STANLEY & EMILY KEYES LEGACY GIFT TO BFM – TO BE ALLOCATED TO OUR VETERAN MISSIONARY PENSIONERS
Anyone who has attended our Conferences over the past 30 years will know and recognize Stanley and Emily Keyes. They began attending our Conferences back during the 1990s while Louis Maple was their pastor. They loved the missionaries who partner with BFM. Sister Emily went to be with the Lord just 2-3 years before Brother Stanley. He continued to attend our Conferences by himself until he also joined her here more recently. When he was called to Heaven, we received the most generous gift of $75,000 which they had bequeathed to BFM in their will. We have allocated their Legacy Gift to the support of our Pensioners. Their generous gift will supply the service pensions for our Veteran Missionary Pensioners for several months. We bless them, and more, we bless God for putting His Grace into their hearts to continue to love our missionaries in this way. We pray others will follow their example and do likewise.
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LEGACY GIFTS – PLEASE CONSIDER REMEMBERING OUR PENSIONERS IN YOUR WILL
Ever since our Traditional Pension Fund was established years ago, that Fund has been supplied by numerous generous gifts that have been given to BFM. Some have donated properties to BFM and the sales of those properties have been allocated to our Pension Fund. Others have bequeathed Legacy Gifts to BFM in their wills. These gifts have sustained the on-going ministry of helping to support our Veteran Missionary Pensioners in their senior years after they are no longer physically able to continue their active on-the-field service. This is just another way you can perpetuate your partnership in missionary support for years to come. We pray you will consider helping our missionaries in this way also.
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Two Recent Mission Trips
June 1, 2022
Dear Friends,
A huge part of the northeast region of Brazil is known as the “sertão,” or back-country. This area is the most impoverished part of Brazil, certainly financially, and almost equally spiritually poor. There is a lot of religion, yes, but it is mostly demon worship and idol worship. Our traveling team has just returned from a three-week expedition into this region and the Lord worked amazingly through them. In the schools, parks, and town squares the gospel was presented to over 15 thousand people and there were over 2,000 who publicly professed Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
Of course, our enemy, the devil was not content with how things were going, so he attempted to discourage and sideline our workers. Several came down with ailments from the poorly sanitized water and food. Others suffered from the extreme heat (95-103 degrees) while ministering cutting hair outdoors, carrying heavy equipment, and performing evangelical skits. None of them gave up, though, and they rejoice that many who were lost are now eternally saved through their faithful service and the sharing of the gospel.
The team didn’t even get a short rest from their 5,000-mile trip before they met with a visiting group of evangelists from Virginia and Charlene and me in a town two hours away from our own work. We all ministered in several schools where some of us translated for our visitors as they shared their testimonies and preached the word of God. Again, there were many professions of faith in Christ.
I was especially thrilled by the participation of a mother and daughter team from my church who helped with the translation. Debora and Melissa took time off work and school to volunteer as interpreters. Debora, the mother, was 11 years old when I contracted her father to help me remodel my home. We became friends day by day and eventually almost the entire family was evangelized and have become excellent servants of the Lord. Debora and her husband raised Melissa in our church, and she too has surrendered to Christ. Charlene taught Debora English as a youth and now her daughter Melissa, who’s 16 years old, speaks fluent English and both volunteered to assist the visiting American brothers and sisters by translating in school rallies and in one-on-one conversations. Again, we saw the Lord work amazingly and dozens of students and adults gave their lives to Christ through the gospel as it was translated.
After nearly two years of being strongly inhibited from ministering in public places because of COVID-19 restrictions, our volunteers are working hard at not losing any more time. The Alpha team just left today, after only a one-day break, to head out to the state of Minas Gerais, a 20-hour drive from our base where they will be ministering in the schools and parks there as well. We are so thankful for the willing hearts and dedication of these amazing, but humble servants of the Lord.
Some of these young workers were evangelized and discipled by veteran missionaries that you helped to support when they were active on the foreign field, but have had to retire for a variety of reasons, either age, health, or to take care of aged parents. This month is VETERAN MISSIONARIES PENSIONERS MONTH among missionaries and churches associated with Baptist Faith Missions. These servants who served faithfully with their spouses, but who can’t be on the foreign field any longer still need your prayers and support. If you sense that God is leading you, then please give as the Lord guides. Both they and you will certainly be blessed.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279
Sobrado 1, Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR. Brasil
Phone: 55-41-99899-2333
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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Spring Conference 2022 Videos
Videos from our 2022 Spring Conference Sessions can be found on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/BaptistFaithMissions. Special thanks to Grace Baptist Church of Fairborn, Ohio for capturing these and sharing with us!
[Click here for a YouTube playlist with all conference sessions.]
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Remembering Missionaries of BFM
May 18, 2022
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Thanks to our Lord for precious moments in our lives. This month is a special month as we remember the missionaries of BFM who have served the Lord for many years.
Kathy and I had planned a trip to my home state, Cruzeiro do Sul, for over a year. With all the pandemic problems we had to change it. But finally, this month we were able to make the trip. The day we arrived we got a message that Brother John Hatcher had gone to be with the Lord.
Many places we have been we have met people that were led to the Lord by Bro. John Hatcher and also Bro. Bobby Creiglow. What a special moment! These men of God were used to touch many lives and also left an example of serving through good times or hard times.
May God bless each person and the churches that have given to this mission and for uplifting all of us in prayer.
Our works in our ministry are doing well. While we are traveling, we have left those from our church that are doing leadership training caring for the work. Pray that this will encourage our members to want to do more.
We had a special evening with Mike and Beverly Creiglow. My Christian life and ministry started with them. I’m thankful for their influence in my life. May God continue to bless them and their ministry.
Thank God for each of you supporters of BFM. God bless each of you.
Odali preaching at his nephew’s church in Rio Branco 
Service at the Creiglows’ Church 
Service at the Creiglows’ Church 
Odali & Kathy Barros with Mike & Beverly Creiglow
Love in Christ,
Odali and Kathy
Contact Info:
Odali & Kathy Barros
Iranduba, Amazonas
Brasil, SA
odali_kathy@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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John Hatcher, 60-year Missionary to Brazil, Meets His Savior Face-to-Face
“…’Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.’” -Matthew 25:23
John Albert Hatcher, died on May 14, 2022, at his son’s home in Clermont, Florida, where he lived comfortably for the past eight years under the loving care of Paul and Wanda Hatcher, his eldest son and daughter-in-law.
John was born in 1925 in Alexandria, Kentucky, to Albert and Beatrix Hatcher. He was the second of four children, reared in a God-fearing home on a dairy farm. He trusted the Lord Jesus at age nine after hearing the Gospel story of the three crosses, which he later made into a visual pamphlet, translated into three languages, and shared with hundreds of people in his latter years.
Upon finishing high school at Campbell County H.S., amidst World War II, he signed up as a volunteer for the U.S. Merchant Marines. He served proudly for four years, including action on D + 1 day at Normandy, France. After the war he enrolled in Georgetown Baptist College, Georgetown, Kentucky, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree. He went on to earn a Master’s in Theology at Lexington Baptist College and a Doctorate in Theology at Luther Rice Seminary.
In his first year at Georgetown College he met his wonderful wife, Alta McKeehan, and they were married for 69 years. Throughout their college years they worked together in home missions in Kentucky. After graduating, he pastored in Shelbyville and Beattyville, Kentucky, and finally in Alton, Illinois before they followed God’s call to be life-long missionaries to Brazil, sponsored by Baptist Faith Missions.
He arrived in Brazil in 1955 with Alta and their children, and dedicated the first 19 years to church planting in the Amazon Valley, working in the city of Manaus and in villages along the Amazon River. During those years John founded Batista das Americas School and the Manaus Baptist Theological Seminary, and was involved in starting several churches. His many skills and talents were put to God’s use: piloting his boat, building churches and school buildings, making pews and desks, educating and training young pastors, translating theology books, printing Christian literature and song books, evangelizing and teaching by radio, using puppets, ventriloquism and magic to reach people for Christ. John played the saxophone and clarinet and loved Christian music.
In 1976 John and Alta felt led to move to the city of Garça, São Paulo, in southern Brazil. There he started ten churches in ten cities where there were no Baptist churches, along with a bus ministry and Bible Institute through which the churches were serviced with leadership.
In 1989 John moved 200 miles further south to Urai, Parana, Brazil. In the next years he repeated the church planting and leadership training, resulting in seven thriving churches in that region, each with its building paid for.
John Hatcher was known for his unwavering faith in God, incredible discipline and work ethic. As his late mission director, Hafford Overbey put it: John Hatcher works!
All of John and Alta’s children are actively involved in church work, serving the Lord as pastors and missionaries.
Only Heaven will tell the extent of John Hatcher’s influence in spreading the Gospel to the nation of Brazil. He is loved and will be missed by thousands. He fought the good fight, finished his course, kept the faith.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Alta McKeehan Hatcher, his daughter, Lynn McGary, his unborn son, buried on the banks of the Nhamunda River in the Amazon, and his brother, Charles Hatcher. He is survived by two sisters Neree Woods and Jessie Sills, his loving children, Ranaah Paul Hatcher (Wanda) of Clermont, Florida, John Mark Hatcher (Judy) of Toulouse, France, David Judson Hatcher (Pennie) of Manaus, Brazil, Kathy Amazonas Barros (Odali) of Iranduba, Brazil, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Arrangements
Visitation | Tuesday, May 24, 2022 | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Becker Funeral Home | 806 W. Minneola Ave. | Clermont, Florida 34711 | Directions
Funeral Service | Tuesday, May 24, 2022 | 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Becker Funeral Home | 806 W. Minneola Ave. | Clermont, Florida 34711 | Directions
Graveside Service with Military Honors | Wednesday, May 25, 2022 | 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Cape Canaveral National Cemetery | 5525 US-1 | Mims, Florida 32754 | Directions
Memorials
In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to John’s lifelong passion, missions.
You may do so at:
Baptist Faith Missions
c/o Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Please designate to the “General Fund in memory of John A Hatcher”.
Condolences
Condolences may be made to the family at:
Paul Hatcher | 15905 Mercott Ct | Clermont, FL 34714
Click here to read the Autobiography of Alta Hatcher: “The Story of My Life as a Missionary”
“Disse-lhe o seu senhor: Muito bem, servo bom e fiel; sobre o pouco foste fiel, sobre muito te colocarei; entra no gozo do teu senhor.” –Mateus 25:23
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News & Reports – May 2022
The Online Edition of the May 2022 BFM News & Reports is available at the link below. Read how God is working through the lives of our faithful missionaries and continue to pray for them.
*Remember you can click on any headline to view the post/story on our website.
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A Time of Renewal
May 5, 2022
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
…..“but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
One year ago this week, John and I returned to our home in France, after spending almost 2 years in the states with my sister, Peggy. We were thankful that we could be there to walk with her through the difficult days of illness. It was heartbreaking to watch as her body faded, yet found rest and peace in the knowledge that, as she faded here, she would rise perfected and whole in the presence of our Savior!
We returned to our home that was made spic and span by our church family here. How blessed can we be?! France was still in partial lock down from Covid, so our movements were somewhat restricted. However, our friends and family made our re-entry here warm.
Our year has been filled with “renewals”. Church meetings…after attending via Skype (for which we were grateful). What a blessing to sing together, pray together, share blessings, share heart needs, study together, in the skin! Our recent study has been on how to be the light in a dark world.
Youth meetings…how invigorating to meet, play, eat, and discuss God’s word with teens! Most are ones that have come over the years, so we are blessed to see their growth and commitment.
Bible study group in Mazères…we are encouraged and blessed as we see the quiet growth and expansion of the gospel in this little town, mainly through the dedication of a single Christian lady who lets her light shine. Several have been saved as fruit of the group that meets at her house. Last meeting our hearts soared as an 80…something year old friend just started sharing verse after verse that God had used to “carry her through”.
Old friends…after three times of being cancelled by Covid, we were able to share a meal and afternoon with a couple who are former neighbors. We count each other as dear friends. We continue to pray that they will commit to Christ.
New encounters…just out for a daily walk brought about a weekly English conversation meeting where we have been able to discern their spiritual needs and share Jesus.
The more I write, the more I’m reminded of God’s goodness to us over the past year, however, I’ll stop as I’m sure your eyes are tired!
The verse thought at the beginning of this letter is actually the conclusion of a declaration that begins in the preceding verse, “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall… but…”. Today, if you’re tired, weary, I want to assure you, renewal will come!
Thank you for being a part of God’s work here in France.
Judy Hatcher
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, 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.
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