Sitting between the Franklin Mountains and the Rio Grande River, El Paso is a major economic and cultural center for West Texas, New Mexico, and even the nation of Mexico. It's population is more than 606,000 people, and the nearest ABA churches are hours away in Roswell, NM; Hobbs, NM; Albuquerque, NM; Clovis, NM; Odessa, TX and Midland, TX.
El Paso makes my short list of mission fields I'd like to see developed due to it's seemingly limitless evangelism opportunities (with more than 600,000 people, several missionaries could go there without stepping on each other's work), it's cross cultural influence (with Anglo and Hispanic American populations) and it's access to Mexico could spearhead another foreign missions movement. In fact, many Mexican school children actually come into Texas to go to school. Many Mexican people have jobs in El Paso, some of whom are professionals. So, the opportunities to reach into Mexico can spring up any number of ways.
El Paso would be a great field for a bilingual missionary, or a missions team that could minister to the English and Spanish speaking communities. It would also be great for one who has an international vision for missions. El Paso would also be a great starting point for launching a church-planting movement in Southern New Mexico (which includes Las Cruces, population 74,000).
Drawbacks to El Paso are mainly safety related. As drug cartels ramp up violence along the border, local law enforcement has found themselves outgunned in some cases. Still, for the God-called missionary, this is a good field.
Funding for a mission work in El Paso would be relatively easy to come by. I would encourage Grace Pointe to support such a work, and with good reserves in the state and interstate missions funds, missionary salary could be obtained with the right sponsoring church and matching funds (You'll need approximately $700 for interstate, $800 for state) funds. These funds can be provided by a plurality of supporting churches.
Please pray for someone to answer the call and go to El Paso. There is no reason this field should go unevangelized.
4 comments:
Bro. Leland. In the last several years several have tryed to do Mission work in Elpaso, the first one that I remember was Bro Leon Hawkins.He was missionary there for english speaking people and had a school for preachers in Mexico. The church there had property paid for, I think. several men followed Bro Hawkins even at least one salried state Missionary. I have no Idea why they could never get anything going, Maby someone else knows.
Bro. Leland Acker,
At one time (in 1981) we had an ABA Church in El Paso, TX. I preached there in June of 1981 on the way to the ABA Meeting in Phoenix, AZ. Bro. David Mundy was the Pastor.
Bro. Acker, maybe this blog is just about mission work in Texas, I don't know. But we need some more sound New Testament Churches in Wyoming. Casper, Douglas, Wheatland, Green River, Rock Springs and etc. Pray that God would send some sound men up this way.
May God Bless you and your work.
jll2, Gillette, WY
Will do, Bro.
This blog is mainly about my mission work in Brownwood, TX, and subsequently my frame of reference is limited to the Texas state association, so I tend to major on state missions. However, I fully recognize the need for new works in Wyoming, and the rest of the Mountain West region, as well as the Southwest (West Texas, New Mexico and Arizona). We've got to get busy... and the purpose of Monday Mission Field is to call attention to that by presenting potential mission fields to potential sending churches and missionaries.
Thank you for reading my blog.
Bro. Leland,
In case you want to know about me, who I am, you can read it in the "Newbies" of the Landmarkbaptist - free forum.
I pastor in Gillette, WY. My father was born in TX. My daughter lives in TX. I have cousins in TX. So may the Lord bless all the New Testament Churches in TX.
jll2
Gillette, WY
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