Reconciliation between Evangelicals & Charismatics
Walls
of disunity fall in San Jose, California
Vietnam |
Perth, Australia |
Niger, West Africa |
Egypt
Recommendation
from Southern Baptist Leader
Evangelicals,
Pentecostals, Charismatics, and Mainline Protestants in Indonesia
come together in unity
Unity
between pastors in Arua, Uganda
Conservative
Evangelicals and Pentecostals join hands
in the Philippines
Regional Elijah Challenge Affiliates
Largest Campaign in the History of Vietnam
July 2003
According to our host pastor, this was the very first time the pastors and leaders had come together to be trained to minister healing to the sick as confirmation that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord. A few years ago, an American evangelist very well known in charismatic churches came to Vietnam and ministered to a group of about sixty pastors. Included in this group were pastors from the Christian & Missionary Alliance (CM&A), a denomination in this country which traditionally holds to a conservative view of miraculous healing. The CM&A pastors were unable to receive the teaching from the American evangelist, and as a result decided to have nothing to do with the ministry of miraculous healing. This helped to sustain the division which exists between the CM&A churches, which are legally registered churches, and the house churches, which are underground. Abetted by the schemes of police authorities, there is now mutual suspicion between these two branches of the body of Christ. One would suspect the other of working with communist authorities.
In our Seminar last July we presented a teaching about miraculous healing based on over two hundred Scripture verses that focused on the Great Commission instead of the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit. We examined the miracles done by Jesus, Peter, Paul, and the early disciples that drew people to faith in Christ, and discovered patterns and principles. When during the Seminar training the pastors applied these principles to minister to the infirm in our midst, the Lord did miracles of healing through them. It did not appear to matter whether the pastors were conservative evangelical or charismatic.
The conservative CM&A pastors, I was told, were able to receive the teaching about miraculous healing at the Seminar. One barrier to reconciliation between the two parts of Christ's precious Body in this country is being removed. Praise be to God!
Evangelical Baptist Ministers at the Seminar training
Pastors minister healing to one another at the Seminar Training
Evangelical and charismatic ministers worshipping together in one spirit
at the Seminar
First Evangelistic Campaign in History of Niger, West Africa
November 2002
Pastor Joel Biao at right
Report from Pastor Joel Biao of World Vision of Niger
"I am glad to say thanks to you today as a way of showing my gratefulness to the great work you did for two weeks in Niamey for the sake of the Gospel. I can't still help smiling as I am trying to figure the way that God lead this Campaign. Of course Clive Cook (Director of World Horizons for West Africa, co-sponsor of the Campaign) and me started talking about this without any conviction the first day. And we did a very short prayer that day. I couldn't imagine, Brother [...], that this will end into an event so great in the history of the Church in Niger. Oh dear brother, may God bless you as you struggle to carry out his will for the world in darkness. Your meekness and humility touches me deeply, and I praise the Lord who has brought at this point.
My life as a pastor and leader is really affected: I have learned to be bold in ministering the healing. I have got much more in faith. Through that campaign I can say God added something more to my faith. I could through the campaign know the kind of message we give when we try to bring people know the transforming power of God. I discovered that God can do much more as we try with humility to show that he is the almighty God. I also concluded that without signs, wonders and miracles we only do very little in winning the souls.
The first important thing the campaign has achieved for the churches is the unity. That was the first time that really the churches worked together in real spirit of unity. Also many barriers have been knocked down; indeed some of the churches that ministered healing didn't believe in it. They thought that is for the pentecostal churches. Through your teaching and training they were convinced that anyone who is engaged in announcing the Good News in the name of Jesus can do so. Moreover, henceforth the churches are united and free to work together without any denominational discrimination. The church in Niamey is confident in preaching the Gospel with signs and wonders; the church knows how to handle the spiritual warfare; the church is really bold in preaching the Gospel.
The Gospel will become effective in Niger as the Muslim people will themselves witness miracles in the name of Jesus. There will be much more fruit than what we had previously. the Chuch in Niger will become really bold and effective in reaching out to Muslim people. The harvest will be great."Pastor Joel Biao
Social Relations Service
World Vision, Niger BP 12713
Tel. (227)753427 - Fax (227)753430
Niamey - NIGER -
Largest Campaign in History of Egypt - August 2002
Ashraf Kamel
Director, Campus Crusade for Christ, Upper EgyptMy general observation and impression of this Campaign is wonderful:
· It was [not only] the first time in El-Minia, but also in Egypt to have an event like this, in that we had 20,000 people in four days in two meetings every day, these are historical events in Egypt. We made a big tent which holds 5000 chairs that the attendance was about 5000 people daily from different districts, towns, different levels in teaching [education], in living [standard], in different things.
· We held 5 clinics for different cases for men and women, old and children…all kinds of people. We had about 1500 cases through these four days. They received medicine, eyeglasses, and other things for free. (Each case paid only [a nominal fee].)
· The Seminar encouraged the leaders and pastors to practice healing in their churches. It was a very new teaching in our churches.
As for my observation on the impact of the Campaign on the work of the gospel in El-Minia, I can say that it was more that we expected. My town is not large and I know many people. So after this events, many people see me in the street and stop me to ask many spiritual matters, they ask me to make it [the Campaign] again. Others say, I know you, you were the interpreter for Brother [...]…how is he? ...and so on… And as I wrote in the beginning how it was wonderful for us.About miracles: to see a blind person, and God opened his eyes, and to see a lame [person] can walk, it did many things in our people in El-Minia: some were encouraged by their healing, others take new steps in faith, others asking God to have this power.
After you left many cases came to our office saying that we were healed but I couldn't stand to give my testimony because of the crowd. Another came with her child, he was about 4 years old. He had a bad disease in his chest, now he is completely cured. An old man couldn't move, his son's wife came to our office to explain how God healed him in those days and other stories I have.
Let me share some of the statistics:
· about 20000 people attended these meetings
· about 10000 people accepted Jesus as their Saviour
· about 1500 were treated in clinicsLet me say I myself was changed in my life, faith, and attitude which makes me (as a Campus Crusade director) lead my staff in the office with a new power, new view, and new attitude.
The last miracle is spite of all these new attitudes, new concepts, new healing, and many new [things], we didn't face any attack from others [meaning, other evangelical churches and denominations] till now but otherwise people love us and appreciate us."
Traditional evangelical church and charismatic church minister side-by-side in miraculous healing power and unity
God's blessing was upon the training sessions in Perth held in a traditional church, the Vietnamese Evangelical Church this past May. During the training, we witnessed some powerful miracles of healing. After the training sessions we began the Crusade meetings. Hundreds of people, many of them non-believers, came from the Vietnamese community. The gospel was preached and the trained believers, both evangelical and charismatic, ministered to the infirm. The Lord did miracles through them, and when the invitation to accept Christ was given, the non-believers responded in numbers as never before.
According to Host Pastor Phong Truong, this was the first time in Australia that such results were achieved in a Crusade to the gospel-resistant Vietnamese.
Moreover, there are only two Vietnamese churches in Perth---one charismatic and the other traditional evangelical---to reach out to a population of well over 10,000. Before the Crusade, these churches did not have good fellowship with one another. But through the efforts of the local pastors and leaders, the churches came together for the training and to minister in the Crusade. In the aftermath of the Crusade, these two churches are now reconciled to one another, and unity has been established among the Vietnamese churches in Perth.
The following is the Report from the leadership of the Vietnamese Evangelical Church:
"Today is Sunday and at church, instead of how we normally worship, we arranged for 1 brother and 3 sisters to testify what they had experienced through the healing, teaching/training and Crusade the Lord has given us through you. Our church members are very enthusiastic and encouraged by the testimonies and in general I have heard all positive responses in regards to the Crusade. In addition there were more brothers and sisters who wanted to testify; however, we went overtime and it was too late in the afternoon.
Subsequently we had our church committee meeting this afternoon and I would like to summarize our feedback to you as follows:
As a traditional evangelical church we see and feel that there is a significant impact on our current worship and evangelism in regards to your recent teaching/ training in Perth. We pray to the Lord so that we may be able to apply the recent training on our immediate and future evangelistic acts. We fully understand that it is very difficult to convince an unbeliever to become a Christian without showing them that the Lord Jesus Christ can heal his/her sickness. Nowadays, without seeing miracles it is hard to convince any unbeliever to become a believer and find salvation.
We have done many evangelistic meetings in the past with the Vietnamese community in Perth but we have NEVER experienced more than 3 unbelievers to committing themselves to become Christians. However the recent crusade with you allowed about 36 adults (not including a number of children) to commit themselves to Christ. The Lord used you to achieve a result far beyond our thoughts!
We have heard comments from the Vietnamese people (community) that they wish for you to come back soon so that they can come hear and feel the presence of God. However in the meantime we will use this new evangelistic method with others which we have learned from you.
We srongly recommend the teaching and training through you for many Vietnamese churches."
The above Report was prepared by Elder Dinh Nguyen (dinh.nguyen@iinet.net.au), on behalf of the leadership of the Vietnamese Evangelical Church of Australia in Perth. From Pastor Phong Truong in Perth (psphongtruong@yahoo.com.au) we received the following:
” Thanks so much for your ministry. May God continue to use you in greater ways for his kingdom. This is a brief report of your ministry in Perth.
• About 40 people were saved; some came back to church after they were healed. About 100 people were healed from many different diseases. Many were healed from heart diseases and cancer etc... The training and crusades were run by both Vietnamese Evangelical Church and Vietnamese Full Gospel Church (Assembly of God).After years of prayer and believing for unity, God put these two churches together. I personally believe according to Psalm 133, “when brothers live together in unity, it is like the precious oil poured on the head, running down... For there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life for ever more.” Oil symbolizes the anointing of the Holy Spirit, abundance, celebration and gladness. When we live in unity, God the Father releases the anointing of the Holy Spirit, power and blessing to the church. When the churches stand together the devil will flee from the city. Thanks to The Elijah Challenge, you held a very important role to restore the power, authority and unity to our Vietnamese churches in Perth.
• Many believers are encouraged and growing in faith. They believe the reality that Jesus is the same as yesterday through signs and wonders. They are joyful as God uses them to heal the sick. By doing this, they are able to prove Jesus is the Son of God, the only way to the Father and Jesus can save people from hell.
• After the healing crusades, unbelievers are so amazed. The news about our churches healing the sick, spread around the Vietnamese community. They want you to come back again. Some other people who did not accept Christ through the crusade came back to the church asking us to pray for their families because they believe if Jesus can heal the sick then He can save their families. Hallelujah!"
Recommendation from Southern Baptist Leader
"I am happy to commend to you the person and ministry of Brother William. The Lord has gifted [him] with keen insight into biblical teachings on POWER ENCOUNTERS and he handles this exciting and potentially controversial subject with great wisdom. I have attended the seminar [he] teaches and this led me to invite him to present it in the First Baptist Church of Katy. Any pastor or lay leader will be greatly blessed who sits at the feet of this gifted and humble servant of the Lord."
---Dr. Charles J. Wisdom, Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church of Katy; Former Chairman of Trustees, Houston Baptist University in Texas.
Pastor Albert Kang of Malaysia
Coordinator for Elijah Challenge Asia
Pastor Albert was trained under The Elijah Challenge
August 2007 - Report from Missionary Trip to the Philippines"Another thing that I had learned from that first seminar and subsequent seminars was the way to present this truth. Pastor William's approach has great advantage because it appeals to people from every denomination. He uses, primarily, scripture verses to convince the participants. Initially, it may look very simple and some times even boring. However, in my recent seminars, I found this approach to be very convincing and effective. As a Pentecostal pastor, it is against my nature not to include some spectacular display of emotion but with this method, I do not need to do that. The Word of God speaks for itself. Rev Olie (Rolando Lapuz), a Conservative Baptist pastor in the Philippines and the chairman of the Bacoor Ministerial Fellowship said that anyone can fight an opinion but no one can fight the pure Word of God.
Incredibly, I am still amazed at how the Evangelical churches are joining hands with the Pentecostals and Charismatics to use the Elijah Challenge Model of End-time Evangelism to heal the sick and bring unbelievers to the saving knowledge of Christ. If someone were to tell me three years ago that I would be conducting healing seminars in churches pastored by Conservative Baptist and other Evangelical pastors, I would not believe him. Ten days ago, I conducted a full-day Elijah Challenge seminar in a Conservative Baptist church, attended by pastors and leaders from 27 churches of many different denominations. It was extremely wonderful just to see so many of these pastors and leaders, who were once sceptical about divine healing, being miraculously healed in this place."
