Strategic Global Trips Strengthen Partnership
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Benjamin Kreps:
Hey everyone and welcome to the Mark Prater podcast where our aim is to connect our global family of Sovereign Grace churches with our executive director. Mark, anyone who knows what's going on in Sovereign Grace over the past few years knows that there's this expanding global partnerships that are happening wonderfully all over the place, really. And one of the things I think that is very healthy and God glorifying is the way that this isn't just, Hey, we're happy to be connected to some other countries and regions and we're seeing about what partnership looks like. There's actually a lot of work being done. There's a lot of give and take. There's guys in the states and vice versa, back and forth seeking to serve others. There's partnership in the way that we're growing together globally. And you wanted to give us an update about some strategic trips that are coming up in order to serve that expanding and growing global partnership.
Mark Prater:
Yeah, I just wanted to mention a few of the trips that are very, very important, as you said, to building partnership globally and to continue to do that with our relational value of building relationally. And so I just want to mention three trips, I could mention more, but just three, one that just ended. Marty Machowski, who is the executive pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church where I'm a pastor, just got back from a 10 day trip in Seoul, South Korea. He was there January 10th through the 20th serving the Sovereign Grace partner church there, Lord's Grace Church led by Songhwan Kang.
And Marty just worked really hard. He told me before he left, he was teaching like, I don't know, 16, 17 times on that 10 day trip. So when Songhwan invites you, you work really hard, he just maximizes the time because he loves his church. And really sort of the theme of many of what Marty was asked to do was the Spirit's work in the family home which is just a wonderful topic and one that I'm sure Marty just did a great job with. And that strengthens partnership in Sovereign Grace because in Seoul, South Korea, they're the only Sovereign Grace Church. And so when Marty goes, and I think this is his third or fourth trip, that's very meaningful, not only for the pastors, but for the members feeling connected to Sovereign Grace. And Marty's not the only one that has left. Cornerstone Church in Knoxville has sent teams over there and pastors over there. Walt Alexander from Trinity Grace in Athens, Tennessee is, I think it was just there last year, taking a team of folks. So there are other churches participating that really invest into our partnership in South Korea. And one of the things we're praying for and hoping for there is that eventually that church will plant another church in South Korea. But that happens through the support of other churches and pastors in Sovereign Grace. So that's a trip.
There's a second trip I wanted to mention, it's actually happening right now this week. We're recording this on Friday, January 24th. But Ed O'Mara, who is the lead pastor of Chiesa Grazia Sovrana in Torino, Italy, a church that he's planting there. And also our area leader in Europe has traveled down south to Sicily. He's going to Katanya Italy. And he is spending time with Giuseppe who is the lead pastor and the other leaders in congregation there, Chiesa Grazia di Verite. And Verite means truth by the way. And they are continuing to discuss next steps in the pursuit of adoption. So it may be in the coming years that that church is adopted by Sovereign Grace as they work through our adoption process. And when that occurs, if it occurs, that would be our second partner church in Italy. So pray for Ed and pray that the fruit of that particular trip, Ed's hard work would really result in a partner church there in Italy. And I believe Rocco the co-planter there in Torino, I believe went with Ed as well. So that's an important trip.
And then a third trip I wanted to mention is one that is going to be to Brazil. Bert Turner, who is a pastor at Covenant of Grace Church in Akron, Ohio, is also really our leader from the states in Brazil. He's traveling to Brazil February 9th through March 17th. It really is a five week trip where he's just going to serve in Brazil. And what's unique about him and his wife Karen, is that Bert and Karen a million years ago were missionaries in Brazil and therefore learned the language and they still speak fluent Portuguese, which is a real benefit in trying to serve churches in Brazil. And so he is going to work very hard. I think Karen may be going with him on this trip. They're going to be in nine cities in that period of time, meeting with 12 different pastors. Some of those cities he'll be in; is Rio Grande, Sao Paulo, for example. Porto Vere are just some of the cities they're going to be in. There are several churches in Brazil that do have interest in being adopted into Sovereign Grace. So while Bert is down there trying to help them with that process and assess whether they're compatible theologically and with our values and virtues with Sovereign Grace. So we're very, very grateful for that.
And then when he is in Rio Grande, the plan is for him to formally ordain Emerson Soares, who is the senior pastor of Igreja Nova Vida in Rio Grande. He graduated from the pastor's college a couple of years ago, is almost completed with, almost finished with the ordination process. And while Bert is there, that'll be March by that point, the first week or 2nd of March, the hope is that Bert will ordain him and we will have our first ordained Sovereign Grace elder or maybe the second, maybe second Sovereign Grace elder because Fabiano was ordained a few years ago, who's in Sao Paulo, but our second Sovereign Grace elder in Brazil and certainly our first one in Rio Grande, Brazil. So just some things that are happening where guys are working really hard and strengthening our partnership and just those are strategic trips that help us to, again, partner, build our partnership carefully, thoughtfully, and relationally.
Benjamin Kreps:
Wonderful to hear. So takeaway, anybody need someone to come to their church and preach 17 times, Marty is your man. He's got some messages. What a wonderful development to hear about a second church in Italy after we're just, we've been praying for the past few years for the first one. And to hear about a potential second one is thrilling. And I actually got to sit in on Fabio's ordination in Portuguese as Bert translated. And even with that challenge, that hurdle of the language there, it was one of the most edifying ordination exams I've ever sat. And there were tears in that room as we felt cared for even in his answers in Portuguese as Bert translated, which is just another really cool expression of how we are growing globally. And when you think about that, and we talk about it a lot, it's a big deal in Sovereign Grace, actually, is expanding global partnership reality. What are your thoughts as we continue to move forward and build relationally in global partnership?
Mark Prater:
Yeah. Well, the first thought that comes to mind is that our global partnership is expanding and being strengthened not just because of the work of the leadership team, but actually the work of pastors in our churches. They are committed to our partnership and they are taking trips and making sacrifices to strengthen our partnership. And they're doing that eagerly and voluntarily and enthusiastically. So I'm very grateful for all the pastors that are doing that. I mentioned Marty and Ed and Bert, but there's so many more pastors that are doing that in Sovereign Grace. So that's my first thought. Thank you guys for just your heart, for our mission and our partnership in Sovereign Grace.
The second thought is each of those guys that I just mentioned are coming from churches and pastoral teams who are supporting them in sending them away. They're giving them time away from their responsibility locally. I'm sure they're investing financially and there's a cost and a sacrifice to that. So I'm grateful for our churches and pastoral teams that remain in the states. Of course Ed is in Italy, but remain at home doing pastoral ministry while they send one of their guys out to strengthen partnership. And I'm just grateful for the generosity and heart of our churches as well.
And then just the commitment to build relationally. Just as you think about what these guys are doing and how they've scheduled the time and who they're with, it's very intentional to build relationally because we want to continue to be a family of churches. We don't want to be a professional denomination. Now we are denomination because of our polity, but we don't want to be professionals in that sense. We want to be brothers in Christ. And so I'm very grateful for the intentionality of these guys, just time with pastors and wives, long meals with pastors and wives, conversation and laughter and building a friendship. That's the kind of partnership we want to bring. And these men and so many other pastors in Sovereign Grace are doing that well. So those are some quick overview thoughts.
Benjamin Kreps:
Yes, I mean, you've said it before and I heartilly agree. We just have the finest pastors in Sovereign Grace. And so it is such a joy to see these high quality and qualified men being deployed into global relationships. And actually through that process, we're adding more wonderful pastors and churches into that partnership with Sovereign Grace. And those guys in turn are then interacting internationally with other churches there. It really is a joy to observe and to hear updates about. So thanks for the updates, Mark. We'll be praying for these relationships going forward. Thank you all for checking out the podcast. We'll see you here, Lord willing next week. Bye for now.