September 30, 2024
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (KT) – Frank James, one of the organizers of the Multi-Language Evangelism Conference at Bethlehem Baptist Church last weekend, said it was like a slice of what heaven may look like.
“Ten languages and nine churches … there really is some beauty to that. It was so biblical and prophetically how it will be for us one day when all the different nationalities are together before the throne praising the Lord. It was a sampling of what we think it will be like in heaven.”
Torres found the day to be rewarding on many levels including the ability to worship God together even in different nationalities.
“My first impression was that the churches could see how God could be worshipped in different languages and how language is not a barrier to worshipping God together,” he said. “The development of the event's growth was excellent because the churches felt part of participating in the program. They had the opportunity to sing and worship God in their original language. The rest of us enjoyed being in a multicultural environment and feeling God's presence.”
It was an awesome experience for everyone involved, said Jaime Masso, pastor of Hispanic First Baptist Church in Mayfield.
"Seeing so many different cultures worshipping together was an awesome experience,” he said. “Having the opportunity to get information in our own language helped us apply and contextualize evangelism efforts."
There was training in the variety of languages through multiple breakout sessions and worship sessions took place in multiple languages so participating churches could highlight how they worship the Lord in their cultures.
“Everyone is aware that God is bring the nations to Kentucky,” said KBC evangelism team leader Rob Patterson. “Few Kentucky Baptists know how their Cooperative Program is reaching the nations locally, but the Multi Language Evangelism Conference is a snapshot of an incredible move of God. Hundreds gathered to be equipped in evangelism, and despite offering training in 10 different language tracks, there were still people groups being trained in English or through translation tools such as Wordly.”
Like James, Patterson said the gathering of the different languages and cultures was something that seemed heaven sent.
“Revelation 7:9-10 describes an innumerable multitude ‘from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb’ worshipping the God of our salvation,” he said. “On any given Sunday, local Kentucky Baptist churches are worshiping in at least 23 different languages. The opportunity to gather with many of these churches and experience some of their worship teams leading in their heart languages felt like a small taste of heaven.”
James was especially thankful for the coordinating work of Torres and LaBolle to make the evangelism conference possible on such a large scale.
“April was on top of everything,” he said. “I assisted April as I could.”
LaBolle said Kentucky WMU was instrumental in leading the 37 children who attended in their own sessions.
“WMU has created an amazing Missions and Evangelism teaching program for children two years in a row now, making it both fun and educational,” LaBolle said. “I had a parent tell me that if they would have known what it was like, they would have brought their second child too to join the program as she would have loved it.”
There were at least 18 youth (ages 13-17) who attended the lunch and worship sessions with their parents and attended a breakout session led by Dr. Joshua Boswell, a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary who has more than 25 years of experience working with students, including nine years teaching high school Theology, Ethics, Worldview/World Religion and Christianity and Culture at a private Christian school.
The Bellevue Myanmar Baptist Church Youth Group shared a worship song as well.
“Many of these multi-language churches are longing for other KBC churches to come alongside for prayer, partnership, and helping in practical ways such as training leaders,” Patterson said. “I pray that many more KBC churches will connect relationally with the multi-language churches across Kentucky, which their CP giving helped start and multiply. We also pray to see more churches open their hearts and perhaps buildings to the multi-language church starts in their own communities.”
This was the second year of the Multi-Language Evangelism Conference and it grew exponentially. James looks forward to participating next year.
“I hope if God leads, and we do something like that next year, I hope we learn from this,” he said. “It was an experience we won’t forget.”
Todd Gray, executive director of the KBC said the event underscores the benefits of the Cooperative Program.
“I think Kentucky Baptists will be both amazed and encouraged to hear that through their Cooperative Program investment they helped equip church leaders, nearly 300 people in attendance representing 10 separate languages, in their native languages to reach their communities with the gospel. This is why state conventions exists - to do those things together that we cannot do alone.”
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This story first appeared in Kentucky Today.
