Backing those on the front lines

The voices of Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus coming down the street in Corinth echoed in the hearts of their friends.

“I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived,” the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 16. “They have supplied what was lacking from you. For they refreshed my spirit and yours also.”

This joy was true 2000 years ago for the apostle Paul as he told the Corinthian believers. Yet, Debra and Steve Rowe know the spirit and application of the Lord’s word continues. 

The New Testament church, with all its troubles, they said, is the church today. In the Scriptures of the New Testament, they see ‘member care’ happening many times. Christians gather around each other in hard times.

As member care staff for Converge, the Rowes comfort missionaries with God’s comfort, even when the pandemic forces them onto Zoom or when email and text messages replace handwritten letters.

How can you encourage global workers?

The Rowes often use Scripture with empathy to encourage their fellow global workers. For example, the apostle Paul told the Corinthian church he and others were crushing under pressure, “far beyond our ability to endure.”

The apostle told the church he planted how he despaired for his life. Yet, later in 2 Corinthians, he wrote that the church helped through prayers for the apostle and his ministry partners.

The Rowes believe the entire body of Christ must support everyone in global work. They do their part but can’t fully care for all God’s servants. Churches are part of the support for international ministers, as are supervisors and colleagues in ministry.

Everyone can minister through Jesus’ own words to his disciples, inviting servants to come away and rest with Christ after challenging times. Jeremiah 31:25 easily comes from Steve’s mouth: “I [the Lord] will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”

Why talk when you can do?

Steve was in Palm Springs, a young man looking for fun with some swim team buddies when he heard the gospel. He sat on a curb during the spiritual conversation, then trusted Christ in prayer.

He started taking drugs and straying from Christ’s love and plan through the coming months and years. Then, one day, during a frightening hallucination, he somehow remembered that God never forsakes his people.

In response to the constant presence of God, Steve resolved to live for God. Later, Steve thought about going to Urbana, a Christian gathering focused on missions. He talked with his assistant pastor about the idea.

Why would he go to some place and talk about missions, the assistant pastor asked, when he could go to Brazil and do missions?

Related: Experience life change through a global missions service internship

After the assistant pastor’s question, four people from Steve’s church went to Brazil to help a missionary. He went along ― his first mission trip. They did construction but Steve also taught the children of Christian servants there.

“I’ll never be a missionary,” he thought, “but I can be a teacher to help educate missionary children.”

At one point, the church members in Brazil shared with Steve how beneficial training leaders would be for making disciples.

“We need people to train our new leaders,” they told Steve. “We know how to start churches, but we need people to help train. We need more leadership.”

Related: “Teach us and train us, and we’ll share the gospel.”

So, Rowe enrolled to attend Bethel West Seminary in California. After graduation, he and his wife went back to Brazil. He invested most of their 30 years teaching at a Bible college there.

Debra was born to pioneer missionaries in Brazil, meaning their team started the Converge ministry there. Her grandparents were missionaries in Bolivia.

As Debra continued in Christian service in Brazil, she met Steve and married. She went to the states with him so he could start seminary. Two of their three children were born in the U.S.; their third child was born in Brazil.

David Rowe, Debra and Steve’s oldest son, died of leukemia 25 years ago. He was a just a young boy when he died. A nearly indescribable pain slammed the family.

The whole church is on the team

Yet, the Rowes found spiritual support and strength from Brazilian and American believers. The faith others had in God helped the Rowes persevere through their painful trial.

One of the acts of love for the family came slowly but sincerely. The Rowe’s partners funded a home that houses families who travel to the Campinas region hospital. That hospital specializes in pediatric cancer treatments and attracts Brazilians from every corner of the country.

That home, now self-funded and operated by Brazilians, offers Bible studies and other spiritual resources to families during long or intensive medical care. In addition, the hospitality house in David’s honor is sharing the gospel with Brazilians, including unreached people groups.

People from an indigenous group protected from Christian witnessing by Brazilian law now stay at the hospitality house. When people of that tribe travel to the hospital, staff and volunteers offer spiritual and physical support to the seemingly unreachable people.

“We can’t go to them as a missionary,” Debra said. “But they’ve been coming to us and hearing about Jesus. It’s just incredible what God has done.”

Related: Read other stories of God working among least-reached peoples

After their son’s death, the Rowes invested 18 years as chaplains at Boldrini Hospital where David received most of his leukemia treatments. Deb trained and supported volunteers at the hospitality house named in her son’s honor.

Yet God had at least one more assignment for the Rowes: care for global workers serving Latin America and Asia.

David’s death, in a way, shaped the Rowes for their current ministry.

“We felt God through the body of Christ,” Debra Rowe explained of how churches rallied as the Rowes grieved. “When someone came to encourage us, or brought us pizza or a cake, to us, that was God.”

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news, the Bible says.

Real people with uncommon challenges

The Rowes help new global workers be strong in the faith when they struggle. Steve wants to see more people say yes to being missionaries. Plus, he wants them to serve with vitality.

All families go through similar challenges ― aging parents, health issues, conflict and communication issues, to name a few.

Moreover, global workers experience those pressures while isolated in an unfamiliar culture. Most must learn a new language.

In addition, most global workers navigate very different work-family-life dynamics. For example, having both parents at home at certain times can require families to think differently about roles and responsibilities.

“Pastors and missionaries are real people,” Steve said. “These are people willing to step out and go to the front lines and they deserve to be backed up.”

Debra notes missionaries have significant resilience for life challenges.

“Most of our missionaries are very driven, high achievers,” she said. “[They have] high expectations of themselves and that’s a good thing.”

At the same time, a ministry both painful and powerful gives her empathy and perspective in her member care role.

“They’re often harder on themselves than God is,” she said of some global workers. “Part of member care is, ‘Tell them it’s OK, part of your job is selfcare.’”

Related: When Converge missionaries are on the field, we continue to stand with them

Steve adds he often sees relief on the faces of global workers when he and Debra listen to them share what’s troubling their heart. They value the time and opportunity to validate, affirm and normalize others’ feelings during challenging moments.

The Rowes have felt joy when believers show up in their lives. God supplied what was lacking in the Rowes when Christians showed up. Like the apostle Paul, they’ve been hard-pressed but not crushed, persecuted but not abandoned.

Now in Helendale, California, Steve and Debra are near their two children. From there, they give oversight to Converge global workers in Latin America and Asia.

This time, they are serving the next generation of global workers who aim to reach many people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Rowes want to refresh the spirits of these servants on the front lines, just like Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus did for Paul.

“People were the tangible presence of God in our lives and it made such a difference,” Debra said. “So that’s what we want to be in other people’s lives.”

Converge International Ministries is praying for a gospel movement among every least-reached people group ― in our generation. Learn how Converge churches help more people around the world meet, know and follow Jesus.