Chapter 81
Janie shares…
Amazing results can come from just one life’s commitment dedicated to serving god. As an example I share again about the commitment to ministry by Mark & Huldah Buntain. Although they began their ministry simply on a word from god and a step of obedience, untold numbers of poor and homeless have had their lives changed by this families’ commitment. Following a life of service to India Dr. Huldah Buntain is currently senior Pastor emeritus as well as President of the Calcutta Mission and is actively engaged in Calcutta Mercy Ministries, the ministry founded by her and her husband. Calcutta Mission now takes in eleven states where they have over 700 churches under national leadership.
It is gratifying for Huldah to see children from the slums of Calcutta who had no future, but because of the educational programs, are now leaders of their mission: pastors, doctors, nurses and staff. There are 2,000 on staff at the main complex in Calcutta which houses a six storied general hospital, a junior and senior high school, a junior college, a teacher’s training college, a vocational school, a nurses training college, and administrative offices.1
If results like this can come from one couple dedicating their lives to helping others in such an impoverished country, think of all that we as Americans could be doing for our poor and homeless. I truly admire men and women who give their entire lives toward serving others in foreign lands. But even with all of the hardships and trials, many missionaries to foreign countries will say that they never want to return to America with all of its Immoral and godless ways.
Thank god for the comforts of America, but the Irony is that our comforts have created a real challenge for the American church. Many Americans have become apathetic about going to church and look upon church members as hypocrites based on their lifestyles during the rest of the week. Therefore many Christians miss god’s purpose for their lives and the rewards for helping others. God’s desire is for each of His children to be active members of His family not just members of a church, coming to a service a few times a week. American church buildings are mostly huge, expensive, overbuilt, seldom used cathedrals. How easy it is for theAmerican Church to get comfortable and complacent, to get busy about other things, and to forget that we are all called by god to “take the Gospel into all the world,”2 and to be “the light of the world.”3 The church is to be god’s mouth, god’s feet, and god’s hands in all places. God’s people are called to share the gospel to a hurting world and meet their needs during times of difficulty no matter where we are. One reason we believe more Americans are not going to the mission field is that some American pastors have insecurities and fears that keep them from training their members to work in their own ministries and/or to launch them out in the ministry of their respective callings. They believe that the large size of their congregation is a symbol of their success.
In many other countries it seems that people are hungry to hear the gospel, and they are appreciative of Christian missionaries that come to help them. They love getting copies of god’s Word, and, in some cases, huge crowds walk for miles to hear the gospel preached and to receive hope. That is not true in America. With churches on every corner and a Bible in most every home, many do not give any consideration to god. Even worse, today inAmerica there is a national move to remove the mention of god from our schools, our government, and our public buildings. I do not believe theAmerica of today is theAmerica envisioned by our forefathers. They envisioned a land of religiious freedoms, freedom to worship and serve god as a nation. Instead, many people want freedom from religion with no mention of God in their lives, because God does not fit into the lifestyle that is portrayed by the media purveyors in the world today.