Introducing Many Pastors to Bluegrass Baptist Seminary
March 10, 2025
Dear friends and family,
Hope this letter finds each of you in good health. For us, the travel and the dental surgery in Brazil is over for a while. But during this time, Pastor Derek and I were in Fortaleza attending a conference of Brazilian Baptist pastors and, though it was tiring, it was successful.
We met many pastors and were able to get information about our Bluegrass Baptist Seminary in the hands of many of them to take back to present to their churches. We were able to schedule meetings with some of their churches and we are working on those meetings. It is just going slow, as all things do in Brazil. The bulk of these meetings will be in Paraguay and, at that meeting, the pastors hope to have 40 or 50 other pastors in attendance.
These pastors that we were able to talk to were very excited for the prospect of having the availability of a seminary in their town. Here we are looking for much interest and for the seminary to reach many more students. At this conference we did not have a speaking role, but as I said we were able to talk to many interested pastors.
Our semester is starting on March 10 and we will have four different classes in the Master’s Program with an enrollment of approximately 50 pastors! Also, the Doctor of Theology program for this semester has grown; we now have SEVEN students. God is AWESOME!! Going back to our upcoming meeting in Paraguay, it will hopefully be in June. We are waiting on our pastor friend, the pastor of the Bible Baptist Church in São Paulo, to set the date. All this will be decided around the dedication of their new church building.
We are trying to get as much done as possible in this time period as we can. We will have three more pastors complete their Master’s Program. So, as you can see, we will be very, very busy so I ask for your prayers during that time.
While we were in Fortaleza, we had a Brazilian helper who helped us with some of the administrative paperwork. All the volunteers make this seminary program really work. The professors, the U.S. pastors with PhDs and doctorates, one Brazilian pastor professor, and our translators help get the classes to the online system which allows all those who want to learn more about God and His Word do so. We are now presenting these classes in THREE countries, and we are looking forward to adding the fourth country, Paraguay, in the future.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
30524 Mimi St
Sebring, FL 33870-0530
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
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Faith & Fortitude in the Face of Persecution
March 10, 2025
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
I had somber news last month when I talked about the wars and conflicts in Congo and our students who are living and ministering there. I guess I will have to follow up last month’s somber news with some additional somber news for this month. I’m not being somber on purpose, folks, believe me. Some things just strike me hard and those are sometimes the things I feel like I should report so that you all can know what life here in Kenya is really like and what it means to be a follower of Christ in other places of the world.
Here at the school, we have small groups where faculty have a number of students that they can meet with multiple times per week and they can mentor and disciple the students in life, ministry, and other practical areas. I have ten great guys in my group and we meet a couple of times every week to talk about…well…life, ministry, and other practical things. It is a good time for the guys to talk, ask questions, pray, and on occasion, eat. One of our past meetings was spent allowing just one of our guys to talk, express his fears and anxieties, and for us to advise him and pray for him. I will refer to him with a pseudonym (Solomon) in order to keep him safe. Solomon is one of our few “older” students who is already married with some children. He is already a pastor of a church and is attending school here to learn how to better minister the Word of God to God’s people.
After last Sunday’s service, Solomon received a phone call, a call no one ever wants to receive. The call was from a local gang of thugs, the name of which I will also omit from this report. After a few pleasantries, the gang leader informed Solomon that he knew all about him, that he knew Solomon’s wife (which he named), his children (which he named and the names of their schools), his church (which he named), and his house (which location he gave). The gang leader then informed Solomon of the amount of money Solomon was going to give him. The gang leader then threatened Solomon, telling him that if he did not pay the required money that the gang would burn his church to the ground, kill his wife and children, and then kill Solomon. Beloved, this is no idle or empty threat. This is a real threat and the danger is very real. All the students in my small group verified that these gangs exist and their threats can and often are carried out. Solomon was obviously distraught. He fears for the safety of his family. He fears for his own life. I told Solomon that his fear was legitimate and understandable, and all the students agreed. Solomon went to the police and reported the threat, but you can believe that this does not give him any comfort.
Our group spent a great amount of time praying for Solomon and his family, but we all feel helpless to know what else we can do for him, besides prayer and advice. I remain impressed by Solomon’s faith and fortitude in this situation. He himself says that we serve a mighty God and that like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, God can protect him from the threats of the evil gang. While Solomon does not want to be afraid, he is still afraid. I would be too (terrified would be a better word to describe my feelings if I were in the same circumstances). He also does not want to die but says he is willing to die if that is the outcome that God wants and will bring Him the most glory. Solomon is determined to not pay the gang (he couldn’t pay their exorbitant extortion fee anyway) and to continue ministering to his people in Jesus’ name.
Father God, I pray that you would continue to protect this good and godly man, Solomon. I pray that you would protect his family and keep them safe from harm. Make the threats of the gang empty. Remove any power that this gang has to threaten or harm Solomon or anyone else. Protect his church and his people so that they might be able to continue to proclaim the gospel and spread the love of Jesus in their community. Oh God, do this for your glory and for the good of your people in Kenya. Amen.
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie & Chloe
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
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109 Profess Faith in Christ in Southern Brazilian Vacation Town
March 3, 2025
Dear Friends,
Everybody needs a little vacation time, of course, but I’m glad that Brazil’s summer vacation has come to an end. Remembering that, south of the equator, the seasons are the opposite of those in the USA. Fall is beginning and students are returning to school, our main venue for evangelistic outreach. We did take advantage of the summer break, though, to host a volunteer missionary training seminar and the results were wonderful. After two weeks of study on the biblical foundation of missions and evangelism, we took our team of 17 full-time missionaries and 16 first-time volunteers to a vacation town on the coast of southern Brazil to minister in the public squares and parks. Our team had the opportunity to share the gospel to over 1600 people. Of these, there were 109 who made a public profession of faith in Jesus. There were also 79 more who rededicated their lives to Christ who realized that they had left their first love and were living in disobedience to God. Now that the summer break is over, though, we have the whole school year scheduled for gospel presentations to thousands of students and staff. Please pray that the Lord will use our teams to bring many of them to a saving knowledge of Christ.
Yago and Manoela are doing well in Portugal. Not without extreme trials, though. I shared last month that they got the news that Manoela was pregnant and that they are both very excited about the coming of their first baby. A few weeks ago, Manoela experienced some strange pains and discomfort and sought medical attention. Not to go into details, I ask that you pray for the Lord to miraculously heal Manoela and her baby. Both are in grave danger of loss of life. They were counseled to abort the baby, but they both refused to do this. May the Lord do what only He can do.
A group of our missions partners are scheduled to arrive in Curitiba this week for a week of evangelistic ministry with Projeto Vida, our outreach team. We are excited to see all that God will do through them together as they share the gospel in several public schools and parks. We know that they will be both a blessing and be blessed as they allow the Lord to use them in this ministry.
Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside ministering to Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online
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News & Reports – March 2025
The Online Edition of the March 2025 BFM News & Reports is available at the link below.
*Remember you can click on any headline to view the post/letter on our website.
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A Note from David Pitman, President
Through the generosity of our donors we were able to send a $500 “bonus” at the end of 2024 to our missionaries and retirees. A small token but much appreciated. I was so blessed by Brother Asa Mark Bratcher’s response and I share it now with his permission:
“Dear Bro. David: Just a note to express my deepest appreciation to you and the directors of BFM, for the bonus I just received. It is so amazing how our Lord works sometimes. Exactly 2 minutes earlier I had transferred to a couple in Manaus, 500 dollars as a down payment for a piece of property, next to the building of the Bratcher Memorial Baptist Church in the middle of the rain forest. Thanks once again, and to our Faithful God, whom we try to serve, all the glory!”
We are very thankful for how our retirees continue to represent BFM so well. Please give to the Missionary Support Fund!
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Odali Barros Announces Retirement
Odali Barros has faithfully served as a BFM missionary in Brazil for over 30 years, ministering in São Paulo and later moving to Manaus. He will be retiring this month. Odali, a native Brazilian, was saved under the ministry of Mike Creiglow. He is married to Kathy, the youngest daughter of John and Alta Hatcher. Their ministry together has had a special emphasis on children over the years, including many orphans.
Odali and Kathy have expressed a desire to continue working among the people of Manaus for as long as they are able. We pray that God will continue to bless Odali and Kathy as they seek to bring yet more
lost souls to Christ.
A Note from Odali
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We want to thank each one that supports Baptist Faith Missions. We are thankful for your support and prayers for our ministry. I’m grateful for BFM because it was through this mission that I heard the gospel and was saved. Time has gone by so fast. We are retiring but will continue serving God where we are.
May God continue blessing each one and Baptist Faith Missions.
Love in Christ,
Odali and Kathy
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father…” -1 Thessalonians 1:1b-3
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GracExtended! Update
GracExtended is a new initiative where the BFM directors will identify other ministries to support in a strategic way, further extending our mission efforts. Some of this support will go to current BFM missionaries as they seek to train and encourage local pastors and engage in new opportunities. Additional support will go to selected ministries outside our normal outreach, as we seek to partner with like-minded church-planting organizations. Below is one of the projects our support assists.
Bethersden Baptist Church, England
From Grace Baptist Partnership:
“We are delighted to announce that Bethersden Baptist Church has issued an invitation to Gavin Peacock to become their Locum Pastor for a period of 12 months commencing in February 2025. Please pray for Gavin and his wife as they prepare to return to the United Kingdom early in the New Year. Please pray for Bethersden Baptist Church to be revitalised to Biblical health and enabled to appoint a new Pastor. Please pray for Grace Baptist Church in Bexleyheath and other churches in our Partnership as they seek to assist in various ways. Above all, pray that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified through this endeavour.”
Ways to Pray:
>> Please pray for the churches in the United Kingdom that are part of Grace Baptist Partnership.
>> Pray specifically for Bethersden Baptist Church in Kent (Southeast England) to be revitalized to Biblical health and enabled to appoint a new pastor.
>> Pray for Pastor Gavin Peacock and his wife (pictured, left) as they return to the United Kingdom to assist at Bethersden Baptist Church for one year.
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Disciples in France Sharing the Gospel with Others!
February 17, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings from Southern France which is far north of where most of you live. Plaisance du Touch is about the same distance from the North Pole as Toronto, Canada. However, our winters are not extremely cold due to the Gulf Stream that warms western Europe.
God continues to touch lives around us. It is wonderful to be sharers of the Good News here and to be used by God to disciple those who have trusted Christ as Lord and Savior. Yesterday, Rose, a lady who was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago, told us excitedly about a door that God opened for her to share the Good News. She was waiting for minor surgery to remove the chemotherapy port that had been used for her treatment. A conversation with another lady awaiting the same procedure began and God guided her to be able to give her testimony and share about her faith as the other lady asked questions.
Roxane, a young lady who is a member of our congregation, studying to be an engineer, shared how God had given her the opportunity to share the Gospel with a friend for whom she had been praying. Roxane trusted the Lord and followed Him in baptism less than two years ago. She is the only believer in her family, but a flame of fire for the Lord in her gentle way of passionately seeking the lost and sharing the Good News.
We have regular Bible studies in six different locations in addition to the regular church meetings. Some of these are groups of saved people growing in the Lord and encouraging each other and some are groups of seekers meeting in the home of a believer with whom they are friends.
Several of those who were seekers have trusted Christ in the last year and are reading through their Bibles. It is exciting to receive phone calls or text messages from these new believers asking questions from their reading. Here are a couple of questions I received this past Saturday: “How come prophet Nahum proclaims condemnation of Nineveh when Jonah tells about their repentance and forgiveness?” “How were Pharaoh’s men able to do some of the same signs as Moses?” How would you answer these questions? If you need help, ask one of your spiritual leaders.
We are very grateful for your contribution to what God is doing here.
Your Fellow Servants in France,
John and Judy
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone 1-812-416-1033
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
