Ethiopia (MNN/WSM) — A WorldServe
Ministries team recently visited a pastor in Ethiopia who shared about a one-legged church planter who preached the Gospel to rural villages
hostile to Christianity.
This traveling church planter
ventured into a village that had been torn apart by violent feuding
and skirmishes. As he hobbled along, some
met his gaze with stiff caution while others looked upon him with antagonism
and suspicion.
Despite the threat of violence,
the pastor followed God's leading to share the Gospel of Christ with the
hostile villagers. One particular man
listened reluctantly and then left to tell his friends of the pastor's stories,
promising to return again the next day to hear more about this
"Jesus."
When he shared the stories with
his gang of friends, one of them became infuriated that a Christian would dare
to come to the village to evangelize. He
plotted to murder the traveling pastor. Armed with an AK-47, he stormed to
the area where the church planter was speaking.
The disabled church planter
boldly and compassionately shared the Word of God with the man who sought to
take his life. Wonder of wonders, instead
of killing him, the man received Christ as His Savior that day.
As the pastor concluded this story, he then revealed to the WorldServe team that he
was the man who had threatened that church planter. God transformed him, and he now
oversees 11 newly-planted churches in Ethiopia. Support is needed to support more men like this one. If
you can help support a church planter for one month, click here.
