September 2025 Armor Bearer
| September 2025 |
Dear Faithful Prayer Warriors and Mission Agency Supporters,
“And he must needs go through Samaria.” John 4:4. In speaking of our Lord, this Scriptural account in John 4 details Jesus’ Gospel focused trip through Samaria that would include meeting a Samaritan woman at a well. Verse 4 reveals to us that it was absolutely necessary for Jesus to travel to Samaria, a place that faithful Jews would normally avoid. The path to reaching needy people with the Gospel is that way sometimes. For those if us involved in reaching the military mission field, one such “must needs” location is on the military bases where our military men and women serve. With those bases secured from unauthorized access, gaining meaningful opportunities to minsiter on base happens when people pray, and when God works in a special way to open doors. I hope this edition of the Armor Bearer will encourage you with how God is at work on some military bases.
Naval Training Station Great Lakes is the Navy’s largest training installation and their only boot camp location. For new sailors, their time at Great Lakes may be brief. For instructors and support personnel, a normal tour of duty may keep them there for 3 years or more. For many years now, AFBM Missionary Rosalie Marshall has been ministering to military spouses through a Bible study she hosts both in person and online. She also hosts fall and spring banquets each year to encourage spouses and family members. One of the amazing open doors in her ministry efforts is the annual Vacation Bible School conducted at a military chapel located in base housing. Each spring, Sister Marshall completes the necessary requests for command level approval to conduct VBS. Each spring, God opens the door again and Sister Marshall and many volunteers step through that door to impact young lives with God’s truth. This past summer a number of children attended daily and heard clear Gospel teaching and preaching. In the evening program for teens, 3 of those young people made professions of faith in Jesus Christ. God’s Word never returns void!
Fort Hood, Texas covers 340 square miles and is the only post in the United States capable of stationing and training two armored divisions. It’s big – even for Texas! Serving through a faithful church on the south side of that base, Missionaries Harold and Karin Pierce seek to minister to soldiers and their families through focused outreach efforts. Those take many forms and they are excited that God recently opened the door for them to conduct Good News Bible Clubs at an on-base school for the very first time. During club meetings the very first week, two children made professions of faith. What an answer to prayer! We love to see God bring spiritual fruit after faithful Gospel seed sowing and watering.
Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs is the current home of the headquarters for the newest military branch, Space Force. The Jon Gorman Family seeks to reach them and other military members and families through Ridgeview Baptist Church, where Brother Jon serves as pastor. While there are a great number of military families and veterans living in Colorado Springs, the Gormans are especially excited for a new on base ministry with young, military family members. A Chaplain on Peterson SFB asked Brother Gorman if he and others from Ridgeview Baptist Church would lead a weekly Awana program on the base beginning this month. A wonderful open door, we all look forward to how God will use this Bible centered program to reach the lost and strengthen young believers.
Camp Ederle, Vicenza Italy. On base Bible programs are not the only door God opens for a church to reach out to the military. Sometimes God opens unique doors for sharing Bible literature and church information. Throughout the year as newly assigned servicemembers and families arrive, the Tim Drylie Family serving at Vicenza Baptist Church, along with faithful church members, seek to connect with these newcomers by sponsoring an information exchange and meal once a month in the guest hotel on the base. In that setting, Brother Drylie and others can enjoy Christ centered conversations with newly arriving personnel who await permanent housing. What a great way to introduce them to Christ and to Vicenza Baptist Church!
Just as you and your church make special efforts to reach your community with the Gospel, be assured that AFBM Missionaries seek God’s wisdom, power, and blessing as they reach out into the mission field where they serve. We all have a glorious, life-changing message to share. May the Lord find each of us faithfully sewing Gospel seed until He returns!
Your grateful AFBM Missionary family thanks you for praying and caring. Kevin Brown