The Heart of Ministry

The Centrality of Christ

By President John Boyd

THERE IS A SPECIAL church I know in Cape Town, South Africa. Sixteen years ago I saw a sign painted in large letters above the sanctuary. The words stopped me in my tracks and have gripped me ever since: "God's Word above all things."

I placed those same words above my desk at MAF. People ask me, "What is your vision for MAF?" I tell them, "God's Word above all things." It is His Word, and the centrality of Christ that drives me and this ministry. I believe God will continue to lead MAF in ministry strategies to areas of the world that desperately need MAF service.

Not one of us knows what the next 60 seconds will bring, much less the next 10 or 20 years. What we do know is that He has called us with a clear command in His Word: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations." Matthew 28:19a (NKJV); "And you shall be My witness both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth," Acts 1:8b (NASB), emphases mine.

Everything we do as a ministry, every opportunity He presents to us (and to you), must be judged by His Word and His preeminence as MAF ministers in "the remotest part of the earth."

We must be forward in our thinking—willing to envision things that may seem impossible on a human level. We must be wise, yet courageous to plow new ground, and to always, always reach out in His love and humility.

In the months and years ahead, I ask for your prayers—that MAF will continue to look more and more on the opportunities and not feel daunted by the obstacles that may confront us (after all, MAF is an obstacle overcomer!). Pray that we will keep His Word above all things!