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ON THE INSIDETABLE OF CONTENTS
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GOOD NEWS COMES TO UNREACHED TRIBES
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CATALYSTS FOR CULTURAL CHANGE
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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: SOUTH ASIA BIBLE COMMENTARY
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WRITER SPOTLIGHT: REACHING THE TEDIM CHIN
EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORKDear friend of Langham,
A pastor with no formal biblical training learns how to study Scripture and share it with hundreds of new believers. A theology student with a passion for seeing the gospel transform a nation receives the doctoral training necessary to equip and multiply future generations of leaders. A writer with a story to tell and a heart to illuminate God’s Word sees her words published so that they reach into the lives of countless others.
With your faithful support and through God’s grace, we continue to see story after story like these unfold around the world, with the Word of God reaching hundreds of thousands of people. When you pray, support, and donate to Langham Partnership—millions of our brothers and sisters around the world are blessed.
I hope you are moved and encouraged by the stories you read in this issue of Cultivate. We praise God for His faithfulness in helping us equip pastors and leaders in more than 90 nations for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Partnering in Christ,
Benjamin K. Homan, President, Langham Partnership USA
P.S. To view our annual report, visit www.langham.org/2013_annual_report.
WINTER / SPRING 2014
THE NEWSLETTER OF LANGHAM PARTNERSHIP USA
Formerly
M I N I S T R I E S
J O H NS T O T T
Office of the PresidentP.O. Box 189Cave Creek, AZ 85327
Your Winter / Spring 2014 newsletter is enclosed.
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Equipping a new generation of Bible teachers langham.orglangham.org4
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Our vision is to see churches
equipped for mission and growing to
maturity in Christ through the ministry
of pastors and leaders who believe,
teach and live by the Word of God.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in so that the righteousness, servant of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)(Below) A preaching club meets at the Athi River Parish in Mlolongo, Kenya. Around the world, more than 500 Langham preaching clubs meet regularly to disciple, encourage, and sharpen one another in God’s Word.
CULTIVATE | Langham Partnership Newsletter | Winter / Spring 2014
2013 IN REVIEW GOOD NEWS COMES TO UNREACHED TRIBES
Biblically trained pastors equipped
10,000+ pastors and lay leaders
were trained
159
training events were held
in 55 countries
500+ preaching groups of
10–12 pastors and leaders met
weekly and received ongoing
mentoring and training
langham.org2 langham.org 3
Around the world, Langham nurtures indigenous preaching movements for pastors and lay preachers by providing practical, biblically based training and ongoing support. In Northern Kenya, a group of Langham-trained pastors is bringing God’s Word to some of the most remote tribes in the world—often pastoring multiple congregations and walking as many as 20 miles between villages. In 1975, Langham-trained pastor Peter Marigu Karangu was deeply entrenched in witchcraft when a preacher came to his obscure village in Kenya proclaiming the Gospel.
On that day, he was set free.
Peter has since made it his life mission to bring the transforming love of Jesus to the unreached tribes in northern Kenya.
“We have a good culture … respect for elders, respect for mothers, but you will also find that most tribes in Kenya practice witchcraft – and that is why there is a lot of poverty,” says Peter. “But because I was changed by the power of God’s Word, I know they will be changed too.”
To this end, Peter founded the Reaching the Unreached Ministries (RTU) with the support of other pastors across Kenya. “I go to an unreached village, I preach the gospel, I plant
a church. The same church becomes a school; it becomes everything to the community.”
Peter says there are now 5,000 Christians in several small villages in Tharaka, Turkana, Samburu and in many more tribes where there had not been any church, school or hospital before.
“If the village has no church, there is no school; without a school, there is no education; there is nothing,” says Peter. “It is total darkness; so it’s very important that people hear the Word, and if they hear it in their own language, they hear it better.”
This is why the pastors of these churches are being trained by Langham so they can effectively teach the Bible and help their congregations grow in Christ. Most of the RTU pastors have never been to a Bible school. Without Langham, Peter says it would be very difficult to equip the pastors with the training
they need.
“I’m so grateful for Langham Preaching for training our men, and now they are able to preach and teach the word of God in a way that our people can understand,” says Peter.
Real Treasure“The Word of God is like a hidden wealth that one should desire,” says Daniel Kathuru Muteria, a pastor from Kenya’s Kitui County.
Daniel administers five churches in Ukambani, a village steeped in witchcraft and oppressive poverty.
But thanks to the preaching ministry of Langham, Daniel says many more villagers are coming to understand that their real treasure is in Jesus Christ. “I tell them that faith in God is wealth. It becomes wealth to our health, our income, our children.”
Daniel’s dream for his own people is ambitious. His vision is to build a resource center that will serve as a dispensary and a school for adults and out-of-school youth.
“I’m using the Gospel as an eye opener because it will make you wise,” says Daniel. “I tell them we must open our eyes to what is happening around us and ask God to solve our problems. I believe God will bless our community. Our time has come.”
From Old Culture to ChristFor Joseph Mjeru Kithinji, a pastor who oversees six churches in northern Kenya, the Gospel is the power behind great transformation.
“Our local pastors proclaim God’s Word to help the people come out of ungodly culture and embrace their true nature in Christ,” says Joseph.
Langham, through its ministry of equipping indigenous pastors to effectively teach God’s word, plays an important role in people’s transformation. Daniel and his co-pastors appreciate the Bible training that they receive. He says it brings big changes even to him, and helps him encourage other church leaders who face all kinds of
opposition from the enemy.
“Without the Gospel there will only be hatred, killings and evil things,” Joseph
laments, but he adds, “My dream is to see the whole community change from their
old culture into the loving, compassionate and forgiving nature of Christ.”
Winter / Spring 2014 | Langham Partnership Newsletter | CULTIVATE
And how will they hear
without a preacher?
Romans 10:14
Langham-trained pastor Peter Marigu Karangu (standing) is working to spread the hope of Christ to villages across Northern Kenya.
LANGHAM-TRAINED PASTORS MINISTERING IN KENYA
2013 IN REVIEW
Langham funds scholarships and shepherds emerging theological leaders, preparing them for a lifetime of multiplicative ministry as they go on to train others and shape nations. Dr. Stephen Lee, a Langham Scholar and president of China Graduate School of Theology, is one such scholar influencing a new generation of leaders.
Grounded in God’s WordThe son of an orphan-turned-pastor, Langham Scholar
Dr. Stephen Lee draws upon a strong heritage of mission work
and deep evangelical
faith as he leads China
Graduate School of
Theology (CGST) in
serving Chinese churches
in Hong Kong, China and
around the world.
As its president,
Dr. Lee believes that CGST, which is based in Hong Kong, plays
a very strategic role in equipping young Chinese pastors and
lay leaders to preach God’s truth around the world.
Dr. Lee himself dedicated his life to full-time ministry when
he was 16. After graduating from high school, he pursued a
college degree, worked for a couple of years, and could have
easily built a career in civil service. But, he says, his calling had
become deeper and deeper.
In 1979, Dr. Lee went to Scotland for his master’s in divinity
training. Upon graduation, he pastored two churches – first in
Hong Kong, and then in Vancouver, Canada. In 1989, Dr. Lee
pursued his doctoral studies, went back to Hong Kong in 1993,
and served as CGST dean from 1995 to 2005.
“All this preparation helped me to be better equipped so that I
may help the young generation of pastors and lay leaders to be
committed to God and also to our own people in China,” he says.
A Langham scholar, Dr. Lee says what has kept him motivated
is the vision to see emerging theological leaders trained and
grounded in God’s Word and committed to Jesus Christ and
His church.
Breaking the Chains of IndividualismTiffany Sham is a history student and completing a master in divinity program
at China Graduate School of Theology (CGST). Before coming to the seminary,
Tiffany worked as a social worker, but
decided she could have more impact
by learning how to interpret God’s truth
correctly and in a way that Hong Kong
citizens can understand.
She sees Hong Kong as a place of enormous
spiritual challenge. She says, “The people
here are quite individualistic. They think their
goal is to work very hard and earn a lot of
money so that they can enjoy life and pursue
what they desire.”
In a city where most people don’t think there
is a need for God, Tiffany is using her own
testimony to ignite in people a desire to
know God. “I walk alongside them so they can know me and see how God changes
my life,” she says.
Since coming to CGST, Tiffany says her training has helped her know God more,
which is a humbling experience, she adds.
Theological leaders cultivated
16 students graduated with
their Ph.Ds and returned to
their home countries to serve
61
emerging leaders from
38 countries were
awarded scholarships
350+ Langham Scholars continue
to serve worldwide, equipping
leaders and shaping nations
“This is what Uncle John [Stott] had shared with us, and it’s a
legacy from him that we uphold,” adds Dr. Lee.
Heavy on Dr. Lee’s heart is the challenge to impact the
churches in mainland China. He says, “Christian faith is not a
value shared by the majority of the people here in Hong Kong.
Money is. So, we are a minority group, but we’re trying our
best as the church of Christ to be a good role model and set
up a right standard for other churches.”
Among those who are committed to carrying this burden are
Langham scholars David Mok and Tiffany Sham.
Ministry to the MarketplaceDavid Mok is graduating from China Graduate School of
Theology (CGST) in June with a master’s degree in Christian
Study, majoring
in biblical
hermeneutics.
David is passionate
about bringing
God’s truth to the
marketplace. He
believes that God
can use his theological training at CGST and his business
background to bring a spiritual revival to Chinese believers in
the workplace.
According to David, job competition in Hong Kong drives
people, even Christians, to work long hours, often 12-14
hours a day. This leaves them with zero energy to do a good
devotion after work. Also, David says many don’t see the
Sunday preaching as relevant to the daily challenges of their
work life.
David believes his training in hermeneutics can help believers
understand that they can achieve success at their workplace
and become agents of change in the society.
“This often leaves them with very little energy to grow in
their Christian faith. Also, they often feel isolated, with little
understanding of how God’s Word is relevant to their daily
work challenges.”
CULTIVATE | Langham Partnership Newsletter | Winter / Spring 2014
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Winter / Spring 2014 | Langham Partnership Newsletter | CULTIVATE
CATALYSTS FOR CULTURAL CHANGETHEOLOGICAL LEADERS SHAPING THE HEART OF HONG KONG
Langham supports indigenous theological writing and publishing so that pastors and leadershave access to books in their own language and context as they serve the unique needs of their communities.
Book Spotlight: South Asia Bible CommentarySouth Asia is a place where the church is experiencing both a growth in numbers and a great spiritual need for mature leadership. What does God’s Word have to say about local issues like corruption, the caste system, human trafficking, violence against women, and witchcraft? Many pastors simply don’t know because they lack any formal biblical training. That’s why for the past 6 years, Langham has been supporting the completion of the South Asia Bible
Commentary. This culturally relevant, single-volume resource written by South Asians, for South Asians, is designed to equip leaders at the grassroots level to confront these pressing issues with God’s Word. By God’s grace and the help of friends and supporters like you, 2013 was a productive year for work on the SABC.
“I am excited to think about the significance and impact this commentary will have for the church in South Asia, “ says Jacob Cherian, one of five Langham Scholars working on the commentary. “With India having the second largest population of Muslims in the world, topics such as ‘Jesus among other gods’ are
bound to serve the Church in a major capacity.”
2013 IN REVIEW
Biblical books developed
441 colleges from
75 countries supplied with
9,513 biblical books
20,106
books were distributed
to pastors in need of
study materials
16 indigenous publishers,
6 indigenous writers and
35 local language titles across
13 languages were supported
It was 45 years ago that John Stott started the Langham Trust with a radical desire to
foster the growth of the global church by raising the standard of biblical preaching and
teaching around the world. This year we celebrate our founder and his heart for listening
to the needs of pastors and leaders around the world, and we praise God for growing one
man’s vision into an international movement to deepen and mature the global church.
“It’s my heart’s desire and prayer that
these ministries will continue long after my death,
under God’s blessing and provision and with
the prayerful and generous support of God’s people.”
– John Stott
CULTIVATE | Langham Partnership Newsletter | Winter / Spring 2014
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Winter / Spring 2014 | Langham Partnership Newsletter | CULTIVATE
CELEBRATING 45 YEARS OF MINISTRY
Writer Spotlight: Reaching the Tedim ChinWhile the majority of the Tedim Chin people of Myanmar have some form of Christian culture, the majority haven’t heard or understood the Gospel. Because Bibles are scarce, many pastors don’t own one and, as a result, there is a very low view of Scripture. Langham has been supporting Mang Cin Pau, a Tedim Chin writer and pastor in Yangon with a heart to equip church leaders to better understand and preach God’s Word. Four books have been published in the local language, most recently The Doctrine of the Trinity—a book that is
changing lives.
“This book opens the eyes of the Chin people for the true knowledge of the living God.
This is the greatest book I have ever seen in the Chin language. I love this book!”
Dr. Thang Za Mang President, Biblical Baptist Church of Myanmar Mission
“Dr. Pau addresses the real need of the Chin
Christians and I am so blessed by this book.” Cin Khan Lin Pastor
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even
to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
The South Asia Bible Commentary will be
instrumental in reaching the next
generation and impacting the
South Asian church for many
years to come.
ROOTED IN GOD’S WORDBIBLICAL BOOKS SHEDDING LIGHT IN SOUTH ASIA
John Stott 1921 – 2011
