The spacious meeting room echoed with alert delegates, fresh and eager to begin their week of training and fellowship. Wooden chairs and benches were being added by the minute as late-comers snuck in through the back of the building. The sound of airplanes taking off from the nearby capital airport hummed in the background as the convention leaders commenced the day’s schedule. Ready or not, the first order of business was what we had come for. The Secretary General of the Malagasy Baptist Convention announced the names of the churches seeking to join as official members of the Baptist association. Among the names called out, three rung close to our hearts.
In a nearby building, five Mahafaly men awaited to hear the news of whether their churches would be voted into the convention. Having made the three-day journey from the land of their ancestors, traveling further than they had ever known, these men represented more than just three churches. They embodied a crossroads for the Baptists of Madagascar. To accept these men, these church bodies, would be the acceptance of a new vision. A vision that would seek to reach all of Madagascar with the Gospel of Christ, including the forgotten peoples in the furthest regions. It would mean accepting and loving believers for their mutual faith in Christ, without regard to their culture, education level or economic status. It would mean revolutionizing the way Malagasy Baptists look at church planting, evangelism, and the overall vision of the denomination. These men represented a hundred questions, doubts, and fears; but also a thousand possibilities and blessings.
As the histories of the churches were read aloud, we anxiously glanced around the room looking for any hint of reception or doubt. They had all heard the stories of the Mahafaly ministry. For years, we had shared what God had been doing in the furthest reaches of their country. Conventional leaders had even come down to see their work for themselves. They were open about their excitement and encouraging in their praise of the ministry, but questions still abounded as to the noticeable differences in church form. Church leaders who had never been to seminary. Members who were non-literate. Meetings under trees. Voting these churches in would challenge the way many in the association would define the meaning of “church.”
Our national pastors, who live and work alongside us in the south, stood up to speak on behalf of the Mahafaly churches. They proudly testified of the churches’ faithfulness in their own spiritual journeys, but also in sharing their faith with others. The room was in awe as they heard the number of churches these three had in-turn planted themselves. As these two men sat down, another pastor from among the convention leaders stood and testified of the life change he himself had seen when he came down to the region. The Secretary General asked if anyone had any questions, but the room remained silent. It was time to vote.
One by one, each church was brought forward for vote. Andremba. The remote village where we had seen God work slow and steady. Where cattle thieves, drought and famine were overshadowed by a faithful group of believers whose perseverance and humility has made the rocky road worth each trip. Besatra. The peaceful and steadfast village that has become our family, our home away from home. The first to receive us, the first to accept Christ. Kilimary. The passionate village that has become a shining light in a dark place. The village that has taught us what it means to be Mahafaly and always keeps us on our toes. One by one, the villages were brought forth and, one by one, a room of hands raised in an overwhelming vote of yes. Our eyes brimmed with tears as the Mahafaly men were escorted into the room and officially welcomed into the association. In that moment, not only would the course of the Mahafaly churches ever be changed but also the hearts and future of the Malagasy Baptist Association.