Pentecost. For 11 Tuscaloosa-area laypersons and pastors, this magnificent movement of the Holy Spirit is not just a history lesson nor a Bible study. It is a reality they witnessed firsthand on a recent missions trip to parts of Venezuela. There they saw the work of the Spirit I the lives of villagers, resulting I more than 800 decisions to follow Christ.
The 11 Tuscaloosa team members, representing nine local churches joined with 43 other Baptists from across Alabama, including 18 pastors, to embark on a weeklong missions partnership across Venezuela. The purpose of the trip, quite simply, was to “see people won to Jesus and to follow the Great Commission,” said team leader Jack Brown of the Tuscaloosa Baptist Association.
This missions trip was organized state wide by Max Croft, associate in evangelism at the State Board of Missions. Joining the effort were Baptists from areas such as Montgomery, Russellville, Dora, Scottsboro and Gadsden. While each member was responsible for paying his or her own way, some associations – including Tuscaloosa – were able to provide scholarships to aid in the costs. This was some of the best money (the association) ever spent, said Brown.
Powerful movement
After talking with six team members for an hour, I feel much like the apostle John, who recorded in his Gospel that the whole world would not have room for all the books that could be written about these experiences. However, the participants agreed that the most powerful movement of the Spirit while on mission happened when and where they least expected it – at a local swimming hole with a group of teenagers and young adults.
Team member John Matthews of Alberta Baptist Church recounted this event that occurred toward the end of the week, after many locals had already accepted Christ and the community was buzzing with the joy of new believers.
Early one morning, as the group was planning its day, several young people approached the missionaries and asked them to join them for a swim. By the time they all reached the river, the missionaries noticed that a crowd of more than 50 had gathered, some to swim, some to bathe and others just to interact with the American “foreigners.” During the swimming party, Matthews recounted, “Someone turned to me and said ‘You know, we could baptize here.’”
After gaining permission from the project organizer, the missionaries had a brief discussion over whether or not they should baptize without having a formal class on its meaning. Citing the brevity of Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26-40, the team members decided to give public instruction about baptism, and then perform the baptisms of the new believers then and there. A second baptism service took place later, and a total of 38 new believers were baptized at the watering hole they had used for bathing and swimming for years.
Along with Brown of Carroll’s Creek Baptist Church, volunteers from Tuscaloosa included Mark Raughton of Duncanville Baptist Church, Jim Young of Skyland Boulevard Baptist Church, Albert Lyles of Oak Grove Baptist Church, Dan Williams of Lord of the Harvest Baptist Church, Tim Tindle of Indian Lake Baptist Church, Lisa Miller of Hargrove Road Baptist Church, Ronny and Cindy Channell of Mount Olive Baptist Church and John Matthews and Patrick Branch of Alberta Baptist Church.
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