Deans' January prayer letter

In our first prayer letter for 2012, I am pleased to announce the upcoming ordination of Ganpurev to be the pastor of Faith Baptist Church of Ulaanbaatar. This is a plan that has been many years in the making. As long as five years ago, I began to think that Ganpurev would be the Mongolian man who would one day pastor Faith Baptist Church.

His preparation has included Bible institute classes and much time spent one-on-one. We have discussed the Bible, its application to Christians, its inherent impact on Mongolian culture, and leading a church. He has preached now almost every Sunday since Roland Gay left four years ago. He also capably assisted Bill Patterson during our furlough two years ago.

He meets all of the qualifications of an elder listed in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Most notably, he has a family whom he rules well. This is an increasing rarity in the world and in Mongolia. The people of the church respect him, his family, and his ministry. They have such regard for him that they sometimes avoid him when they are struggling with sin.

The only delay has been waiting for Ganpurev to recognize God’s call on his life. He is acutely aware of the immense responsibility that accompanies the call of being a pastor and has been hesitant to go forward. But he now recognizes that it is God Who is asking him to be the pastor of Faith Baptist Church, and it is God who will enable him to effectively serve as an under-shepherd.

The plan is for my pastor, Ben Jaquith, to join us in Mongolia on Saturday, March 3 for an ordination council. Faith Baptist Church will then ordain Ganpurev to be their pastor on Sunday, March 4. Following his ordination, Ganpurev will take on the responsibilities as the pastor of Faith Baptist Church of Ulan Bator, Mongolia. For the time being, I will assist him in his ministry and assist the church in their transition to a Mongolian pastor. During the spring, I will be teaching a Bible institute class, continuing to preach on Sundays, and leading home Bible studies.

Although I expect this to be a time of joy and expectation for the church, I also know that our adversary seeks to discourage the church, delay the ordination, and destroy the leadership of the church, if possible. So please pray for God’s protection and wisdom as we take this great step forward.