Missouri Baptist Convention Partnership Plants Churches from Missouri to Africa
Jefferson City, MO (PRWEB) July 22, 2013 -- A partnership between the Missouri Baptist Convention and Freshwater church has in its first three years planted 12 new churches in Missouri, South Asia and West Africa.
In 2009, Joshua and Tish Hedger moved to Bolivar to plant a church.
They were hired by Second Baptist Church of Springfield – a Missouri Baptist Convention church – to do so. When Hedger asked the leadership of Second Baptist what they desired this church to look like, they gave one simple requirement: to be a church plant that plants churches.
Hedger and Freshwater Church have taken this seriously. In their first three-and-a-half years of existence, Freshwater has planted or is in the process of planting 12 churches in Missouri, South Asia, and West Africa.
Freshwater’s journey began in 2010 when they sent their first team to “M-City” in South Asia. M-City is the birth place of a major Hindu god and is considered a spiritual stronghold. God had different plans for this city though, Hedger said.
Through partnership with a man that Hedger simply calls “DL,” a church planting movement is beginning. Freshwater has sent around 10 teams there since 2010 to train and equip DL and others as pastors and church planters. DL and Freshwater have started seven churches in M-City. They meet in homes, schools and in store-fronts. They worship together, study the Scripture together, pray together, and serve the community together. Between these seven churches there are about 250 members, with most of them being new Christians. One member even spent his own money to make a baptism tank in his backyard so that the churches could baptize new believers without going into the river.
In November 2010 Freshwater began a partnership via the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) and the International Mission Board (IMB) in West Africa as an Engaging Church. In the engaging model, a local church commits to “being the missionary” for a people group.
When Freshwater began this partnership with an unreached and unengaged people group of 45,000 with no known believers, Hedger said they weren’t sure what God was up to or how long it would take. They were simply being obedient.
With the help of MBC Partnership Missions Specialist Rick Hedger and IMB missionaries, Freshwater found themselves in a village with no followers of Jesus. They set up tents at the house of the religious teacher and began to build relationships. There are now three house churches gathering weekly with 40 attenders and 20 followers of Jesus. Freshwater is training a handful of men there to be pastors with two of these men already leading the three house churches.
Freshwater is also planting churches in Missouri, one in Springfield and one in Jefferson City.
Rob Phillips, Missouri Baptist Convention, http://www.mobaptist.org, 573-636-0400 510, [email protected]
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