KIP PREACHES POWERFULLY TO THE AUSTRAL PAC-RIM WORLD SECTOR AT THE HEROES OF THE FAITH CONFERENCE!
“I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.” 1 Samuel 16:18
A trip to a foreign missions conference is nothing short of life-altering! This year I had the opportunity to attend my 2nd foreign missions conference – the Austral-Pac Rim Missions conference in Manila Philippines, entitled “Heroes of the Faith” where I was given the honor of speaking about the most written about man in the Bible, King David!
I TAUGHT THE KIDS HOW TO TAKE PICTURES AND VIDEOS!
Without a doubt this particular conference made the most dramatic impact of the three conferences I have attended. I left Sunday evening and arrived two days early for meetings and CyberMinistry training sessions. After 34 hours of travel I arrived at 10:30PM. I was extremely grateful the Lord allowed a time mix up so I could experience what your average person experiences when arriving. As the doors of the air conditioned airport opened up the 98% humidity, along with a strong smell which was similar to our sewers stopped me in my tracks. This was a constant smell I would encounter throughout the entire trip.
THE STREETS ARE FILTHY AND NOT MAINTAINED
Then in searching for the disciples I walked across the street to the greeting area where a sea of people awaited their friends and family who were arriving. The moment I walked into the crowds taxi drivers began to grab my bags to try and convince me to let them take me to a destination. For 1.5 hrs they followed me through the crowds, begging and pleading with me to go with them. There was up to 5 at a time pressing against me, using every tactic imaginable – stating my “friends forgot me” to pairs of collaborating taxi drivers yanking at my bags in two different directions to get me to give in in order to dupe me into paying $100 for a three mile ride which normally costs $10. After making it to the conference we opened up with a stellar video and had one of the most fantastic opening performances I have every experienced at any conference. They honored their culture in their dancing while making their primary focus the culture and diversity of the Kingdom! I was surprised to hear from all of the disciples their detailed knowledge of the current events in L.A. and other cities as they love to keep up with other churches and their disciples through social media! They knew what was happening with me and my children better than many disciples here in Southland. Many of them told me how much they enjoyed listening to my sermons on YouTube for their quiet times. I was completely blown away by their love for me, my family, and the Kingdom – an upward call for every disciple in The Kingdom!
THE TRAFFIC IS INFINITELY WORSE THAN LA
Kyle Batholomew’s preaching and the zeal of the young disciples is so impressive that it has drawn into the Manila fellowship more than a handful of remnant disciples , most of whom were in the ministry in the former movement. This has filled the congregation with a maturity and shepherding that is propelling the growth of the church. They have now had over 140 additions in the first year of the church! Excitingly, five of those remnant disciples have gone back into the ministry – two of them supporting themselves – all received their ICCM Degrees in Ministry because of their etensive training over the years! Every single disciple said they immediately came to the ICC after reading the history of our movement on kipmkean.com! Their impact is being felt as they influenced a self-supporting missionary sister from Davao, Philippines to fly to the conference and after 6 hrs of talks decided to go back to Davao, get her family, and join the movement! God is truly gathering his remnant throughout the Philippines!
FOUR FORMER MINISTRY REMNANT DISCIPLES GOING BACK INTO THE MINISTRY AND EARNING THEIR ICCM DEGREES!
We were able to see three of the four former remnant disicples appointed and L.A.’s own Zach and Ariel Shields, who went on the mission team from L.A., were appointed Evangelist and Women’s Ministry Leader, giving the great Manila church three Evangelists and four Women’s ministry leaders. They also have 12 unpaid interns – fired up disicples who work part-time and are discipled as interns until the church can support paying them in the work of the ministry!
THE MERCY DAY AT THE ORPHANAGE WAS ONE OF THE BEST EVENTS DONE IN OUR MOVEMENT!
It was amazing to watch Kip and Elena be freed up to do the work of strengthening disciples and unifying the remnant with our movements FIVE CORE DISTINGUISHING CONVICTIONS: 1. The Bible is the Word of God. The church is built on the teachings of the OT and the NT. The Word of God and the Church study cover this conviction. 2. We are silent where the bible speaks and speak where the bible is silent. In other words, if the bible commands it, we are silent and obey. Yet if the bible is silent on the matter, we are free to be creative with whatever we’d like to implement. Things like bible talks, midweek services, house church leaders and overseeing evangelists. The first principles further clarify these convictions. 3. The church is composed of sold-out disciples in discipling relationships. It is absolutely critical that every disciples is 100% committed. That is the church. The first principles studies of Discipleship, Light and Darkness, and The Coming of the Kingdom all cover these convictions deeply. 4. We believe in a central leadership with a central leader. The church. 5. We have the biblical vision to evangelize the world in this generation! At this conference I learned the importance of our central leader travelling as Paul did from church to church unifying everyone’s convictions. Watching the McKeans teach, train, rebuke, correct, and admonish disciples from a different culture, in a different part of the world brought a new sense of unity that I now see as essential in getting this world won in our generation! I have a deep conviction to do whatever it takes to keep the unity spreading to every continent! As written in Nehemiah 3:16, “Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes.” It was awesome to see the walls of Christianity being repaired in our day.