Tensions

Tensions

Written by Sally Pim

You may remember, five years ago, a plea for prayer being sent out for a set of twins born in the village near us, to a family dear to us here. These premature twins had a fight on their hands with the boy weighing less than a kilo, and the girl not much more. Many of you wrote that you were praying. Thank you! Nurses who received my email sent suggestions that might help these babies. Thank you! Amazingly, these twins received the help they needed and today we celebrate their fifth birthday. It is a joy to see these two thriving and happy. It truly is a miracle. The family continue to thank God for His goodness and His mercy, for the way He saved these children. 

Yesterday morning the twins neighbour (who is a good friend of ours) let us know that his daughter had just had her baby, a new beautiful baby boy. She had gone into labour on Monday and we had been visiting at the hospital and waiting for the news. It was special to visit the new mother and her son at her parents’ home and pray together for this new life. He was so small, also premature, but the family had good plans and ways to care for him. 

It was a shock that, very sadly, he passed away last night. This baby was surrounded by a loving family who had been celebrating his birth only hours before. 

This morning I sat with the grieving mother, her sisters, their mother and several others as the men took the baby to bury in the cemetery. The twin’s mother and her family were there too, crying with this family, sharing the pain of loss.

A loss indescribable. Too sad for words. 

While in one house we were singing that God is good to give life to these twins, just next door, a life had been lost. 

Life and death. Joy and grief. 

And God is somewhere in both. 

I can’t understand it, the tension of this is too much for me to comprehend, and yet. I choose to believe that God is still good. I know His love is there for both families. Why some live and some die doesn’t make sense to me, and yet as I get older, day by day I am learning that life seems to hold joy and suffering in tension constantly. And while it looks like joy and suffering will continue all my days, so much more can I rely on God’s constant love to continue. He is near the broken-hearted (Psalm 34:18). He weeps with those who weep (John 11:35). He delights in us (Psalm 147:11), and rejoices with us (Zephaniah 3:17). We can trust that He will not leave us alone in any of this. 

So often in this culture, and in the ones many of us sit in, we try to explain why bad things happen. But blame and condemnation can’t take away the pain that is felt from the loss of a loved one. Only love can comfort, only love can heal. If God is love, then we can look to Him, lean in to Him, to receive his care and tending.

Author Sally Pim is an Intercultural worker for Baptist Mission Australia. Since early 2017, Sally has been serving in Mozambique, among the Yawo people group. Sally lives in Massangulo, a rural town in northern Mozambique.

Click here to support Sally and her work with Baptist Mission Australia

For more information about Baptist Mission Australia, please visit baptistmissionaustralia.org 

Stand with Myanmar

Stand with Myanmar

Baptist Advocacy Update September 2024

Three years on from a devastating military coup, over 3 million are displaced due to the Myanmar civil war, with the UN reporting that over 18 million within the country are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.

In solidarity with Myanmar, including the 17 Myanmar congregations in Western Australia alone, we strongly urge Australians everywhere to lend their voices to the cause.

Petition and direct advocacy can produce real, tangible outcomes. Following 2023’s Converge gathering, the Baptist community welcomed the Federal Government’s imposition of sanctions on Myanmar’s military junta—who seized power after ousting the democratically elected government in 2021. As the Baptist family prepares for another Converge gathering this month in support of Australia’s homeless, we must remember that advocacy can have a powerful and lasting impact.

So we must not forget Myanmar. Baptist Churches WA joins its voice with its national partners including Australian Baptist Ministries, Baptist World Aid, Baptist Mission Australia and all of the Baptist state branches for Stand With Myanmar—a nation-wide call to action that all Australian Baptists can engage in. While this campaign is ongoing and you can get involved at any time, the target period will be from now until September 15 2024. During this time, you can show your support by taking any of the following actions;

By taking these steps, we push the government closer to considering the following outcomes

  • Further sanctions on industries that provide arms and supplies to the military junta.
  • Partnering with ASEAN to deny the junta’s attempts at legitimacy.
  • Condemning conscription in Myanmar.
  • Increasing humanitarian aid and visa obligations.

May the Baptist Churches help chart a way forward to help the Australian government act hand-in-hand with its brothers and sisters in Myanmar in the pursuit of peace and justice.

Advocacy for tangible outcomes. Australia for Myanmar. Let us stand—and act—together.

Author Theo Doraisamy is a member of the Baptist Advocacy Roundtable and the Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders Network, a joint initiative between Micah Australia and the Pacific Conference of Churches. He is a secondary teacher in his day job.

Sign up for Stand with Myanmar here.

A new name for a new season

One of the nation’s oldest mission organisations has changed its name as it looks to strengthen its partnership with Baptist churches across Australia and international partners around the globe.

Global Interaction has become Baptist Mission Australia.

Executive Director of Baptist Mission Australia Scott Pilgrim said the organisation had chosen a simple name, which clearly identified who it was and why it existed.

“We were birthed 140 years ago by faithful mission-minded people in Baptist churches and we continue to serve today as intercultural mission arm of the Australian Baptist movement,” Scott said.

“We’re proud of this long and wonderful partnership and so we’re intentionally going back to our roots.”

“We, like the more than 1000 Baptist churches across the nation, are a mission people. Our heartbeat is to come alongside people in their own community, culture and language, embodying the good news of Jesus by word and deed, in ways that make sense,”

Scott said the name change flowed from the implementation of the organisation’s 2021-2025  Strategic Roadmap.

“As part of this process we have been intentionally and courageously asking big questions about our future directions in a rapidly changing world. As we’ve sought to listen to the Spirit, we saw that it was time to refresh our name and brand for a new and exciting season of ministry.”

The Roadmap envisages stronger intercultural partnerships with Baptist churches and associations across Australia and we’re actively strengthening innovative partnerships with our Baptist family across the globe as we look to new collaborative missional expressions.

“We have a history of bold and innovative faith steps, and we see our new name as another one of these milestones. And yet we also humble ourselves, realising our need to learn, listen and seek the Spirit’s leading as the face of mission changes around the globe.”

“Partnership will be a vital part of our future as we’re excited about the new season of ministry ahead.”

To find out more about Baptist Mission Australia, check out their website: www.baptistmissionaustralia.org

Groundbreaking conference connects Aussie Baptists

Groundbreaking conference connects Aussie Baptists

Hundreds gathered in hubs or as individuals for the inaugural Baptists in Mission conference, a decentralised and interactive conversation around best practices in mission.

Presented by Global Interaction and Crossover, and built on Global Interaction’s renowned Strategic Mission Week, over 40 leading thinkers and practitioners presented online from all over Australia and Global Interaction’s international locations.

Director of Crossover Australia, Pastor Andrew Turner spoke of the value of the partnership with Global Interaction.

“Australian Baptists, with a strong sense of the ‘missionary-hood of all believers’, are increasingly aware of the resource that Global Interaction is for developing our capabilities for effective mission here in Australia,” he said.

“Not only is there a sense of ‘the nations have come to us’, but also an increasing appreciation of the benefit of sound missiology in engaging born-and-bred Aussies.”

Crossover Australia, the national Baptist ministry championing evangelism, is renewing its focus on providing encouragement, training and resources that help Australian Baptists share Jesus. Their partnership with Global Interaction for this event sparked financial support from Baptist Financial Services and Baptist Insurance Services, along with the support of every state association and agency.

Andrew spoke of the significance of this nationwide support.

“[It was] a remarkable display of our ‘sleeves rolled up’ unity around our shared calling to the great mission of our great God.”

Author – Andrew Turner

Pastoral changes

Mike Bullard has concluded as the Church and Leaders Support Pastor for Baptist Churches Western Australia. April Madureira has been appointed as the Associate Pastor at The Sanctuary Community Church. Shane Kuchel has concluded as the Associate Pastor at Lakeside Baptist Church and has been appointed the Senior Pastor of Mosaic Church in Queensland. Peter Christofides has concluded as the Pastor of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church’s Coolbellup Campus and has been appointed as the Associate Pastor at Lakeside Baptist Church. Michael Christie has been appointed the Pastor of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church’s Coolbellup Campus. Mark A Wilson is concluding as the Sole Pastor of Dalkeith Baptist Church.