Around the World is our monthly rundown of news briefs, links and quotes from Churches of Christ all over the globe. Got an idea for this column? Email Erik Tryggestad at [email protected].
CROATIA
CRIKVENICA — More than 100 people met on the coast of this Central European nation for a spring camp hosted by the Varaždin Church of Christ and the Next Generation for Christ ministry.
Christians from Fairfax, Va., and Liberty, Mo., helped to coordinate the camp, as did Next Generation representatives from the United Kingdom (Mark Hill) and Eastern Europe (Joel Petty). Refugees from Ukraine were among the attendees.
Croatian minister Mladen Dominic baptizes a new believer at a spring camp.
“The retreat is their national conference, but it really has become an evangelistic event in addition to building up the Christians here,” said James Nored, coordinator of the Next Generation ministry. The retreat resulted in one baptism and several requests for Bible studies from Ukrainian refugees who took part in the event.
CUBA
PALMA SORIANO — In a three-month period, a small Church of Christ in this small town in eastern Cuba experienced 45 baptisms, minister Bryan Gonzalez said.
In 2022, Gonzalez trained with the Gospel Share/Gospel Chariot ministry in the Four Fields Discipleship method, said the Fernando Toledo, Latin American coordinator for Gospel Share. Now the church is “harvesting everything they planted for two years,” Toledo said.
A congregation packs the pews in eastern Cuba.
SOUTH KOREA
SEOUL — The Bible Correspondence Center, a ministry of Churches of Christ, hosted a two-week program featuring guest lecturers Phil Sanders of the TV show “In Search of the Lord’s Way” and Greg Tidwell, editor of Gospel Advocate.
More than 20 students, in person and online, studied the book of Philippians and the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The correspondence center’s director, Sang Yang, interpreted. Sanders described Yang as “a humble, compassionate and true servant of the Lord.”
Korean minister Sang Yang translates for Greg Tidwell during a training course at the Bible Correspondence Center in Seoul.
TAIWAN
HUALIEN — A 7.4-magnitude earthquake, the biggest in 25 years, shook this city on Taiwan’s eastern coast, killing at least nine people and injuring more than 900.
Boaz Wang told The Christian Chronicle that he and the other members of a small Church of Christ in Hualien survived. Wang and his wife, Ruth (who named themselves after the biblical couple), have served for three decades as volunteers in retirement homes, conducting Bible studies, worship services and baptisms for those who request baptism.
Other church members across Taiwan reported minor damage, said William Chen, a former minister in Taiwan who teaches online for Chinese Bible School.
THAILAND
CHIANG MAI — Preachers in this Southeast Asian nation, especially those who don’t preach full time, often worry that they’ll say something wrong or that their understanding of Scripture is incorrect, said Ryan Binkley. So the missionary hosted a workshop for 12 lay preachers in northern Thailand.
“My goals were to give some skills that make preparing a sermon more simple,” Binkley said, “and to instill confidence in them that they can bring a word from God when they get up to preach.”
Each attendee was assigned a passage, and the group shared ideas for organizing sermons based on that passage.
“My goals were to give some skills that make preparing a sermon more simple, and to instill confidence in them that they can bring a word from God when they get up to preach.”
UNITED KINGDOM
CUMBERNAULD — Forty-four men from across Scotland participated in the recent Men’s Day hosted by the Cumbernauld Church of Christ.
Speakers were Derek Brown of Castlemilk, Johnson Olusola of Cumbernauld, Jon Galloway of East Kilbride and John Mooney of Livingston. The men spoke on the resurrection of Christ.
“The singing was superb,” said coordinator Graham McDonald, “and the time of fellowship and mutual encouragement was much needed and appreciated.”
NEWSMAKERS
APPOINTED: Tom Montgomery, Humberto Mendoza and Toby Sharpe as elders of the Berry’s Chapel Church of Christ in Franklin, Tenn. They will join Mike Hayes, David Lankford, Steve Meeks and Keith Thomason. Scott Latham as chairman, Stephen Estes as vice chairman and John Dodd as secretary for the Freed-Hardeman University board of trustees in Henderson, Tenn.
BAPTIZED: Braxten Pisula at the North Terrace Church of Christ in Zanesville, Ohio. London Hughes at the Madison Park Church of Christ in Seattle. Wayne Mullin at the Leawood Village Church of Christ in Joplin, Mo. Chip Goble at the Ravenswood Church of Christ in West Virginia. Bonnie Julian at the Church of Christ at Grissom in Peru, Ind. Addison Amos at the Antioch Church of Christ in Halls, Tenn. Angie Gillispie at the Fayette Church of Christ in Alabama. Sidonie Matthew at the East End Church of Christ in Toronto. Sadie Garrett at the Willow Avenue Church of Christ in Cookeville, Tenn. Conner Boles at the New Hope Church of Christ in Celina, Tenn. Andrés Godínez, Michelle Gonzales and Maikel Almenares with the Barva Church of Christ in Heredia, Costa Rica. Dillon Scott at the Spokane Church of Christ in Washington. Lenayah Carthens at the Grand Central Church of Christ in Vienna, W. Va. Audrey Pratt at the 7th and Mueller Church of Christ in Paragould, Ark.
HIRED: Kelly Sims as youth minister at North Tuscaloosa Church of Christ in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
