Recently John McMillan visited our local Baptist church in Tweed Heads and this was where I caught up with him, as he came speaking about the OpenDoors ministry - the persecuted church around the world.
In 2011 his wife Robyn and he sat down for one of those inevitable pastoral-future discussions on what the Lord might have for us in this "next stage of our lives" when word came through that OpenDoors in Queensland was looking for a "passionate missional leader" to reinvigorate the awareness of this remarkable international Mission.
Together, he and Robyn prayed about this, as John explained, "I threw my hat in the ring" and in 2012 he was appointed the Queensland OpenDoors Regional Manager and if he thought Youth Ministry was busy, it was marginal compared to this all engrossing and engaging mission.
Not only does he visit churches and men's groups and service clubs and the rest of it, retelling the gut-wrenching stories of those persecuted for no other reason than for believing in Jesus Christ, he's visiting such countries as an encourager to those whose horrendous sufferings bear the wounds of inexcusable persecution.
John McMillan became a follower of Jesus Christ in 1982 when he was 19. He was a bit of a rough nut, experienced a dreadful motor vehicle accident which shook him up considerably. He went to the local church and offered his life to Jesus Christ that very night. It was a radical conversion.
Immediately he was given two books to read, David Wilkerson: 'The Cross and the Switchblade;, and Brother Andrew: 'God's Smuggler'. He became a prayer and financial support of OpenDoors and has followed the mission passionately, and when word came through from a friend that OpenDoors was looking for someone, need say no more!
OpenDoors
John McMillan told us that Brother Andrew is now 86 and is still untiringly active in Christian work with a personal focus on the Middle East. He showed us on the big screen that first VW Beetle he had in 1958 where he first smuggled Bibles into eastern Poland, which can still be read about in God's Smuggler. It's still one of the most read Christian books.
OpenDoors web site has listed the 50 most critical countries under persecution, for nothing more than following Jesus Christ. Open Doors estimates there are 100 million Christians facing persecution around the world for nothing more than following Jesus Christ. These are the top four countries on the 2013 World Watch List: North Korea, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. (www.opendoors.org.au)
John McMillan has a presentation that illustrates how very ordinary people who follow Jesus Christ are severely punished and often murdered without trial or question. He spoke of numerous situations in specific Islamic controlled countries where even owning a Bible or a portion of Scripture leads to immediate death.
Yet, many Muslim people through dreams have met Jesus Christ and have become His followers in secret. They attend the Mosque but pray to a different Lord. This is not new, Stuart Robinson's book "Mosques and Miracles" revealed these things three decades ago. The resurgence now has been phenomenal with thousands of Muslims every day becoming followers of Jesus Christ.
John McMillan showed us on the big screen a school bus in Iraq that was struck by huge road side bomb and not a child was hurt. The children exclaimed that Jesus was on the bus with them, they showed where he sat. One little girl said He put his arm around her. A little boy said that Jesus told him not to afraid.
Now friends, John McMillan is a bit of a live wire, so when you get him to visit your church, have a good PA system, a screen to show some pretty graphic material, an open heart and a handkerchief, and a some dollars to support OpenDoors.
To contact him - 0433 256 445 Email jimm@od.org
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html