Locals participate in Philippine mission trip

Members of the Cross Point Ministry Team pose in front of a memorial to Filipinos lost in the Battan Death March. From left, front row, pastor Steve Atwood of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church of Bradford, Larry Davidson of First Baptist in Kenton, Charlotte and the Rev. Loren Stephens of Southside Baptist Church in Dyersburg, David Gibson of Paragould, Ark., Dyer Baptist Association Director of Missions Dr. Joe Wright; second row, Gibson Baptist Association Director of Missions Dr. Roger Stacy, the Rev. Johnny Michael of RoEllen Baptist Church, the Rev. Randy Crews of Ashland, Miss.; third row, Lanny Abernathy of First Baptist Church in Newbern, the Rev. Willie Pounds of St. Paul's Baptist Church in Kenton, Mike Hopper of Zion Baptist of Brownsville, D.C. Melton of Selmer, Dr. Charles Pratt of First Baptist in Kenton; back row, Jerry Foster of Zion Baptist of Brownsville, Barry Enoch of First Baptist Church of Lafayette, Donald Williams of Beech Grove near Halls, Tony Michael and Tommy Griggs, both of Bethpage Baptist Church of Kenton.

The team recently returned from serving two weeks with 46 churches in three Baptist associations on Luzon Island in the Philippines. Volunteers on the trip saw 13,519 professions of faith in Christ and 1,063 other church decisions recorded in what leader Dr. Charles Pratt called "a modern-day Book of Acts." Pratt is the pastor of First Baptist Church of Kenton and president of Cross Partners Ministry Inc.

Local participants included Charlotte and the Rev. Loren Stephens of Southside Baptist Church in Dyersburg, Dyer Baptist Association Director of Missions Dr. Joe Wright, Lanny Abernathy of First Baptist Church in Newbern, the Rev. Johnny Michael of RoEllen Baptist Church, Donald Williams of Beech Grove near Halls, the Rev. Willie Pounds of St. Paul's Baptist Church in Kenton, Dr. Charles Pratt and Larry Davidson, both of First Baptist in Kenton, and Tony Michael and Tommy Griggs, both of Bethpage Baptist Church of Kenton.

Pratt has been leading teams to the Philippines for the past 19 years, developing solid relationships with the Filipino Baptists in the central part of Luzon Island. The location is the most populated province, inhabited mostly by peasant farmers.

Construction of the Love of Christ Baptist Church, built in the central part of Luzon Island on the trip. [Click to enlarge]

"God truly has set an open door for the Gospel in the Philippines as He is pouring out His Spirit there," said Steve Atwood, pastor of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church near Bradford. "We had such a great opportunity and a responsibility to share with them because God has given us so much. 'To whom much is given, much is expected in return.'"

"I want to thank God for being used in Bible studies, crusades and schools to share the Word of God," said Tommy Griggs of Bethpage Baptist Church of Kenton, who completed his 10th mission trip on the journey.

New Mitchell Grove Baptist Church, near Halls, made quite a contribution to the trip, providing enough funds for a new church building in the village of Tipuso.

"It was their first permanent building and is almost completed, thanks to the generosity of the dear people of Halls," said Pratt. "New Mitchell Grove also contributed the funds to purchase a motorcycle for a pastor without any transportation and thousands of Bibles."

Zion Baptist Church, near Brownsville, with the help of some individuals, provided enough funding to complete another church in the village of St. Barbara, and Bethpage Baptist Church, near Kenton, helped purchase a new computer for a national missionary supported by CPM.

"I was so blessed by being able to be a part of the CPM team and seeing the Lord perform the miracles of saving souls," said Jerry Foster of Zion Baptist, completing his 17th trip to the Philippines with this mission trip. "Our Lord is an awesome God."

"Jesus called me to go on this mission trip," said retired Navy SEAL Barry Enoch of First Baptist of Lafayette. "And I called upon the Holy Spirit, who used me as a tool in His hand in the Philippines."

"We know that God is still performing miracles," said Randy Crews, a pastor from Ashland, Miss. "When we speak a simple message and then see Him save hundreds of people."

The Republic of the Philippines is a Third World country that consists of 7,100 islands with a population of over 88 million people. The partnership mission work was developed 19 years ago by the Tennessee Baptist Convention and has been continued through the efforts of CPM. Pratt serves as president of the mission-sending organization.

"Truly, this was awesome," said Pratt. "Like a modern-day book of Acts experience, where over 13,000 souls were received into the Kingdom of God in just a matter of days. We were there and saw the mighty hand of God, but we dare not take any credit for such a powerful happening."

"Not knowing what to expect nor what was expected of us, it was beautiful to see God take control and work all things for good according to His purpose," said pastor of Southside Baptist Church of Dyersburg Loren Stephens. "I am unable to explain the joy of seeing so many people come to know Jesus as their savior."

The trip was Stephens and his wife, Charlotte's, first overseas mission trip.

Most of the team members raised their own support, as well as money for New Testaments, Bibles and tracts. Together, the group purchased over 30,000 New Testaments, hundreds of Bibles and over 28,000 Gospel tracts.

A baptismal service was conducted in the South China Sea, where 248 Filipinos who had been attending discipleship training were baptized. Atwood brought a message on the meaning of baptism and the CPM team assisted the Filipino pastors in baptizing the candidates in the ocean.

"I have been so blessed to go to the Philippines and to see God saving so many souls," said contractor Mike Hopper of Mt. Zion Church. "It was an incredible experience to work with Dr. Pratt and the other volunteers sharing the Gospel."

Pratt recalled seeing 23 young men lifting weights and waiting for him to begin a Bible study.

"When I saw what they were doing, I told them about Paul Wrenn from Tennessee, who was 11 times U.S. Champion Weightlifter and later crowned as The World's Strongest Man," said Pratt. "Then, I told them about Sampson, the strongest man in the Bible, and about Jesus and His inner strength, which they needed. When we prayed, all 23 men received Jesus as their personal savior. Our mission was clear and certain and the timing was just right, but it was the Holy Spirit of the Lord that set 13,000 people free that needed his power and strength."

"I was humbled as I witnessed an outpouring of the Holy Spirit saving so many souls coming to salvation in Jesus Christ," said Willie Pounds, pastor of St. Paul's Baptist Church in Kenton. It was Pounds' second overseas mission trip. "I can truly say that the harvest is ripe and God needs more laborers."

"I have never seen the Lord move in the lives of so many people," said Larry Davidson of First Baptist of Kenton.

"It was a blessing to have the opportunity to win eight of my own cousins to Jesus after meeting them for the first time in my life," said Dr. Roger Stacy, Director of Missions for Gibson Baptist Association. "My uncle, who served in the military, married a Filipino and lived on Luzon Island. It was so exciting to see over 300 prisoners come to faith in Jesus when I shared God's plan of salvation. God is moving in a powerful way in the Philippines."

"The most pleasing part of my experience was to know that God was using me to build His Kingdom," said D.C. Melton of Selmer, on his second volunteer mission trip to the Philippines.

At the end of their journey, the Filipino Baptists hosted a joint worship celebration for the American volunteers. Special recognition was given to each of the volunteers, with Pratt bringing the evening message. Before the team departed, over 200 church members made commitments to serve in the follow-up campaign to connect the new converts to their churches.