So we’re almost two weeks into the two-missions-becoming-one thing, and the process is moving along, although it hasn’t been without its hiccups. However, we’ve been very appreciative of all the staff, especially in Canada (just because we’ve worked with them the most), who have been very helpful as we work out the details.
You might see that several things have been updated here at the website (I hope it’s working – I’m holding my breath). Mission specific information has been updated. And I think the general setup of the site has been improved, and should work much better on your mobile device. But if you see any problems, feel free to let us know. Oh, and check out the new photos in our gallery here.
Also, for everyone who gets our newsletter – you’re going to get one soon! It’s packed with things you need to know about – the latest news, information about this change, and more. And thanks to the whole family here for the work they put into getting it all ready for you! So watch your snail-mailbox for that – Lord willing most of you should see that in a couple of weeks. We’ll share some important things there that we won’t share here.
Anyway, ministry is continuing here, so I’d better get back to work. I’m looking forward to preaching tomorrow on Gideon and Barak, as we continue our trek through Hebrews. Talk to you later!
Today Camino Global officially unites with Avant Ministries, to create one mission with missionaries in 50+ countries. The work of both continues under the name Avant Ministries.
There’s a lot to talk about, but essentially our ministry will continue – making disciples and planting churches in one of the less reached areas of this hemisphere – central Mexico.
The main practical questions right now may be financial questions – but you can see all updated information on our donations page. If you currently receive our newsletter, we emailed you (if you didn’t get the email, let us know!), and will be sending you some snail mail, which you should receive in about three weeks.
But let me give you a little background and history – and since it’s Canada Day, I’ll focus on some early Canadian connections which you may find interesting.
Avant Early History
Henry Grattan Guinness
Some fascinating things were happening in the mid-1800s. For example, a new preaching evangelist appeared on the scene in Ireland, named Henry Grattan Guinness. Yes, it’s that family – the Guinness family – think beer (the founder of the Guinness empire was a committed Christian, but that’s another story!).
Guinness visited Canada in the late 1850s, and a Canadian in southern Ontario was converted under his ministry – Albert Benjamin Simpson. Bear with me – these threads will soon come together.
Guinness was a friend of James Hudson Taylor, and very passionate about missions (Guinness’ daughter later married Taylor’s son). Simpson, a teenager at his conversion, soon caught the passion as well, in the decades ahead organizing important missions ventures.
Fast-forward thirty years later. Two Canadian women in Costa Rica are praying that God would send missionaries – a prayer soon to be answered by the founding of the Central America Mission in 1890 and the sending of the first missionaries in 1891 (see Canadians, Coffee, and CAM). The C.A.M. would eventually become CAM International and then Camino Global.
Just before the founding of Camino, Guinness’ doctor suggested he go abroad for his health, bringing him back to the USA. In 1889 he inspired a group from the YMCA in Kansas to reach out with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Among them was YMCA secretary George S. Fisher.
Several YMCA members volunteered, and missionaries went out the following year to Africa, and others over the next few years. The early missionaries went out under the mission organization that Simpson had founded.
Early World’s Gospel Union logo
And so unlike Camino, there was a group in Kansas sending missionaries before they had a formal organization – but that organization would be formed 2 years after Camino – in 1882. It was called the World’s Gospel Union, later becoming the Gospel Missionary Union (GMU) – and later Avant Ministries. Like Camino, Avant was influenced by a group of people promoting foreign missions that included J. Hudson Taylor.
Fisher led Avant in the early years – his purpose was to “promote Bible study, consecrated Christian living, sound doctrine, and the preaching of the Gospel where Christ is not named”.
The early founders of Avant included R. A. Torrey, C. I. Scofield (an original founder of Camino), and Luther Rees (also an original founder of Camino – and also important in the founding of Wycliffe Bible Translators – but that’s another story!). But another one of the early founders was Canadian William Holmes Howland.
Howland was the leader of what would become the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada (founded by fellow Canadian A. B. Simpson), but he had just left a remarkable career as the mayor of Toronto (see Toronto the Good). Sadly, Howland died of pneumonia only a year after Avant was founded. He was only 49.
More Recent History
In 2018, Avant approached Camino Global with the idea of uniting the two missions together. The hope was that we would be “better together” as a combined organization, which would have about 500 missionaries in 50+ countries. In November 2018, the boards of both missions agreed to the proposal.
The missions unite today, under the name Avant Ministries (in Canada Avant Ministries Canada).
There is still much work to be done in the offices and fields of Avant as the two missions come together. A lot has been done on general vision and on legal and financial matters, but that’s only the beginning. We would appreciate your prayers as we move forward together, continuing the work that began in 1890.
The missions force of the new mission is made up of about 27% “Millenials”, and 36% “Gen-Xers”, with the other 37% “Boomers” and older. But the work needs to grow, as churches work to send out new missionaries around the world, preaching Christ where He is not known.
Missionaries currently serve in Africa, Asia, North, Central and South America, and Europe.
And so the work continues – for the glory of Christ. Who knows where He will lead, and what He will accomplish around the world! As the early logo above says – “Speed the Word over land and sea!” Lord Jesus, may it be!
Well, midsummer (summer solstice) has arrived here in the northern hemisphere. Since I haven’t had much of an opportunity to write lately, I’m taking a moment to look backward and forward to catch you up on what’s happening.
The last Two Weeks
Daryl and my Dad check out the new shed we assembled.
I just finished a brief trip to Canada, to help my parents move. They just moved a few blocks away – within the same town – but if any of you have tried such a thing, you know how challenging it can be!
Thanks to Daryl and Iwona, and many from the local churches, who helped so much (and are still helping as my parents finish up the move!).
I also had a chance to see Hannah, and Shari’s parents, and many others in Three Hills before I took off back to Mexico.
During my absence from Mexico, lots was happening as usual! You’ll want to check out Rod’s post about the team that he and Mayra took down to Oaxaca – A Wonderful Week in Oaxaca.
“Regular” ministry continues, as I get ready for Sunday’s continuing teaching on the Ten Commandments, and of course Hebrews.
At the beginning of July, Hannah will be coming home for the summer! Yes, we tried to time it so that we could both come back together, but it didn’t quite work out. So, as Hannah finishes her exams, we will prepare for her arrival!
On the side of practical matters, Avant and Camino Global are rushing toward unification as one mission. There are a thousand details to talk about and work through. The official date of launch is the 1st of July.
If you receive our newsletter, and if I have your email address, I will try to get some information out to you on or before that date. Otherwise, hopefully you’ll be seeing some changes here on our website shortly with more information, and we’ll get a letter to you by snail mail next month.
So, yes, a lot is happening right now! But it’s the longest day of the year – I should be able to get something done, right? 😀
Thanks so much for your encouragement and prayers. I’ll try to keep you up to date as I’m able.
This is an important post, so please take a few moments to read carefully.
You may or may not have received communication from Camino Global, or Avant – but here’s the news. The two mission agencies are uniting to become one mission.
First, the practical information. Regarding our ministry, our relationship with Camino, and donations, nothing has changed (and may not be changing over the next few weeks or even months). So you don’t need to worry about changing where/how you donate – donation information is always up to date here.
Second, what actually is happening? As I mentioned before, Avant and Camino Global will be joining together. The name of the mission will be Avant Ministries. However, “Camino Global” will retain its “brand” for the time being as a Spanish focused ministry within the mission. So you will continue to see both names.
Camino’s three offices will be affected in different ways. The Guatemala office will remain where it is. Eventually, both the US office and the Canadian office will move to where Avant’s current offices are (Kansas City and Winnipeg).
There are a number of reasons for the change, and there’s no reason to get into all the details here. However, the leadership of both missions hope that we will be “better together”.
If all goes as planned, the “new” mission will have over 500 missionaries in 50 countries. Camino of course has a strong presence in Spanish speaking countries.
The missions have put up a website to answer some of your basic questions (click the graphic to go there):
How will this affect our ministry? This news is very fresh, and it will take months – in some cases, years – before everything is worked out. We have no immediate plans for major changes. Both Camino Global and Avant are committed to making disciples for Jesus Christ, and in many ways they are very similar organizations. However, every missionary with Camino will need to make their own decision whether or not they will continue under Avant.
Our desire is to serve the Lord in this corner of Mexico City, where so few understand the gospel. Please pray that God will guide us, and especially the other missionaries in Mexico, as we work through these changes in the weeks to come.
We will continue to communicate with you (especially those who receive our newsletter and email update), but we all need to be patient.
We are excited to announce that Matheus da Silva, who served with us regularly in 2016/2017, will be joining our team here in Ixtapaluca!
Matheus is a Brazilian who lives in Portugal. He came to school at Word of Life Mexico, and part of his education included his weekend trips with several other interns to serve in Las Palmas.
Matheus will be crossing the ocean again to join us on a full time basis – basically as an intern for a year.
We very much appreciated Matheus when he was here last. He and the other interns who came played a key role in the beginning of the new church in Las Palmas. He has been serving in Portugal since then, in his local church and also in Word of Life Portugal.
Lord willing, Matheus will be coming through Camino Global and FAMEX (a Mexican mission agency associated with Camino), and we hope to see him in Ixtapaluca before the end of the summer. Rod has been working hard at navigating that paperwork and general bureaucracy involved in getting Matheus from here to there.
Please pray for Matheus, that God would prepare his heart for the ministry ahead. Also pray that the funds he needs would come in quickly, and that God would raise up more people to commit to pray for him during his time here.
If you’re interested in supporting Matheus through prayer or financially, please contact us.
There’s an interesting family connection between the Frys and Matheus – you can read about that, plus see some more pictures and videos, right here. (By the way, yes, this post has the same title as Rod’s. I wanted to go with something else – but frankly, this is just plain exciting news!)
This is going to be a month of travel for me (Jim), starting today. Lord willing I’ll be heading to Texas for an evangelism summit in Frisco, and then a series of Camino Global leadership meetings in Van (both near Dallas). Then I’ll pop back to Ixtapaluca for a day to lead worship music at our church, before heading to Tecolutla Veracruz for a retreat with our Camino Global team here in Mexico. This will be a time to update everyone on what I learn at the other meetings, as well as – I hope – a much needed time of refreshment for all!
I would appreciate your prayers for all of us for wisdom as we spend time in prayer, deal with various issues and look to the future of our ministry here in Mexico. Also for my health, which naturally tends to suffer with all the changes in altitude, diet, and schedule.
Pray also for Shari, Hannah and Nathanael as they carry on with ministry here, as well as an especially busy time for home school.
You may or may not have received communication from Camino Global, or Avant – but here’s the news. The two mission agencies are uniting to become one mission.
Matheus will be crossing the ocean again to join us on a full time basis – basically as an intern for a year.
Please pray for Matheus, that God would prepare his heart for the ministry ahead. Also pray that the funds he needs would come in quickly, and that God would raise up more people to commit to pray for him during his time here.
This is going to be a month of travel for me (Jim), starting today. Lord willing I’ll be heading to Texas for an evangelism summit in Frisco, and then a series of Camino Global leadership meetings in Van (both near Dallas). Then I’ll pop back to Ixtapaluca for a day to lead worship music at our church, before heading to Tecolutla Veracruz for a retreat with our Camino Global team here in Mexico. This will be a time to update everyone on what I learn at the other meetings, as well as – I hope – a much needed time of refreshment for all!