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OBI Ministry: Operation Barnabas International

What is OBI?

 

For information about upcoming OBI conferences, see our OBI conference calendar.


Click here to give toward an OBI conference.

Through our Operation Barnabas International (OBI) ministry, ANM organizes short-term teams of preachers and laypeople to go and personally encourage native (indigenous) missionaries in their home countries through a series of intensive three-day seminars.

The purpose of our OBI ministry is reflected in the New Testament story of Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement:

 

The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.

Acts 11:21-23

 

Just like Barnabas, OBI seeks to encourage, strengthen, and equip native (indigenous) missionaries, church planters, pastors, and evangelists. We do this through intensive three-day seminars in their own communities.

 

 

Where do we conduct OBI conferences?

 

ANM primarily organizes and conducts OBI conferences within the so-called "10-40 window"--the area of the world where the vast majority of the world's unreached people groups are located. Some of the countries where we have already conducted OBI conferences include India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Philippines, Peru, Honduras, and Uganda.

 

 

Why OBI?

 

  • Many native missionaries-pastors and evangelists-who are serving on the front lines of world evangelization have never had the time nor the money to receive formal Bible training.
  • Many native missionaries serve in difficult fields with little encouragement or opportunity to receive spiritual feeding themselves.
  • An OBI conference gives native missionaries encouragement, training, and vision for enlarging their ministries. At OBI conferences, native missionaries are challenged to take the Gospel to one more village and to one more tribe before the coming of our Lord.

 

 

How does an OBI conference work out practically?

 

ANM works with different native (indigenous) ministries around the world to identify key locations for OBI conferences to be held. The native ministries are responsible for inviting between 75 to 200 delegates (missionaries, pastors, evangelists) from different local ministries and denominations to attend, and they are also responsible for making all the on-site conference arrangements (food, lodging, etc.). ANM assembles an OBI team consisting of gifted preachers and teachers, typically from North American churches, who then travel to the conference site to speak at an intensive three-day conference. Topics usually consist of practical issues in the personal life and ministry of God's servants, with a view to encouraging delegates to be more fruitful in advancing the Gospel in their region.

 

Partnering North American individuals and churches are requested to cover the expenses of the OBI conference. This includes not only the travel costs of the North American participants, but also the food, lodging, and travel costs of the native delegates who will be attending (which ranges from $25 to $50 per delegate).

 


How can I participate in OBI?

 

OBI offers four ways for you to be involved:

 

1. We need pastors, Bible teachers, and interested laypeople to be part of our OBI ministry teams, who will travel to the OBI conference site(s). The pastors and teachers will teach and preach in the OBI conferences.

 

2. We need financial sponsorship of our OBI programs to cover the conference expenses for the native missionaries who will be attending. A donor or a church may sponsor an entire program for $3000. One or more individual native missionaries may be sponsored for $25 to $50 per person.

 

3. You can also help us place quality books and Bibles in the hands of native missionaries. Most of them do not have access to good libraries. Reference Bibles, Bible dictionaries, Bible commentaries, and books on systematic theology, pastoral counseling, discipleship, and shepherding are particularly needed.

 

4. We need your prayer partnership for specific OBI programs. God's provision, protection, and power are absolutely essential if our OBI ministry is to be truly fruitful. If you would like to pray with us, please let us know via e-mail that you are enlisting as an OBI prayer partner.

 

 

Who do I contact for more information?

 

Jerry Harding or Dan Reichard
Operation Barnabas International
Ph: (540) 456-7111 Fax: (540) 456-7222
Email: jerry (at) adnamis (dot) org or danr (at) adnamis (dot) org


For information about upcoming OBI conferences, see our OBI conference calendar.

 

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