In the early 1970’s, my pastor, Rev. Howard Nelson, had a burden to reach Communist Russia and Eastern Europe with the Gospel. At that time, most mission boards called that part of the world closed, but the Bible says, “... Go ye into all the world ...” (Mark 16:15). Pastor Nelson believed that if God gave the command, He would provide a way to accomplish the task.
In October 1974, Southside Baptist Church (now Wyldewood) was having a missions conference. One of the missionaries present was a representative of an Iron Curtain ministry called Frontline Fellowship. He showed a film on Communism, ending with a challenge presenting Russia as a mission field. During that conference, God reached down and touched my heart and the heart of my wife to take up the burden of getting the Gospel into Communist controlled Eastern Europe and Russia. My first response was, “Lord, I’ll go anywhere but there!” Russia was a Communist country and I didn’t want to go to that dangerous place. But after wrestling with God and praying about it, I finally yielded and joined Frontline Fellowship in January 1975. Laura and I became part time representatives and worked with them for a little over four years.
For the next couple years, things went well until God began to deal with my heart again. There was a restlessness which was answered while attending Missions Week at Maranatha Baptist College. It was there that God revealed to me that I was afraid to go behind the Iron Curtain. So I went forward and surrendered that fear.
In April 1978, God sent me on a mission trip. While attending a mid week service in Cluj, Romania, God once again tenderized my heart. While those dear people were singing praises to God, tears flowed down my cheeks and I promised God that I would do all that I could to get His precious Word into that part of the world. We never anticipated what the Lord had in store for us over the next year as a result of the promise I made to Him while in Romania. We had no way of knowing that 1979 would be the most exciting, challenging, and life-changing year of our lives! The Lord led me to quit my secular job, step out on faith, and work full time with Frontline Fellowship. However, some problems developed which left us no choice but to resign.
So there we were ... no job, no ministry, no insurance, no income ... just God and a burden to get the Gospel into Eastern Europe and Russia. The idea of starting a ministry had never crossed my mind, so I contacted several Iron Curtain ministries seeking to work with them. I was appalled that these ministries did not stand for the King James Bible or the authority of the local church.
I met with Pastor Nelson, expressed my concerns, and asked him what he thought I should do. He leaned back in his chair, smiled and said, “Why don’t you start one?” My response was, “How?” He said, “If God is in it, you will find a way. If He is not, it will come to nothing. When you have a plan, let me know and we will call a men’s meeting to discuss it.”
After my meeting with Pastor Nelson, the Lord would not let this idea of “starting one” rest. While in meetings in Ohio, I began to develop a plan as to the structure and operation of a local church ministry. Two key factors would separate us from other Iron Curtain missions: 1) We believe that the King James Bible is the pure Word of God without error. 2) We believe that the local church is the sending and governing agent for a missionary and the mission board. So I had a plan, but no name for the ministry. One evening Laura jumped up and said, “I’ve got it! The name for our ministry - COURIERS FOR CHRIST.” A courier is someone who carries a very important document. We carry the most important document in the world - the Word of God - and we do it for our Lord Jesus Christ.
Pastor Nelson called a men’s meeting. A suggestion was made that this ministry be brought before the church to be voted on as a local church ministry. In November, 1979, this new ministry was presented to Wyldewood Baptist Church and unanimously accepted. Thus, Couriers for Christ was born.
