JAN–MAR 2013
Volume 2, Issue 1
World Missions Connection
Missions Commission
World Assemblies of God Fellowship
The Acts One
One--Eight Project
CHAIRMAN
Brad Walz
Brazil | Interview With Julio Machado
LEAD TEAM
President, Brazilian Missions Agency, SEMIPA
Editor’s Note: The Assemblies of God of Brazil is unique in that it
doesn’t have a naonal missions sending agency/structure, but
rather a “secretary of missions” who networks the many provincial, ministerial,
and local church sending structures. However, Brazil does have missions agencies,
and one of them is directed by an Assemblies of God pastor, Julio Cezar Teixeira
Machado. This agency, though it funcons out of an Assemblies of God church, is
interdenominaonal. I (Brad Walz) was one speaker at their annual event recently
and was inspired to see what can be done in a small town, through a small church
(by Brazilian standards) to impact the world. The following is an interview with
Julio Machado.
Tell us about celebrang 20 years of your missions agency, SEMIPA.
It is very special. When the ministry began as a missions department of the
Assemblies of God, we could not imagine nor ask what was happening. We just
wanted to obey the call of Jesus. That’s why we love to see what God can do
through ordinary people who are willing to accomplish the will of God. Today we
are excited to have 40 missionary families, totaling more than 200 people, in
spiritually needy regions of Brazil, Paraguay, Spain, Italy, and India. Other families
are preparing for Peru, Albania, and Mozambique.
I was amazed at how much the missions agency is growing, despite the size of
your church and city. Tell us a li#le about that.
São José do Vale do Rio Preto has a populaon of just over 20,000 inhabitants
and a rural economy in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The mother church has 77
years of work, 21 years of emancipaon, and 1000 members and congregants and
over 17 daughter congregaons in the slums of the city.
In this Issue
Brazil
Korea
U.S.A.
Argen*na
Arto Hämäläinen
Michael Dissanayeke
Alan Johnson
COMMISSION
Lazarus Chakwera
Enson Lweysa
Sco@ Hanson
Ron Maddux
Titus Poon
A.R. Hashmat
Ed Nye
Mark Renfroe
Dikran Salbashian
Connie Huffer
Norm Edwards
David Mohan
Mike Waldner
Michael Dissanayeke
Hariagus Rimba
Russ Turney
Rey Calusay
Bill Snider
Joseph Suico
Murray Cornelius
Lisandro Bojorquez
Daniel Pelozo
Anisio Nascimiento
Samuel Rodriguez
Jim Sabella
Peter Kuzmic
Arto Hämäläinen
Gheorge Risan
Alun Davies
Pita Cili
Alan Johnson
Mark Hausfeld
Delonn Rance
Brazil | Interview With Julio Machado (connued)
Missions Chair and Missions Director
Our missions agency was born in 1992, and in 2000 it became known as
“Missionary Planters With a Passion for Souls”—SEMIPA. We have
added hundreds of supporng churches for the training, adopon,
sending, and sustaining of missionaries. The board is composed of
people from various denominaons and regions and volunteers who
minister in preaching, lectures, seminars, and workshops. We have a
theological course and other training with various groups in Portuguese
and Spanish. The missionary candidates are trained in loaned facilies,
and we are praying for a missionary training center and refuge, which
by faith has already been named “Barn to the Naons.”
Brad Walz translated by Marcelo
Mar*ns at the conven*on.
Tell us some secrets of how your missions agency grew.
We recognize our geographical, academic, and financial limitaons, but
we never forget the enabling and supplying power of God. We search
for willing and available team members, and we strive to make the
term “passion for souls” not just an expression, but a real feeling in
each of our hearts. With all that focus, we want to send or adopt only
those who are really idenfied and commi@ed to the profile
established by Jesus to preach the gospel and make disciples. We were
also blessed to find people and churches commi@ed to the expansion
of the Kingdom; in these 20 years God has always provided the
resources to sustain the missionaries without delays.
What is your vision for the future?
Our goal is for the physical, financial, and human structures to reach at
least 20 countries through 100 missionary families.
The simple offices of Semipa, where
five work full-*me. From here more
than 80 missionaries are sent to 20
countries.
I believe Brazil is a “sleeping giant” and could have a big impact on
the world. I look forward to the day when Brazil is known for its great mission, not its great football
players. What is your desire, as a Brazilian, for the Brazilian church?
My desire is that God promotes a great missionary revival among evangelical churches which have grown in
number and financial resources, and that He uses each of the boards and missions agencies to challenge,
train, and send many Brazilians to truly needy areas.
A night view of the ac*vity of the 3000 who a6ended the missions conven*on at Municipal Government Campground.
Events Calendar
Africa Alliance Meeng
Kenya
February 24–March 2, 2013
WAGF World Missions Congress
Cancun, Mexico
June 4–7, 2013
World Pentecostal Fellowship Congress
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
August 27–30, 2013
Pentecostal European Missions Consultaon
Bucharest, Romania
November 13–16, 2013
NextIssue
Numerousarticlesandinterviews
fromAfricawillbeincluded
followingtheAfricaAlliance
MeetingFebruary24–March2.The
focusofthiscontinentalnetworking
eventisworldmissions!Wewill
alsofeatureaninterviewwiththe
ItalianAssembliesofGod.
Southern Asia Missions Consultaon
Locaon TBA
2014 date to be determined
WAGF World Congress
Springfield, Missouri, U.S.A.
August 7–10, 2014
PAM Missions Consultaon
WAGF World Missions Congress
Bangkok, Thailand
February 2–6, 2015
San Jose 2015
A Consultaon on the Naonal Church and
Unreached Peoples
San Jose, Costa Rica
April 13–17, 2015
Check out the WAGF Missions tab and the WAGF Web page:
h@p://worldagfellowship.org/ and h@p://worldagfellowship.org/missions/
Korea | Introduc*on
“Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it
dies, it produces MANY seeds” (John 12:24, NIV, emphasis added).
The transformaon of South Korea from a Buddhist naon to having a
strong, visible Chrisan church is no doubt the greatest modern-day
missions miracle. It was a moving experience to visit the Yanghwajin
Foreign Missionary Cemetery in downtown Seoul and see the graves
of 145 foreign workers and children who are laid to rest there, as well
as the impressive museum of Chrisanity’s origins in Korea.
Some of the 145 graves in Yanghwajin
Foreign Missionary Cemetary, Seoul
In the museum is a tribute to John 12:24: “Very truly I tell you, unless
a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single
seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
Truly, we oQen forget of the sacrifice of the early missionaries, who
didn't travel in airplanes, but by boat; who didn't have Internet, much
less telephones; whose good-byes carried greater impact and
meaning. They lived a life of sacrifice and suffering for their call. They
had the commitment necessary to obey that call.
Museum plaques with 145 names
Today, everywhere you look in South Korea at night, red crosses dot
the horizon. Most churches have a tower and a lighted red cross that
extends high into the air. What a transformaon! But just as impacng
is the foundaon of that transformaon.
Editor's Note: I visited South Korea from November 28 through
December 5 and parcipated in an interdenominaonal conference
called “Ethne 2012.” Taking advantage of the trip, I visited two of the
three Assemblies of God denominaonal missions leaders as well as
the missions leaders of the two largest churches, Yoido Full Gospel
Church and Grace and Truth Church.
Reminder of John 12:24
Religion in South Korea
South Korea sends out about 25,000 missionaries, second only to the
United States in sending workers to other countries. Though many
have been expats (Koreans working among Koreans in other
countries), the goals for the next generaon are for many young
people to work among unreached people groups and to have sent
100,000 missionaries by 2030. May God help them do it.
Chris*an: 26.3%
(Protestant 19.7%, Catholic 6.6%)
Buddhist: 23.2%
Other/Unknown: 1.3%
None: 49.3%
One interview was with Yoido Full Gospel’s pastor, Young Hoon Lee.
Yoido has historically been the world’s largest church. Pastor Lee
followed Pastor David Yonggi Cho, who at 77 connues to preach the
Sunday 1 p.m. service, one of seven services held each Sunday.
Following on the next two pages is that interview.
Korea | Interview With Dr. Young Hoon Lee
General Superintendent, AG of Korea Yoido General Council
Obviously, your church [Yoido Full Gospel Church] is famous
throughout the world. Could you tell us a li#le about yourself?
I was born in a fourth-generaon Chrisan family. My grandfather
was evangelized by a missionary and started going to church in
Pyongyang before Korea was divided between south and north. My
family was Presbyterian, and they thoroughly educated me in the
Bible. In 1964 my family began a@ending Yoido Full Gospel Church
(then Full Gospel Central Church), and I was bapzed in the Holy
Spirit, which ignited a fervent faith in me. I was called to ministry
and ordained in 1982. My past ministry posions here at Yoido Full
Gospel Church and its affiliated churches are as follows: director of
Internaonal Theological Instute; vice senior pastor of Yoido Full
Gospel Church; and senior pastor of Washington Full Gospel Church,
L.A. Full Gospel Church, and Tokyo Full Gospel Church. In 2008 I was
elected the second senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church,
succeeding Pastor Yonggi Cho.
Dr. Young Hoon Lee, Brad Walz,
and Joshua Ahn (missions director
for Yoido Full Gospel Church)
Your church has had a great emphasis on prayer. Could you comment on that?
Yoido Full Gospel Church has a spirituality of Spirit-filled, fervent prayer. Since its beginning Yoido Full Gospel Church
has consistently emphasized the importance of prayer. Members of Yoido Full Gospel Church are experiencing God’s
answer to their prayers through unison prayer (in which all saints are praying loudly) in worship services and cell
meengs. Other forms of prayer conspicuous in my church are individual prayer, fasng prayer, and speaking in
tongues. Yoido Full Gospel Church founded its world-famous Osanri Choi Ja-sil Memorial Fasng Prayer Mountain.
Every year several hundred thousand Chrisans visit the prayer mountain to pray and experience God’s miracles. I
myself go to the prayer mountain every Saturday and pray for more than two hours to prepare for Sunday worship
services. I stress that all Chrisans, through their prayer life, should be filled with the Holy Spirit to become powerful
evangelists and bear abundant fruit of the Holy Spirit to live as “li@le Jesuses” in their everyday lives.
Korea has given great hope to many people about their potenal for missions sending. We heard about the
stadium event a few years back when many young people dedicated their lives to a missions call. What is your
perspecve on that from a pastoral point of view?
Missions is the Great Commission of Jesus. It is very important for the future of Chrisanity and the Church to
movate young people to dedicate their lives to missions. My church, as well as other Korean churches, frequently
hold mass crusades to teach young people about missions, arrange meengs with missionaries, and show them how
they can dedicate their lives to the mission fields. In parcular, my church invented a program called Full Gospel
Mission Training Course to offer praccal training for missions to laypeople. The Department of College Students and
Young Adults in my church annually runs a short-term overseas missions program (World Mission) and a domesc
missions program (Revival Korea) to give young people opportunies to dedicate their lives to missions.
Pastor Joshua has a great reputaon as a cross-cultural missionary. It is fantasc that you have brought him back
as your missions director. Please comment on the reasons you did that.
Pastor Joshua (Tae-Kyung Ahn) has performed missions ministry for 20 years in Kenya. He parcularly dedicated
himself to build a missionary center in Kenya last March. Pastor Joshua showed outstanding competency to build
local youth leadership in his ministry. I appointed him as the director of the department because his missionary
experience will contribute significantly to the missionary strategy of my church, which intends to evangelize local
people by raising local leadership. At the same me, his outstanding leadership and humility were deemed
appropriate to the dues of director; that is, to support hundreds of missionaries from my church and the churches
that were established by our missionaries, to develop a new mission field, and to send out missionaries.
How many missionaries are being sent by your church and by Korean churches overall?
Currently 694 missionaries from Yoido Full Gospel Church are working in the mission field in 62 countries. Overall,
Korean churches sent 23,331 missionaries to 169 countries as of the end of 2011. This number includes the number
of missionaries sent by various denominaons as well as by missionary organizaons. My denominaon sent 1359
missionaries by the end of 2011, which is the second largest number of all denominaons in Korea.
Please tell about your vision for the future of your church as a pastor and leader in Korea.
Yoido Full Gospel Church could become the world’s largest church because it connues to emphasize the Word of
God and the fullness of the Holy Spirit, which is the Pentecostal movement. My church enjoys a tradional heritage
of the Holy Spirit movement based on the Word of God and will develop it in the future. We will serve Korea and the
world to be in the forefront of missions work and relief as the church was in the Book of Acts, to be interested not
only in personal salvaon but also social salvaon, to nurture “li@le Jesuses” who have the power of the Holy Spirit
and bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
What is your vision for the church in the area of world missions?
Twenty-first century missions should be done with humility. Western missionaries have been cricized as the
“overpowering mission” or having so-called “mission-imperialism,” despite other wonderful achievements. From now
on we need to pracce humility and servant missions in order to follow the servant leadership Jesus pracced. Yoido
Full Gospel Church will devote all its strength to aboriginal missions and overseas Korean missions, which is
underway. My church has already been running an aboriginal-focused missions policy since 1993 in an a@empt to
enhance future ministry. We aim to build a seminary to nurture many local disciples and allow the gospel to be
spread.
How do you think Koreans can impact unreached people groups?
As of today, Korea has become the second-leading country for sending missionaries to the world. Up unl the end of
the nineteenth century, Korea had been a missionary-receiving country. Korean churches have had tremendous
growth despite their short history, and now it is a missionary-sending country. This good example could revive hope
for missions in other naons. In addion, Korean economic development could be a@racve in the mission field. We
acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of missions works led by the Western countries over the centuries. We
also understand how people think in missionary receiving countries. Asia has many unevangelized countries.
Characteriscs common among Korean missionaries and other Asians could be a useful factor in successful missions.
What strengths can the Korean missionary bring to the world?
The strengths of Korean missionaries are passion for the gospel and strong commitment. Korean missionaries usually
go to the mission field with passion for the gospel only and with the mind-set of “I can do it,” even though they are
not well prepared. On the mission field they do their work aggressively with their faith in Jesus. They don’t focus on
circumstances or situaons. I think these strengths of Korean missionaries could contribute greatly to bringing groups
of unreached people to Christ under the poorest circumstances.
Are there any other comments or things you think would be of interest to leadership around the world?
I just want to say that one person’s commitment is very important in the work of the Lord. An equipped person with
the gospel and with the power of the Holy Spirit can produce much fruit and bring about great works of God. Even in
early Korean church history, several missionaries came in and fulfilled
significant works for the kingdom of God. It is important for many people
to devote themselves to Christ. However, it is more important for one
person to commit to Christ thoroughly. We are living at a me when the
Lord will soon return. As “li@le Jesuses,” every one of us should carry out
our given mission in our daily lives.
Brad Walz with Joshua Ahn in the Missions Department
Korea | A Vision for 100,000 Missionaries
There are three different Korean Assemblies of God
denominaons that represent over 2 million believers in
over 3000 churches. They are the third-largest movement
aQer the Presbyterian and Methodist churches.
One of the three denominaons is The General Council of
the Korea Assemblies of God, represenng 1910 churches.
Superintendent Yong Mok Cho, younger brother of David
Yonggi Cho, also pastors Grace and Truth Church. Jin Gi
Bae serves as general superintendent of praccal business
affairs and as missions director.
Grace and Truth Church features a ministry of 38 satellite
churches or “sanctuaries,” represenng 350,000 members.
Pastor Cho preaches usually from one of three locaons,
and each service is broadcast live via satellite to the other
37 locaons. A monitor on the plaWorm shows images
from each sanctuary. Though many churches in the United
States have this sort of ministry today, Grace and Truth
began it in the early 1990s.
Between the three Assemblies of God denominaons and
networks, over 2000 missionaries are being sent to more
than 65 countries. Many are expats, ministering to Koreans
in other countries through Korean churches. Stascs on
those ministering cross-culturally were not available for all
three groups, but one group has at least 10 percent.
Koreaisthesecond-largest
senderofforeignmissionaries
aftertheUnitedStates,with
25,000workers.Theirgoalfor
2030is100,000missionaries.
MayGodusethe73WAGF
nationswithasending
structureormissionsleader
tosowseedsthatwill
producetransformationin
manyothernations!
Yong Mok Cho and his wife, Brad Walz, and Jin Gi Bae
The Korean World Missions Associaon (all churches
combined, not just Assemblies of God) has a goal of
growing from 25,000 to 100,000 missionaries between
now and 2030. Most of this growth will be transcultural.
The potenal impact Korea can have on the world is
tremendous. We pray this will happen.
Missions Department, Korean Assemblies of God
United States | Interview with Greg Mundis
Execuve Director, Assemblies of God World Missions (U.S.A.)
Congratulaons on being elected execuve director of Assemblies of God World Missions
(U.S.A.) in August 2011. Before this you served as a missionary in Austria and then more
recently as Europe regional director. Tell us a li#le bit about your missions call and career.
I was an associate pastor in Springfield, Missouri, when a Filipino superintendent spoke for five
minutes one Sunday morning at church. He had just a@ended the 1977 World Pentecostal
Conference in Europe, then traveled through Austria and the United States before going home.
But he didn’t speak about the conference or the Philippines, but about Austria. God placed a call
on my heart to go to Austria that day (June 12, 1977), the same day my son was born, so it’s
indelibly imprinted in my mind.
We went to Austria the winter of 1980 and began a year of language study. AQer about 11
months I was preaching in German. During our first term we conducted Global University
seminars throughout Austria, preached in churches, and I was an elder in the Salzburg church.
Greg Mundis
During our second term we translated for the World Pentecostal Conference in Zurich,
Switzerland, and got heavily involved in evangelisc Chrisan TV—a first in Austria, which had a
monopoly on all electronic media. Some Austrian and Italian entrepreneurs opened a TV staon in northern Italy and began
broadcasng into Austria, reaching 1.5 million people, so we got evangelisc programs on that staon. We spent four years
working producing, moderang, direcng, and filming these programs. We cofounded Vienna Chrisan Center, and when we
returned the next term, we began to pastor that church. Simultaneously, the Berlin Wall came down and Eastern Europe and the
former Communist Bloc were opening up.
In 1991 I was appointed area director for Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland. I had the privilege of puYng our first
full-me resident missionaries in those countries and also connuing the television ministry. The church grew, we were able to
get another pastor, and I connued as area director.
In 1998 I was elected regional director for all of Europe, which contains Greenland and the Nordic countries down to Greece and
everything in between. I served in that posion 13 years.
Before the 2007 World Missions Congress in Buenos Aires, naonal leadership in Europe suggested you as a speaker, saying,
“Greg is European; he’s one of us.” That is a big compliment for a missionary. What are some keys to a missionary gaining that
respect with naonal churches and leaders?
It was very kind of my colleagues to say that. Different elements from my missionary life in Europe and Austria contributed to
that. First, language acquision was extremely important. Everybody knows you can get along in English in Europe, but fluency in
German was a big deal. German is one of Europe’s major languages (with almost 100 million German speakers), and no ma@er
where in Eastern or Western Europe, we could converse in German. Second, Sandie and I integrated into the Austrian
Pentecostal Church, which provided credibility and acceptance of our ministry and helped us develop a good reputaon among
leadership. I think the third element was longevity coupled with relaonships. We spent almost four full terms in Europe and
enjoyed the people we spent me with. People feel or sense when it’s not just a duty or a requirement but a joy to be with
them.
You’ve been in the Execuve Office over a year now and have traveled a lot to other regions and areas. What are some
highlights and impressions?
The visit to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam was eye-opening for me. The incredible contrast in culture, language, and context
was delighWul. Most of my ministry experience has been in Catholic, Orthodox, or Muslim environments, but the Southeast Asia
Buddhist worldview is very different and affects society uniquely. Our missionary in Siem Reap, Cambodia, works among floang
villages, planted a floang church, and partnered with an organizaon in the United States to build a floang school (the children
actually come to this Chrisan school in boats and canoes). The influence and dedicaon parents have to their kids’ educaon is
amazing, because an educaon means their kids don’t have to stay in the village. They built a high school on land where kids can
also live; some were graduang and going on to university when I was there.
What is your vision for the future of Assemblies of God World Missions (U.S.A.)?
First, our founding fathers, in a prophec resoluon at the 1914 General Council in Chicago, Illinois, stated that God would raise
up the greatest tool of evangelism the world had ever seen. The Assemblies of God and its worldwide partners has grown to 65
million-plus. This historical understanding—that world missions is our identy—should be ingrained in every minister and church
in the Assemblies of God. We would like to see the U.S. church connue the incredible service they have performed throughout
these 99 years of sending missionaries and partnering with churches around the world. The U.S. Assemblies of God now has
personnel in or relaonships with 190 countries in the world. If you count provinces and territories, we are in 252. So the passion
for the U.S. church is to connue to fan that flame of missions history while igning it for the future with vision casng.
The vision is not new. It’s grounded and rooted in the 1921 General Council minutes, where our forefathers talked about
following the Pauline example of missionary work; in other words, the three “self” principles—self-governing, self-propagang,
and self-financing—which altogether we call the indigenous principle. More than that, the forefathers stated we would seek out
neglected regions. In today´s words that means unreached peoples. The 13 members of our AGWM Execuve Commi@ee have
commi@ed to going to these neglected regions, these unreached peoples. That’s our first vision and focus for the future.
Second, we have commi@ed to advocate for the suffering church. We have a growing realizaon that many of our brothers and
sisters in Christ around the world do not have the freedoms we enjoy in North America. Consequently, many suffer or are
persecuted for the name of Jesus. Some figures state 2000–3000 martyrs per year. We have seen this as we pray for people
jailed in Iran. We hear about suffering in Nigeria and different places of the world. We would like our church to be more aware.
We must never discount the idea that we can pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering for sharing the gospel,
but we can also pray for their families. We can even write to governments. Our general superintendent, Dr. George Wood, has
advocated for several people, bringing the leverage of his office (he is also chairman of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship
of 65 million believers) to bear on behalf of the suffering church.
The third area would be to leverage our partnerships to bring in the harvest. At this moment the U.S. Assemblies of God sends
out 2700 plus missionaries. The World Assemblies of God Fellowship sends out 4818 missionaries. So together, obviously, we
have a very significant missionary force. Yet there is sll so much more to do, because there are over 7000 unreached people
groups. We hope to grasp the idea that we can do more together than we can separately. Also, we want to follow the leading of
the Spirit and work together to place our personnel strategically and in teams (or at least in consonance) to complete the task
Christ has given us, to preach the gospel to all the world.
You’ve been supporve in encouraging missions efforts from other countries and have also parcipated with Arto Hämäläinen
and the Pentecostal World Fellowship missions commission. What are your thoughts about this, and do you have a challenge
for leaders around the world?
I would say again that we need to grasp the fact that we can do more together than we can singularly. We can learn the lessons
of cooperaon, consultaon, seeking advice, giving advice, and communicang openly and honestly—leveraging the knowledge
we all bring to the table and finding projects that fit each of our missions. Then we won’t be outside the parameters of who we
are (our identy), but will find equal partners, senior partners, or junior partners in parcular missionary enterprises.
In the areas of partnership and unreached peoples, we can really do more. I know the Pentecostal European Fellowship made
goals to the year 2020 or so for reaching 200 unreached people groups. It would probably behoove all of us to ask, Who are
other missions groups trying to reach, and who are we working to reach—is there overlap? Can we help each other? If there’s
not overlap, good; we won’t duplicate our efforts. But if we are reaching to the same group, can we create a team, or at least a
strategy, in regard to our roles?
Would you like to share any other thoughts or comments?
I just want to say that I believe God has posioned the Pentecostal church in a unique point in human history to be able to do
more than we have ever done in missions. Famous conferences happened in the nineteenth and tweneth centuries about
reaching the world with the gospel. Look at what God has done since 1900 and the outpouring of the Spirit. It is esmated
(Patrick Johnstone and the Foreign Affairs magazine both agree) that there are between 450 and 700 million Pentecostals/
charismacs in the world. You have to say that with that kind of outpouring of the Spirit, God has a wonderful plan in moon.
Scripture tells us in Joel and Acts that in the last days God will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh, which He is doing.
In addion to that are today’s demographics: 32 percent of the world’s populaon lived north of the equator in the 1900s, but by
the year 2050, if present trends connue, less than 10 percent will be there. Given what is happening in Africa, Lan America,
and anywhere below the equator, you have to say that God is posioning the church in the Southern Hemisphere to pick up the
mantle of preaching the gospel, sending out missionaries, building the church, and formulang theology and missiology. So we
want to be good partners in that and be a part of what God wants to do in these last days.
ARGENTINA | Future Missionary Group Sets Pace
Tony Pedrozo, Argenna AG Naonal Missions Department
Editor’s Note: Sensing a need to bridge the disconnect between future missionary
candidates and the Missions Department, in 2004 I asked Daniel Pelozo, currently an
Argenne missionary to Costa Rica and at that me one of their staff members, to
develop a program called “Potenal Missionary Group.” The program helps prepare the
next generaon of missionaries. Its current director, Tony Pedrozo, has been leading
the program since 2007. Tony was a missionary in Congo and Chad for over ten years
before returning to Argenna to serve in the Naonal Missions Department. Since its
start in 2004, at least five other countries have begun similar programs in Lan America.
Please talk about Potenal Missionary Group (PMG). What is its purpose?
PMG rises as an extended arm from our Naonal Missions Department to the local
Tony Pedrozo
church and its pastor to enhance the vision of the people being called to missions and
to provide training before they are approved as candidates. PMG members have a
burden or missionary calling but do not have an immediate missions project. The main purpose is to equip them for
two to ten years before being appointed as an official candidate.
PMG provides an environment where applicants can meet others who share the same interests, parcipate in special
retreats that nurture and inspire their calling, and be trained formally and informally. During the period of waing
and training, we offer mentoring, theological and missions training, language studies (especially English or another
language, if they know where they are going), and a secular diploma as part of the strategy to jusfy their service in
restricted countries where it is not possible to get religious visas.
One requirement is that husband and wife enter the PMG walking in the same direcon and under the same vision.
For single members, we pray with them and give them some tools to help them choose the right person to marry,
which helps to avoid complicaons before going to the field. Over the years approximately 30 members have go@en
married, and some are already on the mission field.
Describe the annual retreats.
PMG provides a retreat in Buenos Aires once a year—all members are required to parcipate. Most candidates live in
the surrounding areas, because some are studying at our Bible school or a local university, but 40 percent come from
far provinces. All invest their own resources each year to receive appropriate training given by veteran missionaries
and naonal missions leaders. The retreat is a smaller and shorter “School of Missions.” We also provide teachers
and caregivers for their children, using that me to prepare them for future overseas ministry. Workshop speakers
talk about their missions experience with an open heart, more from a praccal point of view, and give the
parcipants a chance to express their concerns, doubts, wrong expectaons, and so on. The program is not always
the same; PMG members will vary subjects and strategies. They may watch a movie and analyze the context, people,
and main theme to get personal lessons for their situaons.
It’s also a me to get to know people from other retreats, somemes making friendships that will help them
overseas. For example, two families with the same last name and called to the same country have been developing a
close friendship, praying for and encouraging each other regarding the calling God has given to them. And as we
menoned above, it’s also a me to meet a future wife or husband.
We have one or two worship services for prayer and consecraon of new PMG members. We pray especially for
those who are geYng married soon and for those who are going to present their candidature to the Naonal
Missions Department before the next retreat.
What results have you had from this ministry with new candidates?
I can summarize the results of the PMG ministry as follows:
⇒ Persevering in communicaon with members, especially by e-mail and phone.
⇒ Vising members in their local churches, talking to their pastors, and observing them in their local environment.
⇒ Publishing a monthly bullen to share news, a short devoon, tesmonies, and prayer requests. We welcome new
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members and encourage established ones to help those from the same city/region, such as involving them in
special events.
Following up with those who are struggling and advising those who feel it’s me to formalize their calling. Good
communicaon with local pastors is maintained.
Requiring parcipaon at the annual retreat.
Offering a possible exploratory trip to the mission field, especially where Lan American missionaries can share
tools and learn more about the field before stepping foot on it as an official missionary.
Having an updated database of all members to keep in touch with from our office and encouraging them to do the
same with us.
Enhancing the maturity of the new missionary candidates, because they can be@er prepare their sending structure
and verify if the pastor and leaders can support with their vision and work.
Do you have any suggesons for other countries regarding starng something similar?
It’s very important to promote missions in all of the churches, spending me with the pastors and conducng a survey
to find church members who are feeling something from the Lord about missions. For that reason, it’s necessary to
have at least one key person (director or moderator) and a part-me secretary for PMG work. It takes a lot of me to
inerate within the country, to interact and meet the interested people, prepare retreats, and so on.
It’s amazing how God has blessed us in the last few years, seeing the maturity of the members. Local churches and
pastors become interested through them. The new generaon of missionaries on the field today is the result of
invesng many resources, sharing experiences, and spending me with them even before they apply for missions work.
TheannualretreatinAugust2012wasattendedby157ofthe191Potential
MissionaryGroupmembers.WithArgentinacurrentlysendingout160missionaries,
thatnumbercouldpotentiallydoublewithintenyears.
Pre-Congress World Missions Leaders Forum
June 3–4, 2013 ♦ Cancun, Mexico
Open to missions leaders and superintendents of all countries in attendance.
Monday, June 3
5 p.m.
Presentations and Results of Census
6–8 p.m. Forum 1
A. The Characteristics of a Mature
Missions-Sending Agency (Brad Walz)
B. Researching the “Critical Mass” of
at Least 40 Sent Workers (Gheorghe
Ritisan)
Questions and Round-Table Response
Tuesday, June 4
9–11 a.m. Forum 2
A. Ethics in the Sending of
Missionaries (DeLonn Rance)
B. The Importance of Using and
Working With Networks (Arto
Hämäläinen)
Questions and Round-Table Response
11–11:30 a.m.
Basic Values of the Assemblies of God
that Propel Missions (Greg Mundis)
11:30 a.m.–12 noon
Prayer and Intercession for AG
Missions
Did you know...
• 73 countries associated with the World Assemblies of God Fellowship
have a missions department or coordinator of some kind? (Our goal is
100!)
• If every believer in the WAGF network gave just $1.28 per month, we
would have over $1 billion in missions giving?
• The WAGF has the poten*al to have missions-sending structures in over
100 countries, engage 10 million intercessors, and send over 100,000
missionaries?