To the unseen and the unnoticed

In an age when missiological books focus on the great and the successful, I wish to focus on the many who labour on unseen and unnoticed, looking ever for that one lost lamb in the wilderness places of the world. 

Arthur and Mary-Ellen Lomax were such missionaries...serving silently but faithfully in areas outside the bright lights of the cities. They did not seek praise and are therefore almost forgotten...but not in the eyes of a saviour who lived and laboured in the backwater places in Galilee. 

If ever this research leads to a published work, I hope to dedicate it to those who will forever be unknown save for the books written and kept in heaven.

A Research Trip

We are about to embark on yet another fact finding trip around the Eastern Cape/Karoo region. Louise and I will be going to Aliwal-North, Dordrecht, Southwell, Middleburg, and Steynsburg, all places SPG Missionaries, Arthur and Mary-Ellen Lomax lived and laboured in the 1800's until their promotion to glory in 1910. It has been a struggle to find any relevant information, but people in these areas have been ever so helpful and have gone to great lengths to help us in our quest. 

Also, folks in the UK, in particular Manchester, Oxford, and Staffordshire have sent me some of the most amazing information over the past few months, in spite of the Covid regulations and lockdowns and restrictions.

This exercise, although vexing at times, has served to restore one faith in our human race. We are most grateful.

A Personal Programme Design for the Oxford Guided Study Programme

OCMS Guided Study Programme

Programme Design

John Stott once asked the question, “Why is it that some Christians cross land and sea, continents and cultures, as missionaries? What on earth impels them?” His answer was simple. “It is not in order to commend a civilization, an institution or an ideology, but rather a person, Jesus Christ.”

However, the Scriptures indicate that it is very often the everyday commonplace things in life that move people to do things that ultimately bring glory to God and salvation to many. I intend this reality to be the object of my research.

My questions regarding the life and ministry of SPG Missionaries, Arthur and Mary-Ellen Lomax, are rather basic. First, what were the non-spiritual catalysts for their entry into mission? The Victorian era was bursting with activities that brought about monumental changes in the lives of millions of ordinary people. This was the time of Marx, Darwin, Dickens, Nightingale, Gandhi, Hobhouse…men and women who boldly and publicly challenged the status quo, who exposed the callous disregard for the poor and destitute, and who encouraged many to rise above their traditional stations in life. This was the time of change in the church…the Oxford Movement, and the novel thought of allowing non-aristocratic men into training for the service of the church. This was the time of mechanization, of factories, of educational reform, of epidemics (Cholera), famines (the Irish Potato and ama-Xhosa Cattle Famines), and emigration as well as a time of wars (the Sepoy Rebellion in India, the American Civil War, the Crimean War, and the Anglo-Boer War) , the greedy driven quest for wealth (Land, Diamonds, and Gold) and imperial expansion and brutal oppression. How did these people, ideas, and events work together in the lives of Arthur and Mary-Ellen in shaping their hopes and dreams for their personal future? I also wish to research possible reasons for their choosing to go under the auspices of the SPG, rather than other possible mission societies at that time and attempt to answer the questions: Why Mauritius? Why Lichfield? Why South Africa? 

The second question follows on from the first as it has to do with longevity in Mission. What motivated them to stay in Mission in spite of illness, hardship, wars, socio-economic and political upheaval. Arthur contracted some lung ailment while serving at Zonnebloem College and St Mary’s in Cape Town and yet, unlike some of his contemporaries, opted not to return to England, but chose rather to continue serving at another post in South Africa in Aliwal-North, a town on the very fringes of the Cape Colony. The ninth frontier war broke out as they were moving from Dordrecht to start a College to train and raise up local clergy in Mthatha. A protracted drought impoverished many parishioners, most of whom were farmers, which had a direct impact on their personal income and survival in Southwell. The Anglo- Boer War broke out and challenged their long-standing friendships with the Dutch in the Karoo region, Middleburg, Steynsberg, Molteno, and Craddock. But not only did they choose to stay, they somehow managed to overcome all these obstacles and difficulties. I hope to uncover a little more about the living conditions in their places of service by examining the reports and letters of their contemporaries and superiors.

Of course, as Stott points out, the overarching reason for entry into mission and longevity in mission is the conviction that we are in service of the Lord of all. It is only by His personal involvement in the lives of His servants that we are enabled to make decisions regarding both these questions, but God often uses the mundane to bring about the profound. And it is the mundane that lies behind my enquiry and my research.

It is hoped that my research and my writing will serve as an encouragement to those who seek to enter into the mission field in the future, as well as encouraging those who are currently serving in trying circumstances to make a wise and spiritually informed decision to press on.

Johannes W H van der Bijl

Windy Corner

Villiersdorp, South Africa

26 December 2020

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Johann and Louise: Training Disciples to Make Disciples in Southern Africa Many years ago, I decided that a wooden roller coaster ride was a good idea. Boy was I sorry! I ached in places I did not even know I had.  In many ways, 2020 reminds me of how I felt back then. Banged up and bruised, but grateful to have made it to the end in one piece. The year has pretty much ended as it began...with an alarming rise in Covid-19 infections, but minus a full country-wide lockdown. We had taken the Queen out of the Nursing Home for Thanksgiving and just as well...that day, several residents were found to be covid positive and the Queen was not allowed to return. So, we have her stopping with us until it is safe for her to return.  The sad reality of this pandemic is that much of our normal mission work ground to a halt. But we did find ways of reaching out to the those in need and Louise worked tirelessly with a local feeding scheme and with an organisation that ministers to people with disabilities. I managed to complete a book about Jesus' model of disciple making from the perspective of Simon Peter and signed a contract with Langham publishers...God willing, the book, entitled Breakfast on the Beach, will be published June of July 2021. I also completed a sequel to this book, entitled For Us, For Our Children, For The World that examines the life of Simon Peter post Ascension. In both cases, the books are written in a narrative style. I also wrote a devotional on the parable of the lost sons. The entries can be found on my blog here: http://missionsbloging.blogspot.com/ I am currently working on a biographical study of the life and ministry of two SPG (Society for the Propagation of the Gospel) Missionaries to Mauritius and South Africa in the mid 1800's through 1910. We are exploring possibilities of further research in Oxford where the SPG archives as well as many relevant important documents are kept at the Bodleian Library. This would be part of a Guided Study Program offered by Oxford.  In many ways, I seem to have found my true calling. I absolutely love researching and writing! Other than the day when Jesus saved me, the day my wife and I became one, the days my sons were born, when they were married, and when their children were born...I have never been so happy and contended and fulfilled. I pray that our Lord will make it possible for me to continue writing for His Kingdom! Finally, may Louise and I wish you all the happiest of Christmases...the Light of Life still shines in the darkness and even the darkness of a pandemic cannot overcome it! We pray that 2021 will be all you hope for a much, much more. Thank you for your ongoing support. We are so grateful to each one who prays for us and supports us financially and otherwise. As usual, our SAMS support account could be better, but then again it could also be worse. The Lord knows our needs and we leave that in His hands. Bless you and thank you.   All our love Johann and Louise Support Us Johann and Louise spent two years helping to develop the St. Frumentius Seminary in Gambella, Ethiopia. At present, they are mostly working in Southern Africa where they are serving in seven southern African countries, although they continue to work with the Diocese of Egypt, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa as well as other southern and northern African countries, through engaging in a disciple making movement in order to grow the body of Christ. They are partnering with J-Life and other like-minded ministries. This ministry is massive and has the ability to reach thousands. We are sent  through the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders, a missionary sending community, engaging in building relationships with the worldwide church to experience the broken restored, the wounded healed, the hungry fed, and the lost found through the love and power of Jesus Christ.  Support SAMS Copyright © 2016 Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders, All rights reserved. www.sams-usa.org      Our mailing address is: PO Box 399 Ambridge PA 15003 Attention to: Johann and Louise van der Bijl Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

THE UNTOLD STORY: Entry Sixty-Seven

Entry Sixty-Seven: Isaiah 57:17-19

It is a clear, crisp day today…not a cloud in the sky and no wind to whip up dust and send it barrelling down the road. I am in the marketplace, helping Levi and his family set up a stall. We are all there, even my servants, doing whatever we can. Suddenly, I hear Elizabeth suck in her breath. I look up and follow her gaze. Down the road, a long way off, I see him. To many he appears to be just another beggar, but I recognise my son immediately. I drop what I am doing and run. Yes, I run. No self-respecting Jewish man would run…but self-respect had nothing to do with it. This is love.

My servants and my friends run behind me…it is a mad, happy, disorderly dash. “Rejoice!” I shout at them. “May the very angels of God rejoice today!”  I fall on his neck and kiss him repeatedly. He falls to his knees and begins to speak. “Father I have sinned against God and against you. Do not call me son, as I not worthy of that title.” I hear his words, but I choose to listen rather to my heart. “Quickly…quickly!” I tell the servants. “Get him cleaned up…that robe of mine that I only wear on special occasions…bring it for him to wear. And you! That fatted calf…run, slaughter it and dress it. Tonight we celebrate! My dear son was dead…dead to so many…but now…now he is alive! Alive, I tell you! I forgive him…and I accept him…and I reinstate him!” I glare at those around me. “He is alive! Not dead!” I shout.

There is music…there is laughter, such as has not been for a long time in our home. Our friends are all present. But where is Aaron? Where is my other son? The servants tell me he is standing outside, refusing to come in. I leave the celebration…yes, of course, it ought not to be so…I am the father, he the son. But for my son, I will humble myself once more and go to bring him in. I am not prepared to lose him because I have found the other. 

But have I lost him already? Esau embraced his brother…even though he once hated him. When Jacob returned, Esau welcomed him home. But Aaron spits. “That useless degenerate son of yours who squandered our inheritance on loose living, has only come to bargain for more. He lost it all…now he wants more…he wants mine. Am I Esau that must return from the field only to find my materialistically insatiable brother has stolen my blessing?” Aaron speaks bitterly. He refuses to come in and be reconciled with his brother. I reason with him. “All of this…” I show the house and the lands with my arms. “All of this is yours. What I once had was divided between you, remember? This is yours.” I turn to him and try to take his hand. He recoils from me as one would from a snake about to strike. “Aaron, your brother was dead…dead in his sins and iniquities…you and our community declared him dead. And for his sinful greed, I too was angry. But he has returned…he has returned, and I have received him.” Aaron is about to object, but I cut him off before he can say one word. “No! No, he did not deserve mercy and grace…but I have given it…I have deliberately, and mercifully, and graciously chosen to give it freely. I have done what I believe the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob does with all of his children, wayward or otherwise. He would meet out solace to them…He would speak comforting words…He would say, ‘It is well for both the far and the near.’ Both…the far and the near. Now, it is right to rejoice because we have robbed him from the grave. He, too is a son of the promise!” 

Aaron’s face darkens. His eyes narrow to mere slits. “You eat with that sinner…I will not defile myself.” That is his reply before he turns away and walks into the night.

I feel a familiar flutter in my heart. Tears fall, thick and wet. Oh Aaron…Aaron…how I would gather you into my arms…gather you like a hen gathers her chicks…but you will not.

THE UNTOLD STORY: Entry Sixty-Six

Entry Sixty-Six: Psalm 139

Winter. It is cold and the sky is grey and dismal. The slightest breeze whips up a dust cloud. Our rains are not what they should be…but we are grateful for every drop that falls, as we hear of tales of desperation in the countries to the north. I am concerned for Benjamin…I entrust him into the merciful care of the one who alone sees him and knows him. Thankfully, because of a few wise decisions in the past, we have enough to eat…and more in the storerooms. Even our servants feast sumptuously.

I marvel at Aaron’s arrogant self-justification…his self-righteousness…as if he has earned the right to be a member of God’s family. Does he not understand that it is God who initiates our relationship with Him? From the moment sin entered the world, it was God who came seeking after us. It was God who came to set us free from bondage in the land of Egypt. It was God who brought us back from exile. Does he not realise that God chose us, not because we were a great people…indeed, we were the least of all peoples…but God chose us because He loves us. For no other reason. And therefore He continues to choose us…because He loves us, He forgives us because He knows that if He kept a record of our sins, we would all be lost. 

No, I am persuaded. We are all on level ground when we stand before our holy God. Not one can elevate himself above another. We have all sinned. We have all fallen away. Every one of us has chosen to go our own way…that is what the Scriptures say.  Benjamin sinned…but so have I…so has Aaron…and where there is sin, God’s grace is greater still. Therefore, if I claim to be a child of God, I too must be gracious, forgiving, merciful, patient, and kind. To both Aaron and Benjamin. They are both my sons. I love them both and I want them both to be reconciled to me and to each other…and ultimately, to God.

THE UNTOLD STORY: Entry Sixty-Five

Entry Sixty-Five: Romans 3:9-20

“And just how long will you keep up with this vigil of yours?” Aaron actually speaks to me. This is the first time in months that he addresses me, albeit in a disrespectful manner. “So our land has been returned…no thanks to that son of yours…but it changes nothing. Benjamin disgraced our family…he disgraced our community…he disgraced our God and everything we believe in.” Listening to him speak, is like drinking poison. “And you?” I ask. “Are you without sin? Then perhaps you can cast the first stone on his return.” I am angry. Aaron opens his mouth and then closes it. He walks away. At the door he turns. “He will never return,” he says. He leaves.

Months ago, this kind of interaction would have bothered me. But I am immune to his putrid vitriol now…he can no longer infect me with his heart disorder. I will still watch the road. The wise King Solomon once wrote that while hatred may stir up contention, love covers all offences.  I choose to forgive…I choose to forgive Benjamin for his deliberate sins against me, against my family, against my community, against my God. I choose to forgive him…because I wish to be forgiven for my iniquities too. I cannot ask for forgiveness if I am not willing to extend it to those who sin against me.  I do not overlook his sin. No. That would be unwise. He has sinned…grievously…selfishly…and has brought shame and sorrow upon me. But we do the same to God every day…and He chooses to forgive us. Can I do any less, since I claim to be His child? 

I must find Benjamin…find him before Aaron does…find him before anyone in our community does. I must lead the way…I must demonstrate the love of God by my actions. No one seeks after God…God seeks after us.  Benjamin will have nothing to offer…nothing to justify his behaviour. I must justify him through my behaviour…my love and my acceptance must stem the tide of hatred…the baying for blood…the hunger for vengeance.