Around the World
Are We Equipping our Churches?
By Vince McCarty
As a former PK (preacher’s kid) growing up in Open Bible, I have seen just about everything, especially after being in ministry for forty years. I have heard so many sermons on unity, and yet there seems to be so much division in the church among Christians. Could part of the reason be that we are not doing a good job of teaching our members the importance of each of the ministry callings?
The Apostle Paul has given us a particularly important passage of Scripture which I believe we still need to work at fulfilling once we understand what he really is talking about. The passage is Ephesians 4:11-13 (NLT):
Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”
So the Lord has given gifts and callings of ministry, which include the fivefold ministry callings: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. I believe God is still calling people into these five ministries. Yes, I believe there are apostles today and I believe Open Bible has had many apostles, but that is a topic for another day.
The problem is the Church has failed – and I include myself in that group – to fulfill the purpose of Christ’s giving us the fivefold ministry. Paul said the purpose of the five-fold ministry is to “to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.” We have a culture in our churches that places the entire load of ministry on the pastor, who represents just one of the five ministries, and we have also failed to disciple God’s people. This may sound surprising, but many churches do not have programs designed to disciple God’s people so that they reach the unity of their faith and knowledge of God’s Son and reach maturity in Christ.
To truly disciple someone means to train, teach, and walk alongside a new believer until they are able to disciple someone else. Our failure to disciple new believers is the reason so many Christians do not know how to defend their faith or share the hope of Christ with someone who believes differently than they do.
It was never God’s intention that the lead pastor of the church do all the work of the church, yet that is the model our Christian culture has created. Some pastors are leaving the ministry because they are burdened with responsibilities they should not have to carry.
During my recent trip to Madagascar last month, which was long but filled with spiritual blessings and divine encounters, I witnessed an appointment of someone with an apostolic ministry, one of the five-fold ministries, that was conducted correctly and in unity. These people followed Paul’s example, demonstrating that an apostle must be humble (1 Corinthians 15:9) and submitted to others (1 Corinthians 16:12). A true apostle does not automatically claim the title apostle for himself or herself.
In 2021 we initiated a new work in Dijon, France, with our field director, Michel Marvane, who leads a network of twenty churches in France. He and his group have also been sending missionaries to and ministering in five French countries of Africa: Togo, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and Republic of Congo (Brazzaville). Pastor Michel had invited me to join him and his team from France in Madagascar this past month as they met with leaders from these five French-speaking countries for a conference.
During the conference Pastor Michel, his team from France, and the team of leaders from the five French-speaking countries of Africa anointed and prayed over Pastor Bernard Mosa, pastor of a church in Tamatave. The group recognized the calling God has placed on Pastor Mosa’s life as an apostle, publicly showing their support and affirmation. One of the characteristics of apostles is that they are founders of several churches and know how to train others to plant churches. Pastor Bernard Mosa oversees more than fifty churches, many of which he helped plant, and he is one of the humblest men I know. His ministry is recognized by all five leaders of the other African countries and, of course, by Pastor Michel Marvane and his team in France. The unity of all these ministries and leaders had a significant impact in our meetings. The power of God was palpable, and the Holy Spirit fell in that place.
I encourage you to join me. Let’s disciple and train up people for ministry and be open to delegating the responsibilities of church leadership using the fivefold ministry callings. If we do this, we will unleash one of the most powerful times for the Church today as God’s anointing and blessings flow.
About the Author
Vince McCarty is the Executive Director of Global Missions of Open Bible Churches. He and his wife, Lois, served 12 years on the mission field between Spain and Argentina and then Vince served as Administrative Assistant of Global Missions for 12 years. He has served as Executive Director of Global Missions from 2007 to the present. He and Lois have two adult daughters, Jessica and Vanessa.
In parts of Nigeria today, land is no longer just a livelihood – it’s a battleground. In search of increasingly scarce water and grazing land, semi-nomadic Muslim herdsmen are moving their flocks south into areas already inhabited by Christian farmers. This encroachment has intensified conflict, resulting in thousands of deaths, the displacement of millions, increased kidnappings, and deepening ethnic tensions. This is the environment in which Open Bible’s ministry continues day after day.
Despite these challenges, the Gospel is advancing.
Okon Obot, Open Bible’s Superintendent in Nigeria, shared the following story with me:
Recently we held an evangelistic crusade in one of the affected regions. Despite security concerns, people came looking for hope and peace. Evangelistic crusades remain a powerful and effective way to share the Gospel in village communities where fear and uncertainty are a part of daily life.
The theme of the crusade was “Arise and Shine,” and over 300 people gathered. By the end, sixteen people had given their lives to Jesus and fifteen were immediately baptized and welcomed into the church, each a testimony to God’s faithfulness.
A high point of the crusade was the reconciliation of a family of brothers divided for five years. Under the conviction of the Holy Spirit as the Word of God was shared, they chose forgiveness and were restored to one another. They returned to their homes with joy and peace.
In response to God’s work in their lives, the brothers donated a large piece of property in their village, Mbabuu, for the construction of a church building.
This is where the 2026 Global Harvest Offering, “Build Hope for Africa,” comes in. When we reach our goal of $200,000, Nigeria will be one of the recipients. Open Bible will partner directly with Pastor Okon to build a new church building in a place like the village Mbabuu.
This is more than a construction project – it is the next step of what God is doing. Despite hardship, churches in Nigeria are growing and new buildings are needed to serve expanding congregations and reach their communities.
Your gift to “Build Hope for Africa” can help provide a visible witness of Jesus in a region marked by instability and equip local leaders like pastor Okon to continue evangelizing where the need is great.
In a place where land is fought over, God continues to build His Church!
Snapshots of the vibrant ministry happening in Nigeria:
About the Author
Tammy Swailes is passionate about cross-cultural Christian education, so working with INSTE Bible College to disciple and equip leaders throughout Europe and beyond is a great fit! Tammy has lived in Europe since 1999 – first in Hungary and now Ukraine. Before that, she was in Japan, as well as Spokane, Washington. She now serves as INSTE regional director in Europe, assisting INSTE programs in five languages. Tammy has her undergraduate degrees in both Missions and Christian Education and a MA in Intercultural Studies. Photography, good coffee, multi-cultural experiences, and the family’s Yorkie are some of Tammy’s favorite things.
Have you ever wondered, What in the world are our Open Bible missionaries doing now? We wish we could visit every church or sit down over coffee and share what God is doing where we serve—but that isn’t always possible.
So this month, we’ve gathered brief notes from missionaries around the world. As you’ve read these updates from around the world, we invite you to pray for our missionaries—their families, their ministries, and the communities they serve. Please also share these stories with your church so others can join in prayer.
Use the interactive map below to see the updates:
Trouble seeing the map? Click HERE
About the Author
Tammy Swailes is passionate about cross-cultural Christian education, so working with INSTE Bible College to disciple and equip leaders throughout Europe and beyond is a great fit! Tammy has lived in Europe since 1999 – first in Hungary and now Ukraine. Before that, she was in Japan, as well as Spokane, Washington. She now serves as INSTE regional director in Europe, assisting INSTE programs in five languages. Tammy has her undergraduate degrees in both Missions and Christian Education and a MA in Intercultural Studies. Photography, good coffee, multi-cultural experiences, and the family’s Yorkie are some of Tammy’s favorite things.
Ask Open Bible pastors in Africa what the biggest problem in their church is and most reply with one word: REVIVAL! Just as Saul once ravaged the early church in Acts 8, our African brothers today face similar conditions: harassment, arrest, and even death for following Christ. But in the face of persecution, our churches are experiencing rapid growth in thirteen African nations. They’re calling for our help, not to alleviate the suffering, but to build new church facilities to serve their expanding congregations and communities.
The Global Harvest Offering of 2026 is “Building Hope in Africa,” and it is our opportunity to participate in this revival. In this initiative, we will partner with our missionaries and national directors to fund thirteen new church building projects across the continent. God is using faithful missionaries and nationals to plant churches, raise leaders, and reach communities with the hope only found in Jesus!
… in the face of persecution, our churches are experiencing rapid growth in thirteen African nations.
Our missionary partners are many: the Godwins, the Kopps, the Parkers, Okon Obot, Peter Mahoye, the Moores, the Welches, and our brothers and sisters throughout the Antioch Network.
Thirteen churches.
Thirteen countries.
One goal:
to raise the $200,000 needed to
cover the costs for all thirteen projects.
With over 230 Open Bible churches in the United States, we can meet the financial goal of the Global Harvest Offering if each church gives $875. Alternatively, just 2,000 people giving $100 this year would meet the goal. Your support in this effort helps build more than walls; it builds hope, community and the Kingdom of God. Look for the QR code or this link to give to Building Hope in Africa today. Thank you for your partnership to build hope for Africa.
