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Missions History: William Cameron Townsend
“The greatest missionary is the Bible in the mother tongue. It needs no furlough and is never considered a foreigner.”
-W. Cameron Townsend
In 1917, a young man named Cameron Townsend faced a perplexing decision. A few years before, he had joined the Student Volunteer Movement, pledging to serve in overseas missions. However, World War I intervened, and he signed up to fight the Germans with the National Guard. Matters came to a head when he was assigned to be in two places at once- fighting in France, or giving out Bibles in Guatemala.
What would Cameron Townsend do next?
A Difficult Decision
Worried about persecution, Townsend visited the Bible House office and made the excuse of being assigned to France. But the recruiter called him a coward for choosing battle over Bibles. Stunned, the young man wrote a letter to his commander and asked for a discharge. It was granted, and he soon left to spend a year serving in Guatemala.
A Life-Changing Moment
But the moment that would transform William’s life occurred near the end of his time in Guatemala.
One fateful day, he was witnessing to a Cakchiquel native about God’s wisdom and sovereignty.
The native responded, “If your God is so smart, why can’t He speak my language?”
Cameron couldn’t answer him.
Haunted by that moment, the young man soon dropped out of college and joined Central American Missions.
He studied linguistics and, twelve years of painstaking work later, finished the translation of the New Testament into Cakchiquel.
A Fresh Focus
At this point in his ministry, Cameron realized that missionaries should focus on people groups rather than whole nations.
In many nations, there were distinct people groups who spoke unique languages—not the standard language of the country.
By 1934, Cameron founded a training camp for Bible translators. He called it Camp Wycliffe. It involved language study, primitive living conditions, and daily schedules.
A Multiplied Ministry
For 60 years, Cameron Townsend served in Latin America, leading the work in Bible translation. During his lifetime, Cameron oversaw the translation of the Bible into 100 languages. He also founded the Jungle Aviation & Radio Service to provide safe transportation for remote missionaries.
Although Cameron died of leukemia in 1982, his legacy continues with Wycliffe Bible Translators today. As of this writing, over 550 language groups have the entire Bible in their language. Even better, more than 1300 language groups have the New Testament in their mother tongue. And the work is still continuing! At our Baptist church in Cape Breton, we are excited to see what God is doing!
Cameron Townsend was an ordinary man with an extraordinary God. He saw a great need, and he sought to meet that need with God’s help.
What About You?
What needs do you see in the lives of people around you? Have you asked God to help you meet those needs? Contact us at our Baptist church in Cape Breton to learn more about serving others!
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Will you serve others as Cameron Townsend did? Join the friendly church family of Northside Baptist Church on Sundays at 11:00 am.
For more information, call 902-304-4707 or email northside1178@gmail.com
4 Things That Steal Your Joy
Joy is one of the most fragrant flowers that blooms in the heart of a Christian. Planted by our Heavenly Father, it brings a song to our lips and a smile to our faces. The joy of the Lord can strengthen us when we’re weary and encourage us when we’re feeling down. Yet, if we’re not careful, this joy can be stolen.
Here are 4 things that can steal your joy.
1. Anger
“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:”
Ephesians 4:26
When we face conflict, we can easily respond with anger. It’s not necessarily a sin to FEEL angry. But we start to sin when we speak or act sinfully. Perhaps we yell at someone or call them names. Or maybe we give someone “the silent treatment.”
These are not healthy ways to deal with conflict in our lives. Instead, we need to speak the truth in love. And we need to work together to find a solution. Join us at our Baptist church in Cape Bretonto learn more.
When we don’t take care of anger right away, it festers and grows in our soul. And it definitely steals our joy!
2. Unthankfulness
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful…”
Romans 1:21
Sometimes, we feel dissatisfied with what God has given us. We compare our circumstances to others’ and wonder, “Why did God bless them and not me?”
But the truth is that God has blessed each of us far more than we deserve. He has given us the precious gift of life. Even better, He gives us the opportunity to become His child by simply repenting and believing on Him. Every good thing in our lives is a blessing straight from His hand (James 1:17)
If you are struggling with unthankfulness, get a pen and paper and write down at least 15 things God has given you. Start giving thanks, and you will soon start to feel joyful!
3. Bitterness
“Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”
Hebrews 12:15
If we hold onto anger for too long, it can turn into bitterness. Bitterness is resentment and anger at being mistreated. Although we usually think bitterness is against people, it’s really against God for allowing bad things to happen.
Bitterness will suck joy out of your soul like nothing else can. If you’re struggling with bitterness, contact us at our Baptist church in Cape Breton for counselling. Bitterness is a serious issue, and you need to deal with it right away.
(If you live outside of Cape Breton, contact the nearest independent fundamental Baptist church instead.)
4. Worry
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
1 Peter 5:7
If you’re breathing, you’ve probably experienced worry at some time or another. For some people, worry is their constant companion, while others are less prone to it. Worry steals our joy and clouds our focus.
At its root, worry is basically saying, “God can’t handle this problem. It’s all up to me. I NEED to worry about this.” This is a slap in God’s face.
Didn’t He create us? Isn’t He the One who sustains the universe (and our own lives)? Nothing is too hard for Him.
Instead of worrying, we need to let go of the reins and trust God. Things might not turn out as we hope, but God is still good. Don’t let worry steal your joy.
Let’s Chat:
Which of these “joy-thieves” has been the biggest struggle for you? Let us know in the comments! With God’s help, you can overcome them and experience true joy.
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Do you want to have true joy? Join the friendly church family of Northside Baptist Church on Sundays at 11:00 am.
For more information, call 902-304-4707 or email northside1178@gmail.com
6 Marks of a Consecrated Life
Here are 6 marks of a consecrated life.
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