Men & Women in Training

“Tuko Pamoja Ndanye Christo” is Swahili which means “We are together in Christ”.

This simple East African saying becomes more of a reality with every passing day.

The vision, burden and work which we helped facilitate in Kenya and Uganda is exactly what is taking place on an ongoing basis in America and world-wide for that matter.

The replication of faith in the hearts of believers of Jesus Christ breaks through cultural barriers and has survived the test of time through thousands of years. 

And the training of those disciples both men and women is a process that is alive and well today in 2015. 

This week we saw that we are truly together in Christ as Terry had the honor to teach the ladies of 1^st Baptist Church East Bay in Riverview Florida, (Our Sending Church) while simultaneously, eight hours earlier the ladies Terry had trained in East Africa were teaching the younger ladies from the Landmark Baptist Churches in the Mt. Elgon Region.

Ladies of 1st Baptist East Bay, Riverview

Terry, Sheila Meyers, & Rosie

Terry's Love and 'Jesus Joy' shines brightly in Kenya or Florida

The 'Investment of Faith and Love' continues....in Kenya Mama's 

Women in the Faith....who are 'faithful'...

While I know Terry fiercely misses her band of Mama’s in Kenya, I know it also does her heart good to share the word of God and her experiences over the years with other women here in America.   Titus 2:4  "That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands,

to love their children."

She has truly developed into a gifted teacher who loves the Lord and His people.

The reproduction of solid Christians in both faith and practice is a beautiful thing that brings God honor and glory through His New Testament Churches.

We have a good strong core group of believers who are serving the Lord through the Florida Plant in Brooksville, Florida, to include a good crop of young men who are willing to serve the Lord in whatever capacity is needed. 

Lord knows each church needs young Timothy’s of faith to develop into pillars of the Church and the future leaders of God’s work.     Chuck III

 Kevin

 Vinny & Logan

In addition to these young men and women of faith, God has also blessed us with season veterans of the faith to give our young Church plant a stable foundation.

We have united for the cause of Christ through His local New Testament Church to bring Him honor and glory until  He returns for us or until He takes us home.

In addition to what might be called normal ministry activities, Terry and I continue to do deputation work among our Churches on Sunday evenings in order to keep our ministry partners informed about “The Florida Plant” as well as Kenya/Uganda Church Development.

Please keep us in your prayers as we press towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus.

Also, note that I have attached our latest newsletters for your viewing. 

In His Service,

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez
Kenya/Uganda/Florida Plant

The Parchments, Launch Day and the Van

Where does the time go? Life in America runs at break neck speed and as Terry and I work through the process of re-assimilation we are wondering if we will ever fit back into the culture and land we were born into. We know the years in East Africa has changed us and it's not that we do not work hard but it is just that the pace here keeps us gasping for air.   Speaking of hard work, our Kenyan Pastors met at the base of Mt. Elgon this week for their quarterly training seminar.   We are pleased to see the training process and program we started continued by their own volition and initiative.   All sixteen Pastors and four Associate Pastors attended the three day seminar which was led by Pastor Peter, Pastor Shadrach and Pastor Daniel, the men whom we have invested the most time in during our work in Kenya.

Teaching

Study Group

 

It was also a great blessing to hear that Pastor Moses from Uganda made the trip to Western Kenya to continue His education. Even in our absence, the educational process continues just as it did with the apostles in the New Testament. It would be the great Apostle Paul who would ask young Timothy to bring His books and especially the parchments so that he could study and write until his last day.   It does our hearts and conscious good to know that each year we would add books and study materials to our Pastors personal libraries so that they would have the ability to study and educate themselves and to feed the flocks of God.   We continue to support these seminars by helping with the cost of transportation as these Men of God travel from Mt. Elgon, Lake Victoria, The Kerio Valley and Uganda.   And while the host Church takes care of their lodging, we also help with the costs of feeding them.   We need your continued support to encourage these Men of God to move forward in their faith. I am excited about their continued growth, the unity of fellowship and also about the fact that God willing I will be able to host and conduct their next training seminar when I return in September. Please pray for these Men of God and their Churches. On the Florida Church planting front, last week we hosted a "Launch Out" service. We invited friends, family, acquaintances and brethren to help us celebrate the birth and launch of another New Testament Church.  Jesus said, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. We obey the Lord and say, nevertheless Lord, we will launch out and put our nets down here in Florida. There were seventy four people who attended this special service and we had a great day of worship and fellowship.  

Launch Out

The spirit was sweet, the teaching and preaching was powerful and the fellowship was a blessing. All and all, it was a good day for our small church family to come together in one accord to prepare the building, tents, food and grounds for this great occasion.  Each and every person contributed in their own special way and this type of event helps unify us in the bonds of Christ for His honor and glory. This special service also provided the perfect opportunity to unite our Sending Pastor, Dr. Tim Myers, 1st Baptist East Bay and our Co-Sponsoring Pastor, Tim Johnson, Dean Springs MBC who flew in from Arkansas.       Dr. Tim Meyers

 Tim Johnson

These great men of God have already been such a blessing to this Missionary and our Church but it was good for us all to be together under one roof praising and worshiping the Lord.   And as usual, even though she is not at 100%, my amazing wife Terry was deeply involved in preparation and organization. Our Church family is quickly finding out that Terry and I work closely together as a ministry team that has been solidified by our years in East Africa.   We taught our Kenyan Pastors that a strong marriage produces a strong ministry so please continue to pray for us as believe that American Church planting is a greater challenge than African Church planting.   In Closing, our small humble Church family has been praying for God to meet specific needs that our young Church plant has and this week God answered another one of those specific needs with a Ford Van which was given as a love offering by Pastor Tom Reeves and the Church family of Bible Baptist Church of Crystal River.

Blessing Van

These types of great blessings are an affirmation that God's hand continues to be great upon us as Nehemiah said and that he will provide for His work in America just as He has done in Africa if we will continue to do it His way and according to His perfect will. Amen and Amen.   Thank you for allowing us the blessed privilege to share our journey of faith as we press towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus.

In His Service,

Chuck & Terry Fernandez
Kenya Church Development & The Florida Plant

Higher Ground, Measurable Milestones & Running Water

 

Greetings Family, Friends and Brethren,

I’m pressing on the upward way, New heights I’m gaining every day; Still praying as I’m onward bound, “Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”Lord, lift me up and let me stand,

By faith, on Heaven’s tableland, A higher plane than I have found; Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."
This great hymn could easily be a motivating anthem for the Christian life and it lends itself to bringing to mind the work that continues to take place on Mt. Elgon.   Our Brothers and Sisters in Christ are pressing forward on literal higher ground at the Church we help plant in the village of Chemta.   Pastor Robin and the members of the Landmark Baptist Church at Chemta have been faithfully meeting under a tent on a borrowed plot for the last three years.   This is one of the many milestones they have meet that compels us to continue to partner with them to encourage them to grow as a Church family in their faith.   To that end, this week we sent an offering of a thousand dollars for them to purchase a plot and to start the building process.

Struggling to Arrive at Chemta for Survey and Plot Purchase...Alex Pushing!

Church Family

Pastor Robin Pointing at Newly Purchased Plot on Mt. Elgon

We continue to live and build by faith and trust God for the necessary provision to see a permanent building over the heads of this precious group of believers who live on one of the coldest and wettest mountains in Kenya.  In addition to the plot purchase on Mt. Elgon we also purchased steel for the welders and fabricators to start building trusses at the Landmark Baptist Church at Namarambi.

This brings our goal of constructing three new sanctuaries this year into reach with the continued help of our faithful ministry partners.   Last year our goal was to build five and we had many ministry partners adopt a Kenyan Church to construct and all five have been completed by the grace of God.  We will continue to promote and support this worthy work that God is doing as they are pressing on the upward way.    On the Florida Church planting side, we continue to move forward with the team God has prepared for such a time as this.   We have our first big outreach on April 26^th as we are inviting anyone and everyone to come and help us celebrate our official “Launch Out” day.   Until then we are developing and nurturing a spirit of unity and harmony within our team so that we are all in one accord as we move forward for the glory of God.  God has taught me over the years that having a team motivated by their love for Christ all working together towards one goal can be a powerful instrument in the hands of our God.   Additionally, this start up time is vital to making sure we are all on the same page doctrinally.   During our Sunday bible study entitled, “What we believe and Why we believe it”, we have taught Ecclesiology, Eschatology, Soteriology, Bibliology and Theology which means we are covering the main doctrines of the bible.   If this sounds like a lot it is important to keep in mind that this is the same educational pattern we have used to teach our Kenyan and Ugandan converts.   If history repeats itself, these in depth studies generally produce solid Christians in both faith and practice who will glorify our father in heaven until Christ returns.  Our average attendance during the month of March was twenty seven and first time visitors are starting to trickle in.     Palm Sunday

Easter Sunday

Destruction Work

I keep reminding our folks that this is a long term work and while we will monitor our progress by reaching measurable milestones set along the way it is a work that will best be measured over the years and generations to come.  So we continue to plod and plow both here in American and East Africa.    In closing,  on the more practical side, we tore out two offices to make more room for what we hope will be a big day on our “Launch Out” day and for future growth.  I read somewhere that Churches do not grow because they do not make plans for growth.

We are making plans and room.   Sometime during the week we also had pipe burst and flood much of the building.

It was a mess to clean up but it is an old building and before I start complaining I am reminded that none of our Churches in Kenya or Uganda have running water, helps keep things in perspective.   Thank You for allowing us to share this continued journey of faith. 

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez
Kenya/Uganda/Florida Plant

Ordination, On the Road & Seasons....Church Plants, Kenya, Uganda, USA

Kenya/Uganda/USA 

Greetings Family, Friends and Brethren,

Our hearts were blessed this week and another important milestone was reached by our Churches in Kenya when they ordained one of our long time faithful Deacons at the Landmark Baptist Church of Ndivisi.   We have watched Deacon Wycliffe develop into a true Man of God who has a servant’s heart.  He has been instrumental in the growth of His Church and has also been a key part in our building team to help construct the Churches on Mt. Elgon.

 It has been said that the proof of all teaching is practice and our cups are overflowing with joy to see our precious people follow the Biblical pattern for ordination and to watch them move forward in their faith independently.  3Jn_1:4  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.  In addition to the ordination, Pastor Peter and our team of Pastors Baptized thirteen of our converts at the village of Chenjengi and organized them into another Scriptural New Testament Church.   This village has been reached for Christ by Moses who the Associate Pastor and is sent out of the the Church we started at Mayanja in 2010.   These are some of the converts Terry led to Christ and the same village that she contracted a bacterial infection combined with Malaria before we left.  I know this newly organized Church has a special place in our heart.

It seems like the work of the Missionary Church Planter always involves burning the road somewhere in the world.  The process of raising support and keeping support is one that can only be described as a grueling process that will wear you down and wear you out if you let it. Within the last eight days Terry and I have traveled to Northern Georgia to pick up chairs for the Florida Plant as well as attending two deputation appointments at First Coast Missionary Baptist Church in Jacksonville and Thirtieth Ave. MBC in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Dr. Bill Pennell, Missionary Ukraine & 30th Ave. MBC

All the while we continue to meet with our group of believers and build a team to reach Florida for Christ. Each and every step of this transitional process is done in faith as we try to share our hearts and vision for the work God has called us to do on a limited basis in Kenya and our newest Church plant in Brooksville.   We are thankful for the many ministry partners who have contacted us to let us know that “Tuko Pamoja”, which means “We are Together” in Swahili.  It brings great comfort to our hearts that most our ministry partners are partnering with Chuck and Terry Fernandez wherever God leads and not just East Africa.  Any change in life and ministry brings some apprehension; however we have trusted in the Lord for His protection and provision thus far and will continue to depend on His grace, power and wisdom as we press towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus.   One of the recent changes that have taken place in our life and ministry is that we have a new “Sending Church”, the First Baptist Church of East Bay in Riverview, Florida.  Pastor Tim Myers and His wife Sheila have a tremendous burden to reach the lost and particularly are interested and experienced in planting churches in Florida where they have facilitated the planting of a Haitian Church, a Spanish Church as well as another English Speaking Church.

Dr. Tim Myers & Wife, Sheila, 1st Baptist Church East Bay

They have supported our work in East, Africa from the beginning and are excited to be a part of what God is doing in our lives and ministry.   Our team is stronger than ever and still includes Pastor Tim Johnson and the Dean Springs MBC church family as the Co-Sponsor of our work.  Incidentally, Dean Springs MBC will be celebrating their 100^th Anniversary this November.   Now that is something to praise the Lord about. 

Pastor Tim Johnson & Wife, Crystal, Dean Springs MBC

Thank you for allowing us the privilege to share this continued journey of faith and thank you for your continued prayers and support. 

God Be With You,

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez
Kenya/Uganda/Florida Plant

NOTE:  There has only been one new Missionary Baptist Church planted in Florida since 2007.

 

Kenyan Church Development, Evangelism & The Florida Plant

  

Missionary Church planters have the unique opportunity to create an awesome history for the glory of God through the birth and development of Churches unlike any other group of people.   This week has been another truly historic week for Terry and I as we follows God path for our ministry and lives.   As we are toiling and tilling new ground here in the USA, Pastor Peter and Pastor Shadrach have continued the work that Terry and I started in the village we affectionately call M-3 or Mawe Tatu and the fishing village called Misory.   As you can see from the pictures, they were able to install the posts and trusses for the new sanctuary at Landmark Baptist Church of Mawe Tatu.

Over the last six months the Church family has been making and baking bricks for their new permanent sanctuary.   It is very important for us to be reminded that each church we partner with has a significant investment into these projects and I can tell you that their investment not only included the labor intensive process to make the brick but also sacrificial giving to buy wood and items to fire them.  When you look at it relative to a people who make an average income of around $40.00 per month, it is significant.   In any case, our hearts are blessed to see another new sanctuary #14 rising from the ground to become a meeting place for God’s precious people.    In addition to construction, our Kenyan Brothers returned to the fishing village of Misory which is located at Lake Victoria for follow up and evangelism.   These follow up visits are so important to confirm the souls that were saved as well as educate those new converts.   This provides us with the opportunity to find a God called man to start a Bible Study in His home.   This is exactly the method the Apostles used and the pattern we have followed over the last seven years.    God has provided one such man name Meshach whom we led to Christ in January. 

Meshach, Pastor Shadrach (in blue) And Family

He has started a bible study in His home and we don’t know if it will develop into another New Testament Church but we do know if converts are not followed up with they will fall by the wayside.   They also saw eight more people make professions of faith in Christ at Misory.

Back on the American mission field, Terry and I have been praying and planning another Church plant in the village of Brooksville, Florida.  This tribe is a very strange tribe but this is the home our three children and our seven grandchildren and will be the seventeenth Church Plant we have been involved in.  With Terry being providentially hindered through the health issues she has experience since the day we arrived in Kenya in 2008, we have been forced to re-evaluate our lives and ministry and ask God as Paul did, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do”?   We have been blown away by what God has done with us and thru us in Kenya and Uganda since the inception of our work there but the entire time we have looked back across the ocean at the spiritual decline of our great country with heavy hearts.   We do not believe that God is done with America and we would love to lead a new and fresh Church planting movement again.   Through much prayer, God has confirmed that this is His perfect will for our lives and we are committed to doing His will, no matter the cost.   To that end, we had our first unorganized meeting with thirteen members of our family as well as thirteen friends, acquaintances and brethren who have come to us while we have been home on medical leave and expressed an interest in doing what we have done in East Africa in Church planting.

Please pray for us as we move forward with Kenyan/Ugandan Church development while planting a scriptural New Testament Church in Brooksville, Florida.
We fully understand that not everyone will share our vision and burden but please understand that we need your prayers and support now more than ever as we continue to press towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus.
I will also continue to travel back and forth to Kenya/Uganda to encourage our Churches and Pastors there as time and finances allow.
Thank you for your expressed love and support and feel free to email me or call me with any questions concerning the history of Church planting God is allowing us to be a part of .
Our email is the same: missionaryfernandez@gmail.com
                                   and my stateside number is (352)-277-1753. 

God Bless You,

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez
Kenya/Uganda/Florida Plant 

Construction Update & From Pastors Desk

As Terry and I are in Florida praying and planning the next chapter of our lives and ministry, our Kenyan brethren continue to move forward with the building process on Mt. Elgon.  With the support of our many faithful ministry partners we are able to continue to encourage them in their faith while we are in the USA by providing building funds.  This is the thirteenth sanctuary we have been able to help construct and we have two more on our schedule to construct this year.  Your continued support is needed and it is important to remember that this is very much a partnership in which our Kenyan brethren give special offerings as well as providing the labor to build.  The pictures below are from the village of Cheptkurukuru where Pastor Alex Cheriembe and the members are glad to see a permanent roof going up as they have been meeting under a tent in heavy winds and rain over the last three years.   Please continue to pray for this this young Pastor and believers as they worship and serve our Lord and Savior.   Thank you for allowing us to share this journey of faith as we press towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus.  

In His Service,

Bro.Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez

Continued Building....in 2015

  From The Desk of Pastor Tim Johnson, 
       Dean Springs Missionary Baptist Church, Alma Arkansas

 My  three week experience with Missionary Chuck Fernandez in Kenya.  We visited each of the three regions of their ministry here, worshiped with several of the churches that have been established, and hosted a seminar for the sixteen pastors and several other preachers.  Given so much that has happened, I decided to share some of the general observations I've noticed rather than taking volumes to share all the details.

As I enjoyed attending the building dedication service at Ndivisi I noticed how smoothly everything went even with hundreds of visitors attending the service.  Everyone was greeted with refreshments and the services went very smoothly with Pastor Peter and the deacons of the church handling all the details in a way that only someone paying attention to those things would ever notice.  This speaks not only of their attention to details in the Lord's work but the training they have received from Missionary Chuck because you don't have to be in Kenya long to recognize that is not the way most things work.

Another thing I noticed as I had the privilege of teaching at the seminar was the desire the men of God here have to learn from God's Word.  They paid close attention through many hours of teaching.  They asked questions that showed a great depth of understanding even though some had only been saved a few years.  They have a great burden to see souls saved and to lead their churches in the right way and they are willing to sacrifice to do it.

The last bit I'll share deals with the relationships I've seen here.  First, there is a great spirit among the pastors.  During the breaks at the seminar I saw that as different groups gathered and fellowshipped, it wasn't always the same people in each group.  Because they have all been involved in outreaches at each others' churches, they are all invested in each other and it shows.  The other relationships that are very apparent are the ones that Bro. Chuck and Sis. Terry have with the people here in Kenya.  It's not surprising that the pastors and churches they work with love them greatly.  Each one expressed their thankfulness for this couple who had come to share the Gospel with them.  What was a little more surprising to me were the relationships they had with basically everyone else.  Ben (the taxi driver), a worker at the bank, Sebastian (the man who builds the trusses for the churches), and just about every shopkeeper we met wanted to know how Mamma Teresa was doing.  The impact they've had and their testimony for the Lord is extraordinary and I'm confident that it will continue through the work of those churches until the Lord returns.

I was asked by many of the pastors to share their thanks with the churches and individuals who have helped with the work of the Lord in Kenya.  I'll echo their sentiment and thank you for your continued support of this work and the Fernandez's continuing ministry for Christ.

In Christ,
Timothy Johnson
Pastor, Dean Springs Missionary Baptist Church
Alma, AR

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Newsletter January 2015