John Reese
Searcy, Arkansas
President Emeritus
One advantage of longevity is a clearer rearview mirror— looking back at how God worked, how He turned obstacles into stepping stones. Having been born and raised in Zimbabwe, Africa, I dreamed of impacting that nation with the Gospel. Yet, after college, we managed only two years there before wartime circumstances forced us to leave. We were devastated, thinking our prayers had been ignored.
Now, years later, we realize the Lord was working, answering prayers more powerfully than we knew. He used our 13 years in South Africa to connect with World Bible School which led Tex Williams to invite us to join him in Texas to develop WBS further. During the next 20 years, many nations benefited, especially Zimbabwe.
In 1993, for example, WBS was set back by civil collapse in West Africa which cut off many correspondence Students. With Tex’s approval, we Reeses spent nearly a year (1994-1995) traveling throughout Southern Africa. During that first “God Bless Africa” effort, nearly 100,000 enrolled to become WBS Students in Zimbabwe alone, with another 50,000 in neighboring countries. From there, numbers grew exponentially as we took annual campaigns and local brethren worked year-round. Here are some figures for enrollments of new WBS Students in Zimbabwe:
2007-2009 – 455,440 | 2010-2012 – 638,968
2013-2015 – 695,597 | 2016-2019 – 680,009
From 2007 until 2020, when COVID interfered, the total Postal enrollment was over 2,470,014, representing about a sixth of Zimbabwe’s population. The actual total is higher as the above figures show Students enrolled only through the WBS office in Austin, Texas. They do not reflect the multiplying effect as thousands more enrolled as referrals through congregational programs. Nor do they account for digital enrollments. Despite postal problems, WBS has kept the momentum going with Ocean Bridge and with the WBS Lite app.
The point is not about the past, but the future. Whether or not we see how things will work out, the Lord remains faithful and fully in charge. His Kingdom presses forward, reaching more and more people. The question is about us. Will we be faithful? Will we trust and obey? “50 Forward” means taking the Great Commission more seriously than ever, praying more fervently than ever. Our Almighty King is answering our prayers, doing so much more than we ask or imagine.
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