Review 2010

Review of the year 2010
 

Mission Directors
 

2010 has been another busy year of opportunity for our Mission Directors David and Gwenyth Carling, and they have travelled extensively in Europe, Africa and the USA.

They began the year in Nigeria, supporting Mark Lipdo of Stefanos, making new contacts and speaking at various churches. This was followed by a month’s leadership and discipleship teaching at Alathea Bible College in Siyabuswa, a South African township. They returned later in the year to South Africa and then travelled on to Zimbabwe, discipling and teaching and speaking at church conferences. David and Gwenyth also made three leadership training visits to the Middle East.

In November David travelled to the USA where he visited Axel Lanausse in Orlando (see below), participated in meetings at Dallas and Atlanta with Elam Ministries, of which he is a director, and then travelled to New York to support Mark Lipdo in his visit to the UN headquarters.

In their ministry David and Gwenyth seek to share not only God’s word, from a lifetime of experience in leadership and mission, but their own lives also, as servants of those they visit. In this way they are able to bring strong encouragement and support where it is needed in various places around the world.

You can help our Mission Directors continue this valuable work by supporting them through Active Service Trust.

Project Nigeria
 

We have a growing partnership with Mark Lipdo of Stefanos Foundation, as they work tirelessly to support the persecuted church in northern Nigeria. David and Gwenyth were in Jos at the beginning of 2010, just days before a new wave of violence was unleashed, mainly against Christians. Attacks used new strategies, with militants impersonating and infiltrating security forces, police abandoning villages prior to attacks leaving Christians defenceless against slaughter, and the hitherto ‘safe’ city of Jos itself coming under sustained attack.

Mark visited the UK in April to raise awareness, funds and prayer, and with the help of supporters we were able to arrange a full itinerary for him. His visit and the surrounding publicity raised approx £15,000 for Stefanos, and we have been able to send another £12,000 this year. We are so grateful to supporters existing and new, churches, prayer groups and individuals, for their generous giving.

Stefanos continues to minister urgent relief in the form of widow support, business regeneration, rebuilding of torched homes, school fees for orphans, and trauma counselling. Media reporting continues to be biased, as much of it is sourced from local Islamic controlled agencies, so Stefanos’ work of advocacy and media awareness grows in importance. We are encouraged that the work of Stefanos is being increasingly recognised internationally for its integrity and factual accuracy. Our website received many more hits after Mark was able to drive BBC reporters to genocide sites near Jos. Mark made two visits to the International Criminal Court at the Hague, one accompanied by the Attorney General of Plateau State, to make representation on behalf of persecuted believers. He also visited the USA to raise awareness and support, and David who was in the USA at the time was able to join him for this.

We forward all gifts to AST Project Nigeria directly to Stefanos Foundation. These continue to be urgently needed and are used to meet pressing needs for relief, widows’ support, business regeneration, trauma counseling, and supporting persecuted churches through the courts.

Global Commission Partners
 

Whilst chatting at a mission conference in September, David was overheard by Axel Lanausse, a mission leader with a vision for indigenous outreach to the least reached peoples of the world, and president of Global Commission Partners based in Orlando, USA. Axel is keen to get involved in Nigeria, Sudan and Chad, countries in which David and Gwenyth have served.

Having met, and discovered their mutual commitment to the principles and practice of indigenous mission, our Mission Directors have teamed up with Axel in a fruitful and mutually encouraging partnership.

David met Axel in Orlando in November whilst in the USA. Axel has invited David and Gwenyth to speak n Puerto Rico over a period of 10 days, and a major joint visit to several African countries is planned for 2011. We are so encouraged at the potential for GCP to help support various projects in Africa, including the strategic ministry of Alathea College.

Looking ahead
 

With the situation in Nigeria still critical and likely to deteriorate as the April elections approach, we expect Stefanos to be under continued pressure. We support them as we are able, but will work with Mark to seek to raise greater awareness and support from within the church in Nigeria. Mark’s links with Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) will be strategic in this.

2011 promises ot be an exciting year of opportunity, with many visits planned in Europe and Africa and an invitation to speak at the OMF conference in Taiwan in October.

We are grateful to God
- for opening new doors of service this year,
- for friends who have supported us in prayer, finance and encouragement,
- for another year of good health for David and Gwenyth as they continue to traverse the globe,
- that His kingdom grows as He builds his church across cultures and continents.