Recent Updates
Dear Friends,
As you read this report, Gayle and I will be once again on a flight to Asia where we will be doing ministry in two different communist countries. We covet your prayers for wisdom, blessing and safety as we serve.
We are now half way through 2019, and I am amazed at the grace and blessings of God upon the Barnabas1040 ministry. In the first six months of 2019 we were able to add four new countries to the growing list of restricted access nations in which we are now able to plant churches. We added Mali (98% Muslim), Senegal (94% Muslim), Myanmar (more than 90% Buddhist) and Egypt (95% Muslim).
In addition to these four new countries, we were able to expand our presence in India, Bangladesh and Laos.
The first six months of 2019 our fifty church planters serving in fourteen different countries reported seeing 1,126 salvation decisions and 377 new converts who followed Christ in baptism and became members of the local church that brought them the gospel. Please keep in mind that our men work exclusively in difficult areas where it is often dangerous to make a decision to follow Jesus and Christian baptism can lead to great persecution.
In addition to helping plant churches we have been privileged in the first 6 months of 2019 to invest $10,000.00 in building an orphanage in Burma, $3,000.00 to build a church and training center in Laos and $5,000.00 to help with relief efforts after the devastating Easter terrorist bombing in Sri Lanka.
All of these projects are being handled by soul-winning Independent Baptist missionaries and churches in the country who not only relieve the physical suffering of their people, but also point them to the Lord Jesus Christ who can heal the deepest needs of their hearts through the new birth.
As I write these words I am once again reminded of God’s incredible love for the lost, the poor and those who have little or no access to the gospel. God’s love, mercy and grace are the only explanation I can give for why He would bless our young ministry in such a huge way!
Growth always brings challenges however and I find myself in the position of having more good young men needing support than I can help. The need is especially critical in India and Vietnam at the moment. Pastor, for as little as one to four hundred dollars a month, depending upon the country and area, your church can put a gospel-preaching evangelist on the field. These men will be working in villages and cities where people have literally never heard the gospel. Many have never met a Christian. Please contact me by if I can help connect you to one of these men.
In closing I want to say once again how thankful Gayle and I are for each one who prays for and supports this ministry. None of these miracles could take place without God’s blessings upon your prayers and finances. Thank you for caring for those who are still waiting to hear the wonderful story of Jesus. Together we are shining the light in some of the darkest corners of the world.
We love you and we count it a great privilege to strive together with you in this ministry.
Prayer Requests:
* God’s protection on our Timothys in difficult places. Several have been visited and harassed by the police recently.
* Finances as we continue to expand in both church planting and humanitarian relief through the missionaries we work with.
* Health to deal with the strain of traveling to different time zones, climates, foods and normally unsanitary conditions on a regular basis.
Dwight & Gayle Tomlinson
Email: ran1040me@gmail.com
Cell: (949) 880-9415
China Cell: 086-1521-888-1511
Growing Pains:
When my wife and I resigned the pastorate in the summer of 2015 to begin Barnabas1040 we had little more than a dream and a conviction. We were convinced that equipping native speakers to reach their own people for Christ was not only biblical, but also the most effective way to impact the world for Christ.
Our ministry structure is simple:
- We need someone in the USA presenting the ministry and raising prayer and financial support.
- We need someone overseas doing the critical work of vetting the nationals before we send support.
- There must be a missionary/pastor in the host country that can receive and distribute funds as well as insure accountability and mentoring.
In order to birth this ministry we spent 18 months casting the vision primarily to churches on the West Coast. We then moved to China for 2 years where we based while traveling to multiple countries in SE Asia developing a network of missionaries and church planters.
Today by God’s grace we support 55 national pastors through a network of 16 missionary pastors in 13 different countries reaching Buddhist, Muslims, Hindus and Communist people, most of whom are hearing the gospel for the very first time. Hundreds are being saved and baptized each month.
Our growing pains are that we now have more opportunities to plant churches then we have monthly financial support. Therefore we must make some logistical and personnel adjustments to see the ministry continue to grow.
Our plan for 2019 is to divide our time between Asia and America while praying for God to raise up likeminded helpers that will labour with us. If you would like for me to present the ministry to your church in 2019 or 2020, please contact me by email or at 949-880-9415.
New Church Planting Opportunities:
We have open doors to plant multiple churches right now in India, Egypt and Bangladesh. These are all men that I know personally. I have questioned them concerning their salvation, doctrinal beliefs and current ministry. They are ready and willing to win souls, baptize converts and plant churches in dangerous areas. They speak the language, understand the culture and can go places where foreign missionaries cannot. All they need is a little financial help from their brothers and sisters.
Would you consider sponsoring one or more of these families? All they need is $100.00 a month each. Any Pastor reading this email could lead your church to plant a church in one of the most unreached parts of the world for about $3.00 a day!
Caring for the most vulnerable:
Our primary focus will always be planting churches among unreached peoples using national pastors. One of the main benefits to Barnabas1040 is that we have eyes and ears on the ground. In my travels I see first hand the incredible needs and opportunities. There are thousands of children who are forcibly taken and sold into human trafficking. There are thousands more whose parents have died or simply cannot afford to care for them.
Praise God that some of our national churches are doing what they can with their meager resources to rescue unwanted children. Several weeks ago I was in Myanmar and visited a home where I met 29 beautiful Burmese children being cared for by one of the Baptist churches that we support. Those precious children live in conditions that no one reading this email would be willing to live in. They have a little rice and a few vegetables to eat daily and once a week they have a little chicken. God raised up a friend of our ministry to help, and now they are building a new building and have been able to greatly improve the amount and quality of food!
Many of the young people go on to do great things for God. Recently I preached in a church that was started by a former orphan raised in a children’s home. Children’s homes are not just rescuing kids from extreme poverty, they are training future spiritual leaders.
If you would like to sponsor one or more orphans, I can put you in contact with good Christian people who are providing loving homes and a Christian education. There is a great open door in Vietnam right now to help orphans. Please let me know if you would like more information.
In conclusion I want to let you know how grateful Gayle and I are for all those who pray for and support this ministry. We could not do what we do without your help. Thank you for striving together with us to make Christ known in some of the most spiritually dark areas of our world. By God’s amazing grace we are making a difference together.
Prayer Requests:
- Wisdom as we navigate the adjustments necessary for a growing ministry.
- More churches to sponsor the national pastors that we have waiting for support.
- Protection, safety, and power for the more than 50 church planters we are currently helping.
- Continued growth. My prayer is that we will soon be sponsoring 100 national church planters.
- Protection, safety and open doors as I seek those American churches that God wants us to partner with through Barnabas1040.
God bless you,
Dwight & Gayle Tomlinson
Email: dtomlinsonlbc@gmail.com
U.S. Cell: (949) 880-9415
China Cell: 086-1521-888-1511
Dear Friends,
The first quarter of the year is not yet over but we have already seen God do some wonderful things. By His grace we are continuing to expand and grow.
• January We saw the expansion of the Barnabas1040 family into 2 African countries: Mali and Senegal.
• February We were able to make a trip into Myanmar where we taught, preached and vetted several national pastors. As a result of that trip we have committed to support 6 new national church planters and one orphanage. That gives us 10 churches, an orphanage and a Bible College we are helping in Myanmar.
• March 5 – 11 We spent in the Philippines with Pastor Gilbert Toquero in LaLoma Baptist Church in the Manila area. I was able to speak to over 200 pastors and missionaries and as a result of the trip to the Philippines, we are in the process of vetting church planters in the Philippines, India, and Bangladesh. I am praying that in the next few weeks we will be able to help several more church planters.
I anticipate 2019 being a great year of expansion as we still have meetings scheduled in Australia, Bangladesh, and Laos.
Our goal at Barnabas1040 is not just a large number of men to support. Our goal is to identify and come alongside godly men that are doctrinally sound, soul winners that will plant indigenous gospel preaching Baptist churches in the least evangelized parts of the world. All of the men we support work alongside missionaries that are able to provide mentoring and accountability. Our support enables these men to get into cities and villages that are often difficult for foreigners to penetrate. They already speak the language, understand the culture and are able to do the work for a fraction of what it would cost an outsider.
We now support well over 50 families in 13 of the least evangelized countries in the world. Our numbers would be greater if we did not take the time to vet these men, or if we sent them only a few dollars a month. Each of these families receives between $100.00 and $400.00 a month depending upon the economic level of the area where they are working. Our goal is to see them full time in the soul-winning/church planting ministry and for their church to be self supporting within 5 years. We are working towards sustainable ministries that can function without outside support. Our goal is the Great Commission, not Spiritual Colonization. Please pray for these men and their families.
The nature of this ministry requires that we continually pick up new supporting churches if we are going to continually add new church planters. I am seeking Pastors that will partner with us in church planting in the countries with the least access to the Gospel. Pastor, would you pray about your church planting a sister church in a restricted access nation?
My wife and I have our home base in Asia but we will be back in the USA some in 2019 and have a few open dates if there are any pastors who would like us to present or report on the Barnabas1040 ministry. We have some dates open in November and December of 2019. Please email me if you would be interested.
I want to close this brief update by once again acknowledging how grateful we are to God for each of you who support this ministry through prayer and finances. We know that we could not do what we do without you. Not a week goes by that we are not seeing multiple souls saved, baptized and added to local churches through those we are helping in 13 different countries across Asia. This is fruit that abounds to your account according to the promise of God in Philippians 4:14-19.
Thank you for standing with us in seeking the lost in the 1040 region.
Dwight & Gayle Tomlinson
Email: dtomlinsonlbc@gmail.com
China Phone: 086-1521-888-1511
U.S. Office @ Liberty Baptist Church: (949) 760-5444
“The only thing worse than being lost, is being lost with no one looking for you”
Dear Friends,
China:
The New Year is off to a great start here in the 1040 Region of the world. The world’s largest human migration takes place annually here in China during the Lunar New Year as millions of people return to the hometown of their ancestors. Chinese New Year is every major holiday wrapped up in one package, and everything pretty much comes to a screeching halt for about 2 weeks as people travel.
One thing that has not come to a halt during this time is the ministry of Barnabas1040.
Africa:
By God’s grace in the first 6 weeks of 2019 we added 2 new countries to the areas where we are helping plant churches through national pastors. We are now supporting men in the West African countries of Mali and Senegal. The families we are helping are serving in Muslim areas. That means we are now helping to plant churches in 13 different countries in the least evangelized parts of the world.
Myanmar:
In addition to the Lord allowing us to expand into the Muslim parts of West Africa, Gayle and I just returned from a week in Yangon, Myanmar (formally known as Rangoon, Burma). This is the city where America’s first missionary Adoniram Judson labored 200 years ago.
Yangon is a city of 10 million people that is almost entirely Buddhist. I preached in the largest Independent Baptist Bible College in Myanmar as well as teaching missions classes to smaller Bible Institutes and preaching in local churches.
As a result of this trip we have an opportunity to help 6 national church planters establish strong soul winning Independent Baptist Churches in Yangon. I have personally met with all of these men and have confidence that they are worthy of our partnership. In addition to planting at least 6 new churches, we have the opportunity to help a children’s home that is providing food, shelter and spiritual training to precious Burmese children who have no one else to care for them. These children have very little materially. They eat a little rice 3 times a day, and once a week they have a little chicken to go with their rice. They are cared for by loving workers who once were themselves orphans in the same home. Our support will enable them to have meat more than once a week and also help them to expand and care for even more needy children.
Barnabas1040 already supports 9 evangelist/church planters in the Northern part of Myanmar, but by adding these 6 men in the South and helping the Baptist Children’s home we will be able to increase the number of people being given the opportunity to know Christ.
God has opened some great doors for us in Yangon and we must not fail to go through them!
Philippines:
In a few days we will leave China once again to make the 3 hour flight to Manila where I have been invited to preach a local Church Missions Conference and also speak to Filipino pastors and missionaries. My wife will be speaking to the pastor and missionary wives.
It is my prayer that the Lord will allow us to be a help to those who are on the front lines reaching people in this part of the world with the gospel. I also hope to meet men that we can help through our ministry to plant more churches that will in turn reproduce more churches for Christ. I look forward to giving you a report of God’s blessings next month when we return from the Philippines.
I also want to take a moment to say thank you to those churches and individuals who pray for and support Barnabas1040. We know that we could not continue this ministry without you. Together we are making a difference in the large cities and small villages in some of the poorest and neediest countries of the world. Please pray that God will be glorified and lives will be changed as we seek to make Him known in this part of the world.
Prayer Requests:
- We are asking God to raise up 6 new churches to sponsor the 6 men I met with in Burma last week. These men are called, trained and vetted. We can get them full time on the field for $100.00 a month each. If any pastor reading this would be willing to sponsor one of these men, please let me know and I will send you more information.
- Please pray for safety, protection and especially God’s grace to face the satanic opposition that always comes with doing ministry in this part of the world. I am not always at liberty to share details, but opposition is a given in the 1040 Region.
- Please pray for Gayle and I as we seek God’s leading in how He would have us continue to expand the ministry. By God’s grace we are helping more than 50 church plants, 3 Bible Colleges and 2 orphanages in 13 countries. We are maxed out as far as monthly support is concerned. I do not believe this is all God wants to accomplish. We need wisdom as to the best way to expand.
God bless you, and thank you once again for allowing us to represent you and our Savior in this part of the world. We love you.
Dwight & Gayle Tomlinson
Email: dtomlinsonlbc@gmail.com
China Phone: 086-1521-888-1511
U.S. Office @ Liberty Baptist Church: (949) 760-5444
Dear Friends,
I am writing the last prayer letter of 2018 from the chilly Seattle, Washington area where Gayle and I will be celebrating Christmas with two of our daughters and their families. We are scheduled to depart December 26th to return to Asia. I wanted to give you a quick report of the past few months as well as some of the things on the horizon.
Vietnam Ministry:
In September the Lord allowed us to minister in Vietnam where I was able to preach to hundreds of Christian workers in 2 different cities. We saw 9 people saved and several baptized. We also met some young men that I hope to be able to help in church planting in unreached villages soon. We are in the process of vetting them and also seeking new supporters to help us evangelize this needy country.
Pakistani Refugee Ministry:
One of our partners in Sri Lanka has a ministry providing help to Pakistani refugees in Sri Lanka. We were able to help Missionary Terry Unruh with a $2,500.00 donation to this relief effort that is seeing many refugees come to Christ. We also have the privilege of partnering with Brother Unruh by supporting his church planting ministry through national pastors.
Expanding into North Africa:
We recently returned to the USA for a series of Missions Conferences in California, Oregon, Washington and New Jersey. While in Berlin, New Jersey I was introduced to a veteran missionary to Africa. He was able to put me into contact with one of his men in the country of Mali who is in great need of financial help to keep he and his family on the field.
Mali is one of the neediest countries of Africa being over 90% Muslim. The Joshua Project estimates that less than 1% of the 20 million people in Mali are born again Christians. I am very happy that God has opened a door for us to help this dear man of God and his family remain in the country. The church planter is from another African country but he speaks the local language and feels called to leave the comparatively safer parts of Africa in order to reach the Muslims in Mali. We are honored to stand with him. By God’s grace, this will be our 45th church planter added to Barnabas1040!
2019 Ministry Expansion:
In the first four months of the new year we are scheduled to be in China, Myanmar, Australia, and the Philippines. We will be speaking in churches, vetting national pastors, teaching in Bible Colleges and increasing the Barnabas1040 family as the Lord enables us to financially support new national pastors in some of the most unreached places in the world. Please pray for God’s guidance and provision as we seek those that we can help in reaching their own people in difficult and dangerous places. I am also considering a return trip to Vietnam as well as a trip into India.
Return to China:
Please be in prayer as we return to China in 3 weeks. The government crack down is spreading as more and more churches are being restricted and closed. God’s people, both foreign and nationals, are being censored with several foreigners having lost their ability to stay in the country. China needs your prayers!
In closing, I want to express my sincere appreciation to all of you who pray for and support this ministry. Our ministry is only 4 years old but the Lord has allowed us to grow to the point that we are operating in 12 countries in the 1040 Window. We are seeing scores of new churches planted in multiple cities and villages across Asia. Our progress seems slow at times, but I am committed to making sure that the men we support are doctrinally sound, hard working, and have an accountability structure.
None of this would be possible without those that God has led to partner with this ministry. We are deeply grateful to each of you!
God bless you, and Merry Christmas!
Dwight & Gayle Tomlinson
Barnabas1040.com
Email: dtomlinsonlbc@gmail.com
China Phone: 086-1521-888-1511
U.S. Office @ Liberty Baptist Church: (949) 760-5444
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