In this season of reflection and celebration of the birth and mission of Jesus Christ, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you who have “held the rope” with LEADLiberia for so long. You’ve heard me use this expression over the years, but may not be aware of its early origins.
As shared in Andrew Fuller: Holy Faith, Worthy Gospel, World Mission, the commitment (and the oath) to “hold the rope” was wonderfully demonstrated by a band of mission-minded pastors from the 1700’s. Here is an excerpt from John Piper’s book:
“Andrew Fuller, more than anyone else, felt the burden of what it meant that William Carey and John Thomas (and later, others) left everything for India in dependence, under God, on this band of brothers. One of them, John Ryland, recorded the story from which came the famous “rope holder” image.
He wrote that Carey said: Our undertaking to India really appeared to me, on its commencement, to be somewhat like a few men, who were deliberating about the importance of penetrating into a deep mine, which had never before been explored, [and] we had no one to guide us; and while we were thus deliberating, Carey, as it were, said “Well, I will go down, if you will hold the rope.” But before he went down . . . he, as it seemed to me, took an oath from each of us, at the mouth of the pit, to this effect—that “while we lived, we should never let go of the rope.”
LEADLiberia would not have such a rich story if it were not for the many Spirit-empowered brothers and sisters who have supported our journey in sharing the light to the challenging, unexplored (and sometimes dark) West African ministry field.
A few powerful examples of “holding the (our) rope” include faithful brothers and sisters who were …
Holding our rope ― in the darkness of two Liberian Civil Wars.
Holding our rope ― as the mission of LEADLiberia was equipped and birthed.
Holding our rope ― as we persevered into our dense land to reach untrained pastors.
Holding our rope ― in the darkness of our crushing Ebola crisis.
Holding our rope ― through the meeting of our critical ministry transportation needs.
Holding our rope ― in the challenge to build and acquire our SEED vision and farm.
And many, many more.
There is great beauty and validation in the way our rope has been held. As His Word says in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 … For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and all were made to drink of one Spirit. God has consistently cast the vision for ministry and missions as a team effort – a band of brothers and sisters using their collective gifts and resources as “one body” to His glory alone. You need to know that your tight grip strengthens us every day.
Although we continue to have resource challenges (which keeps us wonderfully dependent on our Lord), I have always said what I am most interested in is deep “ministry friends over funds” and devoted “ministry partnerships over pocketbooks.”
Thanks so much for your commitment to never letting go of the rope. Your prayers and participation, as well as, donation and devotion are forms of encouragement that mean more than you’ll ever know.
“Sola Gloria" (His glory alone), "Sola Christo" (Christ alone)!