The story is told of William Carey, pioneer English missionary of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, who before traveling to India told Andrew Fuller, “I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the ropes.” Because Fuller and others supported and advocated for him back home, Carey was able to accomplish his mission on the other side of the world.
The phrase “holding the rope” is also reminiscent of newly converted Saul’s escape from his Damascus enemies in Acts 9. Because other disciples lowered him in a basket through the city wall, Saul was able to continue boldly sharing Jesus across the known world. Rarely can missionaries be effective unless someone is holding the other end of the rope.
During this September season of focus on Illinois missions, you might expect me to say that your state missions staff needs your church to hold the rope while we do missions on your behalf. And to some extent that is true. But in our missionary work together here in Illinois, I think it’s more accurate to think of our staff holding the ropes so that hundreds of missionary churches can share Jesus in their own communities and beyond.
Today those ropes are often invisible, but they are just as real and supportive. Think of them as the wireless signal that allows you to make a phone call, or send a text or e-mail, or access immediate help 24/7 through an Internet connection. Your church is ready to boldly go into some ministry or missions challenge, or face the struggle to get unstuck, or navigate some difficulty or even crisis. But you need someone to hold the rope on the other end.
What all our churches really need now
Because our state staff across Illinois is only about 30 people serving almost a thousand churches, we all feel the tugs of those invisible ropes almost every day. And we love it.
We love it because we love the Lord, and we love his Kingdom, and we love his mission, and we love his churches. We love you. And we are committed to being there at the end of that invisible or figurative rope, and to being there in person whenever we can, helping your church thrive, or survive, or revive in its mission and in its unique setting.
Maybe your church wants to make disciples more effectively, or connect with a new missions project, or develop stronger leaders, or reach the next generation. Maybe it needs to solve a problem that has you puzzled, or needs help navigating a crisis. Our end of the rope received all those tugs, just this week.
To be transparent, many of us who work in state missions miss being at the church’s end of the rope all the time. We remember fondly what it was like to pastor a church or teach a Sunday school class or plant a church or be a missionary. But because we’ve experienced some of those things, we know how important it is to have trustworthy people at the other end of the rope.
Like you, we’ve all needed trusted friends of shared biblical belief who can help with timely resources, solutions, encouragement, ideas, prayer, or simply their presence. So, we’re honored to be those trusted friends holding your rope, even when you may feel like you’re at the end of it.
With today’s economic and cultural challenges, I can’t recall a year when your state missions offering is more needed. You can learn more online at missionillinois.org. If your church isn’t receiving a formal offering at this time, you can give securely there too. Why? Because we are committed to being right here with you, holding the rope.
Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Respond at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.