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Westminster Presbyterian Church in Johnson City will host Dal Stanton, missionary to Ukraine, as keynote speaker during the church’s annual Missions Conference, Saturday-Sunday, March 11-12.
This year’s theme, “Going Where God Leads,” is based on Isaiah 48:17: “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.’” (ESV)
“Our emphasis this year is on God’s calling to ministry in difficult regions,” says Mark Williams, Westminster’s coordinator for missions. “Just as the apostle Paul was diverted to Macedonia, a location not in his original plans, our missionaries often find themselves led to different destinations by the Holy Spirit and circumstances.”
Of particular interest will be reports on the situation in the Ukraine, where missionaries Dal and Beth Stanton were assigned last year with Mission to the World (MTW). The Russian invasion, however, set the Stantons on a different course to Poland, to minister there to Ukrainian refugees.
The Stantons have served with MTW for three decades after launching their ministry together in church-planting in the United States. Their adventure with MTW began in Ukraine, followed by a few years in Spain to re-establish the Madrid church-planting team, and 15 years in Bulgaria, where Dal served as the team leader, worked as country coordinator, and oversaw church-planting efforts. Both Dal and Beth founded and facilitated “Daughters of Bulgaria,” a ministry to victims of sex trafficking. The Stantons have five adult children.
Dal and Beth hope to return to Kyiv, Ukraine, to help with church-planting and development and to explore how to expand efforts to help Ukrainian women and girls who are trafficked and sexually exploited. The Stantons explain their passion for ministry as follows: “We desire to touch real and hurting people, who are impacted by the real and living gospel in our lives.”
Also speaking at the conference will be Charles and Bonita Davidson, missionaries serving in Monterrey, Mexico, and Jeff and Mischa Marlowe with Global Training and Development at MTW.
The Saturday morning session on March 11 begins at 9:30 a.m. with light refreshments and missionary reports. On Sunday, a combined Sunday School session begins at 9:45 a.m. in the sanctuary for all youth and adult classes. Two worship services will be held in the sanctuary at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Masks are optional at either service; balcony seating is reserved at the 8:30 a.m. service for those desiring to mask.
Childcare for children up to four years of age will be provided at all events. The Sunday worship service at 11 a.m. will be streamed on Westminster Presbyterian’s YouTube live channel (https://www.youtube.com/@westminsterpresbyterianchu9850/streams). Westminster Presbyterian Church is located at 2343 Knob Creek Road. For more information, go to https://www.wpcjc.org or call (423) 283-4643.