by Dr. Brian Kelly
Change is constant. Indeed, it may be the most dependable characteristic of our present-day culture. The proliferation of new medical, computer, and internet technologies enables Americans today to live longer, be more efficient and productive in their work (freeing up more leisure time), and connect readily with global economies and cultures. To stay abreast of this kind of rapid-paced change requires tremendous innovation on behalf of Christians organizations committed to making an impact in the world.
Barnabas Missions is no different. We are seriously committed to being a learning organization
—a phrase taken from the subtitle of Peter Senge’s seminal work on organizational health, The Fifth Discipline (Doubleday 1994). If companies (for-profit or not), churches, or individuals fail to embrace the necessity for Spirit-inspired change (ongoing transformation as part of a life-long conversion process) they will soon find themselves in the junk heap of history, either lying like a bad car wreck alongside the information superhighway, or as fossilized museum pieces for curious passers-by to view as caricatures of a bygone past.
But such lifelessness is certainly not the character of Christ. Put his resurrection power into the life of the believer and you have the ultimate change-agent or agency in the case of the church. The love of Christ is timeless and true, regardless of cultural trends or technological advances. We as Christians are called to bring that love into the vast morass of information, much of it pornographic or exploitative, which is so readily available today. The gospel is more than bitstreams of words and graphics; it is the power of the Holy Spirit to bring about real transformation (change) in the life of any who would be open to God’s influence. It is able to transcend any cultural, technological or moral boundaries (strongholds) that the evil one might mount against it. By faith, Christian believers should be willing to embrace change, not for the sake of change itself, but for the sake of the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
In light of this, we at Barnabas Missions embrace the concept of life-long learning and openness to Sprit-led change. I personally pray that I would be transformed daily by the power of my risen Lord. Toward that end, I have decided to renew my commitment to my initial call as an equipping evangelist
that the Lord placed on my heart some 17 years ago when I left Okoboji to become a preacher of the gospel. Through those years God has been faithful to stir the hearts of many of you to support our ministry financially, and we are most thankful for your obedient responses in that regard. God has always met our needs. In response to what I feel the Lord has been showing me, I decided to move away from the full-time teaching responsibilities I have been given at what is now Bethany University. In spite of the relatively lucrative financial stability and stature that being a full-time tenured professor might offer, the Lord is leading me in a different direction. I have a responsibility to win the lost, preach the gospel and teach others to do likewise, which is the clear vision of Barnabas Missions Unlimited. To fulfill that vision I have decided to step out in faith and trust God for his provision for me to work full-time for Barnabas Missions. I have also hired two employees to help with our networking efforts in a step of faith. Through their efforts and mine we will be able to network with churches in the U.S. and around the world for the gospel’s sake. I will continue to volunteer my time and resources as lead pastor of Sojourners Church in Scotts Valley, but will be drastically reducing my teaching load as we move forward with our networking plans.
Please pray for us that many churches will catch the vision with us for bringing the love of Christ to lost people. To learn more about our vision for the future, please visit our website at www.barnabasmissions.org. As always, my family and I covet your prayers for us and our mission.
About the guy who sometimes answers the phone.
by K.W. Leslie
My name’s Kent Leslie, and I came on the staff at Barnabas Missions in late January. Brian has lately been doing the work of four people around here. There comes a time in a person’s life when he’s doing four jobs when he realizes he should farm a little of it out. So that’s why I’m here.
My background is mainly in journalism. I spent twelve years as a reporter and editor, and four years as a schoolteacher. I have a degree in Biblical Studies from Bethany University. Along the way I picked up a few things in graphic design, audio and video production, web page creation, and the fine art of coffee brewing. It was for these reasons that I began working with Brian at Sojourners Church, and once I became available full-time, he hired me. I’ve always ranted about evangelism, and now I get to do it professionally.
Working in this ministry appeals to me for a lot of reasons. Probably the most important is this: I’ve moved around a lot, so I’ve attended many churches and been in many foundational classes and membership meetings. Most of them were geared to incorporate old Christians, who previously attended other churches, into their body. They didn’t discuss reading the Bible and prayer; they discuss the theological distinctives of that church. Not that distinctives aren’t important, but this off-kilter sense of priorities suggests a bigger problem: that the churches were ill-equipped to handle new believers because they just hadn’t experienced enough of them.
So here’s where Barnabas Missions comes in.
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