More stories of Jesus empowering people at the edges

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During a special gathering, leaders from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the UK connected across languages and cultures, working together to see lives transformed through the love of Jesus.

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The post “There is life at the edges…” appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

“Peace is the wish of everyone in Kadugli,” says Hassan James, assistant bishop of the Diocese of Kadugli and CMS local partner.

Yet from where Bishop Hassan stands, in the Nuba Mountains, South Kordofan state, Sudan, peace has often been painfully elusive. The area was in the crosshairs of a violent civil war for decades and has also suffered from recurrent tribal violence: cattle theft, intimidation, displacement and murder.

Against this volatile backdrop, and despite the restraints of the COVID-19 pandemic, a symbol of hope for both the present and the future has risen and flourished – the Peace Episcopal Primary School, which is supported by the diocese.

“We started the school as the society needed more options for [affordable] children’s education… especially orphans, poor families and Christian children,” said Bishop Hassan. “We therefore came up with the idea and shared it with our friends in the country as well as across the world.”

He noted that it’s called The Peace School because, “We live in a war zone and so we need peace, and we must teach the children about peace….”

After almost a year of construction work, the doors to the Peace School opened in October 2019. Though conceived as a Christian school, the strong reputation for quality has garnered pupils from different tribes and religions and some of the teachers are Muslim. More than 480 children currently attend the school, ranging from ages 6 to 15. A separate kindergarten space has also been built to accommodate 80 children.

“We live in a war zone and so we need peace, and we must teach the children about peace…”

“The students live in peace and love even if they may differ in faith,” said Bishop Hassan, who was born into a Muslim family and turned to Jesus at age 11 while living in Khartoum.

In his time as suffragan bishop, he has worked hard to promote peaceful relationships between the Christian and Muslim communities. More than 90 per cent of the population of Sudan is Muslim. Bishop Hassan has been presented with multiple opportunities to leave the region and minister elsewhere in the world, yet he feels called to remain and be a voice for peace. He regularly speaks on the need for peace via local radio and often runs into people who have heard him and say things to him like: “Thank you, this is the need of the community.” He has also advocated for peace and reconciliation efforts with local authorities.

He remembers that during a visit to the Nuba Mountains in 2017, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby offered a prayer “that no child will live in war, but learn things such as peace, humility and love”. The Peace School is a brave step towards that vision.

Pray together

Unless violence is ended, communities in conflict zones have little hope of reaching their potential. CMS-Africa and CMS are focusing on such contexts: pray for people in mission working as peacemakers where people are crying out for an end to war.

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The post A school for peace appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

The following is a story from one of our local partners in Asia. As you read, you’ll understand why we’ve refrained from sharing her name and location.

I come from a Buddhist family, as do most people from my village. Growing up, there was maybe one Christian in my school.

When I moved to a big city for university, it turned out that my roommate was a Christian. She read her Bible every morning. I started asking her questions about her faith and she introduced me to a woman who worked for a Christian ministry. Through her, I heard the gospel for the first time. Her own story moved me, it made me want to know God more. I decided to follow Jesus in 2014.

I met many other Christians during my time at university, and took part in some mission trips, which I loved. I also got to share the gospel with people I knew, some of whom took the same step as me and followed Jesus. I felt honoured that God would use me like this.

Family turmoil

I wanted to tell my parents that I had turned to Jesus, yet I was afraid. One day I found the courage to tell my mum. It could not have gone worse. She became violently angry. I was scared. I cried and asked God to please help me.

The next day I tried talking to my mum again. Her response was even worse than before.

I said to God, “If you are real, show my mum.” I ended up having to promise my mother that I would not go to church anymore. But when I went back to university, I broke this promise and kept my church attendance a secret from her.

The next time I tried to talk to my mother about the difference Jesus had made in my life, she was more hurt than angry. She said she felt she had lost me. It broke my heart. I didn’t want to hurt her but I believed my decision to follow Jesus was the right one. I still don’t want to hurt her, which is why I am keeping my story anonymous now. I left the family house feeling sad. A month later she called me and said it was okay for me to go to church but not to get baptised.

With this compromise agreed, I finished university.

A call to serve

One summer my church sent me to a mission conference. I met many like-minded people, searching for their life’s direction. Some wanted to be pastors or children’s workers or to share Jesus in the business world.

I didn’t know how God wanted me to serve. On the third day of the conference, we prayed for refugees and migrant workers around the world. As I prayed that God would meet their needs, I began to cry. I suddenly had a strong feeling, which I believe was a touch from the Holy Spirit, that I wanted to share God’s love and the gospel with this group of people. When I got home, I said to God that if he wants me to work among refugees, to let me know how.

After two weeks, a man came to my church to share how he is working with refugees in our country. God had answered my prayers. I knew this was the kind of work I wanted to do. But how could I tell my parents I wanted to leave my current job and do this kind of work?

“God is good”

God is good; my parents actually supported my decision. I now work in a faith-based centre for refugees. I teach refugee children from many kinds of cultural and faith backgrounds; some are orphans.

The centre has a girls’ shelter and I am part of this work too – listening to the girls, helping them with basic needs. I hope they can see Jesus in me. I share the gospel where I can, through stories or group activities.

Recently one of the girls came up to me. Like me she comes from another faith background. When she first came to the shelter she was frequently upset and didn’t want to listen to anyone. She started going to a local Sunday school with me and I could see her changing bit by bit. And then one day, she came to me and whispered, “Teacher, I have given my life to Jesus.” She has not been shy or secret about her faith – she has even posted about it on social media.

I see my work as God’s ministry and I thank you for being my partners in this.

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The post “I had to keep my faith a secret” appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Fleeing fighting in South Sudan, Sadia (not her real name) found herself abandoned and alone as a refugee. Then a message of hope came from an unexpected source…

As she walked towards the Ugandan border, Sadia tried to push away the dark thoughts in her head: memories of how her husband had suddenly and coldly left her and their three children. Of how the seemingly endless tribal fighting in South Sudan had left her without a home and tore her family apart. She winced as she thought of her brothers, who had stepped in to help her when her husband left – but who took off with their families as the fighting got closer. It felt like another betrayal of her trust. It still stung.

Sadia still had her children, yet she felt starkly alone.

At last they crossed the border and were taken to a refugee camp. It was noisy: so many people, some arguing, some shouting. They were safer but food, clothing and medication was all strictly rationed or not available.

Journey through despair…

The lack of peace in the camp matched the restlessness inside Sadia. She could feel herself becoming more and more bitter towards everyone who’d abandoned her. As her spirits sank further, Sadia turned to alcohol. She struggled to care for her children. “Perhaps they would be better off without me,” she thought to herself.

Then one day, someone handed her a small object. “What’s this?” she wondered. Looking closer, she saw it had a speaker and buttons for playing, rewinding and fast forwarding. She pressed play.

A voice emanated from the device and started telling a story. The main character was a man called Joseph, who from a young age was mistreated horribly by his brothers. Then abandoned. “Sounds familiar,” she thought.

Yet, Joseph was able to find hope and a purpose. As the story went on, great things happened for Joseph, but the wound of his brothers’ rejection stayed with him. One day he was given a chance to take revenge upon his brothers, but he refused and forgave them.

… to hope and purpose

The noise around Sadia seemed to fade as she thought about Joseph’s words to his brothers: “…you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive…”

Sadia decided to find out where the little audio player came from. That’s how she met Sam Malish, a CMS local partner from Yei, who is trying to help people in displaced persons camps heal from suffering. He invited her to a small gathering where people were encouraged to share about difficult things that had happened to them. Sadia wasn’t quite sure why, but it made her feel better to talk and listen to other people’s experiences. She felt less alone.

She also learned more about Jesus, who suffered horribly and forgave. It was amazing to consider that kind of love. As she prayed and turned to Jesus more, she could feel hope and peace growing within her. It was like Jesus was carrying her pain, lightening her burdens. She could focus again on her children, who were relieved to have their mother caring for them again.

Others around her could see her changing. “You’re looking better, Sadia,” someone said to her.  

“Jesus gave me peace and hope,” she replied. “This can happen for you, too.”

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The post Press play for peace appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

On 1 May 2022 CMS local partner Walter Toro was consecrated as the first Bolivian Anglican bishop, as the Diocese of Bolivia came under national leadership for the first time.

Bishop Nick Drayson, Primate of the Church of South America and a CMS mission partner, led the service in Tarija and consecrated Walter as the new diocesan bishop, while church members from the diocese prayed for him. The joyful service was followed by a celebration including a meal and dancing.

Walter was previously vicar general and has led online training across the diocese during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as pastoring a congregation in Tarija. His appointment is part of a move towards local leadership across South America. Paul Tester, CMS manager in Latin America, went to the consecration and commented:

“I’m delighted to see the continued transition to local leadership of the Church across South America and it was a joy to be part of the celebration of the baton being passed to Bishop Walter.”

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The post First Bolivian bishop consecrated appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

More stories of Jesus empowering people at the edges

The post Mirna Paulo, Argentina appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

More stories of Jesus empowering people at the edges

The post Marcos Humacata, Argentina appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Thank you!

Our Lent appeal this year focused on the urgent need to encourage a new generation of leaders, particularly in the Chaco regions of Argentina and Paraguay. Thanks to your generous giving, we can support growing leaders, people like Mirna Paulo.

Mirna is a young woman from the Wichí people in northern Argentina and her grandfather was one of the earlier indigenous evangelists of the local Anglican Church. Growing up in a Christian family, Mirna learned to read in her own language by reading the hymns as the older people sang. She explains, “As I listened to the preaching and biblical teachings, I realised the greatness of God and his love for all his creation.”

Throughout her life, Mirna met people in mission connected to SAMS and CMS who supported leaders in the indigenous churches. She comments, “I always liked those teams of people who work daily to spread and defend the gospel. I never thought it was possible to be part of these organisations, though I thought of forming a team to support people who felt the call of the Lord to dedicate their lives to the gospel of Christ.”

Overcoming challenges

As Mirna grew older there were challenges to navigate – family health difficulties, and an increasing awareness of disagreements in the church or people’s lives not matching their words. Yet Mirna notes, “There were also brothers who, despite everything, sought consensus and above all worshipped the Lord in their daily lives and in evangelistic ministries.”

As a result of pressure in family life, Mirna became ill herself, and was bedbound for over a year. She describes spiritual struggles, but also “in those times there was a lot of learning, my faith was strengthened in meditation and prayer. I had many visions that helped me keep my hope in God.” Eventually Mirna experienced a process of healing after reading and responding to the Bible story of Jesus healing a young girl.

After being confirmed, Mirna was part of a group brought together by a youth leader to learn about God’s teaching, to pray and to have space to share their thoughts. They also had music groups for teenagers, and young adults began to organise youth meetings and evangelistic campaigns.

At school, Mirna had classmates of European descent as well as those from indigenous groups. While there were culture clashes and misunderstandings, this gave Mirna the opportunity to encounter different cultural contexts and activities. And she sought to show God’s love to her classmates regardless of their cultural background.

Leadership and learning

Mirna stepped into leadership from a young age, helping to prepare Bible studies from the age of 12. She was elected as youth president of the local church, helped organise events and discovered a passion for supporting women and young people. She also took on greater responsibilities within her family when her mother died.

After finishing high school, Mirna got a job as an indigenous teacher in the secondary school, allowing her to contribute to the family income. Then, despite pressure to stay within the Wichí community, she travelled to share about its realities and to learn. She worked with the ministry of culture and education in the capital of the province to support teachers in areas where there are indigenous communities.

Mirna always liked to listen to the older women in her community, “I consider them experienced in the path of faith. I learned a lot listening to women sharing.” Having represented women on the pastoral commission in her area, and been involved in other diocesan groups, Mirna joined an Anglican women’s committee. This group, supported by missionaries (including CMS mission partners Catherine Le Tissier and Shelley Stokes), began to think about a new way of working among women in the diocese. The result was AMARE (Anglican Women’s Group Renewed in the Spirit), affiliated with Mothers’ Union. Mirna is now one of the leaders of AMARE in the Diocese of Northern Argentina, and is working to connect with other groups in dioceses across South America.

Building bridges for the future

As a younger leader, an important element of Mirna’s ministry is to be a bridge between young people and older members of the community. These two groups can often misunderstand each other, and have very different perspectives on a range of questions.

Mirna is also working with other CMS local partners, mission partners and Latin America regional manager Paul Tester to develop longstanding ministry with indigenous groups for new generations. This is especially urgent through a period of transition in leadership, as mission partners prepare to hand on their roles and some older leaders in the indigenous communities have died. On being part of the CMS team, Mirna comments, “They are part of my family in Christ. I have great hope that this ministry will continue to grow with the indigenous peoples for Christ.”

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The post Mirna’s on a mission appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Tamar Dawood amplifies voices in the Arab world that are not often heard, helping people tell their stories of faith through short, powerful films.

As told to Naomi Rose Steinberg by Tamar Dawood

“I have so many stories I can share with you.”

This is one of the first things Tamar says to me as we connect over Zoom – she’s sitting in her office in Lebanon and I’m working from home in Oxford. I’m recovering from COVID-19 and feeling a bit low – I could really use some good news, so I ask Tamar to simply tell me some stories from her work among Muslim-background followers of Jesus.

ISIS intimidation

“Well let me tell you about a woman I got to know well, from Syria – one day she started to suspect that her husband had joined ISIS,” Tamar begins.

“She noticed his behaviour was changing; he quit his job, started going out in the middle of the night and one day he came back with blood on his clothes. She tried to ask him what was going on and he hit her, badly. With her young daughter watching and her son asleep in the next room. She felt she had to run away, but when she went to tell her mother, her mother took her passport and hid it.

“The woman was scared and she started to pray, in a different way than she had before: ‘If you are there, God, show me. I don’t know what to do.’ She ended up, amazingly, getting a new passport – you wouldn’t believe how difficult this is.

“She felt God had heard her, yet she still expected to be turned away at the border. When the Syrian border guard saw her and her children, he asked where her husband was. She replied that she did not know. He told her to wait and while she was waiting she prayed again. He came back and let her through. She described it to me as a miracle that she and her children were allowed to come into Lebanon.”

Journey to Jesus

Once in Lebanon, the Syrian woman soon met some people from a church and they told her about Jesus. She decided to follow him.

“Why did she do that?” I ask Tamar.

“It’s a good question. She’d been a strict Muslim, yet when she read the Qur’an she had questions. But as a woman, she was discouraged from asking questions. When she got here, someone gave her a New Testament and when she started reading about Jesus, she saw he was kind, gentle, always there to help and love the poor. When she asked questions about what she read, people were willing to answer. She was attracted to the love of Jesus. Interestingly it wasn’t a miracle that attracted her. I have many stories I can share where people believed because they saw a miracle [and indeed, Tamar shares some of these stories while we talk, and they leave me astounded] but for her, it was the love of Jesus and the kindness of some of his followers.”

I tell Tamar that in the West we seem to hear more and more about Muslim people turning to Jesus either because they witness a miracle or see him in a dream or vision. “But it seems like it must be very difficult for them to stay with faith in Christ?” I ask.

“Some do leave,” she says. “Though it’s not usually because of persecution that someone walks away from God, I don’t think. In most cases persecution makes people turn to Jesus more, love Jesus more.”

Family matters

“But you know,” she continues, “they need fellowship and they need people to journey with them, because life is hard. And I think that it should be Arab people who disciple Arab people. It’s so important to have Arab missionaries in Arab worlds. Because coming from Europe or America, you can’t really understand what it’s like living here. I’ve met well-meaning missionaries who come here and they tell people that Jesus loves them and will help and protect them. But they haven’t lived a fraction of what we experience: they have electricity, money, jobs. I am so thrilled to find churches who believe in supporting missionaries from their own origin.”

Tamar’s concern for struggling, marginalised people was kindled when she was very young. She shares that walking alongside people in their trials can leave her feeling drained or depressed. “I hear such hard stories every day and sometimes there is little we can do. I have to turn my eyes to Jesus and trust him.”

Her work involves amplifying voices in the Arab world that are not often heard, helping people tell their stories of faith through short, powerful films. The account she has shared with me of the Syrian woman is one she was particularly eager to film and share – but sadly the woman recently died from COVID-19. “Her children were orphaned, but amazingly, the woman’s mother is now here looking after them, and she has now turned to Jesus too, as have other family members because this one woman’s life was a witness and she prayed for them. And because church members visited her mother and helped her, too.”

In her film and media work with Lighthouse Arab World, Tamar, a CMS local partner, shares stories. She believes that stories of people who have faced great difficulties but still held onto Jesus can be a great encouragement for others. They certainly were for me that day we spoke on Zoom. Having travelled to the edges of faith with Tamar, I closed the conversation feeling more uplifted than I had in a while.

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The post “If you are there God, show me”: a Syrian woman’s story appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

“My friend’s husband has become an alcoholic and is living on the streets. Can you help?” The caller didn’t know where else to turn.

The friend’s husband was called Vladimir – and his life hadn’t always looked like this.

Until a few months earlier he had been living with his wife in Israel, preparing to move to their home in Russia. But he stayed behind to tie up loose ends, and while alone he started to drink heavily. Soon, his life was out of control. He missed his flight to Russia, had to leave their rented flat and started sleeping on the streets of Tel Aviv. He had nowhere else to go.

But that phone call was to a team who cared. To Christians committed to seeking out those on the edges of society and sharing the love of Jesus with people who don’t realise he is interested in them.

Walking together to abundant life

Vladimir was invited to a Christian rehab centre run by Aviv Ministry, where he met CMS local partner Wilhelm. Wilhelm, himself a recovering addict, understands how incredibly hard it can be to escape the grip of alcohol and drugs. Having found freedom in Jesus more than a decade ago, Wilhelm is committed to helping others find the way to abundant life too. Thanks to the generosity of CMS supporters, Wilhelm is able to come alongside men struggling with addiction to help them discover new life in Jesus.

At the rehab centre in Be’er Sheva, Vladimir found a place to belong and to heal. He participates in devotional times with other residents and is very open to the gospel. He is sober and has started working outside the centre – and he may soon be ready to begin a new life.

Theory becoming reality

Alexander, another resident at the rehab centre, had been addicted to drugs for 30 years. He decided to follow Jesus 10 years earlier, but became disappointed and fell away. Over the next few years, he returned to faith several times: “Each time I would leave God, I felt an intense inner pain, and I would run to drugs and alcohol to silence it.”

When Alexander came to the rehab centre, God started revealing himself through the Scriptures. Wilhelm, trained in both counselling and biblical studies, offered support and a role model. What had previously just been theory to Alexander started to become a living reality. Alexander drew nearer to God, realising he needed to depend on God and be faithful. He says that now, God has finally become alive and real to him.

Seeds of potential

Wilhelm and his colleagues know there are many routes into addiction, and each individual’s story is different, but the way to abundant life is always the same: Jesus. So they continue follow Jesus’ example and spend time with people society has turned away from, offering them hope and new life.

Dov Bikas, head of Aviv Ministry, comments, “Many addicts come to us and leave after a short period of time. Some get well and return to normal life, some become true believers, while others may cut the programme short and leave too early – just to fall again into addiction. But still we can say that 100 per cent hear the gospel, get to know Christians closely and acquire an experience of living in a Christian home, and we believe that all these seeds have great potential to eventually sprout up and bring fruit in their lives.”

You can be part of stories like Vladimir’s and Alexander’s, as together we follow Jesus to the edges. Supporting local leaders like Wilhelm means they can continue to see lives transformed, as we join in God’s mission together.

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Let’s watch God transform more lives as together we support the willing hands and feet joining Jesus at the edges.

Through a regular gift to CMS you can stand alongside faithful workers like Wilhelm, who have experienced God at work among people driven to the edges. Together, we’ll see God transform more lives like Vladimir’s and Alexander’s.

An earlier version of this story was first published in June 2021.

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The post From addiction to new life in Jesus appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

More stories of Jesus empowering people at the edges

The post Michael Aban, South Sudan appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).