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“Our love has been restored:“ Marriage retreat in Kenya, June 12-17 COSIM conference brings partnership practioners together to learn Mission ONE 15th Anniversary Banquet October 27 in Arizona Church planting and equipping to serve persecuted believers in southeast Asia Persecuted bishop returns home Pray for persecuted church in Laos Report from India: One year after the tsunami of December 26, 2004 Operation WorldView is video training for 750 “short-termers” |
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An interview with Pastor Severino Maira Janus
Rev. Severino Maira Janus is the co-founder of the Evangelical Free Church of Sudan, a long-time ministry partner with Mission ONE. He visited the United States in March to share his story — along with his vision for a bi-vocational training center in Southern Sudan. Bob Schindler conducted an interview with Pastor Severino… here is an excerpt. To download full interview, click here How has partnership helped you in your ministry? Partnership has helped us in various ways. One, it helps us connect with the outside world; that is a very important benefit of partnering with you. Two, partnership helps us to help the pastors to go ahead in evangelism and do the work. Three, it helps partners to join together in fellowship and further the kingdom of God. Some say that sending funds to help with projects or support for nationals causes the indigenous church to be weak and dependent instead of strong and independent. That is the nature of men. If we say we do not need support, it would be very difficult for the ministry to go ahead. We know that the only Person whom we rely on day to day is Jesus Christ. Whatever you give, you are not only giving to us, you are giving to the work of God, and that is what I know. Whatever we do together, it is not for our own good, but for the advancement of the kingdom of God. Partnership is brother to brother—not father to son, or strong to weak. It is between equal partners. What does the church in America bring—and what does the church of Sudan bring to a healthy partnership? I am a child of God and all of us are the children of God. God has blessed the United States and given you material things; we in Sudan and elsewhere in neighboring countries have the zeal of the Word of God and we can share. We not only share the material things, but also information about how we can advance the kingdom of God and that is very important. We need to live together as brothers who have been saved, having a common goal to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is what ties us together. Tell us a little about your vision for the bi-vocational training center called Bright Hope School of Theology. The Word of God has to be taught to those men and women who go and win the lost to the kingdom. But, also we need to empower them by giving them skills like carpentry, agriculture or tailoring—so they will be able to care for their families. Plus they can their train church members to support and get food for themselves. Then many will see how far they have come through their ministers and the church. That is my aim, my passion—to see those things happen in Sudan. Download full interview | Download proposal for bi-vocational training center |
