In the previous edition of our magazine, I wrote about the beauty of the family of God. In this edition, I am inspired to write about one of the projects we are undertaking to ensure that the bond between Apostolic Faith family members remains strong regardless of where we may be on the globe.

The family of God is one of the greatest blessings God has given the Church. We love each member and cherish the fellowship and encouragement we derive from one another. Yet, there are some who have had to relocate for reasons beyond their control, settling in a location where there is no Apostolic Faith Church. I can speak from personal experience about the challenges this presents. In 2010, my family was living in British Columbia, Canada, and we worshiped at our church in Langley. That summer, through changes in my career, God led us to move to Pullman, Washington. Some dear friends drove with us to Pullman, but when we got there, we didn’t know anyone in our new town. There was no family of God to gather with. Our nearest church was in Yakima, Washington, which meant commuting over seven hours round trip to attend church.

We greatly missed being near our church, but God had a plan. Seven months later, God led a couple from our church in Richmond, California, to move to Eastern Washington. Soon, another family came, and then another, until we found ourselves surrounded by a beautiful family of God in Pullman. After years of commuting such a long distance to our church in Yakima, at last the Pullman Apostolic Faith Church was established, and we were thrilled to have a small part in its start and growth.

Sister Miriam Panganayi also faced the difficulty of living far from a church (read her testimony here). After college, she joined the Zimbabwe Diplomatic Service. In her first assignment abroad, she did not attempt to connect with a church, and that decision proved to be spiritually disastrous. She learned from that experience, and in future assignments, she prioritized her connection to the saints of God. In Malaysia, her family regularly received Gospel literature from the saints in Zimbabwe. In Brazil, they joined a small Apostolic Faith group who were no doubt blessed by their support in the services. In the United Kingdom, the Panganayis opened their home in Aylesbury for cottage meetings, an effort which ultimately culminated in a church dedication in 2023.

Our desire is for every member of the Apostolic Faith family to be able to worship at our churches in person. However, God may have another plan in mind. In those cases, we want to support our remote members to the best of our abilities. In the World Report, you can read about a recent effort to connect with those who are currently living far from our churches. God has started to bless that outreach and if the Lord tarries, in future editions of this magazine, we will report on new groups that are springing up because of this effort. We encourage anyone who does not live close enough to attend one of our branch churches to participate (you can fill out the survey here). Though far away, each one is still part of the family of God! As we all keep these individuals in our prayers, we look forward to seeing how God will use their unique circumstances for His good purposes.