Missions

Theological Principle

The local church is the vehicle driven by the Holy Spirit to enable the fulfilment of the promise of God the Father to God the Son to make the nations His heritage and the end of the earth His possession. (Psalm 2:8; Isaiah 49:6; Mat.16:18; Acts 1: 1,2; Col.1: 24-29).

The execution of the great commission (Mat.28: 18-20; Acts 1:8) is the responsibility of the local church.

Biblical Practice

The local churches in the New Testament were encouraged to fulfil their responsibilities under the great commission in several ways:
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• Preparing, equipping and sending missionaries
• Planting churches
• Supporting other churches outside their local area
• Training and caring for pastors and elders
• Praying for missionaries, pastors and other churches

In addition to our responsibility to establish a godly-living, mutually-caring, biblically-educated, doctrinally-pure, love-saturated, Christ-exalting community where all true believers are welcome and together working to make this church a showcase of the glory of God in Christ in our local area, we acknowledge our gospel responsibility to the nations of the world and our brethren across the globe.

Our present commitments in response to our wider gospel responsibility operate at different levels:

• Leon Harmse, member of Birchleigh BC, has been sent as a full-time worker with SWYM to work with children in schools and holiday clubs and training, both locally and wider afield in southern Africa.
• Roland and Susan Seiler were sent from their church in Toronto, Canada, to work with SIL in Nampula, Mozambique, doing Bible Translation. Having little contact with their sending church after several years, they have asked that Birchleigh BC be their surrogate sending church. So we have taken on responsibilities of a sending church in giving spiritual and practical support and a spiritual home among God’s people here. They have become associate members of Birchleigh BC.
• Nick and Sheila Court are members of Constantia Park BC here is SA, and associate members with Birchleigh BC. They were sent by Ladyfield Evangelical Church in Chippenham UK and are supported from there by both Ladyfield and Emmanuel Evangelical Church Chippenham which is a church-plant of Ladyfield and where they are also members. They initiated and work for SWYM in children’s ministry and training of Christian workers.

We are committed to support in prayer and encouragement the following missionaries who send us regular information and visit us when in South Africa.
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• Roelie and Sandra van der Spuy working in Bible Translation with SIL in an area south of Russia.
• Gareth and Keri Franks sent by Brackenhurst Baptist Church and working in Kolhapur, Maharashstra in India in church planting.
• Pieter and Diana Swanepoel, sent by Brackenhurst BC and working in Nashik, Maharashtra, India in church planting.
• Greg and Yvonne Cameron working with SIM in Paraguari, Paraguay among young people.
• Charles and Julie Woodrow working in Nampula, Mozambique in medical, evangelistic and pastor training work. Sent from the USA and working under Grace Ministries.
• Andre and Masha Bay, sent by Constantia Park BC, working in Wetslar in Germany in church planting

• Leon Harmse working with SWYM and sent by Birchleigh BC
• Jenni Meyer working as KGM, sent by Constantia Park BC and a member at Birchleigh BC
• Andre and Masha Bay sent by Constantia Park BC and working in church planting in Wetslar in Germany

• The reformed Baptist Church in Irkutsk, Siberia and Pastor Sergey Mochalov
• Sega Baptist Church, Arad, Romania and Pastor Cornel Ghita
• Iglesia Bautista Ebenezer Monterrey, Mexico and Pastor Juan Macias

• African Pastors’ Conferences training pastors in southern Africa (and potentially across the whole of Africa) through Conferences and books.
• Sovereign Grace Theological Seminary for theological education and preparation of pastors throughout Africa (through Pastor Irving)
• London Theological Seminary preparing pastors world-wide  (through Pastor Irving)