Friday Night Missionary Services

In September 1962, I was a 18-year-old freshman at Central Bible College in Springfield, MO. The school had a tradition of lighting a bonfire on the ball field for an outdoor service the first Friday night students were on campus. I don’t remember too many details of the evening except that a missionary evangelist, Reverend Otis Keener, spoke and students were challenged to give their best effort during the academic year.

Reverend Keener issued a challenge which proved life-changing. He said, "You will attend chapel Monday through Friday because it is required and attendance will be taken. However, the Friday evening Campus Missionary Fellowship service is voluntary. If you attend the missionary services, your life will be changed." At the conclusion of Reverend Keener’s message students were asked to make commitments to the Lord concerning the school year. I determined to attend every Friday missionary service when I was on campus, and I kept the promise for four years.

Each Friday night I heard of human need. I learned about creative strategies employed by missionaries from many countries, all continents, and subcontinents. The appeal nearly always included a need for workers, I took the short walk from my seat to altar every Friday evening and told the Lord of Harvest I was available and would gladly go to Africa, Europe, South America and . . . no place was too distant or too demanding. My senior year Pat Kolas Wegner was my every Friday night date. Pat and I learned to say, "Yes!" rhythmically and happily. Friday nights were the occasions when Jesus used others to open my eyes to a world we didn’t know existed. He whetted our appetite for meaningful service to people who needed Him. The Holy Spirit formed our spirits and set the trajectory for our life and vocation during those hours when we learned from missionaries and lingered at the altar.

Otis Keener passed away several years ago without learning how God used him to change the course of my life. As a result of a short paragraph embedded in his message to a student body on a warm September evening, on a small college ball field, I and others were forever changed.

Last week, October 31, we marked the 25^th anniversary of receiving an invitation to plant churches in the large cities of Northeast. Our missionary experience overseas lasted only a few weeks in Africa and Europe, but learning to say "Yes!" prepared us for the most satisfying vocation. Pat and I had begun to learn how to say "Yes" 50 years ago. The years have flown by. Evenings with the Lord of Harvest and key spokesmen He assigned for the meetings are still lively memories.