September 2017 Newsletter

Dear Friends and Supporters, Thank you for your support of this missionary Bible teaching ministry. Making Disciples: “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:19,20)

These are days when Christians need to renew their experience with God, and consecrate our hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to recommit to the Church, and reach out in our families and communities in evangelism. Today, we are facing unprecedented attacks against us as Christians, and the Church. As we look at the aging congregations of our churches, the decreasing numbers of our children who are serving the Lord, the scarcity of Christians serving in ministry and the professions, and the diminishing affect of our Christian witness in the public square, it is time for the Church to take a repentant attitude and to cry out before God that we might obey the great commission given to us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We must change our attitude from God blessing us and meeting our personal needs: to us taking up our cross to follow the Lord in building His kingdom. Joseph Mugo, Omega Pentecostal Churches, Kenya: Mugo is excited to report that one quarter acre of land has been purchased for the Omega church at Kianyaga. Mugo ministered in Tharaka-Nthi, Meru, Kirinyaga and Nakuru counties. He performed a wedding, and held a pastors’ seminar. “People are joining (Omega) from other faiths and hence the necessity to teach what we stand for.” There will be a rerun of the presidential elections next month. There is much tension and therefore we need prayer for peace. So far, $5,110.54 has been received for the purchase of a newer vehicle for Mugo’s ministry.

Kalembelembe Bible Institute, Fizi, Congo: Ekyoci Eciba reports that fourteen students finished the Third Trimester 2016-17. Six students graduated with a three year diploma. Two goats were purchased for the graduation banquet. Graduation was held at Eciba’s house because of insecurity in the region. Vehicles are only traveling through Fizi in convoys accompanied by the military. Eciba reports that the Bible school has reopened with sixteen students. Good Shepherd Church, Pas. Masangu Lwanyeke, Kalemie, Congo: In June, OWM sent another installment to help with the construction of the church pastured by Masangu. Masangu writes that civil unrest is coming to Kalemie also. People are afraid to go to do farming in the country-side so that there is very little food in the markets. People are afraid to travel on the roads from town to town. How sad it is to see Congo descending into civil stiff again. Please pray for good, stable government. Ralph & Shirley Hagemeier and Stephanie, Kalemie, Congo: Ralph announces that he and Shirley are turning the leadership of Bible Outreach Ministries over to Stephanie. B.O.M. has a strong sponsorship in the U.S.A. They are also strengthening their local board in the Congo with local pastors who are recognized and respected. They are receiving another shipment of Bibles. Please pray for Stephanie as she assumes this leadership along with her other ministries; elementary and secondary schools, health center, prison ministries, and now the International Bible College. Radio Kahuzi, Richard and Kathy McDonald, Bukavu, Congo: A technician from HCJB is resolving problems with the transmitter of Radio Kahuzi. It has been in daily service since 2001. The power company is trying to collect duplicate payments. There is only one turbine working for a city of two million people. It provides only a few hours of electricity sometimes less than 50 hertz, just enough to make everyone unhappy. So Radio Kahuzi has a backup system of large batteries and UPS storage units to supplement power. During the down time for the short-wave, the FM transmitter has been working to send out a clear message of our Lord Jesus Christ’s finished work at Calvary. Buulu Msembwa Andre, Assemblies of God, Kalemie, Congo: Buulu is involved in several ministries. He is regional secretary of the Assemblies of God for churches in Katanga Province. He is director of support for students in their church schools; for education and formation, protection, assistance for deserving female students, food security and reinforcement of economics. Buulu was my interpreter during our first two years in Congo (1981,’82). Wallace Njeru Kirigia, Sonship Ministry Church, Igoji, Kenya: Njeru reports, I am so much busy training pastors at Maua, Meru and Nyeri. The Lord has given me seventy pastors and so the main work now is to train them so that they can see well the vision of the ministry. I am teaching the younger pastors two days in a month in Nyeri, two days in Maua, and one day in Igoji. The Lord has enlarged the churches in Igoji for now there are ten churches here. OWM put the roof on Njeru’s home church in 1973. Njeru was a student in our Overcomer Teaching Center in Meru town in 1974. Thank You for Your Prayers and Financial Support: Thank you for your prayerfully support for this missionary Bible teaching ministry. You may send your donations to one of the post box addresses in the signature block below. The Lord bless 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 www.facebook.com/openwordmissionsministries