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Monday 10am - 2pm Wednesday 10am - 2pm Thursday 10am - 2pm

The Gospel Furthering Fellowship, 221 W. Hamilton Avenue, Myerstown, PA (2026)

01/01/2026

“READ THAT AGAIN!”

We talk a lot about “reaching the world.” But here’s a math problem that should stop us cold. Joshua Project currently reports 7,124 unreached people groups in the world.

Now imagine (not unrealistically) that there are roughly 14,000 independent Baptist and Bible churches in the USA that believe the gospel the same or similarly as we do. What if half of those churches—7,000 churches—adopted just one unreached people group each? Not “support a missionary already doing it.” Not “share a post about it.” But pray, plan, and raise up someone from their own congregation to go as a church-planting missionary.

Let’s be honest about the timeline: 10 years of praying, planning, training, and sending then 10 more years to learn language/culture and plant one church That’s 20 years. If 7,000 churches did that—just one people group each—then in 20 years we’d go from 7,124 unreached people groups to roughly 124 remaining.

Read that again: 124. Down from 7,124! In ONE generation!

So the question isn’t, “Can it be done?” The question is, “Will we do it?” Not by hype. Not by conferences alone. Not by outsourcing obedience to others. But by local churches deciding that the Great Commission is not a department—it’s the mission.

Sobering thought: the bottleneck is not God’s power… it’s our willingness.

Who will your church adopt? GFF is actively praying for the Mahra of the Middle East, the Reindeer Herders of the Article Circle, and the Swahili speakers of East Africa.

Who will you train? GFF is praying and investing in young people within a few local churches and Christian schools.

Who will you send? What children and/or young people are in your own congregation now?

Don’t wait to see how 13,999 other churches will do so you can follow their lead…blaze the trail yourself! Livingstone is credited with replying to a letter asking him to help make ‘roads’ for missionaries: ‘If they’ll only come when there’s a road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.

Matthew 9:37–38 (KJV) “Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”

12/01/2025

Dear Friend,
Since 1935, the Gospel Furthering Fellowship has been committed to taking the Gospel farther on—to the unreached, the unknown, and the often-forgotten corners of the world. For ninety years, GFF missionaries and partnering churches have labored to plant indigenous, self-supporting churches and to bring the hope of Christ to those who have never heard His Name.
Giving Tuesday is on December 2, 2025, and this year we are asking the Lord to provide the resources needed to strengthen two vital pillars of our mission: missionary preparation and missionary care. These ministries are essential if we are to equip new laborers for the field and sustain the faithful men already serving on the front lines of Gospel advance.
From training future missionaries, to shepherding those facing spiritual, emotional, and physical pressures abroad, GFF exists to uphold the hands of those carrying the Gospel to the uttermost. If we are going to keep reaching into places where Christ has not yet been named, then we must invest in those whom God is calling—and in those who are already pouring out their lives for Him today.
You can help us on Giving Tuesday (or even jut the days to come) in one of several ways:
• Give a one-time gift and invest directly in missionary readiness and ongoing missionary care (Checks made payable to GFF visit gffministries.com)
• Share this opportunity with friends who have a heart for missions and desire to see the unreached reached and missionaries go through personal debriefing.
• Pray sincerely that God will supply every need and raise up more laborers for His harvest.
Please consider partnering with GFF on Giving Tuesday as we continue—by God’s grace—to further the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
For the furtherance of the Gospel,
J. Rodney Myers
General Director
Gospel Furthering Fellowship

10/11/2025

What Do We Seek?

In 1927, Missionary George Rhoad—the founder of GFF—together with his wife and two other couples, disembarked their ship at the Zeila seaport on the shores of Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia). Almost immediately, the young team was met by a royal dispatch from the nation’s ruling monarch, Haile Selassie I, the last emperor of an empire more than 700 years old.

The message carried an urgent summons: George was to appear before His Majesty at 5:00 p.m. that very day. George looked at his watch. It was already 3:00 p.m. Yet, at the appointed hour, he stood in the emperor’s court, surrounded by all the grandeur and solemnity of the royal household.

The emperor asked George why he had come. George answered humbly and reverently:
“We bring the unreached tribes of your great land the message of life through faith in Christ. We offer you our lives as we have already offered them to Christ. We seek nothing for ourselves—only the privilege of giving ourselves so that others may live.”

At those words, Emperor Selassie lowered his head. When he lifted it again, tears filled his eyes. He explained that he had only ever known the white man to come to Ethiopia to take. This was the first time he had met one who came for no other purpose but to give. With that, the emperor granted George and his missionary team full permission to proclaim the saving message of Jesus Christ throughout his country.

For the next five years, they rode horseback through the vast southern region known as Gallaland, home to the six to eight million-strong Gala people. Village by village, they declared the grace of God to those lost in darkness. Many turned from sin to salvation, from the power of Satan to the power of God, receiving forgiveness of sins and the promise of an eternal inheritance (Acts 26:18).

The legacy of George Rhoad reminds us that the gospel advances when God’s people are willing to give, not take—to offer their lives for the sake of Christ and others. His courage, humility, and selfless devotion opened doors that no human strategy could have achieved.

The challenge is the same today: Will we live with such abandon for Christ that others might see His love through us? Will we, too, choose to go, to give, and to shine His light in places still waiting for hope?

09/22/2025

Don’t forget! This Friday & Saturday is the 90th Anniversary Conference for The Gospel Furthering Fellowship at ODBC!

🗓️ Services will be held both days — we’d love for you to join us in celebrating all that God has done and looking ahead to what He will continue to do.

Mark your calendars, invite a friend, and come ready for a special time together. We can’t wait to see you there!

08/06/2025

Injuries & Recoveries
August 2025

Barbaro was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who rose to fame after winning the 2006 Kentucky Derby. He quickly became a favorite to win the Preakness Stakes just weeks later. Tragically, his promising career was cut short when a false start caused him and his rider to lunge forward into the unopened gate. The impact dazed Barbaro and compromised his right hind leg. Unaware of the extent of the injury, they were given the “all clear” to continue the race. But just after leaving the gate, Barbaro’s leg catastrophically fractured in more than 20 places. He was rushed from Baltimore, MD, to the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania for emergency surgery.

At first, his recovery looked hopeful. However, complications arose. Unable to bear weight on his hind legs, Barbaro began to show signs of laminitis—a painful and often fatal condition. He lost proprioception, the awareness of his body’s position and movement, which meant he could no longer adjust himself to avoid further harm. As he overcompensated, his healing hind legs weakened further, and his previously strong front legs began to fail. When he could no longer support his own weight, the heart-wrenching decision was made to euthanize him. Had a more thorough examination occurred after the initial injury, it’s possible the complications could have been recognized and treated earlier. But without that insight—and with Barbaro himself unaware of the damage—his condition worsened until nothing more could be done.

Let me be clear: among missionaries, there are no thoroughbreds. Missionaries are vigilant and resilient, enduring hardship while fulfilling their calling (2 Timothy 4:5). But they are still common men. They often face physical, mental, emotional, and social “injuries” and push forward—sometimes with little more than faith and fortitude to sustain them (Proverbs 18:14a). The Lord is their sun and shield as they persevere through weary and wounding circumstances, seeking to further the gospel and win souls for Christ (Psalm 84:11; Philippians 1:12). Yet, there are times when an unexpected mental or emotional injury occurs after the fact—quiet, unseen, but just as real. In these moments, they need someone who can recognize the signs and walk with them through the process of real recovery (Proverbs 18:14b; Galatians 6:1–2).

That’s where GFF’s Missionary Care Unit comes in. We specialize in this kind of ministry—coming alongside those who are serving faithfully, yet suffering quietly. If you know a missionary of like mind and faith who would like to “check in” with us, consider encouraging them to connect with GFF’s missionary debriefing. If you feel led to support this ministry directly, you can contact us at mending.care. We would be honored to speak with you.

He careth for you.
J. Rodney Myers – GFF Director

07/07/2025

Register online at gfftabletalks.com.

Open Door Baptist Church
The Gospel Furthering Fellowship

06/28/2025

Come join The Gospel Furthering Fellowship celebrate our 90th Year of furthering the Gospel to gospeless peoples around the world on Friday and Saturday September 26 & 27th at Open Door Baptist Church.

Scan the QR code to register now or visit gfftabletalks.com!

Profitable preaching! Majestic music! Fabulous food!

06/28/2025

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
Attorney David Gibbs, CLA
Missionary Dave Nunemaker, (50+ years)

Contact us to make reservations!

06/09/2025

Hitting the Wall
June 2025

In endurance sports like marathon running, athletes often experience a moment known as “hitting the wall.” It’s not just a figure of speech—it’s a real and painful condition marked by sudden exhaustion and a sharp decline in performance. This happens when the body’s glycogen stores in the liver and muscles are depleted. With no glycogen to convert into energy, ATP levels drop, and muscles begin to cramp and ache. The heart races, breathing becomes labored, and a sense of overwhelming fatigue can crush even the most determined athlete. In that moment, the body pleads to stop. The mind shouts: “Quit now!”

And yet, a choice must be made.

The athlete can stop, grateful for the distance already covered—20 miles of a marathon completed. Or they can pause briefly to refuel—eating, drinking, and giving their body a chance to rebuild enough strength to press on for the final 6.2 miles. Others may choose to slow down and push through the pain, allowing their body to adapt and access alternate energy sources like fats and proteins. When this happens, many runners experience what’s known as a “second wind”—a powerful resurgence of strength and clarity. Endorphins are released, pain diminishes, and a wave of euphoria—the so-called “runner’s high”—propels them forward. They don’t just finish; they thrive.

Missionary life is a marathon of its own, and it too comes with walls—some physical, others emotional, mental, or spiritual. Fatigue is inevitable. Trauma, grief, and relentless stress can grip the heart and mind so tightly that continuing feels impossible. In these moments, missionaries face the same choice: collapse, pause, or endure.
Some are blessed to have people beside them who help shoulder the burden—offering encouragement, debriefing, and spiritual refreshment. Others may need to stop for a time, allowing their soul the space and care it needs to mend. Still others, though weary, press on slowly until God renews their strength. And there are those who, after faithful service, simply cannot continue. That, too, is worthy of gratitude—thankful for the ways God has used them up to that point.

But our hope—and the goal of missionary care—is to help each servant of God reach the place where they can say, with David in Psalm 23, “He restoreth my soul.” The word “restore” in both Hebrew and Greek carries the idea of mending what has been torn. It speaks of repair, healing, and renewal.

At GFF, we are deeply committed to providing this kind of restorative soul care for those who have hit the wall in missionary service. We recognize the pain, and we believe in the power of Christ to heal it. Please pray for our efforts to be effective and full of grace. And please pray for missionaries around the world to reach out—before the silence of suffering cuts their service short. Let’s be a part of helping them find their second wind!

Going Farther On!
J. Rodney Myers – GFF Director

05/07/2025

“Magnificent Desolation”
April 2025

On Wednesday, July 16, 1969, at 10:56 AM, astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped down from the lunar module, The Eagle, and planted the first human foot on another world—the Moon. With more than half a billion people watching on television, he proclaimed: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

His companion on the historic journey, Buzz Aldrin, followed shortly afterward and offered a simple yet powerful description of the alien surface: “Magnificent desolation.” After approximately two and a half hours of exploration, they left behind an American flag and returned to Earth, splashing down off the coast of Hawaii. They were recovered by the USS Hornet and immediately placed in a mobile quarantine unit to aid in their recovery and readjustment.

In a striking parallel, many missionaries embark on their own journey into an unfamiliar culture—not as individuals, but as families. Not for mere hours, but for at least two years—hopefully for decades. Mom and Dad, often with small children in tow, encounter both the magnificence of a new land and its desolation intertwined. The good and the bad. The beautiful and the difficult. The refreshing and the exhausting.

They learn the language and culture of a people who will both sustain and drain them. They choose to love and serve, even as they face deception and exploitation. The footprints they leave on village paths and city streets feel both otherworldly and strangely familiar. These are people for whom Christ died—people who deserve to hear the good news of redemption from sin and death. That truth gives meaning to the struggles and hardships they endure and propels them forward in their mission.

What is often missing for these intercultural families is a support system upon reentry—someone to help them recover and readjust. GFF is committed to walking alongside missionaries throughout their journey—from their initial launch to their eventual return, however long that may take. We ask you to pray for us in this mission, just as you pray for those who venture into uncharted lands, compelled by the love of Christ (2 Cor. 5:14-15).

In His Steps,
J. Rodney Myers – GFF Director

Open Door Baptist Church

The Gospel Furthering Fellowship

01/01/2026

12/01/2025

10/11/2025

09/22/2025

08/06/2025

07/07/2025

06/28/2025

06/28/2025

06/09/2025

05/07/2025

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