Spiritual Emergency Rooms
Long before I became an IC pastor, my marriage and ministry were unexpectedly saved by an IC. In 2009, my family and I were serving in Christian ministry in Mali, West Africa when I suddenly became very sick. The doctors in Mali were unable to diagnose my illness and I was medevaced to France for medical treatment. I’m happy to report that a doctor in Paris immediately found the problem, prescribed medication, and soon released me to return home. We stayed a few extra days in Paris to be sure the treatment worked before flying back to Africa.
During this time, our entire family came under an intense spiritual attack that manifested in extreme anger that lasted for several days. Even though there was no direct offense committed, we were all at each other’s throats and fighting with each other for no reason. It reached the point that my wife and I were seriously talking about divorce, fighting over custody of our son, and we were convinced both our marriage and ministry in Africa were finished. Thankfully, before we made any rash decisions, we felt a strong compulsion to attend a Sunday church service at an IC in Paris. We had never been to an IC before, but we felt the need to connect with God in an English-speaking church service – something we had not had access to for a long time.
During the service, we were suddenly covered with an amazing healing balm. Worshipping in a familiar English style was so refreshing and hearing a message in our mother tongue washed away the anger and frustration we had walked in with. Although we didn’t know the pastor or anyone in the congregation, we felt like we were welcomed and at home. When we left the church that day, we had been completely refreshed, renewed, and encouraged to return to our ministry in Africa as a healthy family.
The church lived out its purpose as stated in 1 Corinthians 12. Neither the pastor, worship team, or any church members had any idea what an impact they had on us that day. And although I had never been to an IC before this, I instantly became aware of how important it is to offer a place of worship for expats in foreign lands. This later grew into a calling to plant an IC in Mali and morphed into a passion for the global IC community.
As IC leaders, we rightly focus most of our attention on our regular church attendees. But I hope this can serve as a reminder of how much is also happening in the lives of visitors that quietly (and sometimes invisibly) enter our churches without expressing their needs, hurts, or longings. Our places of worship serve as spiritual emergency rooms to patients we’re often unaware of. May we always strive to be open and welcoming to visitors and reach out even though we might not see them again next week. Who knows? Maybe your next visitor will someday become an IC pastor themselves.
