent writes,

The purpose of being in a supportive role is a Kingdom-based approach in my eyes, because it inevitably places the burden on the national leaders, pastors, and workers to discover their purpose in God’s plan to reach their country. We [missionaries] are simply catalysts to make this happen. In that way, I am more of a “multiplier.” Investing in others eventually accomplishes more for the Kingdom than doing it ourselves.

More people come to Christ as Steve coaches German church leaders than would have if he had planted one church.

Nobody Wants To Talk Alone

Missionary Mike Tyler currently serves two churches led by first-time church planters, helping guide the pastors to confidently pursue the ministry to which God has called them. In his words, “Nobody wants to walk alone, and they shouldn’t have to.”

Missionary Austin Brown says, “What proves our love for where we are planted is how we cherish our host country above our own expectations. You support those who have been laboring in love long before you arrived to your new home.” When our national partners recognize we’re not there to build our own kingdom, they value our services all the more.

When we trust our European colleagues to hear from the Lord and help them pursue the plans He lays on their hearts, we show we’re truly committed to the indigenous church concept. After all, this has been AGWM’s goal from the beginning. By taking a back seat, we’re investing in those who will continue to drive the European church in the future.

Kirk and Amy Priest serves as missionaries in Heidelberg, Germany. Along with pastoring Life Church, they serve as area directors for Central Europe.

Waiting for Signs and Wonders

During Matt and Marissa Barker’s first few months as missionary associates in Padova, Italy, in 2015, the news constantly reported the escalating situation with Syrian refugees fleeing war and landing on the islands of Greece. Later that year the Barkers scheduled a trip to Athens and saw the situation firsthand. They also met a couple whose ministry would change their lives forever.

Greek social workers Voula and her husband Ilias, a Syrian who emigrated to Greece almost 30 years ago, launched a ministry to assist the flood of refugees entering Greece. They help refugees by translating documents, securing appointments with government offices, and walking them through the difficult process of seeking asylum. However, helping refugees navigate complex government systems does not care for the whole person. “Of course we cover the humanitarian, social, and psychological needs, but then there are all the other needs that we cannot answer unless we pray for them and unless we wait for our prayers to be answered,” explained Voula. “We wait for signs and wonders, and this waiting for the Holy Spirit to intervene brings us together, and immediately—spiritually speaking—we have a church.”

This church deeply moved Matt and Marissa the first time they attended. “We were shocked at the number of people who gathered to worship and hear a simple teaching from the Bible.” Matt recalled. The Holy Spirit is working in these simple services, resulting in baptisms, miracles, and changed lives.

Upon returning to Italy, Matt and Marissa immediately began looking forward to their next visit as they felt their heart shifting toward these people God was bringing to Athens and to the ministry happening there. Each time they visited, they felt more confirmation in their hearts that this was where God was calling them.

In August at the historic Commissioning Service at General Council 2019, Matt and Marissa Barker’s prayers were answered as they were anointed and commissioned to walk forward in God’s call as career missionaries to Greece.

The Power of Prayer

Dear readers, this short story is not directly related to the current events that have rocked our entire world but we pray that it will bring you hope to continue having faith amidst this trying time. Like the story mentions, it is our hope that you will be like the persistent widow and continue to ask for whatever it is you may be praying for. God is doing incredible things across the world and we hope you will join the movement . . . 

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Does God always heal? Isn’t it his will to heal people? For so long, my wife and I have given God an “out”. It’s okay if the miracle didn’t come through; obviously he has a better plan. Yet, what happens when we are told to be like the persistent widow and continue to ask? Such was the case with a baby in our church community. 

We are continually being challenged on our boldness in prayer. We are currently serving in the role of family pastors at a church in Stuttgart. Our church in Germany is mainly full of Americans associated with the U.S. military. We have a couple that just had their third child who was born deaf in one ear. He was hooked up to machines monitoring brain activity with zero results. The news crushed his parents and they began to battle with “God’s will”. 

We noticed that this family seemed to be in desperation. It was like the Holy Spirit was pushing us to trust more deeply in him. We boldly prayed with the parents and believed God would heal this baby. We didn’t just pray but we verbally confirmed that God would heal the baby. He wasn’t healed immediately and weeks were passing by . . . We had a choice to make, do we give up or continue believing in faith and asking for God to heal him? We chose to continue praying and believe in this baby’s miracle, despite the circumstances so far.

In the weeks that followed the mother said that in every disappointing doctor visit our words of healing stayed with her. Weeks later, the doctors are baffled as he has 95% of his hearing in that ear! The impossible and unexplainable has now become reality because, along with our church, we trusted in God’s power and didn’t give up! Such is the power of prayer!