Reflecting on 2020 at Spirit & Truth
Dear Friends of Spirit & Truth,
As we begin 2021 I have been reflecting on the past year and I am overwhelmed by the goodness of God and his faithfulness through such a strange year. In what seems like an eternity ago, this year began for our ministry with trips to Georgia where we were equipping two congregations with tools to share the good news of Jesus Christ in their everyday lives. I had no idea at the time how quickly the world would change after those trips. Our second annual Spirit & Truth conference was scheduled to begin March 12. On the night before, the President addressed the nation about the new pandemic, and then the day we were to begin the governor here in Ohio banned all gatherings over 100 people. We were forced to make the very difficult decision to cancel our conference. Again, looking back I had no idea that we were only at the tip of the iceberg.
2020 was hard for so many people, and while paling in comparison to the consequences for so many others, at Spirit & Truth it caused us to cancel many ministry trips and planned events. I was often left with nagging questions about how best to live out our mission of equipping the church in such a strange season. But by the grace, as I reflect, I see the many ways God redeemed this time for our ministry and the incredible opportunities we were still afforded in spite of the circumstances. Here are a few highlights from 2020…
Spirit & Truth was able to offer many online training opportunities for church leaders throughout the year in the key areas of our vision: empowered by the Spirit, rooted in the truth, and mobilized for the mission. This has included practical ministry training in worship, discipleship and evangelism. It has also included theological training like our Pastor’s Theology Seminar.
While unable to travel for our normal evangelism training, we were still able to equip many small groups, Sunday school classes, and even a couple seminary classes throughout the year to be more intentional in sharing their faith. Hearing stories of people taking bold steps to tell others about Jesus has been so rewarding!
Seeing the need created during the pandemic for our global ministry partners we began fundraising and doing regular outreaches in Kenya and Cuba to provide food and clean water. We had never done this before, and yet in 2020, Spirit & Truth raised $53,837 for these global causes! Honestly, this feels miraculous to me. Literally thousands of people were fed and kept alive by these gifts.
Our increased global focus also allowed us to empower a new Spirit & Truth team member, Rev. Davies Musigo, to serve as our Africa Regional Director. Under his leadership we now have a network of 60 pastors partnering with Spirit & Truth in Kenya. We were able to offer our first two pastors training workshops through local leadership and the gift of technology.
On June 1 we launched a brand new resource for the church, Firebrand Magazine. This online magazine has gathered together some of the leading scholars in the Wesleyan/Methodist/Pentecostal world. To date Firebrand articles have been viewed over 200,000 times! We now have tens of thousands of readers every month who are digging into important teaching that is Biblically grounded and addressing key issues for the church.
In August we launched a new initiative called the Spirit & Truth Network. This network for ministry leaders now has nearly 150 pastors and leaders from 32 different states. We gather monthly online for support, prayer and training. God has really blessed this new connection and we have some deeply respected leaders who are now willing to invest in the ministry of those in our network.
In the fall we hosted our first outdoor revival weekend for the Dayton area where several gave their lives to Jesus and many had life-impacting encounters with God. We are excited that churches have expressed interest in Spirit & Truth helping them offer similar weekends once pandemic realities allow for it.
2020 was a difficult year for so many, and it certainly created challenges for our ministry as well. But God is good. And by his Spirit he allowed us to continue our work of awakening and equipping the church in so many ways. On a financial note, I want to share that this season initially made me nervous about how we would navigate, but I am humbled to report that by the grace of God we actually end 2020 more financially stable than when we started as a ministry. Only God, through the incredible generosity of many, could do such a thing. Thank you to our faithful financial partners who have made this possible! Spirit & Truth only exists because of the faithful giving of individuals and churches who believe in this vision.
As we look to the future, I am excited about all the opportunities that stand before us in 2021. With all the chaos of this year, and even the recent national unrest, I am more convinced than ever that the only remedy is a true spiritual awakening. We need Jesus. The church must become fully alive and live into her true other-wordly identity. And Spirit & Truth is committed to doing anything we can to be a catalyst for such a move of God. Please continue to pray for us and if possible, please continue to give. I believe big things are on the horizon for this ministry and we cannot do it without your prayers and financial support.
In the midst of a pandemic, God is still good. In the midst of political strife, God is still good. In the midst of a sin-filled and utterly broken world, God is still good. In the midst of a difficult year, God has been so good to our ministry. To him be the glory and honor for ever and ever.
Your servant in Christ,
Matt Reynolds, Spirit & Truth President