"Justification and Regeneration" by Charles Leiter (Foreword by Paul Washer) . . . 4th annual Fellowship Conference in Denton, Texas, March 28-31, 2013

Available here.

A good introductory book to two essential Christian doctrines is Charles Leiter's Justification and Regeneration, 2nd Expanded Edition (Hannibal, Missouri: Granted Minstries Press, 2009). The Foreword is written by Paul Washer, founder of HeartCry Missionary Society.

The 192-page book is available in print or as an e-book. Though more expensive, it is also available at Amazon.com. However, a free PDF copy is available here.

Charles Leiter

Since 1974, Leiter has served as co-pastor of the non-denominational Lake Road Chapel in Kirksville, Missouri. Prior to being led into full-time vocational ministry, he studied physics and mathematics. He has been a conference speaker in the United States, Eastern Europe and South America (click here for some of his sermons).

Leiter is also the author of The Law of Christ (Granted Ministries Press, 2012, print copy or e-book). The Foreword is also written by Paul Washer.

The publisher provides this helpful summary of Justification and Regeneration:

The aim of this work is clear: "This book attempts to set forth in clear Biblical light the nature and characteristics of justification and regeneration, that God may be glorified and His children brought to know more fully the liberty that is theirs in Christ."

To achieve this end, Pastor Leiter first sets forth man's greatest problem, sin. Specifically, man has a "bad record" because he has sinned, but also a "bad heart" because he is by nature a sinner and can do nothing but sin.

But the glorious news of the gospel is that Christ has dealt with both our bad record and our bad heart. The bad record has been taken away because Christ died for our sins, and on that basis God has "justified" us, which means He has declared us righteous. As for the bad heart, this is destroyed when God "regenerates" us; God changes our hearts so that we begin to forsake sin and pursue true righteousness.

This book is deep enough for the seasoned theologian but simple enough for the brand new Christian, and it will yield its rewards whether you study it in-depth or read it devotionally. Many have used it for small group Bible studies, and unbelievers interested in Christ and willing to read a book will find the gospel fully explained here.

We have seen this book help so many people in various ways. For some, it shows the difference between biblical Christianity and the shallow, powerless "gospel" often preached today. Others have found new confidence and weaponry putting sin to death in their own lives. In the very least, all who read it gain a fuller vision of the salvation accomplished for us by Christ.

In our view this is a book that deserves the rank of "Christian classic."

Here is an insightful review of Justification and Regeneration by Ryan Fullerton, lead pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. In the review are also links to other reviews.

Fellowship Conference

Leiter and Lake Road Chapel are co-sponsors of the annual Fellowship Conference in Denton, Texas, held on the grounds of Camp Copass along the shore of Lewisville Lake. Leiter is one of the speakers, as is Ryan Fullerton.

2013 is the 4th annual conference. This year's theme is "Love to God and Love to Men." Uncommon Christian Ministries will be attending for the first time this year. Come join us and blessed us with your presence!

For info., see here.

David Livingstone, uncommon Christian missionary-explorer . . . 200th anniversary of his birth, March 19, 2013 . . . events and exhibits in Africa, U.K., USA, Canada

“I have found that I have no unusual endowments of intellect, but I this day resolved that I would be an
uncommon Christian.”

So wrote a young David Livingstone (1813–1873) prior to his initial departure for Africa.

Though not widely known today, the inspiration behind Livingstone’s resolution is James Brainerd Taylor (1801–1829). The Princeton University and Yale Seminary-educated evangelist in the Second Great Awakening was a household name in mid-19th-century America and Great Britain.

As learned from the Memoir of James Brainerd Taylor (1833), Taylor defined an "uncommon Christian" as one who is an “eminently holy, self-denying, cross-bearing, Bible, everyday” Christian.

Probably the most widely known person who was influenced and inspired by Taylor’s Uncommon Christianity was Livingstone.

Henry Morton Stanley: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
David Livingstone: “Yes, and I feel thankful that
I am here to welcome you.”
November 10, 1871     Ujiji, Tanzania, Africa

Presumably in a diary entry, the famed Scottish pioneer missionary-explorer to Africa wrote (and as quoted above),

I have found that I have no unusual endowments of intellect, but I this day resolved that I would be an uncommon Christian.

Elsewhere, in a May 5, 1839, letter to his younger sister Janet, it is clearly known that Livingstone read and was influenced by the Memoir of James Brainerd Taylor.

James Brainerd Taylor
1801-1829

At the time of writing, the memoir’s popularity was at its peak in the U.S. and U.K. (a London edition appeared in 1834 by the publisher Westley and David), and the 26-year-old Livingstone was 19 months shy of leaving for Africa.

In the U.S. in the mid-1800s, Taylor's memoir was the 5th most printed memoir by the largest Christian publisher at the time, the American Tract Society. Jonathan Edwards' biography on Taylor's cousin, David Brainerd (1718-1747), was the 2nd most printed memoir by ATS.

In the letter—which is housed at the National Library of Scotland’s John Murray Archive in Edinburgh—Livingstone makes reference to “Mr. J. B. Taylor” and “uncommon Christians” (with “uncommon” underlined for emphasis). He then cites the American evangelist almost verbatim.

At the time, the London Missionary Society (est. 1795) candidate Livingstone was studying theology under a pastor in Ongar, England. And his sister was a teacher in their native Blantyre, Scotland.

Livingstone quotes from a May 11, 1823, letter that Taylor wrote while a student at New Jersey’s Lawrenceville Academy.

John Murray Archive.
National Library of Scotland.

In the letter, the 22-year-old Lawrentian quotes from his own journal entry that describes his dramatic “second conversion” (assurance of salvation) experience in Haddam, Connecticut, on April 23, 1822.
--> See John Holt Rice (1777-1831) and Benjamin Holt Rice (1782-1856), Memoir of James Brainerd Taylor, 2nd Ed. (New York: American Tract Society, 1833), 82-90. Memoir available online at Google Books and Archive.org.

Quoting the entire section for the sake of context, Livingstone states to his “dear sister,”

“The hand of the diligent maketh rich.” [Proverbs 10:4.]

This is true not only with respect to the things of this world, but also in reference to that, the possession of which is of far more consequence then all the other good things in the whole universe: the attainment of holiness, eminent holiness. We have the highest inducement to diligence in seeking this.

“They who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled.” [Matthew 5:6.]

"Pray without ceasing.” [1 Thessalonians 5:17.]

And, “Whatsoever we ask” the Father in Christ’s name, “believing, we shall receive.” [Matthew 21:22.]

Let us ask perseveringly, earnestly, and with a determination never to rest content till we have attained, what Mr. J. B. Taylor used to term, the state of being uncommon Christians, that is, “eminently holy and devoted servants of the Most High" [James Brainerd Taylor, quotation marks not in the original].

Let us seek—and with the conviction that we cannot do without it—“that all selfishness be extirpated, pride banished, unbelief vanish[ed] from the mind, every idol dethroned, and everything hostile to holiness and opposed to the divine will crucified; that ‘holiness to the Lord’ may be engraved on the heart [Exodus 28:36, 39:30], and evermore characterize our whole conduct” [James Brainerd Taylor, quotation marks not in the original]. This is what we ought to strive after; this is the way to be happy; this is what our Savior loves: entire surrender of the heart.

May He enable us by His Spirit to persevere till we attain it. All comes from Him, the disposition to ask as much as the blessing itself. “Every good gift,” every grace “comes from the Father of lights” [James 1:17]. Let us bless him if he has given any desire after him and his Savior, and take it as a pledge of better things to come.

We must not rest satisfied with desires, never draw any comfort from our feelings. But only be content with the blessings themselves when conscious of resting on the Lord Jesus. Never look within but constantly away from ourselves to the blessed cure for our maladies, which is ever open and always free. 

Livingstone Cottages.
(Formerly called Chapel Cottages.)
Ongar, Essex, England.
This is where Livingstone penned
his May 5, 1839, letter.

Livingstone Cottages.
Ongar, Essex, England.

In one of the first exhaustive biographies on Livingstone, William Garden Blaikie quotes from a portion (approximately one-fifth) of the above May 5, 1839, letter by Livingstone. With a massive amount of Livingstone manuscripts at his disposal, the professor at New College, Edinburgh, no doubt had to be selective regarding what to include, and what not to include, in his 500-plus page volume.

In The Personal Life of David Livingstone (New York: Revell, 1880, free online copy here), Blaikie omits “Mr. J. B. Taylor,” maybe with the thought that the specific human source of Livingstone’s “uncommon Christians” remark is inconsequential.

And because Livingstone himself does not use quotation marks, the Scottish biographer is understandably unaware that Livingstone is actually citing “Mr. J. B. Taylor” in the section of the 1839 letter that he does include. Blaikie (1820-1899) simply writes, “Alluding to the remark of a friend that they should seek to be ‘uncommon Christians, that is, eminently holy and devoted servants of the Most High. . .’” (page 46).

The impression is given that the anonymous friend is a contemporary of Livingstone, possibly a friend (perhaps good friend D. G. Watt), fellow ministerial apprentice, or even his pastor-mentor, the Rev. Richard Cecil. And that the section “all selfishness be extirpated, pride banished, unbelief vanish[ed] from the mind, every idol dethroned,” etc., and expansion of what it means to be an “uncommon Christian” (“eminently holy and devoted servants of the Most High”), are Livingstone’s own words and not those of his anonymous “friend.”

Despite the omission of “Mr. J. B. Taylor” by Blaikie—and subsequently every Livingstone biographer since Blaikie’s hagiographical The Personal Life of David Livingstone—and despite the lack of quotation marks by Livingstone (and subsequently Blaikie and every Livingstone biographer since), that the anonymous “friend” is the “uncommon Christian” American evangelist James Brainerd Taylor (1801–1829), a.k.a. “Mr. J. B. Taylor,” can be deduced with certainty.

To visit, click here.

Bicentennial Events and Exihbits in Africa & U.K.

Here are 4 major online resources and events in honor of the 200th anniversary of David Livingstone's birth:

+ Livingstone200.org
Frontline Fellowship: Serving Persecuted Churches in Africa
Cape Town, South Africa
Dr. Peter Hammond, Founder & Director (est. 1982)
--> Frontline Fellowship USA branch (Manitou Springs, Colo.)

+ DavidLivingstone200.org
National Trust of Scotland, Scotland Malawi Partnership, the Scottish government, etc.

+ Livingstone2013.com
Livingstone, Zambia

+ Westminster Abbey Bicentenary Commemoration
London, England
March 19, 2013 (6:30 p.m.)
--> The ceremony is being attended by Livingstone and Moffat family members, church bodies, medical professionals, government officials, MPs and MSPs and many others with a deep regard for Livingstone and his legacy  . . . Livingstone's wife Mary (1821-1862) was the daughter of Robert and Mary Moffat, Scottish missionaries to Africa
--> Livingstone's grave and inscription

ALSO, see:

--> "Dr. Livingstone: A 200-year Legacy," BBC News, March 18, 2013

--> "Events mark birth date of explorer Dr David Livingstone," BBC News, March 19, 2013

--> "Celebrating David Livingstone, 'Africa's first freedom fighter': Born to mill-workers living in a single room in Blantyre near Glasgow 200 years ago, David Livingstone's life and legacy as an explorer and humanitarian is being celebrated across the UK and Africa," "The Scotland Blog," The Guardian (U.K.), March 19, 2013

--> "Meeting David Livingstone's Descendants," Scotsman.com (Edinburgh), March 20, 2013

To visit, click here.

Bicentennial Events in USA
(for Canada, scroll to very end)

While American commemorative events are understandably yet sadly few, Uncommon Christian Ministries (est. 2007) is presenting a paper/lecture at the following academic conferences and church. For a copy of the paper, contact UCM. 

“Resolved that I would be an uncommon Christian”:

The Influence of the “Uncommon Christian”

James Brainerd Taylor on David Livingstone

In Honor of the Bicentennial of Livingstone’s Birth (March 19, 2013) 

+ Evangelical Theological Society

Pacific Northwest annual regional meeting

March 9, 2013 (3:00 p.m.)

Church For All Nations
Tacoma, WA

+ Evangelical Missiological Society

Pacific Northwest annual regional meeting

April 6, 2013 (10:45 a.m.)

Multnomah Biblical Seminary

Portland, OR

+ American Society of Church History

Biennial national spring meeting (and ASCH's 125th anniversary)

April 6, 2013 (4:00 p.m.)

Crowne Plaza Hotel Conference Center

Portland, OR

+ First Baptist Church
47th annual missions conference
May 14, 2013 (7:00 p.m.)
Marysville, WA

ALSO:
Evangelical Theological Society
Midwest annual regional meeting 
April 10, 2015 (11:00 a.m.)
Moody Bible Institute
Chicago, IL

Evangelical Theological Society
67th annual national meeting
November 19, 2015 (2:40 p.m.)
Atlanta Hilton Hotel
Atlanta, GA

Maybe see some of you in Marysville, Tacoma or Portland? Come and bless us with your presence!

If desiring a copy of the paper--or a more informal PowerPoint presentation at your church or meeting--contact UCM.
--> NOTE: The 139 PowerPoint slides are available here. They are borrowed from Dr. Peter Hammond of Frontline Fellowship, Cape Town, South Africa, and Frontline Fellowship USA.

Also, for a map created by Uncommon Christian Ministries entitled "The Global and Cross-Cultural Impact of the American Evangelist James Brainerd Taylor (1801–1829) and His Two Memoirs (1833, 1838)," see here.

Livingstone's grave. (See here for text.)
Westminster Abbey. London.

Issue 56 (Vol. XVI, No. 4). 1997. Christian History.
To order, or to view the free online copy, see here.

To visit, click here.

"Dr. Livingstone attacked by a lion."

Birthplace of Livingstone. March 19, 1813.
David Livingstone Centre.
Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

To visit, click here.

"Imperial Obsessions: David Livingstone, Africa and world history: a life and legacy reconsidered."
Academic conference. April 19-21, 2013. Livingstone, Zambia.

To visit, click here.

Bicentennial Exhibit in Canada

"Dr. Livingstone, I Presume?"
& "David Livingstone: Magic Lantern Series" (in Belvedere Gallery)

March 19 - August 31, 2013

Castle Kilbride (1877, designated national historic site 1994)
Baden, Ontario

David Livingstone, a Waterloo resident and great-great-grandson of John Livingstone (1811-1899, older brother to the famed David Livingstone), donated artifacts to the exhibit, as did the Museum of Health Care Kingston, Stratford-Perth Archives and Waterloo Region Museum.

Of this lone Canadian exhibit, see:

+ "Dr. Livingstone, I Presume - in Baden: Exhibit shows location connection to explorer David Livingstone," The Record (Kitchener, Ont.), March 10, 2013

+ "Dr. Livingstone, I Presume?", Waterloo Chronicler, March 13, 2013

+ "Exhibit shows Waterloo connection to explorer David Livingstone," MetroNews.ca, March 11, 2013

Canada

David Livingstone.
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
March 2013.

Great-great-grandson of John Livingstone (1811-1899),
Canadian immigrant and older brother
of the famed David Livingstone.

Photo by Brent Davis. The Record. Kitchener, Ont.

Canada

John Livingstone (1811-1899).

Older brother of David Livingstone.
Pictured with his grandson.

Immigrated to Ontario, Canada, in 1840.

Lived in Lanark County in eastern Ontario, 1840-60.
Listowel, Perth County in southwestern Ontario, 1860-99.

Buried in Fairview Cemetery in Listowel, Ontario.

Canada

Northwest face of Thunder Mountain in the Livingstone Range,
a sub-range of the Canadian Rockies in southeastern Alberta, Canada.

The range was named after David Livingstone in 1858 by Thomas Blakiston (1832-1891),
an assistant to the Irish-born geographer and explorer John Palliser (1817-1887).
When British-born "Forgotten Explorer" Peter Fidler (1769-1822) climbed Thunder Mountain
in 1792, he became the first European to make a recorded ascent in the Canadian Rockies.

There exists a Mount Livingstone in both Alberta (7,948 feet [2,422 meters])
and British Columbia (10,150 feet [3,094 meters], so named in 1927).

Adjacent to B.C.'s Mount Livingstone is Mount Stanley (10,138 feet [3090 meters]),
named after Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904), the New York Herald journalist
of "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" fame.

Synchronized Sunday school or Bible study resources for all ages . . . Answers Bible Curriculum + The Gospel Project

Two newly published and highly recommended resources for Sunday School or Bible study are Answers Bible Curriculum and The Gospel Project.

Both are 3-year study programs that unify an entire church by teaching the story line of the Bible (the grand narrative of Scripture)--from Genesis to Revelation--in an age appropriate manner. So all age groups are studying the same material but in a way that is at their intellectual and emotional maturity level.

Answers Bible Curriculum

Answers Bible Curriculum was created by the apologetics (Christianity-defending) ministry Answers in Genesis (est. 1994).

With the Australian Ken Ham as co-founder and president, AIG holds to Young Earth creationism and a literal interpretation of the Old Testament book of Genesis. Therefore, and as the AIG Statement of Faith asserts, "Scripture teaches a recent origin for man and the whole creation, spanning approximately 4,000 years from creation to Christ" (i.e., the earth is approximately 6,000 years old). And, "The days in Genesis do not correspond to geologic ages, but are six [6] consecutive twenty-four [24] hour days of creation."

Located in Kentucky but on the Kentucky/Ohio border (just west of the Cincinnati airport), the state-of-the-art, $27 million Creation Museum (est. 2007) is part of AIG.

Here is a summary of AIG's Answers Bible Curriculum, a curriculum that is in its first year of use at the church I am currently serving and teaching Sunday school at, First Baptist Church of Marysville, Washington:

Answers Bible Curriculum is a full-featured, chronological, 3-year Sunday school program. (12 quarters with 13 weeks per quarter. But could be 4-year curriculum if a church breaks for the summer.)

Its 156 lessons--35-75 minutes each--are synchronized across 7 age groups: Pre-K & Kindergarten, Grades 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, Junior High, High School and Adults.

Each group covers Genesis through Revelation and learns the same material—but at different levels of depth—empowering exciting and easy discussion for the entire family. The first 2 years cover the Old Testament, and the third year surveys the New Testament.

In response to the startling findings of numerous studies, Answers Bible Curriculum is designed to stem the tide of skepticism toward God’s Word that begins in grade school. That skepticism turns to disbelief, and causes over two-thirds of young people to abandon church by the time they graduate.

No other Sunday school program so thoroughly equips believers to defend the truth of the Bible! And because all ages cover the same basic material at the same time, parents can easily discuss it with their children—and add insights from their own learning. Fun and easy-to-use, this curriculum lays the foundation for life!

The purpose of Answers Bible Curriculum is (1) to present the gospel, beginning in Genesis, to all generations; (2) to train believers to know, obey, and defend God’s Word; and (3) to encourage believers to become conformed to the image of Christ.

This cutting-edge new curriculum was written with the following principles integrated throughout the lessons:

+ We can trust all of God’s Word beginning in Genesis

+ The Bible presents true history

+ God’s plan of redemption is woven throughout Scripture

+ God’s attributes are displayed throughout the Bible

+ We must carefully and accurately interpret the Bible

+ We must be ready to give an answer for what we believe

+ We are to live in light of what the Bible teaches

The Gospel Project

Concerning the equally instructive and multi-generational Gospel Project, it was created by LifeWay Christian Resources (est. 1891), the publishing and retail arm of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Here is how LifeWay describes the content of the 3-year curriculum:

The Bible is not a collection of stories. It is one story, the story of God’s plan to rescue His people from sin and death. It is the story of redemption, the gospel message of Jesus Christ. And it’s our story, too.

The Gospel Project is a Bible study resource that invites Adults, Students, and Kids of all ages to dive deeply into God’s story of redemption through Jesus Christ. In every lesson, participants are immersed in the gospel and learn how when the gospel works on them, they become a part of the story, too, the very hands and feet in God’s gospel project.

Led by General Editor Ed Stetzer and Managing Editor Trevin Wax, The Gospel Project is designed to unify an entire church under a single Christ-centered curriculum. Separate study plans for adults, students, and kids ensure the proper focus and depth for each age group.

Churches cannot go wrong using either of these two fine Bible study resources, either for Sunday school or small group studies.

Again, both 3-year, synchronized study programs are highly recommended as they lead students of all ages back to Bible basics--and therefore to the truth and excitement of the Gospel ("good news") presented therein.

"A Social Network Christmas" mini-movie (4 min.) . . . The Christmas story as told by Facebook status updates and wall posts

What if a timeless story had been set in a digital age?

From the creative minds at Igniter Media, below is "A Social Network Christmas," a 4-minute mini-movie of the Christmas story as told by Facebook status updates and wall posts.

Per the YouTube.com description,

This video is an artistic take on how the story of the nativity might have read had a social network existed at the time of Jesus's birth. Follow this historical period as it unfolds as a digital narrative. This vignette is great for highlighting the truths and circumstances of our Savior's birth in a fresh, unique way.

The Dallas-based Igniter Media (est. 2003) creates media resources for churches by "simply visually sharing (not creating) the Truth which God has already declared."

For other creative works by Igniter Media, visit their online Seasonal Store, "the one-stop-shop for your church media and video ministry, featuring mini-movies, motions, stills, software and editable stock footage." Or consider a paid membership.

20th anniversary of baptism (and conversion to Christ) . . . Independent Bible Church, Port Angeles, WA . . . Lake Crescent Lodge, Olympic National Park, WA

Today marks the 20th anniversary of my baptism "in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

It was on Sunday, November 1, 1992, that Pastor Mike Chinn baptized me by water immersion during an evening service at Independent Bible Church (IBC, est. 1888) in Port Angeles, WA. A glorious and life-changing event it was!

Along with one of my heroes--the "uncommon Christian" James Brainerd Taylor (1801-1829)--so I also exclaim with utter amazement, wonder and joy,

Surely I am a miracle of grace—a sinner saved by grace, free grace, sovereign grace, almighty grace.

I am indeed a wonder to myself when I think what I once was, and contrast my former with my present situation and prospects.

Francis Kyle, the baptized. 1992.
Seasonal waiter. 1992-97, 1999-2001.
Lake Crescent Lodge, Olympic National Park, WA.

Pastor Mike Chinn, the baptizer.
With wife Carolyn.

Independent Bible Church. Est. 1888.
Port Angeles, Clallam County, WA.

A simple yet treasured and framed document.
Certificate of Baptism. November 1, 1992.
Independent Bible Church. Port Angeles, WA.

One church's Statement of Faith summarizes baptism like this:

We believe that baptism is an ordinance of the Lord by which those who have repented and come to faith express their union with Christ in His death and resurrection, by being immersed in water in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is a sign of belonging to the new people of God, the true Israel, and an emblem of burial and cleansing, signifying death to the old life of unbelief, and purification from the pollution of sin.

Thus, and among other spiritual truths as just mentioned, the baptism 20 years ago today symbolized my being "dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus," and no longer being an "instrument for unrighteousness" but an "instrument for righteousness," per Romans 6:1-14 in the New Testament:

[1] What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? [2] By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? [3] Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

[5] For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. [6] We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. [7] For one who has died has been set free from sin. [8] Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. [9] We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. [10] For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. [11] So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

[12] Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. [13] Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. [14] For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

It was a long and spiritually dark 21.5 years that led up to the baptism and surrender/conversion to the Lord Jesus Christ just 1-2 weeks prior in mid-October 1992.

An employee dorm room at historic Lake Crescent Lodge in Washington State's Olympic National Park was the location the Sovereign God chose whereby I would be "born again"/spiritually regenerated (John 3:3, 7; 1 Peter 1:3, 23), repent of my sins and place my faith/trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

At the time, I was a seasonal waiter nearing completion of the first of what would be 9 seasons (1992-97, 1999-2001). Only those bosses, co-workers and returning guests who knew me that first season of employment could truly contrast the "before and after" Francis.

I had grown up in a nominal Roman Catholic home in West Hartford, Connecticut, and was thus some 3,000 miles away from familiar territory at the time of my conversion to biblical Christianity (Evangelical Protestantism) and subsequent baptism.

From leaving Roman Catholicism in October 1989, to reading the Bible cover-to-cover in Connecticut and while traveling/working in 3 western U.S. national park hotel-restaurants (Glacier in Montana, Big Bend in Texas, Olympic in Washington State), to losing a Jewish girlfriend due to a break-up, to attending a "college-and-career" young adult Bible study in the home of an Independent Bible Church elder and his wife (Todd and Noni Huber in Port Angeles), to meeting one-on-one with Pastor Mike Chinn who explained the Gospel to me--the Lord used various Christians and circumstances to bring me to a saving knowledge of Himself.

It has been a marvelous last 19 years of "living by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).

I am looking forward with eager anticipation and expectation to what my 5th decade of living (began last year/2011)--and now 3rd decade of Christian living--will consist of.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.  Psalm 139:16

NONE but Christ; ALL for Christ.  James Brainerd Taylor

Location of conversion to the Lord Jesus Christ in mid-October 1992.

Employee dorm room (southwest corner).
Lake Crescent Lodge, Olympic National Park, WA.
Room faces U.S. Highway 101, located only a few hundred feet away.

"You must be born again" (John 3:3, 7, New Testament).

Lastly, an instructive sermon on believers baptism is this message from a California pastor who was instrumental in my early spiritual growth as a believer. Be blessed!

Peter J. Brashler (1912-1995), missionary with Africa Inland Mission -- honoring the 100th anniversary of his birth . . . Yoane Akudri (1898-1997), beloved African pastor . . . First Baptist Church of Marysville, WA

Peter and Edythe Brashler.

© John McMillan of McMillan Design, Inc. 
Gig Harbor, WA.
www.SeaCatch.com/md.htm

The 100th anniversary of the birth of Peter James Brashler took place October 4, 2012.

A tribute in his honor took place on October 21, 2012, at First Baptist Church of Marysville, WA.

I gave a 30-minute biographical presentation and various longtime members of FBC reminisced about Peter, his parents, siblings and Edythe, his wife of 55 years.

FBC was one of Dr. Brashler's supporting churches.

After 36 years (1940-76) serving with Africa Inland Mission in the Belgian Congo--later named Zaire (1971-97), today called the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)--Peter served as an Associate Pastor at FBC for 13 years (1978-91).

He died on February 2, 1995 (age 82). A plaque in his honor hangs in the foyer of FBC.

It was a wonderful night of inspirational missionary biography combined with African missions history, regional history (Snohomish County, WA) and local church history.

A.I.M. Est. 1895.

With his widowed wife Edythe (1915-2003) and adopted son Stephen (1953-1997) both deceased, and with no grandchildren, the lone public tribute to Peter was obscure and somber.

Yet to those present, it was a boost of encouragement to remain faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ to the very end, knowing that the all-seeing God rewards faithful servants. "God will give to each person according to what he has done" (Romans 2:6). "Because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free" (Ephesians 6:8).

BIOGRAPHICAL TIMELINE

Peter James Brashler (1912-1995)
&
Edythe L. (McKee) Brashler (1915-2003)
~ obituary and photo of Peter/Edythe's gravestone found here ~
&
Adopted son Stephen H. Brashler (1953-1997)
~ photo of Stephen's gravestone found here ~

Marysville Cemetery.
Marysville, Snohomish County, WA.

Marysville Cemetery.
Marysville, Snohomish County, WA.

October 4, 1912 - Peter born in Dexter, N.M., to South Holland, Cook County, IL, natives--and 640-acre N.M. homesteaders--William (1887-1968) and Gerrigje/Carrie (1887-1979) Brashler. Siblings eventually include brothers Clarence and Bill, and sisters Pauline and Jean.

November 29, 1915 - Edythe born in Park Rapids, Hubbard County, MN. Raised in Seattle and Everett, WA.

1916 - Brashler family (Peter age 4) moves to and operates a dairy farm in Arlington, WA. Joins maternal relatives who migrated to WA from IL.

Spring 1921 - Peter's parents convert to Christianity (Evangelical Protestant) through the efforts of an Irish evangelist holding meetings at the Gospel Hall in Arlington, WA (Plymouth Brethren church). (Peter's Dutch parents had grown up in the Calvinistic-based Christian Reformed Church.)

January 1922 - Peter (age 9) converts to Christianity (Evangelical Protestant) while attending the Gospel Hall in Arlington, WA (Plymouth Brethren church). Over time and through biblical studies, Peter inherits and accepts his parents' Calvinistic beliefs and its emphasis on the sovereignty of God.

1930's - During the Great Depression, Brashler family sells farm and moves to Everett, WA. Peter drops out of high school to help with family finances. Works his way up to manager of a grocery store. Meets his future wife Edythe at First Baptist Church of Everett where Edythe's Irish-American father (Dr. H. R. McKee) is pastor. Quits smoking.

1933 - Edythe graduates from Everett High School (WA).

1934(?) - Peter joins future wife Edythe as a student at Biola University in CA.

1937(?) - Peter and future wife Edythe sense a call to missionary service in Africa upon hearing Ralph Davis, the home director of the Africa Inland Mission, speak at Biola University's missionary conference. 

1937 - Edythe graduates from Biola University.

1938 - Peter graduates from Biola University. Ordained to the Gospel ministry.

Summer 1938 - With 6 others, Peter studies under Dr. Elbert McCreery at the Wycliffe Summer Institute of Linguistics at McCreery's rance in Estes Park, CO.

September 15, 1939 - Peter and Edythe marry at First Baptist Church of Everett, WA.

1939-40 - As W.W. II begins, Peter and Edythe's plans to go to Africa are delayed. Peter serves as pastor of First Baptist Church of Lake Stevens, WA.

1940-76 - Peter (ages 28-64) and Edythe (ages 25-61) serve as missionaries with Africa Inland Mission, in Belgian Congo. Make at least 6 furlough trips (every 5-7 years) to USA, giving missionary reports to supporting churches, furthering their linguistic and other studies (Everett Community College, University of Washington), and Peter ministering as interim pastor and sometimes employed outside the church (yellow pages salesman, etc.).

February 15, 1953 - Adopted son Stephen is born in Everett, WA. Peter and Edythe take 1-year-old Stephen back to Africa with them.

1971(?) - Stephen graduates from Rift Valley Academy in Kenya.

1973 - In Bunia (city in northeast Zaire/DRC), Peter receives the prestigious National Order of the Leopard medal from Zaire's President/King Mobutu and General Victor Lundula. An honor accorded few white men, the medal is Zaire's highest military and civilian award (created May 24, 1966).

1978-91 - Peter serves as Associate Pastor at First Baptist Church of Marysville, WA.

Autobiography by Peter Brashler. 1979.

1979 - Peter writes autobiography Change: My Thirty-Five Years in Africa. (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 215 pages.)

--> "This volume will delight your heart, inform your mind, and challenge your will to become involved with God in world evangelization."  From the Foreword by Peter Stam, Africa Inland Mission.

Spring 1981 - Peter serves as Zaire's Pastor Yoane Akudri (1898-1997) western U.S. interpreter during Akudri's 3rd and last speaking tour in the U.S. (Other tours were in 1970 and 1975, the 65th and 70th anniversaries of the Africa Inland Mission.) A friend and former student of Peter's, the 82-year-old Akudri ends his final U.S. tour by preaching on Mother's Day at First Baptist Church of Marysville, WA.

Biography of a beloved African pastor. 1990.

1990 - After a trip to Zaire for research purposes (first and only trip to his former mission field), Peter writes the biography Akudri: The True Story of Yoane Akudri (1898-1997). (Marysville, WA: Cascade Publishing, 239 pages.)

--> "Yoane Akudri's life is not unlike that of David Livingstone [1813-1873], or of Hudson Taylor [1832-1905]. There are humorous situations that will keep the reader awake, and also challenging situations that will attract younger and older people to commit their lives to Christ."  From book's back cover.

--> "Most so-called 'missionary' books see life in a developing country through the eyes of the foreigner. It is refreshing to read a biography, which includes much missionary endeavor, seen through the eyes of an African--an African of giant spiritual stature, yet so humble that he is glad to acknowledge his personal, and his national church's, debt to the foreign missionary, despite all the mistakes we have made."
From the Foreword by Dr. Helen Roseveare, WEC International.

1991 - Peter suffers a massive stroke.

February 2, 1995 - Peter dies (age 82) in Everett, WA. Buried in Marysville Cemetery (Section B, North) in Marysville, WA. After 55 years of marriage, wife Edythe becomes a widow.

December 1, 1997 - Adopted son Stephen dies (age 44). Buried in Marysville Cemetery (Section B, North) in Marysville, WA.

March 1, 2003 - Edythe dies (age 87) in Everett, WA. Buried alongside Peter in Marysville Cemetery (Section B, North) in Marysville, WA. "Edythe continued her witness for Christ to her very last day." (Edythe's obituary and picture of Peter/Edythe's gravestone found here.)

Congo church service. 1960.

"Rev. Peter Brashler and family return home after spending 19 years in Belgian Congo."
Marysville Globe (Marysville, WA). Thursday. June 11, 1959.

First Baptist Church of Marysville, WA. Est. 1903.