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:”
Tuesday Morning
The training team and Pastors left the hotel at 6:40am to head to the church for breakfast. The food teams are doing a great job and staying ahead of things, so most everyone had eaten by about 7:30am. Our team used the few extra minutes to fine tune some lesson points and prepare more materials for distribution. Pastor Smith taught the opening session on how to take notes as a Pastor; it was a very helpful but challenging lesson. At the break, the ladies from the church had set up a small snack bar where we could buy chips or some candy, which was a nice treat. After the break, Missionary Alan Jackson was up to teach the next two lessons of the day on personal evangelism. Because he speaks fluent Spanish, he was able to pack more information into the lessons because he didn't need to stop and wait for an interpreter. Near the end of the second lesson, the power went out. We're figuring out this is not uncommon in Honduras! Today has brought some pretty high winds, which likely effected the city's power. The training center has many windows, so there is plenty of light, but we lost the use of the sound system. Fortunately for everyone, the cement walls and tile floor really help sound to travel, and did not prevent the lessons from continuing. Lunch time came quickly, and soon the Pastors were enjoying good food and fellowship and letting their minds rest from all the information they had taken in during the morning sessions. As the Pastors finished lunch, Pastor Smith showed slides of the Biblical Heritage Exhibit on a projector that was powered by an outside generator since the power was still off. As lunch and the slides closed out, Pastor Smith led into his next lesson on preparing yourself for Bible study, and really challenged the pastors to lead the way in their personal walk with God. Then we dismissed for the mid-day break so the men could head to the hotel to clean up and get refresh for the evening sessions. As the pastors headed for the hotel there was still no power, but everyone was praying it would be on for the evening services because it starts to get dark outside by 6:00pm.
Photos from Tuesday Morning
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Tuesday Evening Service
The pastors returned for the evening sessions though the power was still out all across town, but 3:00pm was still early enough to be able to see from the sunshine. Bro. Lane started the afternoon sessions by teaching on personal separation and holiness. His main emphasis was on being separated unto God. During the break following the lesson, Pastor Smith, who was scheduled to teach next, decided it would be best to do something a little lighter, like a Q&A session, rather than the lesson he had prepared, since the pastors had already taken in so much information over the course of the day. The questions came slowly at first, but then more and more hands began to raise. In answering the questions, Pastor was prompted to preach and teach, and by the time he was done everyone was ready for the invitation. There was no altar or benches, but men began to kneel at their chairs and make decisions in their hearts to leave differently than they came. After this session we took a 30 minute break to start up the generator to supply the lights, projector, and kitchen appliances since the power was still out and by this time it was getting dark. Once the lights were on, we were ready to begin again with Bro. Tilton teaching on Baptist Distinctives. Though it was hot and the men were tired, amens rang out in support of the Biblical doctrines that were being taught. Finally, it was time for dinner and everyone was excited to see the food. Our last session of the evening was about missions and was taught by Bro. Terry Jones, who not only knows Spanish, but also knows how to keep people’s attention. With grace and humor, he led everyone through the final lesson to close out the teaching for the day. Many of the Pastors went back to the hotel to get some rest, but the young men headed off to play football (soccer)!
Photos from Tuesday Evening 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