TABCOM
Spotlight on The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts
Tibet/China Mission Explosion Project
(2011) Update By Kevin E. Porter
In May 2009, a team organized by The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts (TABCOM) went on a fact finding trip to Tibet on a possible mission to this remote area of the world. The team of nine (9) people from Massachusetts discovered that the first orphanage in Tibet had a capital need in order to continue supporting more than 150 orphans that lived at the Jatson Chumig School & Orphanage in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It was felt by this fact finding team that there was an opportunity to demonstrate the Baptist Christian core beliefs by demonstrating our compassion with these children at the top of the world.
This project would kick off early in 2010 and continue through 2011 to raise money to build dorms by first replacing a girl’s dorm that had been condemned and deemed not usable by the orphanage leaders. This resulted in overcrowding in the remaining dorm and resulted in children sleeping 3-4 to a bed. TABCOM’s Mission and Stewardship Committee voted to support this 2 year project for dorm construction and were happy to report that Jatson Chumig was managed well by a previous monk(Jampa) and his daughter(Tenzin), and many other staff. However, they needed help with this capital project in order to provide for the children they were tending to.
Above, photos of the old dormitory and the new dormitory design
In April 2011, a team of 12 people from all across America, organized by TABCOM and the national American Baptist Churches USA (ABC), returned to Jatson Chumig with several objectives. First, the team wanted to work with the children in the classrooms providing English as a Secondary Language (ESL) and providing information on the geography and culture of America. Second, the team also worked intensively with the handicapped students (about 1/3 of the student population) to improve the protocols and practices needed to address the student’s handicaps. Third, the team would be meeting with the construction company on the planning to construct the first dorm and participate in a ceremonial breaking of the ground for the construction to start.
The team of 12 volunteers came from California, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, New York, Maine, and Massachusetts and reflected a diversity of Baptist churches in America. The team was split into a medical/handicap group of 4 and a classroom group of four classroom pairings. The split of the mission team into two groups allowed for a focus on two of our mission trip purposes. 
Throughout our time at Jatson Chumig, these groups were able to work with the students multiple times as relationships and treatments were made. The classroom group worked on describing the geography of the USA and the diversity and size of America. The medical team reviewed the work of previous therapists that had started the creation of profiles and protocols for each handicapped students that required help. The medical team then held hands-on sessions working with students and with adults that would continue the treatments after our mission team left. Students and volunteers benefited from the time spent together and a better understanding of our cultures was realized.
In addition, a meeting was held with the manager of the construction project to fully understand the process, time line, requirements, and costs that would be part of this effort. Translation was provided by Tenzin between her father speaking Tibetan, the construction manager speaking Chinese, and me speaking English. An understanding of the project resulted from this meeting and an agreement to provide the first payment to begin this effort was made.
More evidence of overcrowding in current dormitory
A contract written in Chinese was translated by a member of the mission team into English to ensure all parties understood the effort to begin. A few days after this meeting, a ceremony was held to “break the ground” for the dorm between the mission team and the Jatson Chumig leaders. Within a week after the mission team returned to the USA, the construction company was moving forward with the project understanding that it needed to be completed before winter returns in the late October timeframe.
As of today, the condemned building has been demolished, extensive foundation work was completed as one of the key points of this effort with rebar being formed and concrete being poured to create the base that this three story structure will be built on. The next steps will be to build each of the floors that will require one month each to construct and then a final month and half to complete the interior construction.
As has been done in the 6 previous mission explosion projects supported by TABCOM, this project has broken ground on a building project and it requires the continuing support of the American Baptist Churches to make this a success. Please pray for the continued success of this effort that will support more than 150 children at this school and orphanage. The prayers and financial support of American Baptists are truly allowing us to serve as the hands and feet of Christ in Tibet.
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A History of “Mission Explosion”
Mission Explosion
The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts
1998-2010
The term “Mission Explosion” (hereafter referred to as ME) is both an ancient (Acts 16:9) and recent paradigm of missions in which local churches join with their region, national denomination and international partners to fulfill the great commission. Although The American Baptists of Massachusetts (TABCOM) did mission projects which predated 1998, in recent times, the official origin of ME can be traced back to November of that year.
Edie and Ken Swenson were watching the news program “20/20” which featured an extended segment on the plight of orphans in Romania. Kennon Callahan in Twelve Keys to an Effective Church says that if you want to know what your mission is, ask yourself what you find yourself praying about and thinking of when driving down the street or when trying to get to sleep. For Ken, that answer was those kids in Romania. On his 50th birthday, he shared this developing vision with his congregation, The First-Calvary Baptist Church in North Andover, Massachusetts. After discussing this with Ed Guerard, then Director of World Mission Support, a team comprised of Ed, Ken and two lay people from First-Calvary visited the American Baptist Churches USA Mission Center. A spokesperson from ABCUSA, after hearing our story, said this: “You are two years ahead of us. We were planning to launch Mission Explosion in 2000!”
Partnering with Hungarian Baptists in Romania, that vision took shape in the form of building a children’s chapel at Harghita Camp in Transylvania, providing not only a central place for meetings and activities, but enabling the camp to expand its program to a yearly schedule. Since the dedication of this $210,000 project in May, 2001, hundreds of children (including orphans and street kids), youth and adults use this facility annually, with reports of many coming to faith in Jesus Christ.
Mission Explosion has grown from that beginning to include partnerships and projects in Northeast India, revitalizing Eastern Theological College; in Honduras, planting churches in partnership with Honduran Baptists; in Bulgaria, assisting in the construction of a church and social center in the capital, Sofia; and in Ghana, partnering with the Ghana Baptist Convention to build a dormitory for women and men escaping from slavery. Each of these projects has been initiated by a local congregation, including Brewster Baptist Church, First Baptist Church of Hanson, First Baptist Church of Bedford and First Baptist Church of Cambridge. Many other churches in TABCOM have joined their efforts to help these projects succeed.
The most current ME project is to build a new girls’ dormitory at the Jatson Chumig School and Orphanage in Lhasa, Tibet. This $100,000 project will house over 60 children, providing each child with her own bed and each room with its own sink, toilet and shower, thus greatly improving sanitary conditions and the overall health and well-being of the student body. This project is unique and different from the others undertaken in that we don’t have Baptist or even Christian partners to collaborate with. But the Tibet Exploratory Team, visiting in May of 2009, had ample opportunities to build important relationships with school personnel, and historic opportunities to share the Christian Gospel.
Mission Explosion has been the most significant program within TABCOM in the last dozen years, transforming lives and churches and segments of society. To borrow the hyperbole of John 21:25, “I suppose the world itself could not contain the books that could be written” about Mission Explosion. To God be the glory great things He has done!
Kenneth E. Swenson
Director, World Mission Support
TABCOM
Click here for additional information
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Churches Helping Churches
By Ed Guerard
Three years ago the Shutesbury Community Church, the only Christian church in this little town on the northern border of the Quabbin Reservoir, was ready to close its doors forever. Last Sunday, almost 40 people worshipped there, many of whom will attend Bible Study on Wednesday, and most of whom will help with the Silent Auction and bake sale fundraiser this fall. The story of how this happened is exciting!
Rev. Dr. Anthony Pappas, better known as “Tony,” Executive Minister of The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts, sent a letter to several churches in the communities around Shutesbury explaining the plight of this church.
With only two active members and a building on the verge of being condemned, the situation seemed hopeless (except for those who remembered that with God all things are possible!”)
Rev. Donald Bradley, pastor of the Second Baptist Church of South Hadley, read Tony’s letter and shared the need with his congregation. Second Baptist has a volunteer work forced called “With His Hands,” a crew of dedicated and talented workers who believe in “putting their faith into action.” David Tetreault, their coordinator, put it this way: “We felt touched by the way a small group of people were fighting and praying to keep their church alive.”
For more than three months, an average of 25 workers from “With His Hands” and a dozen or more from Shutesbury gathered at the church and blended their enthusiasm with their skills to level and shore up the founda-tion, straighten the steeple, re-decorate the sanctuary, install new doors, windows, replace the safety ramp, paint, scrub, and as Pastor Bradley put it “jump start” this struggling church.
Second Baptist also provided a missionary pastor (Rev. Mark Lawrence) to lead Bible studies, conduct worship, and provide pastoral care. Today, the Shutesbury Community Church is back on the map and providing an important Christian witness in the northern Quabbin area.
To God be the glory!
If you would like more information on “With His Hands” or the Shutesbury revitalization project, visit www.withhishands.org.
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Summer Camping Ministry
By Liz Lussier, Director of Program Development & Marketing
In this high tech, gadget driven, faster than ever age we live in, one may easily ask: WHY Camp? Spend one day at either Grotonwood or Oceanwood camp and you quickly learn that the answers to this simple question are as diverse and unique as the staff and campers who attend. Both nonprofit camps are invaluable ministries of The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts.
This is particularly true for our special needs adults who were featured in the June 30 edition of Maine’s Biddeford-Saco-OOB (Old Orchard Beach) Courier. Scott Merrow, new Resident Director for Oceanwood Camp & Conference Center, Ocean Park, ME, noted “the camp has made accommodations so campers in wheelchairs can do anything from ride horses to play street hockey. We have this all-inclusive, all encompassing program. There’s a place for everybody.” The built in cross-shaped pool even has a wheelchair access ramp and handrail so that no one is excluded from enjoying a refreshing time in the pool at the shallow end!
Bill Krueger, Resident Director at Grotonwood says, “Grotonwood began its special needs programs under the guidance of retired minister, Rev Ed Guerard, in the early 70’s and quickly realized the significant void our unique programs filled for this important, yet too often overlooked, population by the excellent response and community support.” Oceanwood began similar programs about 10 years later.
Approximately 100 International and USA staff between the two locations have specialized training prior to the opening of the summer camp season to best meet the physical, emotional & spiritual needs of campers. The staff members come with servant-leader hearts and a strong desire to make a difference for the better in others’ lives. What they discover is that their WHY? becomes a very, very deep and powerful life-changing experience brought about by the campers themselves. Their commitment to ministry at camp becomes part of life’s journey. Heather Fountain is in her 24th year on staff at Oceanwood. “It’s an amazing place where people can come to relax, reflect, have fun and be excited!” If you are a single parent, grandparent, young person, Mom or Dad, Aunt or Uncle, there is place for you at camp!
If you’ve never been to camp, or haven’t been lately, you are missing out on an incredible opportunity to discover your own very personal and unique answer to: WHY Camp? Check out camp today at: www.oceanwood.org and www.grotonwood.org.
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More Information about TABCOM
282 churches with a total membership of 38,411
Executive Minister: Rev. Dr. Anthony G. Pappas
Web site: www.tabcom.org
Total 2011 United Mission giving through May: $155,898
