Missions
"... you shall be my witness in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and the end of the earth." - Acts 1:8
Believing that the church is given the greatest mandate to spread the kingdom of God throughout the world, Drakes Branch Baptist Church actively works to spread the glory of God in the following ways ...
The Lezgi in Azerbaijan
The "X" family has been faithfully serving the Lord among the Lezgi for over 10 years.
The Lezgi are a unique people group who live in the Caucus Mountain region of Northern Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is bordered by Russia to the north, Iran to the south, and the Caspian Sea to the east. The Lezgi, which number close to 700,000, are 99.9% Sunni Muslim, though they retain animistic beliefs (ancestor and spirit worship). The men largely raise sheep and other livestock for income while the women are renowned for their carpet weaving skills. Families and clans (tukhums) are central in the Lezgi society.The lezginka is the traditional folk dance of the Lezgian. It is both a couples' dance and a male solo dance, often performed with a sword. The man, imitating the eagle, falls to his knees, leaps up, and dances with precise steps and strong arm and body movements. When the dance is performed in pairs, couples do not touch; the woman dances quietly as she watches the man's performance.
It is illegal to openly testify to Christ in Azerbaijan so the "X" family must trust Christ to open doors among the Lezgi. The "X" family, along with three other IMB missionaries, attempt to reach the Lezgi for Christ primarily by building personal relationships with the intention of sharing the gospel. Most of the Lezgi who hear of Christ show little interest. Many of the Lezgi who have expressed faith in Christ, have later rejected Him when faced with persecution. Nevertheless, several Lezgi have decided to follow Christ. As a result, over 6 years ago, the first Christian church began among the Lezgi.
Our Partnership:
- We continue to pray for the work among the Lezgi and for the "X" family and have seen God answer those prayers in sending more laborers to work with the "X" family along with an increased boldness amongst the Lezgi believers.
- In April of 2008, four members of DBBC traveled to Central Asia to support the "X" family and their ministry.
- In June of 2008, DBBC funded an audio recording project of Luke and Acts into two Lezgi dialects by Wycliffe.
- During the summer of 2009, six members of DBBC traveled to Central Asia to support the "X" family in their ministry.
We are also pleased to enter into partneship with the newest missionaries to the Lezgi, the "Y" family.
Check out
www.lezgi.info for more info regarding the growth of Christ's church amongst the Lezgi. You can also find ways to pray for the Lezgi as well.
The Cona Monba in Asia
Bio: The Cona Monba are a unique people group of 44,000 that live in the valleys of southern Tibet near the Himalayan Mountains. Most live as farmers, growing rice, corn, soybeans and sesame seeds. They typically live in two or three story houses with bamboo roofs. The Cona Monba are known for their hospitality and love of music, singing and dancing. Most of them are able to play the traditional bamboo flute, a short thick instrument with four finger holes. Their silversmiths are skillful in designing bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and other ornaments. The women are also known for their weaving abilities.
Beliefs: The majority of Cona Monba are Buddhists; however, some still maintain their traditional shamanistic practices. (Shamanism is a belief in unseen gods, demons, and "ancestral spirits.") They believe that all disease is caused by demons and thus they sacrifice valuable livestock to pacify these maleficent spirits in order that their afflictions may cease. They also believe that some humans are demons, and once an individual is identified as a demon he or she can marry only other demons.
The Cona Monba are the only group in China to practice river burial: the body is cut into 108 pieces and hurled into a rushing river to be taken away. The Tibetans consider this to be the lowest form of burial and use it only for children and lepers. Some Cona Momba also practice bird or sky burial: burial in a tree. The Cona Monba are one of the most unreached and inaccessible people groups in all of China. They have no knowledge of the gospel and no missionary presence. Few have ever prayed for them.
The Restoration Church in DC
In 2009 Nathan Knight and Joey Craft obeyed God's call on their lives to move their families to our Nation's Capital to plant a church that would be known as Restoration Church. Since that time, Nathan and Joey have faithfully served our Lord as they seek to make His name great in Washington, DC. They have seen our God work as He has provided them with more success than they could have anticipated at this point in the life of this young church.
Drakes Branch Baptist Church decided to partner with these men and their families in this effort prior to them moving to DC and has since increased its support of this church. We continue to trust that God has his hand on these two families as they seek to proclaim the gospel in the midst of the great cultural diversity that is DC.
