Joseph Williams, CEO of Feed the Hunger
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:27
One of the primary joys we get in full-time mission work is through the cross-cultural partnerships we have with faithful men and women serving the Lord both here in America and around the world. They really are some of the most incredible people you will ever meet. It is an honor just to know them, let alone serve alongside them in an equipping capacity.
These kinds of partnerships have been the bedrock of this ministry for nearly 50 years. My father founded the ministry in 1968, building it over the decades around long-standing and Christ-centered partnerships. This book is dedicated to the memory of Dr. J.L. Williams and his legacy, which has deeply impacted not only this ministry, but also untold thousands of individuals, churches, businesses, and ministries the world over.
In the spirit of partnership, I asked several of our current partners to write a devotional or two to share with you, our American friends, prayer partners, and supporters. Up until now, you have only heard from and been blessed by them through us, as we share what their ministries are doing for God’s glory. This devotional compilation gave them a different platform to reach you. I told them to share whatever the Lord led them to write about and gave them no parameters. I was eager to sit back and watch the Lord bring together amazing messages through them, and He didn’t disappoint.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of what you’re about to read. The cumulative centuries of walking faithfully with the Lord and the years and decades of theological training, frontline mission experience, and persecution to varying degrees represented in these incredible servant-leaders is a humbling thing to comprehend. What you are about to read is not storytelling from the field, but rather the sharing of timeless wisdom by 17 current partners from 14 countries. Their ministry and job titles are withheld to keep the focus on their message.
We are all members of one body, as the verse above states. We often think of this in the context of the American Church in general and our specific church body in particular. Instead, especially as you read this devotional, I encourage you to see this verse in light of the worldwide church. We are part of something big.
We will one day worship the Lord together with “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9). Until that day comes, these partnerships give us a glimpse of the power of unity, of serving together in the Body of Christ. And, hopefully, this month-long devotional will help you as you seek to know the Lord and serve Him in your sphere of influence. May God be glorified through this devotional and through our lives. Amen!
