We Need a Missionary Church Planter!

“We need a missionary church planter to come to Arizona!” It was an October afternoon and I was talking by phone with Pastor Neall Holmes from Sierra Vista, Arizona. This good pastor had picked up a copy of the BIMI World magazine that had just been published. He had decided to call BIMI for assistance. This particular issue that caught this pastor’s eye had a large portion of the magazine devoted to explaining what the BIMI “Reseeding America” church planting ministry was all about.

As we talked about the information in the magazine and the “Reseeding America” ministry, I shared with him how the BIMI “Reseeding America” ministry comes alongside local churches to assist them in the planting of new churches as well as assisting churches that are in decline.

It didn’t take long to realize I was talking to a church planter. Pastor Holmes had come to Sierra Vista, Arizona, six years ago to start Mountain Vista Baptist Church. God has blessed over the past six years but during the planting of the church in Sierra Vista, the need for a church at Douglas, Arizona, became evident. Douglas, Arizona, is 56 miles southeast of Sierra Vista. It sits on the boarder of the United States and Mexico. It is a town with a population of some 20,000 people. It has a growing population because of the Federal Boarder Patrol jobs that are readily available in the area. People also find work at the local prison in the area and construction jobs can also be found.

Feeling led of the Lord to plant a new church in Douglas, AZ, pastor Holmes and his congregation took the necessary steps to start a new work in that border town. This new church is now meeting in a rented church building and is waiting for the Lord to send them a missionary church planter. Pastor Holmes sends a man each week from his church to teach and preach for this baby church. The new congregation in Douglas has a vision to see a strong church started in their area. They are seeing visitors coming to their services and they carry out evangelization of the area on a regular basis. Across the boarder from Douglas is the city of Agua Prieta, Mexico, where there are close to one hundred thousand people. The new church in Douglas, which is English speaking, is looking and praying for a church planter with Spanish language abilities to come and lead this group. (The opportunities to minister across the border are tremendous.) Would you pray with us about this need?

Please call us at Reseeding America at 423- 344-5050 if you or someone you know is praying about planting a church. Pastor Holmes can also be contacted at 520-803-7190 or 520-266-2764.

We know of several other struggling churches or new church starts that need pastors. If you would like more information, please contact us at Baptist International Missions at 423-344-5050.