"Who Will Go?"

Romans 15:20 "and I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone's else's foundation." 

Me and Eli at Shoshone Falls

     I have spent the past week in Twin Falls, ID to celebrate and surprise my ex-music minster (Eli) for his 40th birthday. It was a great time seeing how surprised he was seeing his mother, step-dad, and sister who flew in from Illinois,  his mother-in-law (Gail) who drove down from Washington, and brother-in-law (Jason) from Montana to join in the surprise party as well. I believe he was doubly surprised to see his old pastor who traveled 2,000 miles to spend the week with him and his family. Yet, there was much more to my visit than surprising Eli. There was a multitude of  Christ-centered and gospel-saturated conversations with the lost, pastors, and church planters while in Twin Falls.

Me and Pastor Paul Thompson at Idaho Joes

    Therefore, this trip was much more than to surprise Eli. It was also an opportunity to minister in the name of Christ. I had the privilege to meet faithful pastors and church planters from both Idaho and Utah. On Tuesday I had lunch with Pastor Paul Thompson of EastSide Baptist church in Twin Falls, ID. I learned more about the lostness of Twin Falls and the need for faithful gospel preachers throughout the Idaho area. He shared with me that there are communities in Idaho with 20-30,000 people and no gospel preaching churches.

Me and Dr. Travis Kerns

   Likewise, I traveled 120 miles to Pocatello, ID to have dinner on Tuesday evening with Dr. Travis Kerns. Dr. Kerns was my philosophy professor at Boyce College back in 2010. Travis moved to Salt Lake City in 2013 to serve as an NAMB (North American Mission Board) missionary and church planter. I learned there are over 3 million people who live in the state of Utah. There are over 2 million who live in what is called the "bowl area" of SLC. The state of Utah is less than 2% Christian. There is only 1 Christian (gospel preaching) church for every 40,000 people. As Travis shared these stats with me I was heartbroken, saddened, and concerned.

    Being from Alabama there are no shortages of Bible believing churches. This is not the case in Idaho and Utah. Matter of fact, the opposite is true. As there are Christian churches on almost every corner in the South, there are LDS (Mormon) meeting houses on almost every corner here. Mormonism is a way of life here in Idaho and Utah. Mormons call themselves Christians, all the while denying the eternal Deity of Jesus Christ, which makes them not Christian at all. Mormons have another Jesus, like that of Islam and Jehovah Witnesses. They have been taught to believe a lie, rather than the truth of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

LDS Mormon Meeting House

    The bottom line and truth is this; There is a multitude who are dying without hearing the "true" gospel of Jesus Christ, according to the scriptures. Living in the south we are sheltered and often take this truth for granted. God has enlightened you and me with the truth not to keep it to ourselves but to take to the world. It is the gospel of Jesus, which is the power of God to salvation (Rom.1:16). The same gospel that converted the Apostle Paul, me, and if you are a Christian, even you is the same gospel that has the power to change the hearts of Mormons.


   This question is this; Who will go? Who will plant a church where the name of Christ has not been named? Will you support those to go? Will you pray?
Pray. Ask the Lord to use you to take the gospel whether short-term or long-term where the name of Christ has not been named.

For further information you can check see links below:
Salt Lake City

Eastside Baptist Twin Falls