Siegmar “Sigi” BorchertIf you go
65th Annual World Missions Conference, “Jesus Christ: The Sent One”Sunday› 8:30 a.m. — Worship service with Richard Pratt› 9:45 a.m. — Sunday School with Missionary Partners› 10:55 a.m. — Worship service with Richard Pratt› Noon — Mission displays› 4:30-7 p.m. — Missions Fest BarbecueMonday› 10 a.m. — Women’s Program› Noon — Lunch and Forum: “Sent as a Family”› 5:30 p.m. — Dinner› 6:15-8 p.m. — Mission Vision Peru: Nathaniel and Alicia Gutierrez; also conference service with Richard Pratt; a panel on “Sent to East Asia”› 8 p.m. — Mission displaysTuesday› 5:30 p.m. — Dinner› 6:15-8 p.m. — Mission Vision East Asia: John and Phyllis Knight; also conference service with Fridtjof Leemhuis; Sermon: “Alien Friend”; a panel on “Sent to the Refugee”› 8 p.m. — Mission displaysWednesday› Noon — Select a “Lunch Bunch”: Africa and Middle East; Asia or Europe and Latin America› 5:30 p.m. — Dinner› 6:15-8 p.m. — Mission Vision East Asia: Dave and Gwen Brooks; also conference service with Sigi Borchert; Sermon: “Living a Kingdom Life”; a panel on “Sent to the Suffering”› 8 p.m. — Mission displays
Taiwan, Germany, Japan, Kenya, Peru, Mexico, Singapore and China.
Sounds like a terrific itinerary for a globe-trotting traveler. Far-flung countries, some flung far from each other.
But for folks at First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, trips to these countries isn’t for fun; it’s for work.
Supporting mission work in the name of the church has long been a key component of First Presbyterian, according to Sandy Pierce, executive director of World Missions, the church’s committee overseeing its mission work.
Whether sending members of its own church to places around the world or providing support to others who spread the Gospel and give help to others, the work is important to the church and its congregation.
“Mission work is huge here,” Pierce says.
As part of that work, the McCallie Avenue church will hold the 65th annual World Missions Conference, “Jesus Christ: The Sent One,” which runs from Sunday through Wednesday.
Throughout the year, First Presbyterian works with 50 mission families around the world. In addition, the church has seven partners in the world for church planting, the practice of sending a core group to a new location with the job of building a congregation.
“Our focus is church planting in large global cities in Germany, China, Mexico and Europe,” Pierce says.
The spiritual farm work is not cheap. First Presbyterian’s mission budget for this year alone is $880,000 and it’s been more than $1 million in recent years, Pierce says. Some of that money provides monthly stipends to cover living expenses for mission partners.
Some of First Presbyterian’s 17 mission partners will be attending the World Missions Conference, including individuals, couples and families from Taiwan, Japan, Kenya, Peru, Singapore and China.
Speakers for the four-day event include Richard Pratt, president of Third Millennium Ministries, a Florida-based organization that teaches advanced education courses in theology, biblical studies and other Christian disciplines.
Also at the conference is Fridtjof Leemhuis, lead pastor of the Kreuzbergprojekt, a planted church in Berlin, Germany; and Siegmer “Sigi” Borchert, lead pastor of the Wilhelmsburgprojekt, another planted church in Hamburg. Both projects work to meet the needs of immigrants to Germany.
“We will also be honoring a couple of mission partners that are retiring,” Pierce says.
Among several panel discussions at the conference is one titled Sent As A Family, which will discuss the issues – and sometimes problems – of a family pulling up stakes and heading to another country on a mission trip.
“Sometimes the husband and wife are called and they go in agreement, but the kids don’t have a say,” Pierce explains. “The panel will discuss what can be involved in making it work.”
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.