Why our church supports the work of Elim missionary

Harry Goodwin pastors The Well Church in Wakefield, which recently began supporting Lynette Orange, an Elim missionary. Jack Skett asked Harry about the process

Lynette Orange

Why was it important to you that your church is supporting an Elim Missionary?
Firstly, as a pastor of a smaller church, the core of which is made up of retired Christians who have spent 40-50 years of faithful service, the reality is it is unlikely we will raise our own missionary anytime soon. Therefore, adopting/supporting an existing missionary allows us to do our part to fulfil the great commission beyond our locality. Secondly, supporting Lynette allows us to locally fulfil our obligation to help achieve Elim’s four national priorities.

How did you go about exploring the possibilities of supporting a missionary?
We have had a long-term goal that ten per cent of our income will be given away, split evenly between missions and church planting, as we aim to pursue Elim’s national priorities locally. After this year’s Leaders Summit, we realised that if we don’t do this now, then we might never do it. So even though we are not in a place to give the full five per cent of our income, we decided we had to start giving something with the aim of this increasing as we grow.

What was the link between you and Lynette?
I have known Lynette since my time at Rugby Elim back in 2015. It was really beneficial for me as I knew a lot about Lynette before I took it to our leadership team and then later to the church. Lynette also ‘clicks’ with our church’s history; it was like God knew before we did. We have a retired couple in our church who were missionaries in the Philippines and have previously set up a school there. So our church was all ready to go with a heart for the Philippines and the work Lynette is doing!

What impact has supporting Lynette had on the church?
It has put missions at the forefront. We have dedicated missions champions now, with calendar dates to pray for and to collect love-offerings for Lynette. When you don’t support something practically or financially, it can be easy to let it slip from your mind. However, when the church gives cash away, it’s on your mind to keep people updated to keep on praying.

How would you encourage Elim churches to consider supporting an Elim Missionary?
I would ask any church leader when it comes to making a difference to our international missionaries, “If not YOU then WHO? If not NOW then WHEN?” Sometimes, you have to pull the trigger and make a difference, even if it isn’t for a lot of money to begin with. The culture of generously supporting missions is much more important than the amount, but that culture has to start somewhere, and it often starts with us as church leaders.

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.

Enjoy this article? Don't forget to share