In 2013-2014, Faith Baptist Church joined in a multi-country mass Scripture distribution project in Honduras with Bearing Precious Seed in Milford, Ohio, Bible Literature and Missionary Foundation in Shelbyville, Tennessee, Work of Faith Publication, La Esparanza, Work of Faith Scripture Printing and numerous other churches across the U.S. to ship five 40 feet containers of over 787,000 Scriptures to the Tates and Jacksons in Honduras. The distribution project incorporated large citywide campaigns, conferences, and the use of soccer stadiums as well as local church pastor meetings. The single largest distribution of Scripture in Honduras history involved dozens of unique titles of tracts, gospels of John and Romans, discipleship materials and of course, the New Testaments and whole Bibles in Spanish. Unprecedented access was granted to government offices, military, police, education and public assemblies, resulting in hundreds of decisions for Christ and a strengthening of the brethren.
In 2015, Pastor Smith joined these missionaries on a survey trip to determine the needs of their greater than ever expanding efforts among the Honduras people. After returning to the U.S., Pastor Smith presented a proposed joint project approved by the partnering missionaries to the family of Faith at the Missions Conference in October 2015. The goal was to expand the influence and impact of the Honduras missions effort in training national pastors to further expand the ministry efforts among the Honduras people in the cities, rural areas, and difficult access mountain communities. Having personally seen the great need for training, tools, and technical support a plan was presented for direct involvement. Working through Global Outreach Missions to fulfill the vision of evangelism, education, equipping, enabling and exhorting the plan was presented.
FIRST - a permanent training facility located in Danli which could be used by the Bible Institute, Christian school and local church programs, and also host annual Regional and National Pastors Training Conference.
SECOND - an annual week long Pastors Training Conference to reinforce the biblical truths, techniques and teaching to enhance the local church ministries.
THIRD - provide the needed tools for proper pastoral study and ministry procedures.
FOURTH - to create fellowship among like-minded ministries, not as an entity, but an opportunity based on biblical conviction, not compromise.
FIFTH - to exhort the brethren to continue in the faith, and to determine to evangelize the lost, strengthen the churches and expand outreach opportunities through personal and community efforts of the church membership.
FINALLY - to create a directory of ministries, churches, schools, institutes, orphanages, youth and special needs, vehicles, facilities, conferences, and campaigns.
Through the Faith Promise Missions Conference, $40,000 of the needed $50,000 for the construction of the permanent facility was raised. Then commitments were made to raise the $10,000 necessary for hosting a Pastors Training Conference, (meals, lodging and supplies) followed by the $20,000 needed for the pastors' boxes (resource materials) which included a beautiful leather bound study Bible, Wilmington, Strong’s, Naves, Vines, study books, commentaries, highlighters, pens, sermon notes, preaching CDs/leadership conference materials C.B.C., Spanish music CDs, numerous helpful titles from Striving Together Publications, tracts, presentation materials and much more. (value $295.00 each)
Together with the missionaries already laboring in Honduras among national pastors and co-laboring missionaries, Pastor Smith, Associate Pastor Dan Kirchner, Assistant Pastor Brandon Lane and Tom Tilton (the teaching staff) prepared over 28 hours of lessons, plus translation. Special materials were produced: tracts, banners, fliers, posters, New Testaments, children's tracts, V.B.S. material, music and CDs, discipleship books, Bible Institute materials and computer programs and applications.
Through the invitations of the missionaries, guest pastors have registered from four countries and several different fellowship groups. The conference began April 4th and continued through April 8th. It began with Monday evening services at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Danli and concluded with a pastor’s prayer breakfast Saturday morning before the send off.
Thank you for praying for these exciting days and the opportunity to further strengthen the brethren for the work that remains. We are grateful to the faithful family at F.B.C. who have generously and graciously given over seventy thousand dollars for this project, the various publishing ministries who greatly reduced costs and for Striving Together Publications donating so many wonderful tools to this cause, to the faithful Hondurans who have built the new facility in record time with limited resources, and to their missionary leaders.
We are in need of another few thousand dollars to complete this project, and if the Lord calls you to the cause please be assured your help is needed! Most of all “pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you:…” II Thess. 3:1
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:”
Monday Morning - Conference Setup
Today’s main focus was on getting the final preparations done for the conference, which starts tonight. Registration begins at 5pm, but pastors will be arriving all day. This morning Bro. Tate took us out for coffee, and then to our first meeting to review the conference schedule, finalize details, and answer any questions the team had. Afterward, Bro. Jackson headed for the airport to pick up one of the conference speakers, Bro. Terry Jones. Meanwhile, Bro. Tate and our team went to work on setting up the meeting room. The first step was to move and arrange all the materials, while Bro. Lane installed and tuned the two wireless microphones from Faith Baptist Church in Tacoma. We then decided on a layout for the seating and tables to create the best environment for the pastors to be able to take notes during the lessons. Once the setup was complete, Pastor Smith and Bro. Tate left to purchase the refrigerator for the church kitchen, rent the tables, and pick up the other supplies, while Bro. Tilton, Bro. Lane, and Pastor Kirchner put the finishing touches on their lessons. Upon Bro. Tate and Pastor’s return, we headed to lunch at the Tates’ house.
Photos from Monday Morning - Conference Setup
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Registration and Opening Service
After lunch we returned to the church to find the tables and refrigerator had been delivered and were ready to be set up. After cleaning the dusty floors, we finished the final planning and preparations before heading for the hotel to change and return for the service. Mrs. Lane received a wonderful surprise as she was exiting the hotel, she ran into all the pastors from her work! Tears of joy began to flow for these men who had traveled a good distance to be a part of this conference. Once at the church, nearly fifty pastors exited the bus to register for the conference. After registration, the pastors headed to the second floor of the training center for welcome and orientation. Bro. Alan Jackson greeted everyone warmly and let them know that this is a work of love and that all of our churches need for us to become better pastors. Following a brief orientation, the pastors were off to dinner, with a meal befitting such a great conference. Every pastor was able to eat to the full. Then Pastor Smith, with Bro. Tate translating, began to share from his heart how God had moved in a previous missions trip to come back and help train pastors who would not otherwise have an opportunity for such training and tools. From there, we began to distribute notebooks, pens, highlighters, sermon notebooks, and music CDs to each of the pastors in attendance. It was obvious by the overwhelmed look on many of their faces that this was a very great and unexpected blessing for them! Once all the materials were distributed, Pastor Smith began to preach on "Greater works Than These." Even with this being the hottest time of the year, and most everyone sweating, the pastors were drawn to the message and took very careful notes while they said "amen" in agreement. Pastor Smith closed the message with an invitation for each pastor to claim the promises of God that He would do greater works with their lives and ministries. After the service, the bus full of tired pastors headed back to the hotel, and the first night of the conference finished with everyone giving God the glory for all that He had done already even in just this one night.
Photos from Registration and Opening Service
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Monday
Registration - 5 PM
Dinner - 6 PM
Orientation/Service - 7 PM
Tuesday
Breakfast - 7 AM
Personal Evangelism - 8-9:50 AM
The Basics of Bible Study - Strong's Concordance - Daniel Kirchner - 10-10:50
The Basics of Bible Study - Personal Preparation - Pastor Smith - 11-11:50
Lunch - Noon
Hotel for rest - 1-3 PM
Biblical Separation - Personal Separation - Brandon Lane - 3-3:50 PM
Preparing Bible Messages - Sermon Types - Pastor Smith - 4-4:50 PM
Baptist History - Baptist Doctrines - Tom Tilton - 5-5:50 PM
Missions - 6-6:50 PM
Dinner - 7 PM
Hotel - 8 PM
Wednesday
Breakfast - 7 AM
Personal Evangelism - 8-9:50 AM
The Basics of Bible Study - Wilmington's Guide to the Bible - Daniel Kirchner - 10-10:50
The Basics of Bible Study - Personal Devotional Time - Pastor Smith - 11-11:50
Lunch - Noon
Discipleship Training - Continue (Spanish) - 1-3 PM
Hotel for rest and fellowship - 3-5 PM
Dinner - 5 PM
Service - 6:30-8:30 PM
Thursday
Breakfast - 7 AM
Personal Evangelism - 8-9:50 AM
The Basics of Bible Study - Elemental Theology - Brandon Lane - 10-10:50
The Basics of Bible Study - Content, Context & Chronology - Pastor Smith - 11-11:50
Lunch - Noon
Hotel for rest - 1-3 PM
Biblical Separation - Ecclesiastical Separation (part 1) - Daniel Kirchner - 3-3:50 PM
Preparing Bible Messages - Choosing & Developing a Message - Pastor Smith - 4-4:50 PM
Baptist History - Baptist Distinctives - Tom Tilton - 5-5:50 PM
Missions - 6-6:50 PM
Dinner - 7 PM
Hotel - 8 PM
Friday
Breakfast - 7 AM
Personal Evangelism - 8-9:50 AM
The Basics of Bible Study - Manners & Customs, Moody Commentary - Brandon Lane - 10-10:50
The Basics of Bible Study - Methods of Study - Pastor Smith - 11-11:50
Lunch - Noon
Hotel for rest - 1-3 PM
Biblical Separation - Ecclesiastical Separation (part 2) - Daniel Kirchner - 3-3:50 PM
Preparing Bible Messages - Organizing Your Sermons - Pastor Smith - 4-4:50 PM
Baptist History - Defining & Defending Baptists - Tom Tilton - 5-5:50 PM
Missions - 6-6:50 PM
Closing Service - 7-8 PM
Dinner - 8 PM
Hotel - 9 PM
Saturday
Breakfast - 7 AM
Travel Home - 8 AM