March 2025 Armor Bearer
Dear Faithful Prayer Warriors and Agency Supporters,
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 4:34
We are grateful to see some movement in our country away from some of the unbiblical philosophies of recent years that permeated our Armed Forces. While rescinding WOKE and DEI policies and practices indicates progress, it will utimately take acceptance of God’s truth, and specifically, the truth of the Gospel, to make the necessary eternal difference in the lives of our men and women in uniform. Thank you for partnering with AFBM to carry God’s truth to our servicemembers where they and their families are serving. Continue to pray for our missionaries as they proclaim the life changing truth of God’s Word. As they respect military authorities, specifically ask God to open the door to more consistent on-base access and opportunities to host Bible studies and share Gospel literature.
With grateful hearts
Whenever you hear about a missions agency, you are right to think of the missionary families who serve in ministries around the globe. After all, they operate as Christ’s Ambassadors on the “front lines” with the Gospel and with strong Bible teaching and preaching. Their faithfulness and labor of love is helping to change lives every day. News of spiritual fruit from their ministries continues to encourage partnering churches around the country.
But missions agencies also have other important servants who operate behind the scenes to encourage, advise, and assist. At AFBM, we are blessed with a godly Board of Trustees who faithfully pray for our missionaries and serve as invaluable mentors and advisors to me in my role as the General Director. Recently, we bid a fond farewell to a faithful couple who served alongside AFBM for fifty years. Dr Walt Coles and his dear wife Jan, loved on and ministered to our missisonaries and their families for decades. Their love was especially apparent during our annual Family Week. Dr Coles also had a great impact in his role as the Chairman of the AFBM Board of Trustees for more than 30 years. Earlier this year, we did our best to share gifts to express our love for them, but there is no way to adequately thank them for so many years of loving and faithful service. We love the Coles!
Moving forward for the Lord
In my many years as an Army helicopter pilot, I was not especially fond of flying in really bad weather. I found it more reassuring when I could see where I was going, especially during those early years of flying. One option for an instrument approach during bad weather relied upon ground controllers and their radar. Referred to as a Precision Approach Radar (PAR) approach, the controller would advise the pilots on their final approach as to whether they were left or right of the runway course line, and whether they were following the correct descent angle, or glide path, to touchdown on the runway. Being too far to left or right of the course line, or too high or low of the descent angle, meant the pilot could miss the runway entirely, and possibly even crash. Desiring to avoid the order to “go around”, my favorite feedback from the controller was always, “on course … on glide path”. That wonderful confirmation during an instrument approach brought great comfort and also meant ultimate success.
I am grateful to share that the Wrightstown Servicemen’s Center outside McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey is “on course … on glide path”. With amazing help from a nearby church outside the base, including several faithful lay members, the Center is now open 3 days per week and is seeing visitors regularly. Praise the Lord! Please pray for a new Bible study they are starting. Also, pray also that the Lord will bless their outreach efforts with fruit that remains.
Your grateful AFBM Missionary family thanks you. Kevin Brown