A BRIEF REPORT OF THE JOINT MINISTRY OF
GARY AND JANET TOMBERLIN
AND THEIR FAITHFUL SUPPORTERS
IN THE COUNTRY OF BRAZIL
1966 – 2007
Acts 2:42
"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine
and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
We are missionaries devoted to the means of
growth in grace outlined in Acts 2:42—the preaching and teaching
of the Word, the fellowship of believers, and prayer. Our
purpose is to glorify God. We are committed to the centrality,
inerrancy, authority, and sufficiency of the Word of God and we
desire to bear witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout
Brazil.
- Approved as missionaries by the Baptist Bible
Fellowship, Int. in February, 1966.
- Arrived on the mission field of Brazil in May of 1967
- We have three children: Bradley, Lori and Brian. All three are
married and we
have 7 grandchildren, 1 great grandchild and expecting the second.
- Gary's birthday, February 16, 1940
- Janet's birthday, February 15, 1940
- Our wedding anniversary, March 17, 1961
- Sending church, First Bible Baptist Church, 1156 N. Oliver,
Wichita, Ks. 67208
MINISTRIES OF THE FIRST 40
YEARS:
(all in the language of Brazilian Portuguese)
> Church planting: We personally started four new
churches in southern Brazil and turned them over to national
pastors. Co-labored (worked together with a Brazilian) in
starting churches in remote places
> Youth Camp: Location, Curitiba (pop: 2,000,000)
- bought property and built all the facilities to
accommodate 120.
- used the camp for ten years
- sold the property in 1997. Buyer continues to use it
for Youth Camps.
- reinvested the proceeds ($150,000.00) in Brazilian
Rotating Fund.
> Regional Bible Institutes: I directed 2-year basic
courses in remote areas of Brazil using the physical facilities
of a local church but including students from surrounding area.
These three Regional institutes were in the interior of the
country located 1500 to 2000 miles from our home in southern
Brazil.
Name of church and location: (each town over 2000 miles from our
home)
- Igreja Batista Biblica in Avelino Lopes, Pi. 1998-99,
13 graduates
- Igreja Batista Biblica in Buritirama, Ba. 2001-02, 11
graduates
- Igreja Batista Biblica in Campo Grande, Ms. 2003-04,
24 graduates
(I have taught in other Bible Institutes in earlier
years in São Paulo, and Curitiba.)
> Brazilian Rotating Fund: (co-laboring with Brazilians
in church building)
- Organized in July, 1997
- Legal name of controlling organization: "Associação
de Auxílio as Igrejas"
(Association for Helping Churches")
- Purpose: Loan money, interest free, to Brazilian
Bible Baptist churches, for
buying property and building church
facilities.
- Total capital presently being rotated: aprox.
$300,000.00
- 64 loans made → 41 loans already paid off → only one
default (for $3000.00)
- 15 of the 64 loans were made to help with starting
new churches.
- Total that has been rotated,
$550,000.00 (dollars) Money is now rotating
for the third time.
- The capital in the Fund is growing because 14
churches in Brazil and 2
churches in the U.S.A. support it
monthly, and 16 churches in the U.S.A. have
promised to send in yearly offerings
of $500.00 to $4000.00.
- our goal is to enlist at least 15 more churches in
the U.S.A. to support the
"Brazilian Rotating Fund" directly
through the Baptist Bible Fellowship
Int.either monthly or yearly.
- the members of the "Association for Helping Churches"
have planned and
directed five biannual Seminars for
Brazilian pastors and wives on subjects
relevant to ministry.
- The Rotating Fund will be making loans for years.
This ministry will continue to
be a blessing to many Bible Baptist
churches even after I pass on.
> Barnabus Project: I set up this project
to give temporary monthly support (for
one or two years) to our Bible School graduates, to help them get
new churches
started.
Presently helping:
- Pastor Adao and family, $157.00 per month (new
church)
- Single missionary, Eva $157.00 per month. (remote
area of Brazil, teacher)
- Pastor Gidinei , $157.00 per month (new church)
- Pastor Armando and family, $157.00 per month (new
church)
- Pastor Fabio and family, $260.00 per month (B.B.F
Seminary Director)
Have helped in the past:
- Pastor Marcos and family, $104.00 per month (new
church)
- Pastor Claudio and family $ 157.00 per month (new
church)
- In 1982, Pastor Edmundo and family, (a car)
- In 1984, Pastor Jose and family, (remote area) new
motor for pick-up
- In 1984, bought property in Buritirama to help a
national missionary start a new
church
- In 1986, Pastor Clayton and family (remote area) a
pick-up
- In 1994, Pastor Marcos a motor cycle
- In 2000, Pastor Joao Neto and family, (remote area) a
pick-up
- In 2004, Pastor Geovan and family, a car
(Car donations have all been for older
model cars. The ministry of these men
could never have been possible without a
vehicle because many of them are the
equivalent of old "Circuit Riding
Preachers" of over a century ago in the U.S.A.,
taking care of several churches and
congregations.)
> School: During the years of 1977-1984 we started and
administrated an ACE
school at our home, for our kids and 9 other missionary children.
> Building constructions: - (Personally
responsible for the construction of 12
buildings)
- City of Pedro de Toledo, S.P: - church
- S.S building
- City of Curitiba, PR.
- church
- S.S. building
- Youth camp, Curitiba
- Chapel building, lower level kit & dining,
upper level chapel
- Dormitory building, (capacity 120)
- Home for care taker
- Personal home:
- School class room for missionary children
- Our house
- City of Tamandaré:
- Church building and living quarters.
- City of Itarirí:
- Church
- S.S. building
All of the above are major projects in which we have been
involved. During these 41 years in Brazil countless minor
projects and personal contributions were made that
have not been listed.
The main goal of our missionary ministry in Brazil has been to
glorify God by winning souls, starting churches and teaching
young men and women the Word in a way that would enable them to
continue to replace themselves with teachers and preachers.
> Present Ministries
We love what God has called us to do and now that we
are 67 years of age we
are still very involved:
- Supporting,
encouraging and working with our graduates.
- Administrating
and raising money for our Rotating Fund.
- Working with
other members of the Association for Helping Churches to
plan and direct three-day training seminars for pastors and
church leaders
in different regions of Brazil.
- I am presently
co-pastoring a congregation (soon to be organized into an
independent church) in Balsa Nova, eight miles from where we
live.
- We are working together
with missionaries Jerry and Kristen Hickey,
organizing lessons and preparing Power Point presentations on
Creation
Science
and plan to start marking dates with schools and churches for
September of 2007.
> Goals for the future
Continue to be faithful in the five
ministries mentioned above.
Only through the faithful prayers and support of all of our
personal friends and supporting churches has this ministry been
possible. Our hearts are full of gratitude to our Lord for His
leadership and to our faithful supporters for co-laboring with
us during these last 40 years.
When we arrived in Brazil in 1967 there were only 15 Baptist
Bible Fellowship churches in the country. Today there are over
250 churches and new congregations. All of the American
missionaries and all of the Brazilian pastors who have
co-labored together in this country, praise the Lord that He has
given the increase. We are thankful for the privilege of working
together serving Him.
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