Two Weeks in Turkiye
Ministering to Those Who Minister Around the World
It wasn’t a gathering one would expect to see at a hotel on the coast of Izmir, Turkiye (previously known as Turkey). Among the more than 300 people at the conference, there were families from Switzerland, the Philippines, South Africa, Colombia, Italy, Madagascar and dozens of other countries from seemingly every corner of the globe. Joining them was a group of 38 young people who’d come from California to serve, mostly by caring for the children of the more than 70 families in attendance. There was also a contingent of elders and pastors from Grace Community Church in Los Angeles. So why were these families, the young people serving them, and the pastors and elders, in Turkiye?
“Every other year, the missionary families sent out through GMI (Grace Ministries International) gather for a conference,” Rodney Andersen said. Rodney is the Director of Grace Ministries International. He led the group of pastors and elders that traveled to Turkiye to be with GMI’s missionaries. “It’s a key time for our missionaries to be encouraged and strengthened. These conferences minister to the entire family. The men are able to talk about how their ministries are going and hear how their peers have handled situations they are facing. Wives are able to connect with friends and develop relationships with like-minded women. And children get to cultivate, then maintain, friendships with other missionary kids, while also connecting with young people from Grace Community Church. This is something they look forward to tremendously.”
No one knows just how encouraging and helpful these conferences are more than Luke Kinzel, who led the small army of volunteers who traveled to Turkiye to spend time with the children of these families. Luke has been to nearly every one of these conferences, starting in the late 1990s, when the conference was first hosted in Prague, the capital of Czechia (formerly the Czech Republic). At the time, his parents were GMI missionaries in Ukraine so Luke attended as one of the missionary kids. Today, Luke is a member of Grace Community Church and a graduate of The Master’s University. Since 2010, when he was 18 years old, he’s volunteered to serve at each conference, to continue to be part of an event that’s had a tremendous impact on his life.
“A deep sense of gratitude is the first reason I keep going to these conferences,” Luke said. “The Lord really used these conferences in my life. I made a lot of friends, and I met a lot of leaders and young people from Grace Church. I didn’t always remember what they taught, but I certainly remember their kindness and care. I was also able to get to know several pastors and elders at Grace Church. When I moved to California for college, I had those relationships already because of the GMI conferences.”
Luke knows that serving overseas can feel isolating at times. Often, GMI families serve in areas without a strong church. These conferences give them an opportunity to connect with their sending church, to not only be supported financially by Grace Community Church, but also supported spiritually and relationally.
“There’s a sense in which the GMI missionary families are much like a fellowship group at Grace Church,” Matt Poladian said. Matt was one of the Grace Church elders who traveled to Turkiye for the conference. “Most of these missionaries are part of local churches where they serve, but they are also part of our church, and we have a great affection for them and the work they do. The missionary conference gives us the opportunity not only to say that, but to show it.”
Rodney sees these conferences—which represent Grace Church’s commitment to coming alongside their missionaries beyond simply sending them financial support each month—as a key contributor to the longevity of so many GMI missionaries.
“It is reported that the average missionary is on the field for just three or four years. GMI missionaries average 12 to 13 years,” Rodney said. “That says a lot about our missionaries. It certainly says something about their trust in the Lord as well as their deep-seated commitment to proclaim Christ. It also points to their persevering faith. They know that it’s going to take time to build a ministry on the field. And finally, I think GMI’s commitment to caring for their missionaries through these conferences has a part in their perseverance. They are encouraged on a regular basis and they get to know an elder team here at Grace that loves them and cares deeply for them.”
At each conference, the Grace Church elders give out service awards, recognizing those who have been on the field for multiples of five years. This year, they gave out several awards for 5 and 10 years of service. There were missionaries marking 15 and 20 years of service. There were also three families serving in Croatia for over 25 years. All that longevity and perseverance has resulted in more fruitful ministry.
“The focus of our missionary ministry is church planting and pastoral training among our missionaries,” Rodney said. “It’s incredible to see what the Lord is doing, and how he’s using our missionaries, in places like Germany, the Philippines, Colombia, the Middle East, in African countries like Malawi and Madagascar. A lot of exciting things are happening in churches around the world.”
The reason why Grace Church and GMI are as committed as they’ve ever been to missions was on full display in Turkiye. Though the country is predominantly Muslim today, it is home to some of the most significant geographical locations in the New Testament. The first missionary, Paul, spent a significant amount of time in what is today the country of Turkiye.
“The seven churches of Revelation are there,” Rodney said. “One of these is the city of Ephesus, which certainly has a rich biblical history. Paul not only wrote the letter to the Ephesian church, he also lived there for multiple years. The Apostle John lived there for over 20 years. We also know that Apollos, Aquila, Priscilla, and Tychicus were there. It’s amazing how much happened in that area.
At the conference, GMI families spent every-other-day touring, visiting these biblical sights. Days in between, they would be together at the hotel, fellowshipping, hearing from various speakers, talking about their ministries and connecting with Grace Church’s elders during times of Q&A and prayer. All of it, the biblical instruction and the historical sights they visited, was designed to encourage missionaries that even when the field is challenging and the fruit seems weak or nonexistent, their work is not in vain. It wasn’t in vain for Paul and it won’t be in vain for them because Christ is worthy to be proclaimed to all tribes and nations.
For Rodney, a highlight of the trip was a visit to Miletus. There, Brad Klassen, a Grace Church elder and former GMI missionary, preached from Acts 20, where the Apostle Paul exhorts the Ephesian elders as he begins an uncertain and fraught trip to Jerusalem. As he prepares to leave, he knows he may not survive the trip and he will likely never see the church at Ephesus again. Despite that, Paul tells the elders, “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of God’s grace” (vs 24).
That extraordinary verse could apply to these extraordinary families serving overseas. Though their lives can be challenging, the work is worth it because of the privilege of testifying of the gospel of God’s grace. And for Rodney, Matt, Luke and many others at Grace Church, there’s no greater privilege than serving those on the front lines, far from their home church, as they bring the beauty of the gospel to the nations.
