|
Focus Ministries
Focus Areas
Global Outreach has four focus areas:
The Kami people of Tanzania were the first unreached people adoption and the Central Asia people are the second group adopted. Seminary education is a major key in Central America and Estonia. All of our short-term mission teams known as Volunteers In Mission (VIM) are related to our focus areas. At least one team a year goes to these areas to maintain our relationships and partnership.
Caspian Ministry
 In Central Asia there is a tiny country that borders Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, and Iran. Two to three times a year, Asbury teams travel to a city in the center of the country where we work with students, orphans and patients in a psychiatric hospital. In the midst of a people who are hungry for hope and healing, we seek to build bridges and establish relationships in this Muslim country. These people are an unreached people group, with only 0.02 percent of the 40 million people identified as believers. Asbury is privileged to support three missionary families in the country, as well as a Bible translator and the international facilitator. Within that network, we join four other churches and numerous organizations in reaching these people with the light of the Gospel.
Estonia Ministry
 Estonia is located in Northern Europe, bordered by Latvia and Russia. In 1991, Estonia formally declared independence from the Soviet Union, and the last Russian troops left in 1994. Estonians are a people who are in need of the Good News. In a recent survey Estonians were determined to be the most nonreligious people in the then 25-member European Union. Since 1989, Asbury has been involved in Estonia, and has been sending VIM teams since 1994. Through the ministries of Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary, Camp Gideon, Agape Church, The Lighthouse Center and Generation 2 Youth Center, Asbury seeks to train ministry workers, serve at-risk children, provide Bible education and bring the kingdom of God to the people of Estonia. Two of our pastoral friends in Estonia are enrolled in the International Beeson program at Asbury Seminary in Kentucky to attain a Doctor of Ministry Degree. We also have a sister congregation, Agape Church in Parnu, the second largest city in Estonia. This church, established in 1921, is one of the five “survival” churches called Tuletorn Congregations. Tuletorn is from the Estonian word for “lighthouse” because the lights were never turned out, even on the darkest night during the Soviet occupation. Both Agape and Asbury have been blessed by this partnership.
Latin American Ministry
 Latin America encompasses many countries, cultures, languages and people groups. It is a vibrant yet challenging place to share the gospel of Jesus. Asbury is active in sharing this good news in these regions: Mexico, Ecuador, Honduras and Guatemala. In Mexico, we partner with the Juan Wesley Seminary, providing seminary scholarships as well as
supporting missionaries in Monterrey. We also send medical/construction /Mission Bible School (MBS) teams to Monterrey and Rio Bravo. In Ecuador we support missionaries and do agricultural and medical work in Quito. In Honduras we do construction work and medical care working in partnership with one of our missionary couples. Asbury high school students work in the slums of Guatemala City during Spring Break each year to bring hope to the poorest of the poor in this impoverished country. We cannot bring the message of Jesus without also serving as His ambassadors to make life better for the people, knowing Jesus offers hope in the midst of the suffering. And we will continue to carry that message as we return to Latin America.
Kami Ministry – Tanzania
 Tanzania is about the size of Oklahoma and Texas and rests peacefully just south of the equator on the east coast of Africa. The country is approximately one-third Muslim, one-third Christian and one-third traditional African beliefs (Animist). The Lutheran Junior Seminary is the home base of Asbury’s evangelical, medical, water well and construction teamwork. We support one full-time missionary couple and a retired Lutheran missionary who continues to volunteer there. Annually mission teams provide medical assistance, as well as drill water wells and help with construction of churches. More importantly, Asbury has been fully committed since 1998 to providing assistance for the education of Christian leaders among the Kami people and we are excited that we now have several ordained pastors with more studying for their divinity degrees. God has provided the growth and in the past ten years we have seen the number of “preaching places” grow from less than ten to more than thirty. We have seen the truth of Acts chapter 2 lived out in the Kami region: “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46b-47
|
