The Ripple Effect

By David W. Smith

Children love throwing rocks into water. The splash creates ripples, which grow in ever increasing circles that travel to the far reaches of the pond.

The choices and actions of one generation act as the splash that produces a ripple effect reaching to succeeding generations. For example, G. Campbell Morgan, the great British pastor and author, traveled to Toronto, Canada in the 1920s. His message touched the heart of my grandfather, George Wilfred Smith, and brought him to faith in Christ.

G. W. and his wife, Dorothy, went in 1928 as missionaries to Jamaica where they started two churches. One, Macfield Baptist Church, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2001.

The Ripples Expand

In 1939, G.W. led his seven-year-old son, Roly, to the Lord. God called Roly to continue the work in Jamaica during his father's funeral in 1959. Roly and his wife, Luella, started Fairview Baptist Bible College in Westmoreland and Hillview Baptist Church in Montego Bay.

The Ripples Continue

By 1970, the Lord had directed the Smiths to change their field of ministry from Jamaica to Australia where they worked until 1977. They planted Croydon Baptist Church in Melbourne and two daughter churches in Fern Tree Gully and Epping. The Lord also used them to start Victoria Baptist Bible College in Melbourne where many Australian church planters were trained.

Roly and Luella led their children to Christ. Their oldest son, David, was called to church planting missions in 1980 while attending Canada's London Baptist Bible College. He and his wife, Cathy, served as church planting missionaries in Andover, England for 10 years. They now work with more than 50 independent Baptist churches in Jamaica through ABWE's Global Access Partnerships. These churches formed the Baptist Agency for Church Planting and Mission in Jamaica, which has planted three churches in the past two years.

Another ripple took place in 1964 when Roly and Luella Smith presented their Jamaica ministry to a youth and music pastor and his wife in Richmond, Virginia. That night, Dale and Joanne Loftis felt God's call to Jamaica. They worked as church planting missionaries in Kingston. Havenhill Baptist Church is a result of their efforts. The Jamaican intern pastor, Winston Smith, led the Loftises' oldest son, Michael, to Christ. Michael and JoBeth Loftis led the ABWE team in Eastern Europe for 13 years. Michael is now president of ABWE.

A Further Ripple

Yet another ripple began in 1976 when Roly and Luella Smith were on furlough from Australia, and Dale and Joanne Loftis were on furlough from Jamaica. They met during a missions conference in Palm Harbor, Florida. After Roly showed his slides of Australia, Dale Loftis walked the aisle and told Roly that the Lord had called him to Australia. The Loftis family continues to serve as church planters in Ballarat, Australia. Their son, Tim, and his wife, Tammy, joined them as church planters in 1986.

Churches have been planted in Jamaica, Australia, Hungary, England, Canada, Ukraine, and the ripples keep going. Only God knows how future generations will be impacted. Are you throwing rocks into the pond in your part of the world? Are you doing your part to keep the ripples growing by God's grace until as we read in Habakkuk 2:14, "The earth is filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea"?

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