Karen Tribe LEADBy Greg Linscott

A defining characteristic of Regular Baptists throughout our history has been the priority of responding to the Great Commission through foreign missionary endeavors. Sending laborers to take the message to the whole world is a matter we take seriously. With that being the case, churches should also recognize the opportunities increasingly being made available to us right here in our own country. While we must continue to place a high priority on dispatching the gospel to the nations, we cannot ignore that the nations are coming to us. On the college campuses and in the fields and factories, doors of gospel opportunity are opening before us.

Since 2010, First Baptist Church, Marshall, Minn., has had a growing ministry to refugees from the Karen tribe, who have relocated from Myanmar/Burma to the United States. Marshall’s industries have made it an attractive place for these refugees to find employment. The community’s smaller size in comparison to large metropolitan areas like Minneapolis and St. Paul also appeal to the Karen, many of whom are having to learn skills like driving for the first time.