Pink and Selena are
making a move to Wellington NZ.
Ever since, and even
before, the Davises arrival in New
Zealand the strategy of the BMW team in New Zealand has been to reach out to
the nation’s capital, Wellington.
Like many long
term-plans, this change has simmered for a long time and now the time for
making it happen appears to be sudden, but it isn’t. It’s been in the pot for a long time. Pink commented, “Ok. The main thing about the move to Wellington besides it being the
next location for planting/assisting/networking churches is I see the time is
near where I am no longer needed at Cornerstone. [The church with which the
Davises are currently partnering] Could I stay and have an effective ministry?
Yes! But I have told folks that I will not be here when I am not needed. In
Wellington, there is a GINORMOUS need + the open door of opportunity = we could
not pass this up.”
“I will be the only BMW missionary in
Wellington [though as you will see the Davises will be partnering with
others, and will continue to work as a team with the other BMW missionaries in
New Zealand]. I'm pretty stoked about
charting new seas so that more may worship! There seems to be more urgency in
our conversations. This is no longer just
talk. This is real!”
I asked Pink about the opportunities and needs:
“Wellington, as far as I know, would be similar
to Washington DC in the sense of being the capital where a lot of immigrants
initially start. There is a religious
presence
there. Religion has covered NZ, and
among Christianity, there are heaps of Pentecostals not only in Wellington but
all of NZ. This is the case throughout NZ. Again, as far
as we, BMW NZ, can tell there are only 3 churches in Wellington, city
population and surrounding suburbs = 400,000, worth networking with. Now, once
we move down there and live there, we (maybe me) will most likely find other
churches that we can have fellowship with and network with. One of those
churches, with which we will network, is the one in which I will be involved.
Community Baptist Church made up of a majority of Filipinos, handful of Europeans, and a
couple Samoan families, and a Maori lady.
It is a great base for outreach into the multi-ethnic Wellington
community.”
Generally I am not in favor of missionaries pastoring churches. I say “generally” because there are
situations where this works from a strategic viewpoint. Lonnie Hodge, for example is using his
position as Associate Pastor as a platform for training and outreach in Bolivia. The situation into which Pink and Selena are
moving shows signs of having the same kind of opportunities. Like many opportunities this
one has come about through networking, relationships, and seemingly unrelated
developments.
Pink explained, “A year ago Dale Brown,
Pastor of Community Baptist Church [in the Wellington area], asked me if I would be interested in
ministering alongside him at CBC. Time passed and a decision was not made. This
past Oct., I saw Dale at a youth camp and seeing the condition he was in, he
has a severe case of MS (same disease as Selena). My heart was burdened so I
approached my missionary colleagues about the possibility. I was given the
green light to pursue it and I have.
After surveying the church and the needs, and how I will most likely
minister, and how Dale and I mesh, Selena and I were in agreement about making
the move. I met recently with my colleagues and we are in agreement that we
will move to Porirua which is a community just outside Wellington!
I received notice from Dale Brown after he approached the church about the
opportunity. The church would like for us to come. They are excited.”
One strategy for planting churches that has
been used in places like New Zealand involves a missionary using his position
of leadership in a church as a base for church planting. Another BMW missionary is using this model in
planting churches in the greater Auckland area.
His success in using this strategy is one of the reasons that it is time
for BMW to reach out to the Wellington area.
Pink comments, “It's my view that the “Catalytic” church planting model, where the
missionary serves as Pastor and trains men and women and sends them out with
resources to plant churches, has worked well in Auckland and will work in the
Wellington area.
One thing I have
learned since arriving is that while it's good to have strategies/plans, etc.
it's best to observe the scene first and see how you can best glorify God
in church planting. The opportunity
before us matches up with this strategy.
We are confident, and our colleagues agree that, this is the right thing
to do.”
Pink’s day to day
involvement in this ministry will be: “Leading the youth ministry, developing and growing a needed
young adult ministry, developing further a local church based Bible college,
preaching, and reaching out. Those will be the main thrust of my
ministerial efforts. Dale and his family will be heading on furlough in
the middle of 2013 for 6-12 mos. so preaching every Sun. will be added to
those duties.
Our family is well. Summer is coming to close. Cornerstone
Church is going well. New ministry after the Christmas/summer break, small
groups, etc. have started off as expected--with a bang. Pray that the fruit
would remain.”
Talk to you and the church on Skype in a few days. Lord bless brother!!!
going ... so that
others may also worship the great I AM,
the Davis family
Philippians 1:21
biblicalministries.org
