This update is related to the Crossway Global Ministry Fund campaign.
This article is written by Drew Oller, Global Ministry Manager at Crossway.
An Eye-Opening Week
The first lecture I ever gave was 7,500 miles from home. In the mild climate of northwestern Uganda, sunlight streamed across the rows of eager faces at the pastors conference my missions team was helping lead. When the time came for me to speak, I stepped up to the podium with a fair amount of uncertainty. I prepared as much as I could for my lesson on how to study the Bible well, but spanning the cultural and language gap would be challenging. As I spoke, I prayed that the Lord would allow something I said to break through and—by God’s grace—edify these church and ministry leaders. Despite my concern, I quickly realized there was one thing I didn’t need to worry about: keeping their attention. I may never have another audience like that group of Ugandan ministry leaders who hung on every word I said.
After I stepped down from the podium, several people introduced themselves to me and shared their emails or phone numbers. They also requested my digital slide deck so they could study it later. As I interacted with the attendees throughout the rest of our trip, I was astonished not primarily by the lack of resources or theological training that many of them had, nor the distances that some had traveled to be there. It was their zeal for the Word of God that was unlike anything I had ever seen.
My mission trip to Uganda took place the summer of 2019, after I had completed an undergrad degree in biblical studies and one year of seminary. Thanks to that schooling and the influence of missionally focused family members, I had started to learn what global Christianity looked like, but nothing could compare to real-life experience. Coming face-to-face with my rural Ugandan brothers and sisters’ eagerness to learn everything they could about the Bible was convicting and almost disturbing. You see, their passion on display was something I rarely saw in my peers at seminary and, admittedly, in myself. I had to come to terms with the reality that ministry leaders in northwest Uganda were more motivated to study theology than students at a world-class seminary in the US. None of these ministry leaders had to attend the conference. Like us, they lead busy lives due to a combination of pastoral ministry and working full-time jobs. Yet they were so eager to learn more about the Word that they listened with rapt attention to me, one young seminary student who had less ministry experience than most of them. I felt like I had no business there. But these pastors and church leaders chose to sit under the teaching of someone with less life experience because they love the Lord and his Word and hunger for knowledge about the things of God.
One key difference that sets my experience apart is my access to biblical resources. My Ugandan brothers and sisters desire to further understand God, but their lack of ability to obtain resources cripples this desire. After seeing this firsthand, I knew something had to change. Today, I have the privilege of working with believers from all over the world to help provide books and Bibles to those in need as part of my role with Crossway’s global ministry efforts. In a full-circle moment, the Lord has graciously allowed my team to help supply Crossway books to the same Ugandan ministry I partnered with six years ago.
Give the Gift of Biblical Resources
Crossway provides Bibles and biblical resources to believers in need around the world. Join us in the effort to help provide resources to believers who have limited access to Bibles and theology books. Would you consider partnering with us? Learn More.
A Global Hunger
Crossway has created opportunities for me to connect with ministry partners around the globe who have opened my eyes to the hunger for the truth of the gospel among believers worldwide. Time and again our ministry partners make note of this same passion. In their words:
There are a lot of challenges in doing ministry among the unreached and under-engaged, but lack of desire or obedience are of no issue. Our leaders are hungry and eager to understand and apply as much practical training as possible. —Matt, Uganda
The pastors are extremely hungry and motivated to read good books that will help them reverse the bad theology and critical biblical errors that plague the church there. They have [always] been asking me for more resources to help them with their teaching. —Don, Zambia
In Sudan the majority of believers have been following Jesus for less than three years. All of those with whom we work are Muslim-background believers. They are hungry for knowledge of the Bible. Their appetite for the knowledge that will make them better apologists, teachers, evangelists, and disciple makers is voracious. —David, Sudan
The Lord is doing an amazing work of calling believers to deeper relationship with him. I consider it a privilege to interact with many of these brothers and sisters around the world, and I daily catch glimpses of the diligent work the Lord is doing through them to serve his church for the glory of the Kingdom.
Partnerships like the ones we have with Matt, Don, and David are core to our philosophy of Global Ministry at Crossway. At times we can focus exclusively on the needs and the lack of resources that exist—as we ought to, as there would be no reason for partnership if those things didn’t exist! But this doesn’t diminish the amazing gospel work that is happening, and perhaps even more excitingly, the incredible potential that exists to continue expanding the work of the gospel. I appreciate the opportunity that my position offers to place a spotlight on the faithful work of believers around the world who are laboring day after day to expand the truth of the gospel for the glory of God. It is my hope and prayer that these stories, among others, will help encourage you in your own faith.
The Work Accomplished
As part of my continued work here at Crossway, I remain grateful for the opportunity to share books and Bibles with church leaders just like the believers I met in Uganda. The perspective I’ve gained from working with Christians all over the world day in and day out is priceless, and I know it is the same for many of you when you hear about the gospel’s impact around the world.
It is also important to note that none of this would be possible without our network of donor partners. Thanks to gifts in support of the Global Ministry Fund, we are able to offer resources like ESV Global Study Bibles and Global Pastors Book Sets to believers who desire to study God’s Word but are unable to do so in depth because of an inability to afford or access these resources. Thank you for catching the vision of global resourcing—through partnership, we together have the opportunity to continue feeding hungry minds and souls around the world!
Please pray for the distribution of Pastors Book Sets as they are en route to ministry partners in Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, and South Africa.
Please pray that the Lord will inspire more of his church around the world to continue pursuing greater knowledge of him and his Word.