March 1993
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"Over 600,000 people, and maybe 200 Independent Baptists." So began our recent missions trip to Newfoundland. Upon being met at the airport about 11:00 P.M., we were taken to Signal Hill, which overlooks the capital city of St. Johns. As we looked over this metropolitan area of nearly 200,000 people, those words concerning the province
of Newfoundland were spoken to us. Newfoundland and Labrador has the land mass of California with the population of Wyoming or Vermont.
Yet there are only three fundamental Baptist Churches: one in St. Johns with about 120 in attendance, a mission work in Harbour Grace which runs about 25, and a mission work in Corner Brook which runs about 35. There are no fundamental churches in Labrador at all. It is 70 miles from St. Johns to Harbour Grace, and another 350 miles to Corner Brook. There is nothing in between. In Newfoundland there are over 820 towns. Of those only 107 are within a 30 mile radius of these churches. That leaves over 700 towns with virtually no access to the Gospel. The city of Gander has 10,000 people, and no Baptist work. This is the airport where political refugees from Russia enter the country. The cults are there to greet them as they disembark. The nearest fundamental church is nearly 200 miles away. Labrador City is over 10,000 in population, and is over 500 miles plus an all day ferry trip from the nearest fundamental Baptist church. Over 70 communities are accessible only by plane or ferry. They have no access to the Gospel. In the past three years over 7000 Russians have come to Newfoundland for asylum. Only one man, Edgar Mitchell, works with these people.
Christ said "The harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few." Newfoundland is a beautiful province with a culture and language which is virtually the same as ours. Yet hundreds of thousand of people will die there without ever hearing that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus. Why will no one go? Alaska has a similar
population, and has numerous churches and missionaries. Yet the opposite side of North American has almost nothing. Will you pray that God will send laborers into the harvest field; and particularly the field of Newfoundland? Will you give, that others might go? Will you offer your life, and the lives of your children, for God to use as He sees fit? The need is great, and our great God is looking for believers who will volunteer their lives to meet the need.
Your Pastor
Mark J Montgomery
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