Introduction
About forty years ago, five years into the life of the Boston Church of Christ (https://www.bostonchurch.org) and its many mission plantings in our fellowship of the International Churches of Christ, Pat Gempel created a women's anthology, written by women on the front lines of faith, entitled The Upward Call.
Last year, Pat and her friend Amanda Frumin were inspired to republish this volume, with two main goals in mind: to issue once again an Upward Call for Christian women to be actively engaged in teaching one another the principles of Biblical discipleship to Jesus and spiritual formation; and to raise money for the Philadelphia-based youth camp, Camp Hope for Kids, (https://www.hopeforkids.org/programs) a life-changing place of miracles for young people.
Response to "Preparing for Mission Work"
By Tammy Fleming
When Pat Gempel asked me over a year ago to write the contemporary response to Irene Gurganus’ chapter in The Upward Call, her kind encouragement to get me to agree was this: “You’re like Irene; you’re as ‘sold out’ as she was.” Despite the unfortunate negative connotations that phrase has taken on over the years, I appreciate Pat’s heart and intention to bless me with that compliment. However, unlike Pat and Irene and many real-life Christian heroines of faith and courage whom I’ve been blessed to know, I did not aspire to be a missionary in the beginning. I did not dream it or seek it or pray for it. God simply intervened in a very self-focused life when I was 25, turned me upside down, and set me on a path of inevitably right choices that just made sense after the decision to be baptized into Christ. Those inevitable choices plopped me down onto a foreign-language mission field a little over a year after I became a disciple. Any Christlike spiritual ambition, such as that which genuinely filled and motivated Irene to live out the practicals she wrote about, took much longer to take root and grow in my heart. More about those developments later.
I was blessed to meet Irene and get to know her a little bit, and so we do have some important things in common. Her husband, George, was a favorite professor of my husband, Andy, during his undergraduate study in Bible at Abilene Christian University. The Gurganuses’ wisdom and experience have been a guiding light and often quoted in our mission-field homes in Sweden and the former Soviet Union countries in the 1980s and 1990s, and then in the United Kingdom, Eurasia, and Ukraine all the way up to the present day! Andy spoke with George on the phone just hours before he died and we visited Irene in her home in San Diego several times. After George’s death, despite bereavement and poor health, Irene’s relationship with God and her passion for helping women around her to hear the gospel and become Christians was undimmed, and ever an inspiring upward call to me.
So it’s not surprising to hear the idealism ring out in her opening statement now, forty years on: “World evangelism is a reality in our lifetime!” I believe she felt that she was seeing her dreams for God’s kingdom come true then, back in the eighties and nineties. She watched many inspiring church plantings begin and thrive from the tremendous missionary zeal that was the atmosphere in the Boston Church of Christ in those early years.
While many of our ICOC churches today are still involved in mission plantings, and while opportunities do exist for young people, older people, and in-betweeners to participate in evangelistic mission teams, we are living in a very different era from the environment and atmosphere that surrounded Irene as she wrote that Upward Call chapter.
Far fewer of us today in our churches have that kind of close personal connection to mission work. But lest we miss the value of Irene’s message for each of us today, allow me to remind us that each one of us is being called by God to cross cultures on a daily basis. Each one of us who has chosen to follow Jesus made the decision to leave behind the culture of the world we were living in and devote ourselves instead to learning how to live in the kingdom of God. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old is gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
If you’ve read any of these books: Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien, Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey, or others like them, you’re aware that just the act of reading your Bible is an exercise in crossing cultures.
And then, within our own families and households, Irene’s good advice about head training, heart training, and habit training is so applicable in all those relationships. “It requires sharp, well-trained minds, faith, and power to meet the challenges of another culture,” Irene wrote. Any parent raising teenagers knows how true this is. Raising children – even your biological children – is a challenging cross-cultural experience. Marriage – any male-female interaction – brother to sister, employee to boss – is a cross-cultural experience. Our relationships not only in family but at work and at church involve a lot of cross-cultural experiences. The teen ministry is a completely different animal from the world of the gray-haired, “crown of splendor” ministry. Church leaders and church members, sadly, can misunderstand and misread one another’s cultures.
We can learn a great deal about how adaptable we are in different cultural settings by reflecting on the quality of our current community of relationships. Do I tend to hang out mostly with people who are quite similar to me? How comfortable am I spending time with people of different ages, genders, races, nationalities, or those who are significantly richer or poorer than I am? The answers to those questions might be good predictors for the answer to this next one: How effective am I in sharing my faith with others and helping them to become Christians, right where I live here and now?
At the present time, most of the people I know in our churches are willing and hopeful about having a mission mindset in their local settings. Even if we might feel a little rusty because “it’s been a while since I helped someone become a Christian,” the desire is there and the mustard seed faith is there.
But I think we have a gigantic enemy Goliath standing against us and stealing spiritual energy and opportunities from us. It is incredibly sad to me how the busyness and information overload of our culture today have eroded what was once a hallmark of the people in our churches: the spiritual discipline of reading the Bible often and well. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) The people I know are all busy with good things, but I know a lot of people in church for whom personal Bible study is not a daily habit, but more an occasional thing. Maybe weekly.
It’s undeniable, the more you ingest the word of Christ, direct from God’s word to your mind and heart – not through a commentator or a podcast, though those vehicles have value – the more faith you have. What changed me dramatically over time has been the daily application of God’s word – the living water, the fire, the hammer, the double-edged sword – to my mind and heart. It wasn’t the opinions of my disciplers (though many were a great blessing) that transformed me. It was – and still is – the living and active Word of God. That’s what moved me as a young Christian to choose to deny my naturally timid, people-pleasing, self-centered nature and push me to share my faith. The “one another” passages in the Bible taught me how to commit to relationships and invest in them with the new goal of pleasing God instead of building relationships to please myself. The example of likeminded disciples around me certainly helped, but what has nourished and sustained my convictions all these years has not been human example. Sometimes it has been in spite of the human example around me that I have been faithful! That’s a test I believe comes to us all sooner or later.
Somehow, we have to find the conviction to be intentional about these things that are most important in our super busy lives. “Good is the enemy of great” (James C. Collins in Good to Great). Jesus was being intentional, while under extreme duress, when he refused Satan’s temptation with the words, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’ ” (Matthew 4:4). It was not for nothing that Matthew intentionally recorded those words for us.
Our sister Irene called us to noble and godly goals. The foreign mission field is not for everybody. But like it or not, God has made us all missionaries – ambassadors – right here and now, right smack dab in the middle of our ordinary everyday lives. Let’s figure out together how to be great missionaries.
About Tammy Fleming
Tammy Fleming was a women’s minister in the International Churches of Christ for over 30 years. After studying at Cornell University, she pursued a career in music until becoming a Christian in 1985. She married Canadian evangelist Andy Fleming in 1987. Together they served the churches in Scandinavia, the UK, Los Angeles, and the nations of the former Soviet Union. From 1991-1999, while living in Moscow, Russia, they oversaw the planting of 24 new congregations, the largest of which are Moscow and Kyiv, now with each over 1000 members. As retired empty-nesters, Tammy and her husband are spending this year volunteering as ministry staff members in the East London Church (UK). She is a Specialist Trainer with the Grief Recovery Institute of the USA.
Eyes that See
In May, our worldwide fellowship is going to do focus on worldwide missions in an initiative called “Eyes That See.” This is an opportunity to learn so much about our fellowship and missions with the All Nations App. You can download the app (IOS or Android) via the Apple App Store or Google Play store. Once you have the app, look for the “Eyes that See” panel on the home screen for an introductory lesson and a link to sign up for news from specific mission societies.
Preparing for Mission Work
By Irene Gurganus
World evangelism is a reality in our lifetime! Mission teams are literally taking the gospel into all the world as Christ commanded in Matthew 28. Christians are answering the Upward Call to win souls in our land and other lands. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). God’s word applies to all mankind. It doesn’t change. However, languages are different. Cultures are different. We have a bit to learn. His power is sufficient to teach us. The question is “are we willing?”
The person that answers “YES, I am willing” needs to consider three things:
- Head training
- Heart training
- Habit training
Head Training
Foreign mission work is not an undertaking for the faithless dreamer. The work requires sharp, well-trained minds. It requires faith and God’s power to meet the challenges of another culture. A willingness to learn from others is a prerequisite. Remember, God is able, and you can’t outgive him. A study of the country’s history will help you relate to friends of another land. A firm foundation in God’s word is essential. Paul says in Acts 22:3, that “under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers.” All Christin evangelists should heed Paul’s advice to Timothy and become workmen that know God’s word so well, they are never ashamed or unable to share it (2 Timothy 2:15).
Remember, God’s word is designed for every culture and country. It applies to humankind worldwide. Keep in mind that citizens in many lands have never heard of the Bible, Jesus Christ or the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Remember two principles. First, the greatest preparation for seeking and saving the lost in another country is that you have had success in your native land. Second, learn from other disciples who have gone ahead of you, whatever country they were successful in. Learning from others is a principle of our Lord. He taught the 12 apostles and others about our Father. A successful missionary will need the sensitivity that Paul exhibited in his teaching of the Athenian Greeks on Mars Hill (Acts 17:16-34). Paul knew how to relate spiritual truths to people in a way they could understand, within the framework of their culture. That skill requires study. We need God’s power and his word and knowledge of the culture. Many missionaries tend to not understand where others are coming from. We need prayer and study to do that. Also, be careful that you don’t share the word from a perspective of your own biases and suppositions about the Bible’s meaning which are culturally biased from your native country.
Heart Training
To be an effective missionary in another land, one must know Christ on more than an intellectual basis. The heart, soul and mind must be trained and in tune with Jesus. We must have a faith and emotional bond to Christ backed by a 100% commitment.
Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39). The second commandment is possible only when the first is accomplished and growing. No one should consider being involved in foreign missions who is not totally committed to God and sharing a close personal relationship with him. Paul was bilingual, able to speak and identify with both Greeks, Hebrews (Jews) and others. Many disciples are monolingual. To be effective, a cross-cultural ambassador for Christ must learn to free themselves from racial or national pride and follow Paul’s admonition to see things from another’s point of view (Philippians 2:4).
The natural tendency of mankind is to be prideful, self-centered, and group-centered, thus isolating themselves from people of different cultures. Such attitudes of personal or national superiority are barriers to the unity of mankind which God desires. True surrender and prayer will allow the Lord to train your heart and eliminate this barrier to effectiveness.
Paul became “all things to all men” so that he might save some (1 Corinthians 9:19-22). Becoming like people of another land involves identifying with those people, learning their language and their culture. This takes head and heart training as well as prayer and the power of God. Cultural identification takes time.
Too often, people get discouraged too soon to learn. Pray that you have the faith that will allow you to persevere as you learn. God will bless you. God will work in your heart and humble you so that you can truly identify with the people who want to find our Lord.
Habit Training
The goal of the disciple of Christ is to imitate his life (Matthew 5:48). Paul understood this growth process:
“Not that I have already obtained all this or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-16).
That attitude will help us in forming the habit of thinking and behaving like Christ. As disciples, we must go beyond being students and adopt the lifestyle and mindset of our Master.
Spiritual growth depends on putting into practice what we have learned and trying to keep on learning. When George and I went to Japan, we were young and had a lot of learning to do. We had to learn the language and the culture. God strengthened us day by day. We helped others become disciples of Christ.
Habit formation allows us to let our light shine and teach those who become disciples to imitate our lives from the heart. The disciple provides a Christlike example for new disciples to follow. We must continually and prayerfully examine our lives to see if we are growing in our Christlikeness, so that we can teach others how to do the same. Can you, like Paul, in 1 Corinthians 11:1, call others to follow your example as you follow the example of Christ?
Some practical pointers are helpful if you are considering being a missionary.
- If you are going to work in a land with a different language, do you know the language? Do you have a gift for language? If not, try to begin learning it prior to your departure.
- Are you flexible in your habits? What is your attitude toward food, for example?
- Are you healthy? Do you suffer with allergies? How often do you see a physician? Will your health allow you to live in the country you are going to?
- Can you refrain from exercising your rights (1 Corinthians 8:9-11)?
- Do you know the difference between necessities and luxuries? Are you content with the minimum? Many necessities are luxuries in the rest of the world.
- Jesus was a fisher of men, and he taught his disciples to do likewise (Matthew 4:19). Timothy, Titus and others learned how to be effective fishers of men from Paul as they traveled with him on his missionary journeys. We must do the same (John 15:9). Do you and others describe you as a fisherwoman?
Preparation to work for God in another land, is unique. It is not glamorous or easy; however, it is rewarding. It requires a thorough knowledge of the Bible, the language, and the culture to which one is going and, most importantly, faith and prayer that God will work through you. You must have an ability to win souls to Christ and disciple them to spiritual maturity.
May God be with you as you prepare to take the precious gospel to people of every nation. Without you and others like you, many will not find our Lord and be with us for eternity.
References
Gurganus, George. Guidelines for World Evangelism. Biblical Research Press, Abilene, TX. Hardin, Joyce. Sojourner Published in Korea). Lubbock Christian College, Lubbock, TX.
Hile, Pat. Physical Identification, Harding Graduate School of Religion, Memphis, TN. 2022
Addendum from Pat Gempel
George and Irene Gurganus were some of our best friends. They lived with us for months and intermittently. I worked with George, Irene, and Frank Kim (a student at Harvard University at the time) for nine months in Boston. It was a wonderful and enlightening experience. They practiced what they preached. They were missionaries in Japan after World War II for many years and went back to Japan when the church was replanted in Tokyo. They spent their last years in the San Diego congregation and are with God now. God was glorified by their lives.
Conclusion
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
We all know that the Bible is relevant to our lives. It is timeless and allows us to know how to live for God in any situation and at any time. It is not specific to any country, race, culture, or sex. We can all learn to live and be blessed by God in this life and for eternity. Perfect love is our example. Any woman who has God’s power at work within her can do unimaginable things for Him. To do so, we must daily decide to make Jesus Lord of our lives and pray for God to lead us.
Each chapter of The Upward Call is based on the Word of God. It is personal, an outpouring of a woman’s life who has decided to respond to the upward call of God and allow Him to use her in His service. Like Paul teaches, none of us will ever reach perfection on earth; we can only forget what lies behind us, strain toward what lies ahead of us and continue to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12–14). Only when we finally reach heaven, will we truly have rest from daily battles with Satan. Satan doesn’t want us to purify our lives and to help others find God and eternity with Christ and the Holy Spirit. Prayerfully, this book has touched your heart and inspired you to live a God-filled, righteous life. You may have identified with some of the struggles and victories described in these pages. Paul, a great teacher and example, urged the Philippians to listen to his words, examine his life, and change their lives accordingly. “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me – put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9).
Please consider what you have learned and received from reading these chapters, and what you have seen in the women who have shared their lives with you. Put into practice that which you believe to be Christlike and of God. And, most importantly, continue to grow and mature in your life through prayer, study of the word, counsel from other Christians and, with the Holy Spirit’s help, strive toward what lies ahead. Then the God of peace will be with you always.
I just said a prayer for you to grow. Please pray for me as well.
I love you, but God loves you more. He is our source of love and peace. Christ is our example. His love inspires me daily.
In Christ, your humble servant,
Pat Gempel
About Irene Gurganus
written by Erica Kim and Pat Gempel
Irene was born in Cookeville, Tennessee, in 1918, to Ralph and Winnie Davis Rout. The family attended the Broad Street Church of Christ. She began her journey with the Lord in 1938 when she was baptized as a freshman at David Lipscomb College in Nashville, Tennessee. During a summer home from college, her church sponsored a young people’s class with students from different colleges. Irene met the love of her life, George, from Harding College. They married, March 22, 1941. George was a pilot in World War II.
When the war ended, George was a pilot for American Airlines and visited Japan. He was saddened by how few disciples of Christ were in Japan. Their home church in Chicago asked if they would consider becoming missionaries to Japan. George and Irene accepted God’s call and sailed across the Pacific Ocean with their two young daughters, JanetKay and Lynette in 1951. Once they arrived, they found a piece of property where the Tokyo Church of Christ meets today (2023). George worked as a church builder (an evangelist; not a construction worker!) and Irene took a job under General Douglas MacArthur as a secretary. Later, Irene was promoted to lead the Decorations and Awards Unit. She helped decide who would receive awards: the Medals of Honor, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Service Cross the Purple Heart. She had the joy of greeting General MacArthur with a smile each morning.
George Gurganus met Kip McKean in 1973 at a Church of Christ meeting at Abilene Christian University where he was a professor. They renewed their acquaintance in the late 1970s when Kip invited George and Irene to Boston in 1981. They came to Boston for a threeweek visit and stayed with Bob and Pat Gempel. After their visit, they moved from their home in Missouri to train in Boston. George worked with Frank Kim and Irene worked with Pat Gempel until they left for Tokyo in 1988. Frank and Erica Kim were later asked to lead the Tokyo church.
George went to be with God on June 20, 1992, and Irene moved to San Diego, where she began the “Sarah’s Daughters Ministry” for single women. Irene went to heaven on Easter Sunday, March 15, 2006 at 87. Irene is a heroine of faith, full of courage and love for the Lord.
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