SCBO Pastors Make History as First African American IMB Mission Team to Uganda
Seven SCBO African American pastors made history in early April as they traveled to Uganda on an international mission trip.
The project marked the first time a team of African American pastors has been to Uganda with the International Mission Board.
SCBO in partnership with IMB is creating an international mission pipeline through Ohio’s African American churches.
"The scriptures reveal to us that heaven will be full of believers from every tribe, nation, and tongue. Therefore, we want our missionaries sent from Ohio to be as diverse as the kingdom of heaven,” said Dr. Jeremy Westbrook, SCBO executive director. “My prayer is that this moment will lead to a movement of Ohio churches creating and implementing a diversity of pipelines to send missionaries across the street and around the world."
The historic Ohio team included Reginald Hayes, SCBO senior staff and pastor, United Faith International, Columbus; Karlie Hale, One Love Community Church, Cleveland; Bruce McLaurin, FBC, South Euclid; Kevin Crum, New Hope BC, Youngstown; Ivan Stewart, Kingdom Models Community, Columbus; Gregory Draper, Greater Abyssinia Church, Columbus; and Makendi Matamba, Sinai Mountain Church, Columbus.
Additional members included Quintell Hill, IMB African American church mobilization and strategist; Charles Grant, SBC Executive Committee executive director of African American relations and mobilization, as well as pastors from Texas and Mississippi.
The pastors worked with IMB missionaries George and Geraldine Smith, who have served for 21 years in Uganda.
The team’s two-week mission assignment was in metro Jinja, population 247,000, as well as in the villages of Bulangira Jadama, Kabweri, and Pallisa. The team also served on Ssese and Buvuma islands on Lake Victoria where most of the residents live on the islands from cradle to grave.
Each day Ohio pastors trained Ugandan pastors on how to adequately teach the Bible, preached to congregations, and participated in daily street evangelism in every community they visited.
As a result, 55 Ugandans accepted Jesus Christ during the trip.
Pastors not only saw the spiritual needs of the Ugandan people but also witnessed their physical needs.
A state-of-the-art medical facility that could provide life-saving medical services to residents currently sits idle on one of the islands. Unfortunately, the medical clinic is closed because there aren’t any missionary nurses and doctors to operate it. The government won’t step in because the facility isn’t theirs and they claim they can’t operate it.
Pastor Karlie Hale was overwhelmed with emotions at the amount of help the African people needed.
“Clearly, there is a tremendous need for Africa’s indigenous people to be evangelized with the gospel of Jesus Christ and to have their physical needs met. We, the pastors in urban communities, must be on the front line of building missionary pipelines in our churches,” Hale stated.
Of the 3,600 IMB missionaries currently serving around the world, only 24 are African American.
“The bottom line is more African American pastors and their laypeople have to be participating alongside our African brothers and sisters to see more salvations on the African continent and in other parts of the world,” Pastor Bruce McLaurin said. “A clarion call needs to resonate with our members - it is a fertile, fruitful season, and empowerment is provided through Christ Jesus. I have tasted and seen that he is good!”
Quintell Hill added, “I am hopeful more state conventions, like Ohio, will partner with IMB to create mission pipelines in African American churches to prepare more African Americans to become short and long-term missionaries until all nations have heard the gospel.”
Scott Ray, IMB senior director of field personnel deployment, says many people don’t realize how their skills and current careers can be effective mission tools overseas. Multiple skill sets are in high demand on the mission field including logistics services consultants, doctors, occupational therapists, accountants, counselors, and others.
“There are a lot of people right now in the church who have the idea that they can’t be missionaries because they don’t see themselves as a church planter,” Ray said. We want them to know they can take that with them to the mission field and use it for the furthering of the kingdom and for addressing lostness.”
As a member of the historic mission team, Pastor Reggie Hayes is championing the movement to see international pipelines in African American churches in Ohio.
“Around the world, the populations of people of color are growing exponentially. Going to all the world making disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them to observe all that God has commanded is vital,” Hayes said. “More international missionary pipelines in SCBO African American churches will enable people to continually hear the importance of international mission work, hear God’s call, respond, and go to the uttermost parts of the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
To learn more about international pipelines, contact Reginald Hayes at rhayes@scbo.org
The project marked the first time a team of African American pastors has been to Uganda with the International Mission Board.
SCBO in partnership with IMB is creating an international mission pipeline through Ohio’s African American churches.
"The scriptures reveal to us that heaven will be full of believers from every tribe, nation, and tongue. Therefore, we want our missionaries sent from Ohio to be as diverse as the kingdom of heaven,” said Dr. Jeremy Westbrook, SCBO executive director. “My prayer is that this moment will lead to a movement of Ohio churches creating and implementing a diversity of pipelines to send missionaries across the street and around the world."
The historic Ohio team included Reginald Hayes, SCBO senior staff and pastor, United Faith International, Columbus; Karlie Hale, One Love Community Church, Cleveland; Bruce McLaurin, FBC, South Euclid; Kevin Crum, New Hope BC, Youngstown; Ivan Stewart, Kingdom Models Community, Columbus; Gregory Draper, Greater Abyssinia Church, Columbus; and Makendi Matamba, Sinai Mountain Church, Columbus.
Additional members included Quintell Hill, IMB African American church mobilization and strategist; Charles Grant, SBC Executive Committee executive director of African American relations and mobilization, as well as pastors from Texas and Mississippi.
The pastors worked with IMB missionaries George and Geraldine Smith, who have served for 21 years in Uganda.
The team’s two-week mission assignment was in metro Jinja, population 247,000, as well as in the villages of Bulangira Jadama, Kabweri, and Pallisa. The team also served on Ssese and Buvuma islands on Lake Victoria where most of the residents live on the islands from cradle to grave.
Each day Ohio pastors trained Ugandan pastors on how to adequately teach the Bible, preached to congregations, and participated in daily street evangelism in every community they visited.
As a result, 55 Ugandans accepted Jesus Christ during the trip.
Pastors not only saw the spiritual needs of the Ugandan people but also witnessed their physical needs.
A state-of-the-art medical facility that could provide life-saving medical services to residents currently sits idle on one of the islands. Unfortunately, the medical clinic is closed because there aren’t any missionary nurses and doctors to operate it. The government won’t step in because the facility isn’t theirs and they claim they can’t operate it.
Pastor Karlie Hale was overwhelmed with emotions at the amount of help the African people needed.
“Clearly, there is a tremendous need for Africa’s indigenous people to be evangelized with the gospel of Jesus Christ and to have their physical needs met. We, the pastors in urban communities, must be on the front line of building missionary pipelines in our churches,” Hale stated.
Of the 3,600 IMB missionaries currently serving around the world, only 24 are African American.
“The bottom line is more African American pastors and their laypeople have to be participating alongside our African brothers and sisters to see more salvations on the African continent and in other parts of the world,” Pastor Bruce McLaurin said. “A clarion call needs to resonate with our members - it is a fertile, fruitful season, and empowerment is provided through Christ Jesus. I have tasted and seen that he is good!”
Quintell Hill added, “I am hopeful more state conventions, like Ohio, will partner with IMB to create mission pipelines in African American churches to prepare more African Americans to become short and long-term missionaries until all nations have heard the gospel.”
Scott Ray, IMB senior director of field personnel deployment, says many people don’t realize how their skills and current careers can be effective mission tools overseas. Multiple skill sets are in high demand on the mission field including logistics services consultants, doctors, occupational therapists, accountants, counselors, and others.
“There are a lot of people right now in the church who have the idea that they can’t be missionaries because they don’t see themselves as a church planter,” Ray said. We want them to know they can take that with them to the mission field and use it for the furthering of the kingdom and for addressing lostness.”
As a member of the historic mission team, Pastor Reggie Hayes is championing the movement to see international pipelines in African American churches in Ohio.
“Around the world, the populations of people of color are growing exponentially. Going to all the world making disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them to observe all that God has commanded is vital,” Hayes said. “More international missionary pipelines in SCBO African American churches will enable people to continually hear the importance of international mission work, hear God’s call, respond, and go to the uttermost parts of the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
To learn more about international pipelines, contact Reginald Hayes at rhayes@scbo.org
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