news around the world

IM serves churches, pastors, and people by helping them fulfill their role in establishing churches beyond North America so unreached peoples can know the joy of a relationship with the living God. To find out more about the ministry of IM, visit www.IMINC.org

Former Missionary to Cuba Dies

Albany, GA—Lucy Ellen Wisehart Lima Hyman of Albany, Georgia, died Wednesday, September 2, 2020, at Lee County Health and Rehabilitation. Services for the 90-year-old were held Saturday, September 5, at First FWB Church, Albany, Georgia. Billy D. Hanna and Donnie Burke officiated.

Born in Myrtle, Missouri, Lucy graduated from Couch High School in Couch, Missouri. She earned a B.A. from Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville, Tennessee (now Welch College), a B.A. in business administration from the University of Texas Pan American, and a doctorate in religious education from Andersonville Theological Seminary.

Lucy served in Cuba (1953-57) under Free Will Baptist Foreign Missions (now IM, Inc.), acting as bookkeeper and secretary at Cedars of Lebanon Seminary. While working with Pop and Mom Willey, she met Felix Lima, a graduate of the seminary. They married, served two churches in Cuba, and moved to the States in 1961 following Cuba’s revolution. Together, they served as missionaries to Hispanics in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas with American Missionary Fellowship. In 1986, widow Lucy and widower Dr. Irvin Hyman married at First FWB Church in McAllen, Texas, and moved to Albany, Georgia.

Preceding her in death are her parents William Henry and Ora Wisehart, four sisters, and her husband Rev. Felix Lima. Survivors include her husband of 35 years, Dr. Irvin Hyman, of Albany, Georgia; daughters Marilyn Lima of Nashville, Tennessee, and Magdalene Lima-Fiallos (Gene) of Portland, Oregon; two step-grandsons, Gene and Edgar Fiallos; two sisters Lavern Clark (Boyd) of Thayer, Missouri, and Dr. Mary Ruth Wisehart of Nashville, Tennessee; several nieces and nephews; brother-in-law Howard Hyman (Betty), and sister-in-law Mable Hyman all of Florence, South Carolina.

Memorial gifts may be sent to First FWB Church, 420 N. Westover Blvd, Albany, GA 31707 or IM, Inc., PO Box 5002 Antioch, TN 37011-5002.

Alliance of Free Will Baptist Churches Meets in Brazil

Minas Gerais, Brazil—Kenneth and Rejane Eagleton participated in a retreat/association meeting of the Alliance of FWB churches in Brazil, September 4-7. Held on a farm in the state of Minas Gerais, participants traveled up to 400 miles to attend. The Alliance represents 13 churches.

The Jaboticabal delegation wrecked while traveling to the event. Kenneth said, “We praise the Lord a near head-on collision turned out to be a high-speed car swipe pushing the vehicle off the road and tearing off the back wheel.” No one sustained serious injuries, and the group made it to the meeting.

The associational gathering included preaching, worship, leisure, and discussion of the future of the Alliance in Brazil. A new slate of officers was elected for a two-year term, and Kenneth was asked to develop a system to make courses offered at the Campinas Bible seminary available to students from other churches. They plan to set up several satellite locations.

Snapshots Around the World

Brazil: After about six months of online classes, the Bible seminary in Campinas, Brazil, resumed in-person classes on October 5 (below). The teaching is also transmitted online for students unable to participate in the classroom. Kenneth Eagleton has a total of 16 students in the class.

Additionally, the Alliance of FWB Churches in Brazil chose to expand the seminary training through satellite locations. The Jaboticabal program began with 28 students and three teachers.

Japan: The Hope Alive team received the keys to the first floor of their building. Demolition has begun in the space to expand their ministry.

Bulgaria: On Sunday, September 6, Josh Provow baptized a lady in the Shumen church. The next weekend, five people followed the Lord in baptism during the annual retreat/conference of FWB churches in Bulgaria.

France: Jonathan and Michelle Chereau (St. Sebastien) renewed their Connexion Kidz ministry on September 30 with two new families attending.

Bulgaria: Brenton Driscoll joined an American flag football team in Shumen. Not only does he enjoy the exercise and opportunity to meet people, but he also is able to practice his growing language skills.

Côte d’Ivoire: The Nassian FWB Church celebrated the ordinance of feet washing on October 4 (pictured below).

Japan: After many hours, several translators, and many meetings with the Japan FWB publication division the FWB Catechism is now in Japanese. “We give God the glory and pray many Japanese believers gain a deeper understanding of theology and grow in their relationship with Christ as a result,” enthused Doug Bishop, who spearheaded the project. To make more Christian material available in Japanese give to “IMpact Japan JWFB Translation” project.

France: Matt Price indicated the St. Nazaire congregation began slowly restarting church activities in June. “We have had a large number of first-time visitors come to our church, 20 of them in just the last month, which is amazing!” he wrote on October 8. “Some are solid Christians ready to jump in and help in the ministry of the church. Others have very little biblical knowledge. In these, we can see a real thirst to truly understand what the Bible says.”

Bulgaria: Throughout 2020, the missionary team in Bulgaria has worked on a gift version of the Gospel of Luke. Trif Trifonov wrote a forward. Jonathan Postlewaite wrote the plan of salvation. Josh Provow wrote questions and explanatory notes for the margins. Josh said, “This is an ideal ministry tool for someone intimidated by the size of the Bible and who doesn’t know where to start or how to understand it. Because it is the entire Gospel of Luke, it is an ideal text for an introductory Bible study.” The project was made possible by a group of stateside churches donating several thousand dollars for the purpose of purchasing Bibles.