"What is it, exactly, that do you do?" That's the question I've been asked lately. It's clear what Kevin is doing in Dallas-attending Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) full-time. But since we moved from Orlando a year ago, church leaders and curious friends ask about my role. You may be wondering about the same thing. It's not what I'm doing but what God is doing through me to bring others into this ministry.
Here's the scoop on God and me in Wycliffe. Since Kevin and I moved to Dallas in 2005, my role with Wycliffe has not changed. I am still Director of African American Ministries in Wycliffe. My ministry remains a strategic, administrative, and recruiting position established to increase involvement of African American Christians in the Bible Translation Movement. My responsibility is to help Wycliffe USA recruit more African Americans. To make this happen, my duties range from that of a facilitator-coordinator to one-on-one recruiter. In addition to office work, I travel around the USA, speaking and recruiting at conferences and churches.
As a facilitator-coordinator, I proposed the development of new Wycliffe media pieces that model African Americans. Through research I discovered that the 70,000 plus African American churches around the USA knew very little about the ministry of Bible Translation. To remedy this problem, I am editor of The African American Ministries Update, a letter published twice a year. I facilitated production of "The Time is Now" video and the "Go Global With Jesus Reality Missions" DVD, a five-part production filmed in Burkina Faso, West Africa. In both cases, it meant coordinating the plans and travel overseas to help gather video footage. Today, distribution of the videos to thousands of churches and households is expedited through a vital partnership with Urban Ministries. U.M.I. is airing the Go Global video on nine family TV stations. We are spreading the vision to get the Word into the heart languages of millions of people and calling for new missionaries to join us.
Maintaining the partnership between Wycliffe and Urban Ministries is my responsibility. Other partnering mission mobilizers around the country are using the videos. The result is that other agencies are helping to promote interest in Bible translation and to point potential missionaries toward Wycliffe. There is much more that needs to be done to engage recruits in the Bible Translation Movement from thousands of churches and educational institutions around the USA. Pray to the Lord of the harvest that He will send laborers from the African American Christian communities.
Did you know that it takes one to two years of regular communication for a recruit to progress from the inquiry stage to actually becoming a missionary with Wycliffe? It is my joy to be there for recruits in their journey-as a source of information, as a mentor, a sounding board, prayer partner, and as a primary contact throughout the application process. Much work remains to smooth this process for African Americans.
I love recruiting missionaries because it is much like mentoring a disciple. My life example provide recruits with a live model of one who has obeyed God and with whom they may relate along the way. So, there you have it, a brief synopsis of my role with Wycliffe. I praise God for the privilege of serving Him in such a unique way.
It is difficult to write about my role without saying more about my partner in ministry, Kevin. His enrollment with DTS affords us many opportunities to engage with students. This fall, we will share a special opportunity as he leads a spiritual formation class on campus. Pray that our lifestyle and testimony will be an encouragement to other students with whom we relate.
Thank you for partnering with us in this ministry. Your role is just as important now as ever. You are helping us to bring others into this great ministry. We need your continued, prayerful support. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Created on October 17, 2006..................................