Update from the Vice-President

May 2007

Dear FaithSearch Friend,

Greetings! I am writing this update from my recently appointed position as vice president of FaithSearch
International. I am truly thrilled to be here.

For nearly twenty of my twenty-three years with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, I had the
extraordinary privilege of working with Christian leaders around the world–to train and encourage them in the task of taking the Good News of God to people who need to know and experience it in their lives. After traveling over two-and-a-half million miles to eighty countries, I am grateful for the opportunity to join FaithSearch, to bring some balance to my own life while continuing to fulfill my calling to encourage and enable God’s people around the world to proclaim the Gospel.

Why FaithSearch?

In our modern and complex world, the task of proclaiming the Gospel is full of opportunities and fraught with
challenges. Modern communications provide incredible opportunities to take the Gospel to places which previously had never heard it. With the dominance of satellite television and the Internet, people in even the poorest countries have amazing access to information. Competing philosophies and religions also have these same opportunities. Who will people believe? Where will they turn for answers to their deep and heartfelt questions? As Christians we must find ways of engaging effectively in what some call “the marketplace of ideas.”

I am convinced that FaithSearch is a ministry unusually configured to assist the people of God in facing these challenges.

Consider the challenge of competing with many religions and philosophies. We are all too aware of the clash of religions in our world. In Asia, the world’s most populous continent, Christians are almost universally in the minority and often feel ill-equipped to give a reason for the hope they have in Jesus Christ. The answer lies in equipping Christians with the tools to effectively compete in this marketplace of ideas. The testimony of many who have attended FaithSearch events suggests that there are few–if any–other ministries which so effectively provide tools for people in the pew to share the historic reality and reasoned veracity of the foundational truths of Christianity: the existence of God, the reliability of Scripture, and the deity of Jesus Christ.

“[FaithSearch Discovery] is very helpful training for me. Before this training I had so many doubts, but my mind is now cleared. It is very useful in our ministry in community areas.”
—A Christian worker in India…with fourteen years in ministry

Consider the related challenges of nominalism and syncretism (the mixing of religions or beliefs). Where the church does dominate society by the sheer numbers of those who attend church on Sunday, this dominance is not always reflected in the home or marketplace on Monday. Some succumb to the pressures of society, having to compromise in order to make a living in a corrupt system. Others continue to hang on to the religions of their ancestors and mix those practices with their Christian beliefs. In Africa, when a child becomes sick, Christian parents will often take the child first to the witch doctor before they take him to the hospital. FaithSearch encourages Christians through reason and Scripture to commit their lives wholly to Jesus through the power of His Holy Spirit and the instruction of his Word.

Consider the challenge of inadequate leadership. The rapid statistical growth of the Church, especially in Africa and Latin America, has resulted in a desperate need for leaders, both in quantity and in quality. Often local pastors have received little or no training and lead their flocks barely knowing where they are going themselves. Where leaders are poorly equipped, how can Christians expect to make much difference? Often, what training is provided is not relevant to their situation or makes too many assumptions about their previous experience. In contrast, FaithSearch universal questions of life: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?

“This is a wonderful training on Faith. I would like to use it at my Bible School for our students and others to teach the historical facts of Christianity to build their faith. Thank you for this great opportunity.” —Bible School Director in Vijayawada, India

Consider the challenge of unnecessary divisions and disagreements. At a FaithSearch event recently held in Kolkata, India, a Roman Catholic priest came up to the evangelist who had been teaching and enthused, “This is excellent material. Every pastor should attend this seminar, especially some of the Protestant pastors in this city!” Because FaithSearch focuses on the foundational issues of Christianity, the material finds acceptability across the spectrum of Christian denominations. In Russia, both the Orthodox Church and evangelical denominations and institutions have welcomed the ministry that FaithSearch offers. FaithSearch is appropriately poised to partner with denominations and ministry organizations to effectively communicate the Gospel with evidence and equip the church to reach everyone.

I am convinced that FaithSearch is one of the best kept secrets in the world of Christian ministries. My vision for FaithSearch is to correct this situation through networking with many of the fine Christian leaders with whom I have had the privilege to serve. We will also continue to develop partnerships with other ministries, as we are doing with India Campus Crusade for Christ, whose international networks are already in place and whose ministries FaithSearch will enhance.

Why Now?

Personally I have seen God at work in my own life in a way that I cannot recall ever experiencing before. When Dr. Don Bierle approached me about the possibility of joining FaithSearch, we talked about what FaithSearch needed in order to “Extend the Vision.” I looked at what I could offer and was amazed at the way God had prepared my life to fit that need. I was impressed by Don’s willingness to take FaithSearch into the international arena, a direction he himself had not anticipated nor intended, and for which he did not feel personally equipped. I was struck by his passion for the lost, by his vision for the ministry, and by his willingness to follow God’s leading and surround himself with staff who would complement his style of leadership and expertise. I was moved by his willingness to go anywhere to lend his teaching abilities as the author of the material, so as to launch FaithSearch in other countries and to share his own testimony of a life transformed by the love and power of God. I personally was abundantly blessed when I sat through the FaithSearch Discovery seminar last September and had some of my own doubts and concerns addressed and my own faith strengthened.

Thank you for having faithfully supported Don and his staff through your prayers, abilities, time, and finances.Your investment has already paid off, but I believe we are on the threshold of a whole new level of ministry. God has just begun His work and He will carry it in to completion for the day of Jesus Christ (see Philippians 1:6).

One of these exciting developments is our newest ministry resource. Dr. Bierle’s popular and effective
presentation of FaithSearch Origins: Making Sense of Creation and Evolution, has been produced for DVD. As a way of saying thank you for a gift of any size before the end of our fiscal year (June 30) I will send you a free copy of this brand new DVD. I believe it will encourage and equip you on this timely issue. We all look forward to your continuing partnership with us through prayer and practical support in the fulfillment of our mission to “proclaim the Gospel with evidence to all people everywhere.”

Believing God for His provision,

Roy Kruse
Vice-President

PS: You can help us ease our deficit and end the year financially strong with a generous contribution by June 30. Return the response form (PDF) with your gift, and be sure to request your FREE DVD (a $15 value). With all the fuss over what should and shouldn’t be taught in schools–and with politicians weighing in on all levels–this is a must see presentation, especially for students, teachers, pastors and parents. Dr. Bierle’s emphasis on the powerful concept of intelligent design will unite rather than divide people on this controversial subject.