Koalas, coral reefs and kangaroos often draw travelers to Australia, but a different kind of attraction proved to be the motivation for two directors of missions (DOM) from Alabama.
Last September, Thomas Wright of Mobile Baptist Association and Barry Cosper of Tallapoosa Baptist Association journeyed to Australia, where they teamed up with Pastor Steve Grose.
The men visited five churches, training the congregations in FAITH evangelism seminars.
“Evangelism is not a strong suit in Australia,” Cosper explained.
In fact, religion in general is unfamiliar to most Australians. Only about 9 percent of the population attends church regularly; about 1 percent of those churchgoers are Baptist, according to Grose.
“Basically non-Christians have nothing to do with the Church,” said Grose, pastor of Newcastle Baptist Tabernacle, a church located about three hours north of Sydney. “Baptists have had a problem breaking into the community, and they’ve been slow in evangelism.”
But Wright found Australian Christians were eager to learn ways to lead friends and family members to Christ.
“Many church members have been influenced by a radical Calvinism that has convinced them evangelism is unnecessary,” he said.
“This resulted in churches that do not expect conversions and do not participate in reducing the population of hell.”
The distinct spiritual need Wright and Cosper saw during their time in Australia prompted them to plan a second trip this summer — this time, with a focus on revivals.
And they won’t be going alone.
There will be 15 on the Aug. 20–Sept. 2 trip: eight pastors, three DOMs and four ministers of music. They will stay in local church members’ homes as they move between about 20 churches, spreading God’s Word.
Harold Fanning, senior pastor of Autumnwood Baptist Church, Decatur, in Morgan Baptist Association, said he plans to focus on simplicity.
“I want to go into these churches and just preach a simple message — simple gospel just exalting Jesus,” Fanning said. “This is an evangelistic event, and we hope a lot of people are saved.”
Grose, who is in the United States right now helping to prepare for the trip, has high hopes as well, not just for people being saved but also for churches developing better relationships with one another. Both are vital to aid the spread of Christianity in his country, he said.
If all goes according to plan, then this trip won’t be the last, Cosper added.
“If this is a good experience like we’re anticipating, we’ll need to go back for another revival effort,” he said, listing off even more possibilities for future trips like a focus on Sunday School growth and discerning spiritual gifts. “This will take more than one trip.”
Share with others: