March 2016 Newsletter

Dear friends and supporters,

Thank you for your support for this missionary Bible teaching ministry.

The Spirit of Anti-Christ:

“Hereby you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that (spirit) of anti-Christ, whereof you have heard that it should come; and even now already it is in the world.” (1 John 4:2,3)

The doctrine of Jesus, the Son of man, being the Christ, the Messiah, is becoming a major teaching necessary to ward off the error and heresy to say that Jesus was less than divine. Jesus was crucified because He, as a bodily person, would not deny His divinity to the High Priest. “But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.” (Matthew 26:63) Further, any teaching that says that Jesus was not divine is also heresy. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” (John 1:1,2) Praise God that the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross to atone for our sins.

Joseph Mugo, Omega Pentecostal Churches, Kenya:

Mugo praises God for the steady growth of the Omega Pentecostal Churches. The work at the Coast is growing with a second church at Mkeneleni. On Sunday afternoon, twenty-five were baptized. One church member has donated land to build a church. In the Kirinyaga District, Kavote is growing slowly but steadily. The churches in Kianyaga, Karumandi, Gatugura, Kiang’ombe are doing fine. The Embu church is moving into their temporary building. The Muchatha church in Chuka has paid for their land. The churches in Meru, Nairobi, Laikipia and Nakuru are also progressing well. In Kenya, a total of the equivalent of $2,787.86 has been raised for the Kianyaga Church. When this is added to what has been raised in Canada and America, the total is $7,720.19. That leaves only $279.81 to be raised to reach our goal of $8,000. Kalembelembe Bible Institute, Fizi, Congo:

Director Ekyoci Eciba has written that seventeen students finished the First Trimester 2015/16. In his report, he sent the Disbursement Form which shows how the funds were used to pay the instructors and staff, the Class Lists which lists the students in each class, the list of the notes which the secretary has made, the spiritual life of the students in chapel and ministry, the Bulletins showing which subjects each class was taught, and the pictures shown in these newsletters. Ralph & Shirley Hagemeier and Stephanie, Kalemie, Congo:

Ralph and Shirley write from their home in Pueblo, Colorado, that they finally arrived home on Thursday, February 25. Their trip took three weeks visiting the fruits of their past works, and reconnecting with old friends. From Kalemie, Congo, they traveled by boat to Kigoma, Tanzania, where Ralph spoke at a missionary Bible study. Then it took two days of driving to reach Dodoma, where Ralph spoke at the installation of a newly elected Bishop of the Evangelistic Assemblies of God. Thousands had gathered including the Prime Minister of Tanzania.

From there, they went on to Dar Es Salaam where Ralph preached at the church overseen by Dan and Melinda Koehler. (The Koehlers helped the Willners to find a house to rent when we arrived in Bukavu, Congo, in 1992.) From Dar, the Hagemeiers flew on to London, England, and Tel Aviv, Israel. There they visited friends from Dodoma that they had not seen in forty-five years. Masangu Lwenyeke, Church of the God Shepherd, Kalemie, Congo:

Good progress is being made on a permanent church building. Pas. Masangu asks us not to forget to pray for this work. This is the next building project that Open Word wants to support. They will need thousands of dollars to complete this project. Will you give your most generous offering to help them? Masangu is thankful for the fifty dollars which was sent for his personal support. Kilume Lulika, Kalemie, Congo:

Kilume was the pastor of the C.A.D.A.C. Sympho church. He has received the fifty dollars sent for his personal support. Kilume has been known to us since 1980. Samwel Ratanga, Pentecostal Free Church, Migori, Kenya:

Samwel asks for help to instal windows and doors into a permanent church being constructed at Anjego. Willner helped register the Pentecostal Free Church with the government of Kenya in 1975. Ruth Scott Kellie, founder Matumaini Children’s Center, Molo, Kenya:

Please continue to pray for the health of Ruth Scott Kellie. They have to go back to court to obtain a title deed for the land Kellie is donating to Pas. Samuel and Charles, the farm manager. We first met Kellie in 1973. Thank You for Your Prayers and Financial Support:

May the Lord bless you as you prayerfully support this missionary Bible teaching ministry. Please know that all of these national ministries are known personally to be faithful over many years. They are worthy of your support. Also, nothing is deducted from the support they receive for administration. That is covered by non-designated funds. Please send your donations to one of the post office box addresses in the signature block below. Thank you. Yours together in His harvest,

Charles Willner

_______________________________ Open Word Ministries: P.O. Box 625, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada L2E 6V5 P.O. Box 5001, Springfield, Missouri, U.S.A. 65801 www.openwordministries.com