A Church in Texas and a Mission in the Congo
The Reverend Canon Jon Beadle, All Saints Conroe, Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast and The Right Reverend Martin Gordon, Bishop of Goma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Here’s the thing: it all caught me by surprise.
When I first met Bishop Martin Gordon at the Anglican Leadership Institute, I called him by the wrong name. He laughed. It is a common occurrence for me— like the time I picked up the wrong bishop at the airport in Asheville for the New Wineskins Conference. But that is for a different blog post.
Bishop Martin was leading a blooming Diocese in Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and I was leading a new church plant in Texas in the Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast. We had the instabilities typical of a church plant, and he had the instabilities typical of his part of the world: rebels.
I listened as Bishop Martin shared about his visit to the U.N. Security Council, advocating for the Congolese people. I also listened as he told me about the poor churches under his care, speaking of both with the same passion and reverence for all that God had entrusted to him. My respect for him grew quickly. “This is the new Anglican movement,” I thought, “and I want to be a part of it.”
The Gospel is not just for individuals, but whole nations.
Bishop Martin was a scholarship recipient to the New Wineskins Conference, Hope for the Nations, and we had the joy of welcoming him to visit our church after the conference. He made a profound impact on everyone. He told us about an area of the DRC that was essentially unreached-- except for a handful of young men who had courageously preached the gospel and, unexpectedly, were seeing entire villages come to faith in an area called Walikale (pronounced WellyKelly). It was a quiet part of the Diocese, largely because the roads were difficult to access. But slowly, over time, God had raised up leaders who were wining their villages to the cause of Christ.
What could we do?
Planting churches in America is incredibly expensive. Even in Texas, where the cost of living is lower than in many parts of the country. The average church planter cannot realistically think about purchasing real estate for at least eight to ten years of faithful service.
From the very beginning, All Saints Conroe had missions baked into our DNA. Even with our limited budget, we structured it to reflect our conviction that global missions truly matter. Because we are a church plant ourselves, it has been our desire to support other church planters overseas.
This was our opportunity.
In the Congo, the gospel spreads through first-generation believing families who go on to convert entire villages through the simple preaching of God’s Word. Property is inexpensive, but few people can earn a livable wage, much less support a Pastor.
After praying about Walikale for several months-- but with a growing sense that we were called to act-- I stood before our church and said we would support young planters in that region.
No plan. Just relationships and gospel urgency.
In that moment, a young mom told her husband to send money to support those church planters. So we did. When I told Bishop Martin about this new giver, he replied that some of those evangelists in Walikale were being ordained that very day. When God moves in the hearts of His people, kingdom work advances.
A young church in Texas is now forging a partnership with young church plants in the DRC. Even with our relatively small resources, young mothers can launch missionary movements, and rectors can make a difference among the nations.
A young church in Texas discovers how even small acts of faith can help ignite Gospel movements in unreached villages of the Congo.
~Bp. Martin Gordon proudly sporting his Texas belt buckle!
Canon Jon Beadle was ordained to the priesthood in 2021 and launched All Saints in 2022 with his wife of 11 years, Lauren, and their three children: Declan, Lennon, and August. Raised in Louisiana among bayou fishermen, computer engineers, and Pentecostal preachers, Jon is a graduate of Sam Houston State University and Fuller Seminary, and a fellow of the Anglican Leadership Institute. When he’s not leading All Saints, planting churches, or serving under his bishop, he enjoys tennis, long walks with his family, and reading books written by dead people.
