wfn.org | Workers cooperate in missions conference

["Hawn, Beth" <BethAH@mbm.org>]

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April 28, 1999
Mennonite Board of Missions
Beth Hawn
(219) 294-7523
NEWS@MBM.org

EMM/MBM workers cooperate in missions conference

TURKU, Finland (EMM/MBM) - Some 150 people gathered recently at Bethlehem 
United Methodist Church here for a weekend conference on missions led by 
David W. Shenk and his wife, Grace.  Shenk is academic dean of Lithuania 
Christian College and a global missions consultant of Eastern Mennonite 
Missions.  The Shenks were the guests of Stephen and Margot Longley, 
overseas mission associates with Mennonite Board of Missions in Turku since 
1994. 

The weekend on missions was a collaborative effort by MBM/EMM and was
especially directed at students from the three universities in Turku and
from 
different churches.  It was a natural connection for David, who has been 
involved in Youth Evangelism Service at EMM.   A key theme of the 
weekend was responding to God's call to missions, even if it means putting 
off marriage and family.  

David Shenk, who grew up in Tanzania, presented three case studies - an 
African nature-based religion, Islam and modern secularism - to demonstrate 
the general nature of world religions and how culture shapes religion.  It
is 
important to understand these contexts in order to make the gospel
understood
 in different religious and cultural settings, he said.  The Shenks served
with 
EMM in East Africa from 1963-1979. 

David told the group that God continues to open doors to Christian witness.

For example, 10 years ago, Lithuania was a communist country hostile to the 
gospel message.  Today, the good news is openly proclaimed there; many 
doors are now also being opened in Romania and Albania.  Other areas where 
David sees God's word being spread are Honduras, Ethiopia and Mongolia.  

He closed his presentation by reminding listeners of Jesus' observation in 
Matthew 9:35-38:  "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."

The Shenks also met with students individually at the conference to talk and

pray with them about possible mission work.

* * *

Margot Kottelin-Longley
PHOTO AVAILABLE

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