Believers should not be ashamed. In light of what is happening in the persecuted church, and with a duty to raise awareness in the churches of The Bahamas of the persecution of Christians worldwide, believers in The Bahamas are urged to pray and stand with the persecuted church. With that in mind, the membership at Abundant Life Bible Church, Blue Hill Gospel Chapel, Calvary Bible Church, Christ Community Church, East Street Gospel Chapel, Emmanuel Gospel Chapel, Evangelistic Gospel Chapel, Grace Community Church, New Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church and Temple Baptist Church have joined together in a united effort to send a message that, like their persecuted brothers and sisters, they are not ashamed of the Gospel and have come together for the I Am Not Ashamed (IANA) Missions Conference, held March 11-15 at Evangelistic Temple.
Speaking at the conference will be Ooi Chik Aik, founder and president of Ministries for Asia Pacific (MAP), who teaches and trains leaders on prayer, evangelism, missions and leadership, and is a member of the International Faculty of Haggai Institute of Advanced Leadership. Also there will be Canon Francis Omondi from Kenya, the founder and director of Sheepfold Ministries, a church-planting and missionary organization in East Africa; Omondi is an evangelist, Bible teacher and speaker within the Anglican Church of Kenya and a canon of All Saints Kampala.
Joining them will be K.P. Yohannan hailing from India. Yohannan is the founder and international director of Gospel for Asia, a Christian mission organization that has brought the gospel to millions in South Asia over the last three decades. Yohannan has been traveling the globe for the last 40 years, challenging the body of Christ to discipleship.
The IANA Campaign is a one-year awareness campaign launched in March 2014, which climaxes this month with the United Missions Conference.
"Many churches have been on a one-year journey to pray for, learn about and spread the awareness of the plight of our brothers and sisters who are suffering globally simply because of their faith in Christ," said Cranston Knowles, IANA committee chairman.
The Missions Conference will also feature a workshop on the topic "Christian persecution -- What's really going on" for high school students on Friday, March 13 at 10 a.m. at Evangelistic Temple; with a youth service in the evening at 7 p.m. at which Syrian John Samara will be the speaker.
Through the conference and workshops, it is hoped that an awareness is brought to the church in The Bahamas, and that people will rise up, united, to stand in solidarity with their persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ and boldly proclaim that they are not ashamed.
IANA Missions Conference schedule
When: March 11-15
Where: Evangelistic Temple
Conference sessions: 7 to 9 p.m.
Daytime workshop sessions: 10 a.m to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Wednesday, March 11:
Speaker: Canon Francis Omondi, The Sheepfold Ministry
Thursday, March 12:
Speaker: Pastor Ooi Chin Aik, Ministries for Asia Pacific
Friday, March 13:
Speaker: Dr. K.P. Yohannan, Gospel for Asia
Youth Service: John Samara (speaker)
Sunday, March 15
Barnabas Fund
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