The Art of Missions (and the mission of the
arts)
Lin and Nancy were ordained as IPHC missionaries in 1986 in a group that included Steve
and Betsy Cofer, Bob and Carol Cave, and Gary and Kathy Petty. All of us are
still actively serving the Lord and the IPHC in missions today. None of us
could have imagined then the journey, with its many twists and turns has
brought each one of us to where we are today, 27 years later. What a ride!
Nancy
and I went to Spain. There was no IPHC work there back then. Our job
description in the words of B. E. Underwood was to, “dig us out a church.” We
began in Madrid in the living room of our apartment when our next-door neighbor
received Christ. From that small beginning the IPHC work grew. In Spain today
it consists of a Conference of 13 churches, a Bible institute and a number of
creative ministries that include such diverse outreaches as food banks, soup
kitchens, cultural centers and an art gallery.
An “art gallery” you might ask? How in the world does that fit into
missions? Let me try to explain.
For
the first 15 of these 27 years in missions, our focus was exclusively in the
“religious” realm. Some might call it apostolic. It was all church based and
quite traditional both in message and methodology. We planted several churches,
started a Bible school, organized the Spain Conference and sent out pastors.
That
changed when one of our church planters was struggling financially with a new
church in a difficult area. I was praying for him, and happened to be working
at my hobby, painting. “What might we do Lord to help Rafa?” “Use what you have
in your hand.” I looked down and saw that I held a paintbrush. So I made a
painting and from it 300 limited edition prints. We sold most of them and with
those funds paid a salary for Rafa for a year and a half; just enough time for
him to get up and running.
Since
then art has opened more doors than we could have ever imagined. We planted a
church in an art gallery, that church is today one of our most dynamic
churches. We have all manner of evangelistic events related to the arts.
Europeans who won’t attend a church will come to an art show or concert. And
the arts have given us a platform for testimony in society, media, and even
reaching into politics and government. My paintings and limited edition prints
are found in more than 400 collections, homes, churches and business across
Europe, the USA, South America and even Japan and China. I have shared my
testimony and made friendships with politicians, business people, diplomats,
Muslims, atheists, secularists, spiky haired youth and more than a few self
proclaimed “rednecks”.
The
arts have provided funds and other resources for ministry. Since 2006, the sale
of artwork has funded 100% of our travel on and off the mission field. It
bought us the car that we drive in Spain. Curiously, through the purchase of
paintings even secular non-believers help build the Kingdom of God.
My
grandfather was an artist. He once told me that a man who worked with his hands
is a journeyman, one who used his hands, and his head is a craftsman, but one
who applies hands, head and heart to the task is an artist. “Whatever you do
son, be an artist.” In any task where work, craft and passion come together,
art comes forth.
Our
job description has grown over the years. I am IPHC Regional Director for
Southern Europe, Superintendent of the Spain conference, pastor of the Madrid
church, a teacher at the Mustard Seed Institute, and I have a number of young
ministers that I mentor. Nancy is the director of the Mustard Seed Institute
and WIN director for Europe and the Middle East. We never stopped preaching,
praying or exercising leadership or being a “real missionary”. But yes, I am
also an artist. Missions is more than a task intelligently carried out. It is a
passion to see the glory of the Lord cover this earth as the waters cover the
sea. It is finding a way to use whatever means at hand that some might have the
opportunity to meet Jesus. That is the “art” of missions and (at least for us)
the mission of the arts.
Finally
just as surely as Michelangelo could not have painted the Sistine chapel
without the sponsorship of the pope and Da Vinci would have never survived
without the patronage of the Duke of Milan and the King of France; we cannot do
this without your help. Art and Missions
survive on patronage and sponsorship. The challenge today has never been
greater. The harvest is truly white. We are reaching more people and doing that
more effectively than ever.
You
can help in a number of ways:
Nancy
and I need a major increase in our monthly faith commitment support.
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