TESTIMONY -- JOEL BAIN (updated 1-2001)

I was born in September of 1947 in Athens, Tennessee.  Most of my childhood was spent in and around Oak Ridge of the said state.  My mother was a Christian and saw to it that my two brothers  and I were in all of the services of the Robertsville Baptist Church.  My father had no interest but went under duress on occasions.  As a child of eight, I went forward in a VBS to become a Christian but I did not experience any change in my life.
While in the fourth grade I took an early morning paper route and had more interest in my work than in school.  In the eighth grade we moved to a farm and I had plenty of work but very little pay.  Moving meant also a switch in churches and for us we found ourselves in a Presbyterian congregation but not of a liberal sort.  In one of their services I felt God was calling me; I said nothing and tried to forget it but sensed I was running from God and that He would overtake me somewhere down the road.

In 1968 (a year after my graduation from High School), I was inducted into the US Army and felt certain I would soon land in Vietnam.  When I received my orders for South East Asia, it was as though God was saying 'this thing is from me'.  My first six months there was quiet but after that almost every night we caught mortars, R.P.G's, and small arms fire.  Our entire company sobered up, and there were days spent in almost complete silence.
Some men were been killed, others wounded, and death was in the atmosphere. Our detachment coined this phrase and used it often,  'if I don't change my ways I know where I'm going', meaning to hell.  One night as we were getting hit I told the Lord (in my heart), that if He would get me out of there then I would do anything He said.  So in April 1969, I arrived back home only to forget my covenant with God and do as I wished.

By this time both my wife and my mother were after me to return to church; occasionally, I went against my will.  One week in December '69 I will never forget.  My mother was attending a revival meeting and approached me everyday about going.  Every day I put her off until Saturday when I ran out of excuses.  That night I walked into the church in a very proud manner.  I was wearing a new suit, had an envious position with Union Carbide and everyone in the community knew I was a Vietnam veteran.  But as the Gospel was preached, I found myself in the presence of God again, and in less than an hour God had crushed me with His power of conviction.  I left the church a new man though at the time I didn't know all God had done for me.  From that day forward I was in all the services and enjoying them immensely for the first time.

In 1971 God directed me Tennessee Temple University where I received much exposure to Faith Missions and received my Bible training; at the end of my first year of school I knew I was going to South Africa.   After graduation and two years of deputation, we arrived on the field in May of 1976.  Our first year was spent helping another missionary in the heart of Johannesburg to establish a church.  In July 1977 we started the Calvary Baptist Church in Randburg; in 1981 we began a work in Richmond, Natal with the Indians and Coloureds; in 1986 we helped a Coloured Pastor begin a work in Kimberly, North Cape.

1987 we went back to Calvary in Randburg helping it to get back on its feet after a split and some other problems as well as beginning a program for feeding the hungry & homeless.  

There are occasions when I hold revivals, conferences and special meetings as the Lord leads; I believe this is also a part of my ministry as well as church planting.

Theresa's Testimony

I was born July  26, 1949 in Oak Ridge, Tn.  When I was five years old, my parents moved to Kingston where I graduated from Midway High School.  My folks attended all the meetings (special and regular) of the Chapman Grove Baptist Church where Pastor E.R. Gamble was at time pastoring.  From as far back as I can remember, I heard the gospel message from this faithful man of God and other special speakers.  During one service in particular (there is no remembered date but the time is very clear in my mind, when I was approximately the age of nine years), we had a prayer meeting before the service and one dear lady asked me "Theresa are you saved?"  I definitely knew I was not and I knew that I would go to hell because of the preaching I had sat under and all I could answer was "NO"!  She asked me if I would like to be; then and there I prayed to the Lord Jesus and asked for forgiveness of my sins and from that time I knew that I was a child of God.

After High School I went to work for a doctor in our town.  Joel brought his brother, Danny, in for meningitis and this was our first meeting but definitely not our last.  We were married  March 26, 1968.  Joanna was born July 15, 1971 and six weeks later we left for Tennessee Temple University where Joel went to Bible School.  He graduated May 1974 and we were accepted by Baptist International Missions Inc. in Chattanooga, TN in May '74, and for the next two years were on  deputation. 

Jonathan was born July 29, 1974.  Timothy was born  February 13, 1976 and when he was two and a half months old (May 4, 1976) we left for Johannesburg, South Africa.  Tisha was born exactly one year later on May 4,1977.  I home schooled all the children while on the mission field and presently they are all in the US working. 

Our grandchildren are:

1. Austin - December 9, 1997.

2. Tyler - January 19, 1998

3. Timothy - January 17, 2000

4. Joanna Grace Brown - October 17, 2000

5. Abigail Rose – May 6 2001   

Some of the hardships that we have encountered have been the illness of our children.  That is most difficult to handle as you can't do much more them but put them in God's hand.  Jonathan was a very severe asthmatic and Timothy was born with a deformity of the hands and feet that had to be corrected surgically over the years.  Even today he carries the physical scars of those early years.   During all of those hard times we knew the Lord was not only walking beside us but carrying us in His Almighty Arms.  Praise His Holy Name!!!!

Now the most difficult task is leaving our children and grandchildren when we return to the field.  Truly we have never experienced such heart renderings as this.  Please pray for us as we see our children and grandchildren and then in a few days have to leave them again.  Truly our hearts are sore.

It has been our joy and privilege over the years to lead many souls to the Lord Jesus Christ.  One of the greatest pleasures in God's work is watching a Christian grow and then step out in faith to become a missionary, a pastor, or a Christian worker.  Truly we serve a Great God.

Our life verse:

"For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds" (Heb. 12:3).  We must keep our hearts and minds on Him continually

Love,

Joel & Theresa Bain
Johannesburg South Africa