Around the World
2020: The Refocused Church
By Mike Lumbard
What makes a church’s response to COVID-19 successful and effective? The worst response a church can make is to do nothing or to choose not to adapt.
One leader from the past who was criticized for his methods responded, “I like what I am doing better than what they are not doing.” As the pandemic unfolded in the first quarter of 2020, the Church did not have good modern precedents to follow. Many have looked to the Church’s response to the bubonic plague of the 1500s, during the time of Martin Luther. Luther wrote this:
This I well know, that if it were Christ or his mother who were laid low by illness everybody would be so solicitous and would gladly become a servant or helper. Everyone would want to be bold and fearless; nobody would flee but everyone would come running. . . . If you wish to serve Christ and to wait on him, very well, you have your sick neighbour close at hand. Go to him and serve him, and you will surely find Christ in him . . . .
Churches have usually been slow to adapt to changes in the culture around them. This pandemic has forced the church to adapt quickly. The worldwide response and lockdowns have forced a view of ministry that is not focused around a building. It has caused churches to rethink how to minister to their own people as well as to the needs of their communities. In the past two months we have seen creativity, innovation, and God-inspired changes that will alter the way we minister from now on.
Below I will share three case studies from Open Bible churches outside the U.S.A. that have adapted their ministries.
Bayshore in Marabella, Trinidad and Tobago
Bayshore is a small church in an economically depressed, high crime, squatter community. Although the attendance is small (25-30), its members are actively involved in the transformation of their community. About two years ago the church began streaming their services over Zoom for members who could not attend. Normally only two or three people logged on. When the pandemic forced the closing of the building for services, church staff quickly moved all services and prayer meetings to Zoom. The leaders worked with members to download the app on their phones and then showed them how to use it.
Services are interactive as various members lead shared worship, prayer, and testimonies followed by a sermon. At the end of the service mics are open for everyone to allow members to greet each other. Members were also taught how to pay their tithes online. Each week, even though Pam and I are in the States due to the lockdown, I teach during one of the Zoom services.
The Bayshore church quickly recognized the needs in their community, so they organized and distributed 40 food boxes to needy families. They also use the app WhatsApp for members to daily interact and encourage each other. The result is that this church has seen growth. They are adding new people to the WhatsApp group chat, and new people are joining the Zoom services.
Ndengelwa, Kenya
Pastor Charles Omina, Kenya’s Open Bible field director, pastors a rural church in Western Kenya. In the first two months of 2020 the church was experiencing growth. There was excitement; people were bringing friends and relatives, and many were getting saved. Then the COVID-19 pandemic forced shutdowns across Kenya. While churches in other parts of Kenya and the world shifted ministry to social media, Pastor Omina did not have those options. Most members of his church do not have Internet and therefore do not have Facebook and other social media options. Most of his people do not even have the WhatsApp on their phones. The only ministry available to Pastor Omina was to personally call his members and to visit some of them.
After a time of prayer, God gave him a strategy. He began to meet with his cell group (small group) leaders and then release them to contact and minister to the rest of the members of their groups. Each week after contacting the members of their respective groups, the group leaders would then report back to Pastor Omina. The group leaders were excited about the plan, and that excitement has transferred to the members. The result of this God-given strategy is that even with no social media options, Pastor Omina’s church is experiencing growth. New people are joining the church.
The church has also been ministering to the physical needs of its community. During this time there is great need among the people. Because people are not working during the lockdown, they do not have money to buy food. The church found a way to buy some bulk food to distribute to help meet the needs.
San Fernando Open Bible (SFOB), Trinidad and Tobago
The San Fernando Open Bible Church is one of the largest Open Bible churches in the world with a weekend attendance of over three thousand people. While larger churches have options that other churches do not, it is often harder for large churches to make changes quickly because the effects of those changes impact many people.
SFOB has been broadcasting their services on the Internet for years and developed a large online following. When they were forced to stop services in their building due to the pandemic, they immediately shifted to online devotions on Facebook Live six days a week at 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. with two services on Sunday. People quickly embraced the new schedule. Hundreds are actively engaged for every session with comments, likes, and shares. The church’s 35 cell groups (called clusters) began meeting weekly via social media like Zoom. Other groups, including prayer groups, youth, and new believers’ classes, are now all online. A prayer line was added for people to have an intercessor or pastor pray with them personally or to receive counseling.
A system for pastoral care was developed to maintain contact with the thousands associated with the church. The pastor divided the church into zones built around the clusters. This way church leadership has been able to be in contact with everyone from active members to casual attenders. When needs are identified, the church steps in to help meet the needs.
One of the most significant innovations involved worship. SFOB has been known for their worship and music ministries. Before the lockdown their music ministry, Gates Praise, had hosted six worship events called Worship Without Walls. After the lockdown the decision was made to host Worship Without Walls online resulting in a nearly three-hour worship event during which Gates Praise partnered with worship leaders in 14 countries. It struck a chord in the hearts of people who were weary with the pandemic and the lockdown. Thousands logged on and were moved to worship the King of the universe.
My Conclusions
God has a unique strategy for each church that will enable them to minister to their people and their community during this time. We can learn from other churches, but there is a specific strategy that works best for each church.
The Church is rediscovering ministry that does not revolve around a building. Church buildings will once again be used to help facilitate ministry rather than to define ministries. Some of the previous strategies will need to be reevaluated and some of them laid aside. This new normal that is emerging will increase the effectiveness of ministry.
God’s kingdom will advance especially during times of crisis. The persecuted Church around the world already understood this. In uncertain times people look for answers and stability, which are ultimately found in God. There are hearts that are open now, waiting for a message of hope. This should be the Church’s finest hour.
About the Author
Mike Lumbard and his wife, Pam, were pastors in the States for thirty years. Since 2010 they have been missionaries in Trinidad and Tobago. As Directors of the School of Global Leadership, they show people how to have God’s heart for the world and for the lost.
The Global Missions office has a unique window into the miraculous ways God works in and through Open Bible churches around the world. Here we share four powerful, real-life testimonies of God’s healing, protection, and divine intervention from different corners of the globe: Nicaragua, Cuba, Ukraine, and Nigeria.
A healing testimony from Nelson and Tirsa Gaitan, missionaries in Nicaragua
We have a wonderful testimony of a little girl, Esther Paola Sánchez, who just turned two months old. When Esther was just one month old, she was hospitalized for two weeks, undergoing many tests, and was ultimately diagnosed with congenital heart disease. The doctors told her parents that an operation was necessary and that baby Esther wouldn’t leave the hospital without it. The whole church went to prayer for her healing. Two days after we prayed for her, the doctors did a pre-surgery examination and found the baby no longer had anything wrong with her! Glory to God! Now baby Esther is home and free from all illness. The parents are joyful and praising the Lord for their baby’s healing. Christ heals and frees us from all illness. Hallelujah!
A healing testimony from David Moreno, field director of Cuba
One of our pastors, Rafael Freire, fell ill and was hospitalized with severe dehydration, dangerous levels of low blood pressure, and a heart rate of over 200 beats per minute. While in the hospital, diagnostic tests revealed he had lived his whole life with a congenital heart disease called Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) consisting of four heart abnormalities that lead to reduced oxygen to the blood, causing a bluish color to skin, difficulty breathing, and fatigue. This disease is usually discovered in infancy and requires surgery to correct the issues. Without surgery, the life expectancy with TOF is only twenty years. Remarkably, Pastor Rafael discovered the diagnosis at age fifty-seven! For the glory of God, this pastor ministered for thirty years in difficult and mountainous terrain in Cuba without presenting any symptoms or skin discoloration. God performed a further miracle in the intensive care room: in just ten days he made a full recovery! We thank God for His healing and sustaining touch on Pastor Rafael’s life.
A testimony of protection from Serhiy Pushenko, pastor in Ukraine, as told to missionary Tammy Swailes
On March 13, 2025, a KAB (laser guided bomb) flew to our city right in the middle of the day. We live on the frontlines, so bombings are common, but daytime bombings are surprising. This KAB targeted the grounds at the private medical clinic where my wife, Oksana, and eldest son work. It fell and detonated next to the clinic. The way this KAB exploded was a miracle: instead of detonating on the ground, it hit a large tree and exploded mid-air, minimizing the overall damage. Had it exploded on the ground, the damage would have been catastrophic. The clinic remained intact, but the windows shattered and the suspended ceiling fell.
…miracles don’t always come with lightning flashes, but oftentimes arrive quietly, unexpectedly, and always in deeply personal ways.
The Lord miraculously protected us in so many other ways. A medical employee on her way to another room lingered that day at my wife’s desk, and because of this, she escaped the shattering glass. The clinic’s ceiling fell on my wife’s head and the heads of other staff, yet no one was badly hurt. Our son always leaves work at a certain time every day and yet that day, he left fifteen minutes earlier than usual. If he had left at his usual time, he would have been outside at the bomb’s epicenter, and we can only imagine what could have happened to him. Other people who were on the street survived; the photos of the area show what a miracle this is. My friend, an Orthodox priest, was driving through town but stopped a block from the clinic for a coffee. Just as he arrived, the bomb exploded. Had he not stopped for coffee, he would have been passing the explosion site. These are just a few of the testimonies convincing me that even in this time of trouble, God is with us.
A healing testimony from Nwanase John, member of Calabar church in Nigeria, as told to Nigerian field director Okon Obot
Sometime in 2023, I noticed a lump in front of my neck that moved back and forth when I swallowed. After a physical examination and scans at a clinic, it was confirmed that the lump was a goiter. It continued to bother me for two years. In March 2025 I was at work when suddenly I felt like I was choking. I tried clearing my throat a few times. When I rubbed my neck, I didn’t feel the goiter any longer. I was confused and kept rubbing my neck, not believing what I felt (actually, what I didn’t feel!). Praise God, the goiter is gone! I’m so grateful, and I give God all the glory for the miraculous healing.
These testimonies remind us that miracles don’t always come with lightning flashes, but oftentimes arrive quietly, unexpectedly, and always in deeply personal ways. May these stories encourage your heart and strengthen your faith, stirring you to believe that the God of miracles is still moving – perhaps even in your life today!
One of the great joys of this season of my life is having been asked by Vince McCarty, director of Global Missions, to serve as a “pastor” to our Open Bible missionaries. My role is to give them spiritual and emotional support as well as simply remind them of how proud we are to partner with them.
When we speak over the phone, I often ask the missionaries things like “Who’s watching out for you? What are you doing to take care of yourself? How can I be praying for you?” I ask these questions because missionaries dedicate their lives to sharing the gospel, often in challenging and isolated environments. While they pour into others, they often don’t adequately take care of themselves. As someone who has spent most of my life in the trenches of ministry, I understand how easily that can happen. But that’s where my role comes in: to encourage, support, and provide a listening ear.
Here are three things I encourage our missionaries to do (but they can serve as helpful reminders for all of us):
- Take your physical health seriously.
Our effectiveness and longevity in ministry are just as directly related to our physical health as our spiritual health. Whatever your age or medical history, chances are you could be healthier than you are right now, and there are choices that you can make (to eat better, sleep better, get your body moving, etc.) to reduce your stress. The challenge is to do them intentionally and consistently! The main culprits behind much of our depression and fatigue are a poor diet, lack of exercise, and inadequate rest. The good news is these are things that we can change.
- Start with just a few changes.
- Have a plan and stick with it.
- Do it “as unto the Lord” – integrated with your other spiritual disciplines.
“You made my body, Lord; now give me sense to heed your laws” (Psalm 119:73 TLB).
One of the biggest challenges for many in ministry is that we put all our effort into ministry, leaving too little time or energy to cultivate the relationships that breathe life back into us …
- Cultivate meaningful relationships.
One of the biggest challenges for many in ministry is that we put all our effort into ministry, leaving too little time or energy to cultivate the relationships that breathe life back into us: our marriage, our family, our mentors, and healthy friendships. For missionaries, cultural and linguistic barriers can sometimes complicate cultivating healthy relationships. Once again, our longevity in ministry is directly related to the health of our relationships. No more excuses – just do it!
- Plan social time on your calendar and keep it a priority.
- Never stop making new friends or trying new things.
- Recognize the people and activities that bring joy to your life.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Prov 27:17 NIV).
- Be careful what you choose to think about.
We can’t choose what other people say about us or what they say to us, but we CAN choose what we allow ourselves to dwell on. Don’t waste time or energy beating yourself up or constantly worrying about what other people think about you. Ultimately, we are ALL inadequate unless we learn to cooperate with God’s purpose – and He will give us everything we need to fulfill that purpose. So much of the battle we face in ministry is won or lost in our thinking. But bringing God into the equation changes everything!
- Feed your brain with truth.
- Recognize the lies of the enemy.
- Choose to think about what GOD SAYS!
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world… but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:2 NLT).
Let me encourage you today to take a moment and check in with a missionary or minister. A simple text, call, or email could be just the encouragement they need today. We’re all in this together, and we were never meant to do it alone. I am so proud and grateful to be a part of our Open Bible family.
About the Author
By Monte LeLaCheur
Monte LeLaCheur pastored Turning Point Church in Spokane, WA, for twenty-nine years after working there as his dad’s assistant for the previous fifteen years. Today he serves as Open Bible’s pastor to missionaries and as a Pacific Region Shepherd. He and his wife, Amy Jo, also have a Christian Counseling practice. Connect with them at www.insightscoaching.org
In September of 2024 former missionary Mark Brandt and I met at the San Francisco airport to fly to Papua New Guinea. We traveled to participate in the 50th anniversary of the Open Bible Churches there and attend the National Convention at the Open Bible Ivingoi Mission Station in the Eastern Highlands.
After taking three different planes and enduring some unexpected delays, Mark and I arrived at the airport in Goroka, Papua New Guinea. Field Director Joshua Essy and several members of the National Board of Open Bible Churches were there to greet us.
The National Convention and 50th Anniversary Celebration began Monday evening and was attended by more than 2,000 people
We loaded into three different vehicles and even had a police escort vehicle as we began our four-hour drive up the mountainous road that would take us to the Ivingoi Mission Station. When we arrived, the main entrance was surrounded by hundreds of people, standing on both sides of the road to welcome us. One doesn’t really feel worthy of such a reception, but we were so honored. When Mark got out of his vehicle, people flocked to greet him because he had not been back to PNG for 23 years. It was awesome to see how much they loved him and his family.
The National Convention and 50th Anniversary Celebration began Monday evening and was attended by more than 2,000 people. Attendees sat on the ground surrounding the platform because there was no building big enough to house everyone.
As I looked at this great crowd of God’s people, I thought of Psalm 89:1 that says, “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations” (NIV). God is faithful to bless and sustain His work. Now in Papua New Guinea we were able to see the fruit of that faithfulness in thousands of lives that have been transformed by the power of the Gospel.
On Tuesday, they held a special ceremony to welcome all local government dignitaries, business professionals, and international guests.
The next day we visited the Open Bible Mission clinic, which receives staff and ambulance funding from the Papua New Guinea government. Several years ago, Global Missions sent funds to build a new maternity ward. Today, the clinic serves over 20,000 patients a year; it is the only health clinic for hundreds of miles and is surrounded by several villages.
The growth and expansion of the Open Bible work there is a wonderful tribute to all the missionaries, nurses, and nationals who have sacrificed so much and have gone above and beyond the call of duty for the Lord.
We now have thirty-seven Open Bible Churches in Papua New Guinea, and five new outreaches are being started. The growth and expansion of the Open Bible work there is a wonderful tribute to all the missionaries, nurses, and nationals who have sacrificed so much and have gone above and beyond the call of duty for the Lord. Now, with such a solid foundation, the work of Open Bible Churches in Papua New Guinea is poised for tremendous growth.
It was an honor to participate in the celebration of the 50th Anniversary and the PNG National Convention of Open Bible Churches. Additionally, it was a privilege to have former missionary Mark Brandt accompany me on this trip. I congratulate President Joshua Essy for his leadership and the leadership of the entire National Board. I know that the work of Open Bible will continue to grow and prosper under their guidance and direction.
About the Author
Vince McCarty
Vince McCarty serves as the Executive Director of Global Missions, giving oversight to Open Bible’s work in 55 countries of the world. He is thankful for the great missionary staff and all the national leaders he has the opportunity to serve with. He would like us to remember that the Great Commission is too big for anyone to accomplish alone and too important not to try to do together.
