The Transition to the Mission Field
Preparation of the heart
Missions for both Matt and Julie started a long time before they made the move to England. Matt always had a desire to go to the unreached areas of the world and Julie spent much time praying for the nations as well as always being told by her mother she would be a missionary. Matt's first experience with missions was with Teen Mania. This fueled his desire to minister overseas. While attending RHEMA Matt chose to use his summer break to minister in Colombia, South America. After moving to Michigan to work for Harvest Bible Church, both Matt and Julie traveled to Colombia as they led a team from the church on a short-term mission. They also led the church youth on missions to Mexico on two separate occasions. In addition to these short-term trips, even before they were married, Matt and Julie were supporting missionaries on a monthly basis. After marriage they combined their efforts and continued to support missions to this day. They feel that much of the blessing they are now experiencing is because of the years of prayer and support they have given to missions before they themselves were missionaries.
The Direction
Matt and Julie were at a point in their life and ministry where they felt if they continued to work for Harvest Bible Church that they should begin to get more settled as a family and have children. However, from the start of their service at Harvest Bible Church they felt like it was a time of preparation and that there would be a day when they would need to make a change. Little did they realize this change would be so soon. As Matt made preparations to build a new home he felt as though he was wasting time. Because of this, he began to spend extra time praying to see what God was trying to tell him. It was during this extended time in prayer that he realized God's leading to move to the mission field, and that field was to be England! Roger and Mary King founded Reaching The World Inc. in 1987 and were missionaries that Harvest Bible Church supported on a monthly basis. During Matt's time of prayer he was reminded of the King's and their ministry. Roger King had a ministry that included going to unreached people. Exactly what Matt felt he was called to. Instead of starting their own work and making a lot of mistakes they felt it was the leading of the Lord, and wisdom, to hook up with an established ministry that they could serve and learn from.
The Transition
God's hand was very evident in the transition from Harvest Bible Church to the mission field. Every area that the Beemer's were involved in at Harvest Bible Church prospered as they worked hard to have each area well provided for in their absence. Another interesting part of their transition was that Matt and Julie's last Sunday "just happened" to be a Sunday that Roger King was ministering. The services seemed to be planned by God as a sort of "passing the baton" and Matt and Julie were the baton. The transition was smooth and filled the anointing of God was evident. After their initial 3 month "scouting" visit to England the Beemer's felt they could commit to Reaching The World for a total of 2 years. As they look back, they can see that God has given them 2 years of pastoral type ministry assisting at Harvest Bible Church and 2 years of traveling/missions ministry with Reaching The World. A solid foundation for their calling.
World Harvest Bible Church
After much prayer and waiting on God Matt and Julie felt the Lord leading them to Manchester, England to start World Harvest Bible Church in October 1996. All that year was spent praying and preparing for the transition. Matt comments about the work in England, "We never thought we would be pioneering and pasturing a church and here in England. Our hearts have always been for the very remotest and hard to reach places. Most people do not think of England as a mission field. At least I didn't! I always thought I would be living in some remote jungle somewhere. However, there is something about this country. God has ordained it to be a perfect place for reaching out to the nations of the World. We believe this is why God has brought us here. Not simply to start another church, there are plenty of churches in England, but to start a ministry that reaches out to the World"
Interested in partnering with the Beemers? Below is information how you can give to their ministry.
Stateside Financial Support
Please make checks payable to: RHEMA Bible Church Missions
and designate 'The Beemers' on the memo line of the check.
Checks can then be mailed to:
RHEMA Bible Church Missions
P.O. Box 50126
Tulsa, OK 74156