Get to Know our Missionaries (1)
Through the course of this week, I’m going to do a series of posts in which I introduce our Canadian Reformed missionaries. Sometimes it’s said that our churches are doing very little with regards to mission work. I think this series will demonstrate that, actually, we are involved in quite a number of missionary endeavours. Yes, we could be doing more. Yes, we could be more zealous for planting Canadian Reformed churches, especially in cities that have no Reformed witness. But let’s also be thankful for what we have been able, by God’s grace, to do till now. Let’s prayerfully support our missionaries and encourage them wherever we can.
Let’s begin with a work that is dear to my heart. For many years, the Canadian Reformed Church in Smithers has been working among the First Nations of their immediate area. I served as a missionary of this church from 2000-2005, working in the small village of Fort Babine. After my departure, things wound down at the Fort Babine post and the attention shifted towards the largest city in northern BC, Prince George. Rev. Jim Witteveen was ordained as their missionary in 2007 and his entire work has been focussed on PG, both with the local First Nations and others. Rev. Witteveen is doing great work and it appears that the Lord is richly blessing his efforts. Some day we hope to see a Canadian Reformed church instituted in this city. You can find Rev. Witteveen’s blog here and the mission website here.
I just found out that the Brazilian Presbyterian Church, with its 800,000 members and 8 seminaries, is sending missionaries to England to plant churches in London.
For some reason I find that very funny from a Canadian Reformed perspective.