Around the World is our monthly rundown of news briefs, links and quotes from Churches of Christ all over the globe. Got an idea for this column? Email Erik Tryggestad at erik@christianchronicle.org.
Featured photo (above): A long line of believers waits to be baptized in the Kenyan village of Bunjosi.
BERMUDA
DEVONSHIRE — “Because Bermuda is a wealthy island, many feel they do not need God,” said missionary Larry Waymire. Students at the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Bermuda “are reaching out to show the importance of trusting God’s Word rather than the word of man, man-made religions or the riches of this world.”
The school, which recently completed its first year of operation with 16 students, offers classes for two hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays and four hours on Saturdays. Waymire, of Caribbean Ministries, teaches along with ministers from Bermuda and the Trinidad School of Preaching.
“Most of the students work full-time jobs and have families,” Waymire said, “yet they and their families make the sacrifice to attend class.” The school’s director, Keithlyn Fleming, is an elder of the Brighton Hill Church of Christ in Devonshire. Fleming works two jobs in addition to his duties for the church and school.
“Pray for our students as they continue preparing to bring lost souls to Christ,” Waymire said. “It may be your prayer that opens the next door to a searching heart.”
CHINA
MACAU — This special administrative region of China, a small peninsula and group of islands on the South China Sea, is the gambling capital of the world, boasting a casino industry several times larger than that of Las Vegas. It’s also the home of the Macau Church of Christ, a congregation of predominantly Filipino immigrants who come to the region for work. In addition to worship services, the church hosts regular singing practices and recently welcomed ministry interns from Heritage Bible School in Baguio City, Philippines.
HAITI
SANTO — In a country with a collapsed government, torn apart by gang violence, Christians continue to spread the Gospel. The International School of Theology, which meets in a small town near Port-au-Prince, reported 149 new believers and three new Churches of Christ during the first quarter of 2026. Many congregations meet in small groups as a safety precaution, church members said.
KENYA
BUNJOSI — Daniel Gaines recently shared a photo of 41 people waiting in line to be baptized in a pond in this village in western Kenya. The World Bible School correspondence ministry played a role in the conversions, said Gaines, director of Tanzanian Missions.
NICARAGUA
MANAGUA — Nearly 1,000 Christian women gathered for the recent Church of Christ National Women’s Fellowship. “Women of Impact: Shining to Edify” was the theme, based on Matthew 5:14-16. Josefina Sánchez of the León Church of Christ in Managua was the keynote speaker.
The National Ladies’ Committee organized the event, said Gaby Medrano, a committee member from Masatepe, Nicaragua.
Gaby Medrano, far right, and fellow Christian take a quick selfie during the Church of Christ National Women’s Fellowship in Managua, Nicaragua.
The committee worked tirelessly for a year to raise funds, Medrano told The Christian Chronicle, so that participants wouldn’t be asked for “a single córdoba (Nicaragua’s currency) in payment.”
“The Word of God was present from morning until late afternoon,” she added, “and God’s presence was palpable. … I believe the event was a resounding success, evidenced by the fact that sisters traveled from every department (state) of the country to attend.” An international women’s conference is scheduled for October in Nicaragua.
UKRAINE
KYIV — More than 40 women attended “God’s Garden,” an event hosted by a Church of Christ in the Ukrainian capital twice each year. In addition to taking deep dives into Scripture and participating in a talent show, attendees spent time “sharing life, supporting one another and just enjoying the day,” organizer Natalia Maliuga said.
“I am truly grateful to God for every sister, for every woman, who comes to our community in search of truth and meaning,” said Maliuga, administrative director for the Ukrainian Bible Institute. “It’s especially valuable to realize that many of us met after 2022 (when Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began). Back then, in the spring, our hall was almost empty. And today we see the Lord blessing and growing our community.”
ZAMBIA
LIVINGSTONE — Even during vacation breaks, students at the Southern Africa Bible College find opportunities to preach and teach.
Take Vincent Simwanza, for example. During a recent break from his studies at the Benoni, South Africa, school, he cared for his ailing mother and also spoke to three churches — the Riverside Church of Christ in Livingstone (his home congregation) and the Luanshya Central and Kamfinsa Churches of Christ, both in Zambia’s Copperbelt province.
The Kamfinsa church “is a congregation of particular significance,” Simwanza said. “The church had closed its doors during the COVID-19 pandemic, with members dispersing and the building eventually being taken over by a denomination. However, in 2024, by God’s grace, the building was reclaimed by the church. There are now two evangelists actively serving and ministering to the congregation.”
