1 January 2020
Gratitude
For a dozen years and more
We have plowed and planted for
A harvest from the parched field—
Through God’s grace there is a yield.
Dineo comes to our mind
For her int’rest in the kind
Of serious Bible teaching,
Of searching preachers’ preaching.
Born again two years ago,
She attends that she may grow
Special classes and reads books
Borrowed from the pastor’s nooks.
Sharp as her, Mugove meets
Each appointment the church keeps
For he prayed to his dear Father
English would no longer bother,
And his Shona ears would grasp
Ev’ry verse and sentence fast.
At once with his new sister,
Their faith began to glister.
We could not do
What we here do
Were you not faithful too.
Though our membership’s just ten,
We are given this token
That the Christians love the Lord
By their hunger for the Word.
All but two were brought to faith
In the past two years at Grace.
None were from believing stock,
Pray they’d learn new ways to walk.
On a Sunday here you’ll find,
Half a score who listen blind.
Two men shy are standing near,
The Wicket Gate bound by fear.
Four women as from a cave
Blink in light that they might save
Their souls from the charlatan.
Now learning from a Puritan.
Sev’ral children, maybe nine,
Attend Sunday teaching time.
Pray for these, and labor long:
Pray’r exhausts even the strong.
We could not do
What we here do
Were you not faithful too.
Such is Grace, the church in town.
To this work we have been bound
By providence while my eyes
Run back to the Tsongas’ skies.
In Limpopo are a store
Of the Tsonga, Venda poor.
In Valdezia, just four—
One per year not any more—
Christians gather twice per week
To learn how blessed are the meek.
With four believers come six more
Who are trying to explore,
The message that found their ears
At their homes these last four years.
Now this body has some land
Where a fence and tent can stand.
Mud in rain—mothers beware,
Grass is growing ‘neath our chairs.
Humble, yes, our meeting place,
But four or more works of grace!
God be praised, He has saved some
Yet are there no more to come?
This afternoon, I return
To preach and offer, though they spurn
Grace unknown because we know
In the future some will bow.
We could not do
What we here do
Were you not faithful too.
Though my meter’s somewhat fast,
It might hint at blessings past.
Looking back, we see the gain.
Falling down like hoped-for rain.
It is true, there are so few.
Our hearts wish for showers new.
Would to God, the village ran
With the life of God in man.
For your part, we thank you all
Till that day when we shall fall
At the feet of His dear Son
With the Tsongas who have come.
We could not do
What we here do
Were you not faithful too.
_______________
We could not do what we do here,
Without you standing there.
We could not be planting here
Without you still holding there.
We could not be planting here.
Were you not still holding there.
We could not do what we do here
Without you standing there.
2 February 2020
Book Learning
A Book Group
In 1657, Richard Baxter took up his pen again to write another of more than 150 works that would come from his pen. Lord-willing this Saturday seven Africans will meet at Elim Baptist Church at 1:00 to discuss pages 68-81 of that book, A Call to the Unconverted.
From 2008-2013, Paul and I tried to obey the command to train men (2 Tim. 2:2) by formal classes in the Limpopo Bible Institute. Now, the same theology and devotion tempered by the lessons of time have found a new method—a bimonthly book reading group. Three of these seven are pastors in small churches, and two others may be in the future. One has just recently come out of the prosperity gospel after five years of Bible studies, but he still has not joined Grace Bible Church. One, Mugove from previous prayer letters, is planning to move back to Zimbabwe at the end of this year in order to live near his wife and children.
Our meetings generally consist of moving through the section page-by-page asking “Do you have anything from this page that you would like to share or talk about?” In this way, our judgment becomes sharper as everyone participates by evaluating the most important lessons from the best authors.
In 2018, we read Baxter’s Reformed Pastor and last year Spurgeon’s Lectures to My Students. If you have a recommendation, let me know as we will finish our current book next month. Please pray for these men to grow in grace and logic since preparing leadership is one of the more difficult aspects of churchplanting.
Our Nourishment
Three times Solomon teaches his son that there is safety in a multitude of counselors (Pro. 11:14; 15:22; 24:6). Since the day the world changed in 1455 with Gutenberg’s printing press, the dead can counsel us much more readily. We can even fetch teachers from afar through shipping and digital books. Prayer letters are always partly biographical, so I trust you will be interested in a brief summary of my intellectual diet.
Usually, once per year I make a book recommendation, but I could not find a way to do it in our last prayer letter. My book of the year for 2019 was Knowing Christ by Mark Jones, and I doubt you could finish any of the 27 short chapters without learning something new about the wonderful Savior of sinners. Since I began these annual recommendations, almost every year I receive mail telling me that someone has been enticed to read it. Please let me know if you are the winner this year to read Jones’ fine work.
Another excellent work that I finished in 2019 was Henry Hazlitt’s readable Economics in One Lesson where he teaches us to look at all the consequences of an economic policy rather than simply its good intentions. The surprise of the year was a 249-page biography of Adolph Hitler by Albert Marrin which has a tendency to stick to the fingers.
Yet, I know that more people watch than read today. A riveting interview between Baptist (?) Michael O’Fallon and two atheists will open your eyes to the great danger of cultural Marxism that is all around us now and even in Baptist churches. My wife and I watched both of these together pausing every few minutes for discussion—what a great date night! If that sounds too heavy, may I have the pleasure of introducing you to the five minute videos at Prager U? Why is it that unbelievers sometimes see the world more clearly than believers? May that not be true of us.
I hope you found these brief recommendations interesting and will be spurred on to holiness, commitment to your church, and prayer for your missionaries…
…Until the books are opened,
Seth and Amy
3 March 2020~Before the Lockdown
Family Conference
“Children don’t listen when you tell their ears. Their ears are located behind.”
“If the father refuses to use the rod on his boys, one day God may use his boys as a rod to him.”
“The kids are watching to see how much we value our religion.”
Practical and Biblical advice like this peppered our 3rd Family Conference last Saturday. About 50 adults gathered, and a score of children to listen to Charlie Rampfumedzi, a godly Venda pastor from Polokwane (90 minutes away), Alpheus Nyalungu, the Tsonga pastor of Elim Baptist Church, and Mzamani Kubayi, also known as Paul Schlehlein.
Members of five churches and plants in our area met with us, and 55% of them paid for the $3 meal. One young man wrote a text afterwards, “Thank you for the conference. It was like a tap pouring wealth. I didn’t want it to stop.”
A choir from Elim Baptist sang “Seek Ye First” in Tsonga with Akani Hlungwane playing the guitar accompaniment. That was particularly pleasing because Akani is fruit from our children’s ministry from a decade ago, and though he is the fourth member at Elim who plays the guitar, I only taught one of them.
Dakalo Rambau worshipped with us at Grace Bible in 2019, until he was called to pastor a group of believers at Muledane 90 k’s away. Though this church needs a lot of help, they sent a group of 10 to the conference. Please pray for the Muledane Baptist Church as Dakalo tries to lead them to begin Biblical membership, evangelism, prayer meetings, and church discipline.
A Good Lord’s Day
In the notebook beside my desk where I am typing, I recorded five answers to prayer from this past Lord’s Day.
- Help in preaching
After breaking from our series in 1 Kings, I preached from John 1:12 on “What does it mean to receive Jesus?” Four women, none of whom are church members yet, spoke for nearly an hour during the Sunday School time about the sermon, and then prayed that they might truly understand what it means to be born again.
- Signs of life in the village
In the afternoon, Alpheus preached a stirring message, and two of the women who have been attending for a couple months spoke in a lively way with me about the message afterwards. They even mentioned that they should be ready to be baptized about the time the government finishes putting a road in their village (probably by the end of the year).
- Profession of faith
Since 2017 Vuledzani Ndou has been with us after we stopped at her house on door-to-door. In the evening service, she surprised us by reading a testimony that she had written during the afternoon. In short, she testified that she had previously thought of herself as a Christian “like everyone else” but after seeing John 1:12, she realized that to be born again is to receive new desires from God and to believe in Christ is to rest on Him for the forgiveness of sins. “I have read the church covenant, and I am ready to sign it and be baptized.” When she sat down a man who has been at our theology class for about 5 years stood up and spoke of God convicting him for sin and asking us to pray for him.
A number of others continue to attend and study, but are not yet ready to confess Christ. Please remember Faith, Olga, Chris, Sheila, and Grace from Grace Bible and Mhana Vongani, Mhana Vukosi, Thabo, Elias, and Enasi from Valdezia Baptist.
In Johannesburg, a dear brother shared with me today that they have recently had several answers to prayer. With a church of less than 100, 30 have been meeting for the 90 minute prayer time on Wednesday. This same church has seen several SMO’s (Sunday Morning Only) who have suddenly begun attending the evening services as well. More than this, a man was recently converted during the sermon, another man from street evangelism, and a couple from grievous sin.
I share this to feed your faith so that we may lay hold of the promises in prayer. Has he not said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7)?
“We are great fools when we doubt God, and that is saying the best of it.” Spurgeon
Lockdown
Friday morning, South Africa’s president has ordered that most businesses and travel be frozen for three weeks as a result of COVID 19 which has infected so far 709 people out of 57 million.
Here are a few thoughtful articles to consider:
Dennis Prager: “You are morally obligated—to be as easy to live with as possible during this miserable time.”
Von Mises Institute: The government should simply print Trillion dollar coins.
Daily Wire: Why Coronavirus May Be Over Sooner Than Many Think
Jerusalem Post: 4-8 Week Cycle for the Virus in a Nation
Medical professor at Stanford: “Lockdowns [might produce] major consequences to the economy, society, and mental health.”
And my own reflections: A Christian response to the Corona Virus
With the medical and economic difficulties right now, may we have the joy of seeing someone come to Christ while we are…
…Looking upward for our Blessed Hope,
Seth and Amy
5 May 2025~Labor in Lockdown
House Bound
For the last seventy days it has seemed right to the leaders of South Africa to prohibit evangelism and church gatherings in the broad package now known globally as “lockdown.” Aragorn eventually laid aside his sword Anduril at the request of the lord whose house he entered, and so we have labored to honor the king and give no offence these past weeks.
Extra time for reading, study, and writing spiritually refreshed me, and Amy continued her regimen for correcting our children’s innate foolishness.
In that time, a gracious brother in Christ, Precious Chidongo, designed a beautiful website for Grace Bible Church, and with help from two other brothers, I was able to get some English sermons online as well. Lord-willing, Tsonga sermons will be available soon. Please pray that these tools might be megaphones to amplify the gospel where it had not been heard previously.
Our family has been worshipping at home, and in the month of May we invited a few believers to join us. Two weeks ago, we invited all the members and friends to join us, but only a few have come. I designed a flier, “10 Questions About Corona Virus” and have left a few hundred around the town.
Please pray that we would have wisdom regarding this churchplant in town. We long to be laboring full-time where there is the least light. Nevertheless, God has given us a handful of believers who are precious to us, and even more so we are gripped by the hope that through our means an enduring church might stretch its influence over the years into this town. Where should our fleeting days best be spent? I have been asking God to give us new converts this year if it His will for us to invest further in this town, but then He often has good reasons for calling His servants to work patiently for years before the harvest.
Providence
While walking out of a yard, I asked a young man who was interested in church if he had a new heart or if he only liked church for the girls. A week later, in another area, a different young man stopped Caleb and I asking if he could talk with me about the Bible. “How do we know each other?” I asked.
He replied, “I heard you ask that young man last week if he had a new heart. And I thought, ‘That is what I need.’”
Apparently, this young man was staying at his friend’s house because he lost his job washing cars due to the lockdown. After having overheard our conversation, he saw us several days later several kilometers away, and worked up the courage to ask for a Bible study. We have since met three times, and I hope that we will see him before long testifying that God has given him a new heart. Please pray for Kudakwashe.
In 2019, Thabelo was hitchhiking when it was his hap to receive a ride with me. For several weeks, we have met twice per week to study the Bible. Last week he texted me, “I think I have to rush my things and put it in order so that when Jesus come back find me ready to welcome him back and sing with others.” Do pray for Thabelo to follow Christ regardless of the cost. We have learned that people often progress happily in learning doctrine more readily than they are prepared to live a life of integrity, but our Lord did say that he came to set a man against his father, and if he would follow Christ he will find that his enemies may come from his own house (Matt. 10:35).
Above all, remember us before the Father that we might be holy and that a great work of God may be done among the Tsongas and Vendas among whom we labor.
Helping your joy while you are helping us in prayer,
Seth and Amy
7 July 2020
This Morning’s Phone Call
The sound of my dear friend’s voice is still in my ears after praying with him over the phone moments ago. A few years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting a young African training to be a pastor. At the completion of his formal studies, he was called to serve a church in a rural area with about 30 people consistently attending. Since the end of 2019, he has been preaching each Lord’s Day and trying to begin church membership.
Sadly, he admitted that he seems to have overestimated the spirituality of the people. Some are unhappy that he has rebuked false teachers, though Jesus, John, and Paul did so, even publicly shaming them and giving their names (Matt. 23:1; 3 John 9; 1 Tim. 1:20). Some have a problem that he is asking about their marital status when he sees children but no husband though fornicators will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21). Some are offended that he is trying to have a clear membership representing those who are born again and living a godly life though pastors are called to watch over the souls of some and not of others (Heb. 13:17).
Worst of all, none have been concerned to begin meeting again as a church though we now enjoy a small, but stout group of reasons to do so. The government now allows meetings for worship. The people have not ceased to cluster together at shops even during the most stringent level of lockdown (see the photo). The number of people at most churches is relatively small—easily under 50. The virus has almost no impact on this region. And most importantly, the whole body is joined and held together by the grace given to each member in order to cause the growth of the body (Eph. 4:16). It would seem that very few are concerned about being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin or being ravaged by the prowling Beast.
The situation facing this man is having received the leadership of an established “church” he is finding not only very little spiritual desire, but opposition to spiritual disciplines.
This has been our experience too as we moved to town in 2015 and began working with an established church. The people we baptized had been long-standing, yet unconverted members of an established—ostensibly conservative—church.
Recently, a Tsonga woman who has been worshipping in town with us for a number of months admitted that though she had thought she was converted, she now is shocked to see that she had never known the gospel. Her father, who does not live with her mother or siblings, is a pastor. Last Tuesday night she purchased a Bible, and we hope ere long will take up her cross and follow the Captain of our Faith.
Google will tell you that 4 out of 5 people in this country are Christian and therefore I am wasting my time as a missionary. But if Christianity is defined by the logic of the apostle Paul then all those who have worldly minds are dead, and only those who have spiritual minds have eternal life and peace with God (Rom. 8:6).
Before we ended our call, this man told me that the little works of true believers in Elim, Mbhokota, and in Louis Trichardt keep him from discouragement. Please pray that God would give such spiritual life to this man’s church and labors that it would resemble the book of Acts rather than the letter to Laodicea.
The Anatomy of a Bible Study
The elderly Kubayi’s greeted me warmly as I entered their home for the first time a few weeks ago. Following Paul’s example years ago, I took the family name Kubayi and perhaps they thought I was him since “all white people look alike.” They knew me from my days in Mashamba and were glad to hear as I read some verses to them. Neither husband nor wife believed their names were in the book of life, and to the question, “How can a man be saved from sin?” the wife responded kindly, “You tell us.”
That week and the next we studied how bad people become good by the righteousness of Christ from 2 Cor. 5:21. I illustrated this by hiding behind my son Caleb as a picture of Christ hiding the sinner. I shook his hand demonstrating that my guilt was passed to him as his perfect obedience came to me. At the end, I asked if there were any questions and the woman said, “Not even five people in this whole village [of 15,000] know this.” (There are 34 churches in the village.) Not to be outdone, the man affirmed this message was very good and that not even 2 people in the village knew this teaching. I asked if he had ever heard it before in his 63 years: “No, today is the first day even though I have been going to church all my life.”
At this mention of his church, I began the move to cut the cords tying him to false religion, “What does your church teach about the way of salvation?”
“Oh, we teach what you teach, the Bible and God.”
“Wait, you just told me that you had never heard this before. That means your church never told you. Had you died yesterday you would have been lost in Hell.”
The conversation went downhill from there and ingloriously fizzled out. Their patience reached an end as I saw what I have seen so many times before: a superficial recognition of a few Christian terms and a social club called a church have inoculated two more people from hearing the gospel. Recently, some professing Christian I don’t know read one of my fliers and texted me that “I think it’s very wrong for you to say that God is calling us to humility and that He is the one who sends disease.” Very wrong to think that God wants us to be humble? This must be a pillar in Satan’s doctrine.
Some good Christian men, so eager to believe that the church is winning, count churches as Christians bodies without real evidence of spiritual life. But this is a deadly form of false judgment, and the ages to come will show how many millions went to hell with the name of Christian in their mouths, the works of the flesh in their lives, and the doctrine of demons in their minds.
My dear friends, please pray that the power of God, real living religion (Eph. 1:16-19), would shake and grip the souls of men and women in the villages of Valdezia (where I work) and Mbhokota (where Paul works) and the towns of Louis Trichardt (where Grace Bible is) and Thohoyandou (where the other man works).
Eagerly awaiting our Lord’s answer or return,
Seth and Amy
9 September 2020
Punctuality is a Christian virtue, but so too is anticipation. Christ would not show himself publicly because His hour had not yet come. Typically, in July I have written a list of ethical dilemmas, but hopefully my delay will make it more interesting now. The reason I have done this 8 times over the last decade is to relate some of our family and ministry news both to stimulate interest and prayer. Perhaps if you will discuss these questions with family or friends it may help you in your prayers to God for us.
- Should I cancel church in the rain?
In Valdezia the stand Providence has given us is on the top of the mountain. Most of those who come live 2-3 miles away. With no cars, muddy paths, a steep assent, and a dirt floor where we gather, should we cancel the service in order to show kindness, or should we definitely meet to demonstrate our devotion to God?
- Should I collect offerings from a group where the majority have not been baptized?
Still only four young men have been willing to commit publicly that they will follow the Lord Jesus. Over the last 3 months, about 20 adults and teenagers have been gathering on the Lord’s Day. We have run out of chairs and songbooks. Our tent is fading fast. Should we ask for money from those who have not yet professed Christ publicly?
- Should I support a wedding that occurs years after the couple has been living together as husband and wife?
A Venda man near our house has been living with a woman though they are not married. After years of fornication, now he wants to have a large wedding because everyone loves a party. Another young man that I met in 2019 while he was hitchhiking wants to marry the girl he has been living with. Should I support these weddings, or refuse to attend since the celebration was planned, prepared, and begun in the midst of fornication?
- Should I bar an excommunicated church member from attending?
Recently, at Paul’s church a man was removed after the careful exercise of Biblical discipline. However, the week after, he returned to church though he still was not willing to leave his sin. If church discipline is a process of removing leaven from the loaf (1 Cor. 5:7), should a member who has been removed also be told that he is not wanted until he discards his sin? Or, must he be encouraged to return in hopes that he will be converted (James 5:19-20)?
- Should I preach in the open air amidst homes?
In 2019, a Tsonga pastor asked me to preach in the open air. I had only done that three other times in my life (1994, 2001, and 2004). That day as I stood on the street, probably 50 people came and more listened from their homes. I began the practice back in Valdezia and here in Louis Trichardt of standing amidst homes, singing to attract some attention, and then lifting my voice. On a few occasions I have been told to “shut up,” but usually about 10-15 gather and more listen from their homes. Eternity is inconceivably long, and they will be lost if they are not converted. Nevertheless, when the prosperity preachers do something similar with their loud speakers, I hate it. Does this method sinfully invade the sinners’ privacy, or is it biblical boldness?
- Should I encourage the best members of a small church to return to their home areas?
At Grace Bible Church in Louis Trichardt, the strongest man is from Zimbabwe. He wants to stay in South Africa in order to support his family and attend our church, but he wants to return to his home in order to evangelize his children, parents, and friends. This is a common dilemma for converted Africans. Should they strengthen a small churchplant away from their homes or return to their homes (where there is no church or job) in order to evangelize their families?
- Should I call a meeting with four men under 20 who have been converted and baptized a church?
In my experience, evangelism in the villages usually produces interested teens and children before adults. We had only two adult members at Elim Baptist Church for five full years before another adult was baptized—and those two worked on Sundays more often than they met with the Christians. When has a women’s Bible study earned the name “church”? Is a meeting with a few believing youth a church? Can it be called a church before it has an ordained pastor?
- Should I serve the Lord’s Table when the church only has young people?
Following hard on the heels of the previous question: All Christians agree that the Lord’s Table is an important tool that God has given us to remind us of the gospel, bind us together in unity, and strengthen our faith. Is it right to administer this ordinance when only four young men have been baptized?
- Should I pay for people’s transport to come to church?
Since before I met an 18-year-old piano prodigy—my future wife—on the church bus, I have been in favor of providing free transport for people to attend church. But since I have been a missionary, I have opposed using money in ways that may introduce a patron-client relationship. Now I commonly evangelize people from distant villages who have no church (in the Christian sense) closer than mine. Should I give them $2 for the trip to church on Sunday? Or just $1 to return if they are able to make it there themselves?
- Should I count two people as married who have been living together for years?
In African culture, a man takes a wife by publicly paying for her in the presence of representatives of both families. Many men simply move in with their girlfriend, or they will begin the payment, let’s say $200 out of $1,500. It is common to find women whose last names do not match their “husband’s.” Sometimes they may have lived together for 5, or even 10 or more years including several children. Does this count as marriage in God’s eyes? May I accept them as church members without addressing this situation?
All 80 questions to this point are archived at my blog, and if you would prefer to listen, I have been delivering some lectures on assorted “Great Books” here in town. Recently, I reviewed Mr. World and Miss Church Member by W. S. Harris, an allegory written in 1901. I am still indebted to Pastor David Atkinson for recommending it nearly 20 years ago, and you may feel the same way toward me if you treat yourself to this book at least by way of a brief summary.
In hopes of receiving the wisdom for which we pray,
Seth and Amy
28 October 2020
Both the Sword and the Trowel: A Sample of South Africa’s Pastors
On my day off, the bell at our house rang and entrance was admitted to a man under 30 with a lady friend. They had found on Facebook that we sold Bibles and had come to buy. Pleasantly, they both spoke Tsonga by which I learned that he was pastoring a religious gathering he had started in the village of Bungeni about 30 miles away from our house. Providentially, this is the village where I am planning to begin evangelism in the new year.
I asked what he preaches at his church, and the surprised stuttering that was his answer gave me a chance to say that I preach the Five Solas which I listed for him. By this time, he had gained his feet and said something like, “Yes, that is what I preach… and also healings, and visions. I recently had a vision that the church would get a roof.” Then with his wafer of technology, he showed me a hundred or so people dancing and singing at his “church.”
For a few moments he told me about the kinds of visions he has and the kinds of visions that he does not have.
I asked if he was staying with the young lady (probably 20 years old) who was with him. Yes, he shamelessly said.
“Are you married?”
“No. But we have wanted to get married.”
Taking the Tsonga Bible on my desk, I read, “whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” and asked, “Why do you think of yourself as a Christian—not to mention a pastor—when God is very angry with you and has promised to judge you?”
In an effort to win them with the most persuasive argument, their money was refunded that they had just paid for two Bibles, and they received a free book. I labored to convince them with a soft demeanor that they were deceiving themselves, and I promised to happily receive them if they would like to study. Yet having seen many, many “pastors” like this I don’t think they will ever return.
Years ago in Valdezia, a woman told me that her “pastor” promised her a discount on the required 10% membership fees if she would be his “girlfriend.” And on a taxi years ago, a descendant of she from Proverbs 7 approached me saying, “All the pastors have a girlfriend.”
If you still labor under the misconception that the thousands of “churches” in the rural areas represent true assemblies of God’s people, another pastor from the same village of Bungeni recently told me that he loves money.
Plowing, Planting, Watering
Perhaps a pastor can be so taken up with preaching, praying, counseling, and administration that evangelistic Bible studies are rare on his schedule, but as a missionary it is the climax of my day to meet with some sinner and teach and plead that they would come to Christ.
In late March, a stroke relieved my neighbor Marius of his ability to walk as well as his self-righteousness, and self-confidence. Since he lives only with an aging mother, it seemed that I had come to the street for such a time as this. Over the last 6 months, not only has he learned to stand again, but also to read the Bible for the first time in his 54 years. His Bible is now clearly marked in each book that he has read, and we wheel him to the prayer meeting and theology class every Tuesday and Thursday for the past few months. Twice he has told me that he thanks God for the stroke even though he lost his job and his ability to walk because through this God humbled him. Monday he asked if I would baptize him.
Since lockdown, Lindiwe Baloyi has invited her neighbors each Friday at 2:00. Four women consistently come along with two other teenaged girls. Five of these six have earned Bibles by coming for 10 consecutive weeks, and one purchased the Bible herself in order to give the money to buying cement for the building we are slowly constructing. Sunday after worship, one said, “Very soon, pastor. I think I am very close now to becoming a Christian.” I would to God that they were both almost and altogether in Christ.
The same slow steps are happening in three other repeating Bible studies that I have been teaching over the past weeks. In all, between the Tsonga churchplant in Valdezia and the English churchplant in Louis Trichardt, about a dozen are seriously considering baptism and another dozen are consistently studying in one of our Bible studies. Twelve months have passed since we have baptized a new believer, and only 12 have been immersed in the past five years.
In Mbhokota, Paul has been laboring under many difficulties, but both he and Alpheus in Elim have several in their assemblies who have gathered at the narrow gate and would enter. Please pray that these who have shown such promising beginnings would follow on to know the Lord.
Time would fail to tell of our recent Bible Quiz tournament, or the joint service last Lord’s Day in Elim, or the building project in Valdezia, or the men’s and women’s book groups yet there are some brief videos online if you would see more. Through all of these we are…
…In hopes of a true work of God’s Spirit,
Seth and Amy
Postscript: A Conversation with a Senior Pastor in Bungeni
Currently, we are laboring to plant an English church in the developed town of Louis Trichardt where we have lived since 2015. At the same time, each Friday and Sunday finds us trying to start a Tsonga church in the more rural area of Valdezia 30 miles away.
But if God will be pleased, we would be glad to to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond.
On a Friday morning recently, myself and a young man named Thabelo drove slowly through the “village” of Bungeni (population between 20-30,000) after I had spent an hour reading a satellite map of the broader area. Our purpose was to find the next area for evangelism.
That desire brought us to pass a large beautiful building with an open door in Bungeni. Having found an older man—perhaps 60—who held the position of pastor, we spoke happily for a few moments as we got to know each other. Here is a close transcript of the meat of our conversation translated back to English.
Seth [after a few minutes]: What do you preach at your church?
Pastor: We preach Christ.
Seth: I am glad to hear that. I also preach Christ. You could summarize my message with these five headings: the Bible alone, Christ alone, faith alone, grace alone, to God alone be glory. But we do not love money. We only love the Lord Jesus Christ.
Pastor: Well, we all need money. It is very important.
Seth: Yes, I agree that we need money in order to live and buy necessities, but loving money is a terrible sin that pierces men through with sorrows.
Pastor: Well, we preach the tithe and blessings.
Seth: But do your people love money?
Pastor: Well, yes, I think they do.
Seth: Do you love money?
Pastor: Yes, I have to love money.
Seth: I’m not talking about using money, but loving God. I am talking about setting your heart on cars or houses or things on earth. Does your church love those things?
Pastor: I think they do.
A few observations must be made about this encounter.
First, he did not even state any doctrines about Christ that he preaches. He did not affirm the Five Solas when I affirmed them. There was no light in his eye when I spoke of the gospel. He did not return to this theme, but he made a point more than once of speaking about money after I had denied it.
Second, he had the boldness to indict both himself and his church members for love of money though I asked him in different ways and with such terms that he could tell my position. No one likes to contradict a guest and Tsongas are just as hospitable as any other people group. Yet this man would not let his guest’s anti-money-love statements stand without opposition.
Third, I could see an American being taken in with his first statement and actually thinking this man was a Christian. The inexperienced American might reach this conclusion because he does not ask questions about the ultimate loves of the African pastor. If the American had not seen this kind of thing scores of times already, he may be excited by superficial words and familiar names. Further, if they were speaking English, the American may be generous to his new friend on account of language.
That same day, we passed another young man in Bungeni and asked what his church teaches. He replied loosely about blessings. I asked if his church taught anything different from the other churches, and he said that all the churches teach the same. As we left that young man, my friend Thabelo who has been to many churches as well agreed.
Be not deceived: Africa is still devoted to this religion regardless of the voices that speak of great revivals and as one American said “30,000 people being saved everyday.”
Would you please pray for a gospel preaching church in the town of Bungeni?
Last Sunday morning (the 20th), the Grinches trying to cancel Christmas missed Trinity Baptist Church in Mbhokota. We enjoyed a gracious feast with multiple church families complete with the side dishes of singing, fellowship, the Lord’s Table, and preaching. The main course at this particular service was the testimonies and baptisms. Four testified to their faith in Christ, and you may be inspired to meet them.
12 December 2020: Long-Awaited Testimonies
Ntshusheko: Paul has taught this 18-year-old for about 2 years, though he was first invited over 10 years ago. He offered proof that he knew the Scripture and the Gospel, and he testified that God used The Pilgrim’s Progress as one more tool to bring him to faith. He is an active participant in the men’s book group as well as the ministries at Trinity.
Amukelani: This teenaged young lady was fished out of deep waters in the same fashion by the same hand from the same area. She included six verses in her testimony if we counted correctly, and her attitude bespeaks a changed life. These two are welcome additions to Paul’s church as God has allowed him to endure a heavy year of church discipline.
Lindiwe: On Sunday, this mother of four became the first adult member of the churchplant in Valdezia. Over the last year she has invited numerous other adults of whom five are still coming. Though nervous to speak in front of people, in her testimony she said, “Now I am hiding behind Christ. I have given him my sin, and He has given me His righteousness.” She actively memorizes the weekly verses from Luke as well as the questions and answers from the catechism.
Thabelo: He and I met every Tuesday and Thursday during the lockdown of May and June to study the basic doctrines of Christianity. In August, the fruits of repentance began to show in this man’s life because he was willing to ask his girlfriend to move back with her mother until he could pay the bride price. Sunday as he finished his testimony he said, “From now on, I will come to all the services of the church including the prayer meeting because I want to live like a Christian.”
Please pray for these four:
- To continue to fight with sin,
- To read and understand their Bibles,
- To learn to love Jesus, and
- To speak boldly and accurately about their faith.
The Bigger Picture
Sunday we baptized four people. It was a pleasing day. But the last time we have baptized before that was more than a year ago. If I have counted correctly, only 8 have been converted in the last two years among the several churches and evangelistic efforts of our team. In Valdezia, we now have an average attendance of 15-20 from that village, but only 5 believers though we are in our 6th year of plowing, planting, and watering. At Grace Bible here in town, we have gone for 2 ½ years without a baptism.
There are 15,000 in Valdezia, and about 50,000 in the Louis Trichardt area. And yet no one to stir the water? No one to profess Christ? We wait earnestly on God, and ask for your prayers to still mingle with ours. In 1860 Horatius Bonar wrote the following words in his brief book, Words to Winners of Souls.
“Why is there so little anxiety to get time to pray? Why is there so little forethought in the laying out of time and employments so as to secure a large portion of each day for prayer? Why is there so much speaking, yet so little prayer? Why is there so much running to and fro, yet so little prayer? Why so much bustle and business, yet so little prayer? Why so many meetings with our fellow-men, yet so few meetings with God? Why so little being alone, so little thirsting of the soul for the calm, sweet hours of unbroken solitude, when God and His child hold fellowship together as if they could never part? It is the want of these solitary hours that not only injures our own growth in grace but makes us such unprofitable members of the church of Christ, and that renders our lives useless. In order to grow in grace, we must be much alone. It is not in society—even Christian society—that the soul grows most rapidly and vigorously. In one single quiet hour of prayer it will often make more progress than in days of company with others.”
Year End Recommendation
Obviously, this year was marked by startling government overreach, and to counteract the tendency to lean too much on Big Brother, I gladly recommend one of the best books I read this year (though my wife gave it to me back in 2010), Race and Culture by Thomas Sowell. If nothing else, just read the introduction! My second recommendation (nearly book of the year) is Richard Baxter’s 136-page A Call to the Unconverted. Even believers of many years will find this short book breathes spiritual life into their souls.
If you take time to drink from either of these wells, I would be glad if you let me know.
Your constant prayer, support, and correspondence are more evidences of God’s kindness as we are…
…Plowing, Planting, Pouring, and Harvesting,
Seth and Amy
