Denver Seminary

ENGAGE 17 OUR GOD IS INTENTIONAL. HE PLANTS SEEDS OF DESIRE IN OUR HEARTS AS INVITATIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN HIS WILL. HE HAS A PLAN, EVEN WHEN WE DO NOT. When newlyweds Dan and Bethany Birch signed up for a class at Denver Seminary, they had no intention of staying in Colorado or pursuing a seminary education. Yet they did. When Dan received his master of divinity a few years later, they had no intention of using that training in the Muslim world. Yet they did this as well. Separately, both Dan and Bethany had sensed God calling them to overseas missionary work since early childhood. In His infinite wisdom and sovereignty, God guided them to a life of ministry among radical Muslims in a closed country. The years have been fraught with hardship, threats, near misses, and spiritual breakthroughs—and they wouldn't want it any other way. Dan's work centers around one of the Seminary's core values: biblical authority. He helps indigenous fellowships translate the Bible into two major regional languages. One of those translations is for a large tribal community whose language had never been written or even learned by outsiders. When asked why he continues to risk life and limb for this work, Dan replied, "I believe the Bible is the best missionary." He added, "We must go to whatever lengths are necessary for every community to receive it in their own language, and in a form that compels them to recognize its authenticity and authority." The Birches have learned first-hand that the Christian message is often clouded by the lingering wounds of centuries of colonialism and today's aggressive geopolitics. They believe missionaries must do everything possible to dispel the idea that the Bible is a foreign book with a corrupted text. By translating the word of God into local vernaculars, they allow Muslim audiences to evaluate the message for themselves. Dan praises God that submission to biblical authority, thus far, remains a defining value of believers in the region. Theological liberalism has yet to invade in any form. When new believers get baptized, they recognize from the Bible that they are making a "life pledge of obedience to Jesus." Dan explains, "Jesus has received 'all authority,' and on that basis He sends us out to make disciples of the nations by teaching them to obey His commands. He promises to be with us as we do that. It is no longer just an academic proposition to us. God has proven His nearness in so many challenges and situations. And that enables us to confidently assure new believers that He will be with them as well, even when they and their leaders are brutally persecuted." "I believe the Bible is the best missionary …. We must go to whatever lengths are necessary for every community to receive it in their own language, and in a form that compels them to recognize its authenticity and authority." Many years of their ministry passed with no visible fruit, but now a network of house churches is growing, comprised of believers from Muslim backgrounds. The Birches and their teammates have also helped create a number of educational programs, especially for nomadic children. As a testament to the excellence they strive for in their work, girls who graduate from their programs are the most sought after brides for fathers to give to the most talented and influential suitors. In all of this, God has taken the Birches well beyond their own fears and has taught them how to follow His direction. When they arrived overseas, they were terrified of Muslims, but their experience of raising children in that environment has them saying things that make the average American's jaw drop. "My wife and I are glad that we've raised our kids in a Muslim society. Our kids learned traditional TAKE IT FROM HERE toomler/iStock

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