Author: WWNTBM

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The Homegoing of Mrs. Lihner Joel

Lihner Joel
July 3, 1952- September 10, 2022
Lihner Welles was born on July 3, 1952, in Micronesia. She trusted Christ as her Savior in June of 1969.  In 1970 she attended a crusade that Dr. Bill Wingard held in Pohnpei, and at that time dedicated her life for God to use any way He chose.  It was during this same crusade that her brother, Isamo Welles, began the Calvary Baptist Church of Kolonia.  Lihner was one of the first members.
She received a nursing degree from the College of Micronesia in 1978, and married William E. Joel on July 8, 1978.  Together they had three children:  Augustine Joel, Teresa Joy Aron, and Sherrie Ann James.  Eventually, her husband became the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church.
Mrs. Joel was a faithful pastor’s wife and church administrator of Calvary Baptist Church, and was instrumental in the early years of Calvary Baptist Academy, serving as a teacher and librarian. She also served in the Pohnpei Public Health system as a nurse.
Mrs. Joel went home to be with the Lord on September 10th, 2022, after several years of prolonged illness.  Funeral services were held on Wednesday, September 13th, 2022, at Calvary Baptist Church in Pohnpei.

Condolences may be sent to Bro. Joel at [email protected].
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Am I Thinking One and the Same with Christ?

By John O’Malley

When I read Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” I ask myself, “Am I thinking one and the same with Christ?”

Asking myself this question makes me take an honest inventory of myself.

  • Do I think one and the same with Christ?
  • Do I feel one and the same with Christ?
  • Do I respond to others one and the same with Christ?
  • Do I have the presence of mind one and the same with Christ?
  • Do I have a one and the same disposition with Christ?
  • Do I have a conscience one and the same with Christ?
  • Do I have the moral inclination one and the same as Christ?

As I read about the mind of Christ, I see three guiding principles which help me to align myself with the mind of Christ.

Principle One: The mind of Christ always chooses humility. 

There was no assignment beneath Christ. He became a servant rather than choosing the spotlight. He chose humility over honor. He chose obedience over opulence. In humility, Christ became a man and a servant.

To think one and the same with Christ means we must choose humility no matter our place and position in ministry. When unrestrained pride smothers humility in the home, the church, and the pulpit, it hurts us and those around us. Humility is to think one and the same with Christ.

Principle Two: The mind of Christ always chooses sacrifice. 

The work of His Father’s will required incredible sacrifice and death. But, Christ chose the path of sacrifice so we could be made right with God.

To think one and the same with Christ means we do not choose the path of gain. Instead, we choose the path of sacrifice. Sacrifice means something has to die. We should choose to die to ourselves to have the mind of Christ.

Principle Three: The mind of Christ always chooses submission. 

Submission is to choose the low place. The Father chose humiliation to exalt His name. Submission to the Father brought salvation to man, honor to God, and elevated the name of Christ.

To think one and the same with Christ means we choose submission of our will, desires, and aspirations to bring God glory. Submission is not the same as surrender. Surrendering is to cease resisting. Submission means I do not resist, I yield.

Do you have the mind of Christ? When we have the mind of Christ:

  • We choose the Father’s will above our will.
  • We choose the Father’s work above our work.
  • We choose the Father’s way above our way.

Yours for the harvest,

John O’Malley

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From the Memo Board: September 2022

Dates to Know

September 1 – July Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

September 1 – August Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

September 5 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Labor Day.

October 1 – August Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

October 1 – September Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

Our Privacy Policy

WWNTBM is committed to securing the privacy of all individuals associated with our agency. Therefore, we have a privacy policy to guide our staff and to inform our missionaries concerning how information is shared. A copy of this policy is available on SecureCloud under the Security Protocols folder. If you have questions or concerns about your privacy, please contact our office.

Financial Report Reminder

As we enter the last quarter of the year, thoughts turn to year-end tax procedures. Many people begin thinking of last-minute deductions that will affect them. If you anticipate making large ministry purchases and you desire the purchase to be a deduction in the year 2022, you may wish to make the purchase by the end of November. Because of the way our 1099s are calculated, December expenses are “reimbursed” out of January income, so the tax benefit on your 1099 would actually be considered a 2023 reimbursement. Regardless of when the purchase is made, you will still receive a tax benefit. However, we wanted you to be aware of these deadlines as you plan your expenses over the next few months.

Our Current Missions Family

Click this link to download a PDF of the current list of World Wide missionaries.
Note: You will need to login to SecureCloud in order to view this document.  Once you have logged in, click on the Headquarter Happenings folder, then “Missionary List September 2022.” This step protects people with WWNTBM in restricted access fields.
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In the Pauses of Life, God is Still Working

by John O’Malley

Press Play. Press Pause.

In a digital world, these are familiar terms. Whether in Eastern or Western society, these terms have meaning. Play and Pause allow us to control the timing of what we want to see and hear.

In life, we do not get to push Play or Pause; God does.

God wrote the narrative of our lives. He chose the main and minor characters for the story of our lives. He decided the context for our lives. He set us in our location on the globe. He needs us for Him to get maximum glory.

Job knew God wrote his story. (Job 23:1)

God placed Job when and where He needed him. God chose the characters who spoke in Job’s life. God chose the context of suffering for Job as the canvas on which He would bring Himself glory through Job’s responses and reactions.

Elihu said to Job, “Hearken unto this, O Job: Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.” (Job 37:14) When I read Elihu’s words, it is as if he calls Job to see his moment of suffering as God pressing Pause on Job’s life. Elihu called Job to see suffering as a moment to consider God’s script for Job.

It is good for everyone to see that God is working in the pauses of life.

Our context cannot and will not hinder God from working.

God wrote the script of your life. He chose you for the moment through which you are going. He even chose the Pause. Perhaps God chose your Pause for you to consider Him and what he has done, is doing, and can do.

Are you paused for the moment? Look around. Consider God’s work.

Yours for the harvest,
John O’Malley

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From the Memo Board: August 2022

Dates to Know

August 1 – June Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries.  This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

August 1 – July Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries.  This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

September 1 – July Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries.  This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

September 1 – August  Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries.  This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

September 5 – The Office and most US Banks will be closed for Labor Day.

April 10-13, 2023 – Family Fellowship Week at Caraway Conference Center in Asheboro, NC.

Prayer Letter Services

We have made some changes in our internal workflow, and Rebekah Tolley is now handling the prayer letter services for our missions family.  Rebekah has worked on our staff since 2014 and is very familiar with the processes involved.

Please continue to send all prayer letter-related correspondence to us at [email protected].  You should receive an automated reply indicating that we have received your email.  Our goal is to handle your letters promptly and efficiently.  If you do not receive the automated reply please feel free to reach out to us by phone or Signal message.

Bro. Chris Beane has stepped away to focus more on preparation for his full-time deputation, which he hopes to begin early next year.  We are grateful for his assistance over the past year.

Postage Increase

Please note that the US Postal Service has voted to increase postage for 1-ounce first class letters from $0.58 to $0.60 within the US, and from $1.30 to $1.40 for international mail.  Metered mail that we send in the office (instead of using a stamp) has increased to $0.57 for the first ounce.  The rate for bulk mail increased from $0.175 to $0.183 per piece.

Absentee Voting

In order to vote in the November 2022 elections, all overseas U.S. citizens need to have completed a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) in 2022.  Whether you are a first-time voter or have already received ballots and voted absentee in past elections, you must complete an FPCA each year to participate in elections as an overseas absentee voter.  Click here for more information about registering to vote.

Missions Support And The Local Church

Our staff has compiled a document that we believe is beneficial to churches and missionaries alike. This is a compilation of recommendations on missions finances, based on over fifty years of assisting with processing missions support funds.  In addition to practical observations, our staff has spent much time researching legal and financial guidelines from many government agencies, as well as with our team of financial advisors and tax lawyers.  Click here to download the document. This is also available on the giving page of our website.  Feel free to recommend this to churches you come in contact with.

Academic Opportunity

Our friends at Bearing Precious Seed and First Baptist of Milford, OH, want to bless our missions family. Their Biblical School of World Evangelism is offering a free course audit this fall of Articulatory Phonetics or Bible Doctrines. They sent this video for you to see. Please take advantage of this academic opportunity. Click here to view.
You may contact them at [email protected] for more information.

New Baby!

Tirza Lizett Ortiz was born July 14.  Tirza is the daughter of Rolando and Hannah Ortiz, and granddaughter of Fred & Beth Daniel.  She joins siblings Azelia (8), Viana (6), Amadeo (4), and Selicia (1). The Ortiz family serve in Mexico.

Uplift Podcast

The following recordings were recently published on uplift.wwntbm.com. You may access the site by entering the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel. We hope they will encourage your heart.

The Greatest Gift by Missionary Tatiana Cordeiro

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When Life Brings Grief

by John O’Malley

The road of grief often feels lonely. No one gets your grief as you do. Several men and women of the Bible experienced this lonely road. 

Hagar knew grief. She thirsted. She just wanted her kid to live. She found herself in a situation not of her own making. Ishmael was given up to die, but God showed up. So many religious and racial issues could divide, but God still cared about the seed of Abraham. God said, “I see you.” God bore Hagar’s grief.

Job knew grief. He lost all. He wanted to please God, but he wanted a family. What was so terrible about that? Satan brought a plethora of trials to Job — with God’s permission. Job called his companions “miserable comforters.” God bore Job’s grief.

Isaiah knew grief. God chose him as a liaison to His children. God promised forgiveness to His people but consequences if they persisted in disobedience. They rejected God’s offer over and over. Isaiah continually received and delivered bad news. Burden followed burden. No light awaited Isaiah at the end of the tunnel. No silver lining for Isaiah’s lifetime. Yet God spoke comfort to Isaiah and told him of the coming Savior. God bore Isaiah’s grief.

Who was this Savior? A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. This Man of Sorrows wept and sweated drops of blood as He prepared to take the weight of humanity’s sin. He knew His Father would turn away from His Only Begotten. The very people He came to save would spurn Him. Our human minds cannot grasp the grief of our Savior that night.

How did our Savior respond? Surely he hath borne our griefs. Our Savior not only knows and relates to our grief but also bears it. From bearing our sins to bearing our burdens, God carries them in divine love. The rest of the verse says, “Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”

      • God bears your grief in rejection.
      • God bears your grief in a loss.
      • God bears your grief when it gets worse.

You are not alone in grief or any other human condition. God bears your grief.

Yours for the harvest,

John O’Malley

If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley here to let him know.

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From the Memo Board: July 2022

Dates to Know

July 1 – May Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

July 1 – June Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

July 4 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Independence Day

August 1 – June Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

August 1 – July Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

April 10-13, 2023 – Family Fellowship Week at Caraway Conference Center in Asheboro, NC.

New Mileage Rate Begins July 1st

The IRS recently announced an increase in the standard mileage rate for the final six months of 2022. Beginning July 1, the rates have increased to 62.5 cents per mile for business/ministry miles. US Missionaries, please click here to download an updated MFR Template that reflects the new rate. Please continue to use the older version for the June report (due August 1) and begin using this new version starting with your July report, due September 1.

Congratulations!

Bro. Elwood Hurst recently received a Doctorate of Missiology from Tabernacle Baptist College. We believe congratulations are in order for this well deserved honor!

Learn to play the Guitar

The Brent Rochester family has a website designed to help you learn to play Gospel music and hymns on a guitar. This can be an invaluable tool on the mission field. Go to TheGospelWorkshop.com for more information.

SERVE Qualities

Our staff pauses weekly to remind ourselves of our goal of serving others, and to focus on staff and missionaries who have exemplified these qualities during the week. Our staff motto states, “We serve God’s Great Commission partners so they can focus on giving and going into all the world. (God’s partners are the Laborers, Leaders, and Givers who participate in spreading the Gospel.) We are at our best when we are Selfless, Eager, Responsible, Valuable, and Exceptional.”

Two and a half years ago, Brother O’Malley wrote a series of articles using the sentence “I Serve Others” as an acrostic. Below are the links to each of those articles. As our staff reminds ourselves weekly, we encourage you to remind yourself often of our goal as Christians – to serve others as Christ loved and served the church.

Introduction: The King’s Business 

I – Inspire

S – Selfless
E – Eager
R – Responsible
V – Valuable
E – Exceptional

O – Open
T – Tender
H – Helper
E – Edify
R – Reliable
S – Seeing

Uplift Podcast

The following recordings were recently published on uplift.wwntbm.com. You may access the site by entering the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel. We hope they will encourage your heart.

Something Worth Waiting For by Missionary Mike Ward

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The Homegoing of Pastor Clyde Eborn

Clyde Eborn
January 26, 1930 – May 7, 2022
 

Clyde I. Eborn was born on January 26th, 1930, in New Bern, NC, to Hugh and Etta Eborn. He honorably served in the U.S. Army. He and his loving wife, Shelby, were married on May 15th, 1954. During their 66 years of marriage, they raised three children and served the Lord faithfully.

In 1962, he founded and pastored Grace Baptist Church in Newport, NC. From its beginning, Grace has been a missionary minded church, supporting missions around the world. Pastor Eborn and the church had a special connection to Haiti, which he visited on many occasions. The church is well known in the community for their extensive bus ministry, as well as their tract ministry.

In 1970 the Lord led him to establish Grace Christian School.  He later established the Fundamental Broadcasting Network in 1988, which features sermons and Christ-honoring music and programing.  FBN continues to reach around the world.

Pastor Eborn was a founding board member for WWNTBM in 1971, along with Bill Wingard, Russell Bell, and Robert Winstead.  He served on the Board of Reference and as Vice President Emeritus since 2012. During his time on the board, he traveled to Africa, Micronesia, New Guinea, Russia, and Haiti. He had extensive outreach and involvement in Africa and Haiti.

He is survived by his wife, Shelby Broughton Eborn; daughters, Cathy Crabtree and Teresa Harris; son, Jerry (Sandra) Eborn; five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held on May 12th at Grace Baptist Church in Newport, NC.   A video of the service is available here.

 

Condolences may be sent to the family at [email protected].

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From the Memo Board: June 2022

Dates to Know

June 1 – April Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

June 1 – May Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

June 28-July 5 – See The Harvest trip to greater Boston, Massachusetts, in partnership with the Stelzigs.

July 1 – May Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

July 1 – June Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

July 4 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Independence Day

April 10-13, 2023 – Family Fellowship Week at Caraway Conference Center in Asheboro, NC.

Investing for Retirement

At Family Week this year Bro. Whetstone emphasized the need to plan for retirement. John O’Malley’s brother David is a financial advisor with Edward Jones, and has helped the Office as well as many of our missionaries with their investments. He produced a short video for our missions family about saving for the future. We trust this will be helpful to you. If you have questions or would like contact information for him or other financial advisors, please contact Kim O’Malley.

Mobile Banking

Mobile banking and mobile deposit are becoming more and more accessible. We have received questions from many of our missionaries in recent months about how to handle funds with regards to mobile deposits. Following are important things for you to know.

    • WWNTBM recommends all checks be payable to the mission office, as it alleviates certain tax reporting requirements both for the church and for the missionary. However, we realize there are times when a donor will write a check payable directly to the missionary.
    • If you receive a check payable to you, it is fine to use Mobile Deposit options to deposit the funds to your bank. Be sure to list the funds as additional income on Line 2 of your financial report, or to track the funds for your own personal tax records. *NOTE: Due to visa restrictions, Non-Resident Alien missionaries should never accept funds in the US payable to them personally. Please contact our office if you have questions about this.
    • If you receive a check payable to WWNTBM, you should never attempt to deposit it to your bank using Mobile Deposit. Doing so could create problems for both you and the donor. Please mail the check(s) to the Office, so we can process the funds and put them into your bank account. If you need the funds immediately, before the check would have time to arrive in the mail, please let us know and we will be happy to advance the funds into your account pending the arrival of the check.
    • When mailing checks to the Office, please be sure to make a note of the donor(s), amounts, check numbers, and dates you mailed the items to us. In the rare event the checks may be lost in the mail, this would be important information so you can contact the donors to ask about a replacement check.

Things to Consider When Mentioning Financial Needs to Donors

You may occasionally have financial needs that are not covered by your regular support funds. It is good for your donors to be aware of the needs of your ministry. However, there are some things that you should think through when mentioning such situations to donors. Because of this, WWNTBM asks that you keep the following information in mind when communicating your needs and contact us prior to seeking designated funds.

When WW receives or receipts funds with a specific designation, we become legally accountable to ensure the funds are used for that specific project. This can create issues, because multiple churches may give more than what is required for one designation, and funds are then not available to be used for another need that may arise. Because of this, our recommendation is that funds always be designated simply “as needed for the missionary,” without any additional designations or specifications attached. Where that is not possible, we recommend the following.

First, if you are asking to raise funds for a specific project, we request that you confirm for us in advance that your sending pastor is aware of and behind the project. In order for WW to issue tax receipts for specially designated funds, the Executive Board has to include it in the official minutes, and they prefer to know that your sending pastor is aware of the situation.

Second, there are many logistical items the Office can assist you with. For instance, it may not be advisable to ask donors to mark a gift as “France Building” because we may already have another missionary raising funds with that designation, and it could create confusion for how we would post the donation. Therefore, it is always best to confer with the Office prior to contacting donors, so that we can help advise on the best way for funds to be designated. In addition to the designation, there may be tax implications to you based on the manner in which funds are designated. We can help ensure the best tax situation for you as funds are received.

Third, we always recommend that donors make checks payable to WW, rather than to the individual missionary. Although we do have the ability to cash checks in your name, this makes for a smoother process and can avoid unnecessary tax paperwork for the church and the missionary. (If a church makes funds payable to you in the amount of $600 or more over the course of the year, they are required to issue a separate 1099 to you, even if the funds came through WW. In addition, if you are not a US citizen, there may be other tax and visa implications for you.)

Finally, we often see situations where designated funds arrive in our office for needs mentioned in passing or in a prayer letter but for which the missionary was not intending to solicit funds. Please be aware that the same procedures for Executive Board approval of designated funds apply regardless of whether you intended to solicit funds or not. Because of this, it is our policy to reach out to you and ensure that it is a legitimate need, and one of which your pastor is aware, before we process the funds. Thank you for your understanding. If you have any questions please reach out to our staff.

Opportunity for High School Juniors and Seniors

Ambassador Baptist College has recently started a Dual-enrollment program, allowing high school juniors and seniors to take up to two classes per semester to get a head start on a Bible degree. These classes are offered tuition-free, and are taught over zoom. Click here to see more information about this program.

Uplift Podcast

The following recordings were recently published on uplift.wwntbm.com. You may access the site by entering the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel. We hope they will encourage your heart.

That Which is Shaking You is Shaping You by Missionary Adrian Hendricks

Guarding a Glad Heart by Missionary Gabe Eiben

Where is your Focus? by Missionary Daniel Fetter

Forward March by Missionary Guy Grenade

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From the Memo Board: May 2022

Dates to Know

May 1 – March Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

May 1 – April Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

May 30 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Memorial Day.

June 1 – April Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

June 1 – May Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

See the Harvest

WWNTBM has partnered with Ambassador Baptist College to lead a missions trip to the Boston, Massachusetts area this summer for young people ages 15-30. We will be assisting the ministry of WW Missionaries Nick and Lindsey Stelzig. This year, we are focusing on a multi-lingual team ministering in both English and Spanish. We realize that many small churches do not have the resources to provide opportunities for their youth to see missions first hand. If you know of someone who would benefit from this trip, please direct them to our website at seetheharvest.com.

New Babies!

Samuel Ray Smothers was born on April 16, 2022. He weighed 7 pounds 3 ounces and measured 21 inches. Samual is the son of Joel and Noel Smothers. He joins older brother Gabriel. The Smothers are missionaries in Brazil. The Smothers have recently moved to a new location and will be starting a new ministry in the near future. Please pray for them as they begin this endeavor!

Jaxson Levi Conley was born on April 22. He weighed 8 pounds 9 ounces and measured 20 inches. Jaxson is the first child of Garrett and Katlyn Conley. The Conleys are currently in ministry training with a goal of qualifying for a visa to minister in Ireland.

 

Uplift Podcast

The following recordings were recently published on uplift.wwntbm.com. You may access the site by entering the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel. We hope they will encourage your heart.

God With Us by Pastor David Price

Things to Remember in Difficult Times by Markie Bullock