From Malachi: Update from Birmingham
My records indicate that it has been four weeks since I last sent an update. That was not my intent but when various events and circumstances collided, I ended up not having as much time or motivation to write as I had hoped. I will include some of that info here and some in a later newsletter since I don’t want to incorporate four weeks of events into one letter. The last four weeks have had various high points and low points, as well as unusual encouragements at the low points. I still feel the pressure of finding evangelistic opportunities in such a fast-paced city. I commented this week that I traded a large park in Liverpool for a bustling city square in Birmingham. Formerly, in America, I had a great deal of courage talking to random strangers, but I have realized how much I rely on evangelistic tracts to start conversations. Without handing something out, meeting strangers feels a lot harder.
Also, it feels like there is at times a cacophony of messages in the city. On my first day visiting Birmingham back in August my team members and I were stopped by a couple of Latter-Day Saints (I still have their contact, and we have had some productive discussions). There is a Muslim booth that is a daily fixture in one of the well-trafficked areas of the city center. Often times there is a loudspeaker which broadcasts the Qaran in Arabic using melodic flow. I have been stopped by a very polished group who were advocating for “The Last Reformation” or rather completion of the Protestant Reformation. Their heavy emphasis was on Sabbath observance, celebrating the Passover, and other things. Their leader may have a cultlike following. I met another friendly group of evangelists from various churches who seemed to genuinely be proclaiming the gospel. One of them was a rather young lady who sounded as though she was being persuaded to leave the Latter-Day Saints. The other two people in the group were much older Christians who seemed to have been discipling her (this was really encouraging news). Last week I was playing volleyball with a Nigerian fellow on the local campus. I asked him if he was a Christian and if First Love Aston (the local, predominately Nigerian church) had spoken with him (they canvas the campus heavily and often target Africans). He rolled his eyes and complained that he is a Muslim, and they won’t leave him alone. Last weekend I was walking through town and passed two different men who were preaching in the open air (I did not hear anything I disagreed with). There was another Christian group handing out literature from a table and starting conversations. Lastly, the Jehovah’s witnesses are posted up religiously in the same place almost every day. Even this morning I saw them out at 7 A.M. while it was still before sunrise and foggy. As a note of clarity, I am open to many methods of evangelism including street preaching, evangelism, or simply writing an intriguing/provocative question on a whiteboard to spark conversation (which is what we do on Tuesdays and have had many good conversations). But I struggle when I see a myriad of voices and wonder how a non-Christian might navigate them. How would they know who to listen to and whether or not they are being enticed into a cult? Or rather, what makes them confident that I am not part of a cult? I have been asked if I am a Mormon rather regularly. This is usually followed by a desire to have me identify which denomination I represent. There seems to be an awareness that Birmingham is an important city and missionaries of all sorts and messages are coming to this city.
The foregoing questions and anxieties I think have made evangelism more difficult than I expected. But I am thankful that I am seeing open doors and avenues to meet people and speak with them about the gospel. Through these various opportunities I have made connections with many young men around the city. Some of these connections began on more social grounds and others on more spiritual grounds. My prayer is that doors open for follow-up.
As I have thought about interacting with strangers, I have been pondering what questions or emphases I would prioritize. As I have thought about it recently, I feel like previous conversations have given me a greater desire to clarify what it means to be in Christ and reconciled to God. I find that so many people are confident that they have a relationship with God. There is another smaller group which is concerned or even confident that they do not. My hope is to ask questions that uncover their foundation of assurance or lack thereof. I wrote out a helpful definition of what a relationship is and then followed it up with a couple of follow-on questions asking whether that characterizes their present position before God and what sorts of things could foster or destroy such a relationship. Having a more defined plan gave me an avenue to open conversations but I still struggle with the nerves and anxiety of anyone else. I am thankful that good conversations resulted from the day I went out to attempt this method. Most of the guys I ended up conversing with were Muslim and felt that they had always had a favorable relationship with God.
Amid what had been a couple of discouraging days in Birmingham I received an encouraging report from Liverpool. Michelle, who I had mentioned previously, has continued to gather with the church in Liverpool. Just recently the elders were encouraging her to repent and believe in Christ being unsure of what was holding her back. By God’s grace it seems this has happened, and that God has saved Michelle. I am excited to think of how the Word of God and the Spirit of God might transform her life. She has indicated that she often struggles with depression and anger. My hope/prayer is that the Lord will transform her mind and fill her with joy, peace, and thanksgiving in the gospel. Despite her mental illness she seems to have a good ability to grasp important theological truths. I hope she turns to God’s promises and believes them in times of temptation. This week I was able to swing through Liverpool on a trip. It was encouraging to see her meeting with other Christians at the weekly home group.
Last week I had an accident riding around town on a rented bicycle. I wasn’t aware that the brakes were poor and I wiped out on a sloped sidewalk. While the injuries were painful, I am thankful that they were not worse. I escaped that incident with no broken bones, only scrapes on my face, shoulder, and knee. That was a week ago and the recovery has mostly gone smoothly. One question I asked myself immediately was whether there was any lesson which God might be teaching me in that moment. I know God disciplines his children, but sometimes wonder how directly I might correlate suffering to potential discipline in my life. As I reflected, I was immediately aware of areas where I had been grumbling and complaining. I also wondered whether in my hurry to make plans and meet with people I was really seeking the Lord’s guidance and blessing.
Lastly, I am thankful that this last week was a holiday to slip away from Birmingham and spend time with visitors from the US. I will include more on this in a later email. It was a refreshing time to rest and enjoy the beauty that God has made. England has many scenic places to visit. Also, it was good to visit Liverpool and hear/see the changes and that have taken place since I left. There are still many needs. One faithful lady in the church shared that they need more people who are equipped to disciple the small congregation as well as engage in their ministry endeavors.
Here are areas where I would appreciate prayer:
- Pray for follow-up evangelistic opportunities with young men.
- Pray for open doors and boldness to share the gospel amid competing messages.
- Pray for the church in Liverpool to grow more mature members who can disciple and witness.