VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 8/10/12)—Debbie and Keith Myers, two of American Baptist International Ministries (IM) newest endorsed missionary candidates, reached an important milestone on August 1 by becoming appointed for missionary service in central Mexico.
The Myers were first endorsed by IM to form a Missionary Partnership Team (MPT). Assisted by their MPT and IM staff, the couple then began building a Missionary Partnership Network (MPN) to secure commitments of prayer and financial support from individuals and churches. Having built an MPN sufficient for an initial level of support, Debbie and Keith moved from endorsement to missionary appointment.
Upon appointment, missionaries become IM employees. This allows missionaries like the Myers to complete cross-cultural orientation as well as language acquisition, security and other pre-field training to prepare them for international, cross-cultural ministry. Appointment also frees them to expand their MPN to secure the remaining personalized support needed to be commissioned by the IM Board for missionary service.
Debbie and Keith are from Worthington, West Virginia and have been appointed to serve in Mexico with CICEM, Consejo Indígena Campesino Evangélico de México, A.R. (Council of Rural Indigenous Evangelicals of Mexico, A.R.). The Myers will assist IM’s partner, CICEM, in its mission to provide encouragement and support to rural indigenous evangelical churches in their Biblical-Theological training. This consists of training pastors, church leaders, youth leaders and teachers for the children. Debbie and Keith’s two children, Boyden (age 14) and Baillie (age 13), are enthusiastic about joining their parents in ministry in Mexico.
“We feel called to minister to the indigenous people of southern central Mexico because of the need we saw when we visited with some of the pastors of CICEM last November,” the Myers recalled. “They wanted to better understand God’s Word and how to effectively reach out to their communities and create a sense of safety and be a place of refuge for the church to gather and worship and discover God’s call in their lives.”
Dr. David Carrico, executive minister of the West Virginia Baptist Convention, has said of Debbie and Keith, “The Myers have prepared their lives well to be used by the Lord. The WVBC is so blessed to have another missionary family to support with our prayers and resources. Keith and Debbie are gifted and ready to serve the Kingdom.”
Individuals and churches may learn more about the Myers family and their ministry among rural indigenous churches in Mexico on the IM website. The family’s profile, their journals and opportunities to participate in their ministry as part of their MPN are found at http://www.internationalministries.org/teams/389-myers-debbie-and-keith.
American Baptist International Ministries (IM) was organized in 1814 as the first Baptist international mission agency in America. It began its pioneer mission work in Burma and today works in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas serving more than 1,800 long-term and short-term missionaries. Its central mission is to help people come to faith in Jesus, grow in their relationship with God, and change their worlds through the power of the Spirit. It works with respected partners in over 70 countries in ministries that meet human need.
American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with 5,500 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.