This time of radio with Southern Baptist International Mission Board missionary Dr. Mark Grossman became very personal. Mark was one of the young boys that grew up in the North St. Louis County (Florissant) where I last served as pastor.
Mark and his wife “MJ” (Martha Jane) loved their 22 years of ministry in Africa. It was painful to both of them … and their three children … when it was time to leave, which came at a time of seeing New Testament Book of Acts works of God!
The conditions of their African area of service made a focus on Bible “storying” and “orality” very important. The majority were primarily oral in their method of learning rather than literary.
This was the focus of Mark’s earned doctorate in Golden Gate Seminary … making disciples who would make disciples … using such tools as storying and a biblical overview described as “The Creation to the Cross.”
Mark describes a developed plan of bible teaching that includes 18 stories told from the Old Testament and 18 stories told from the New Testament. When the local people there were asked which stories meant the most to them, the frequent answer was “… the casting out of demons” because of so much witchcraft in the region. One lady brought cheers from those present when she said “I’ll never be afraid of demons again!”
Ministries such as the International Orality Network (www.orality.net) are important with such a focus, evidenced by the fact that “… if a bible were given to everyone in the world in his or her own language, the majority of them could not read it!” For various reasons this is the primary method that the majority of the world’s people learn because of their culture…not due to lack of intelligence.
Mark Grossmann has six brothers and sisters. Of the seven Grossmanns, three of whom are serving or have served in foreign missions: Roger and Vicki Grossmann in Guatemala; David and Cecilia Grossmann in Chili, now in Colorado; and Mark and MJ in Africa.
Mark begins a new phase of his life and, as schedule allows, delights in sharing this important message with churches and other groups. He can be emailed at mmjgrossmann@gmail.com.
Be blessed by the brief conversation with Mark Grossmann, followed in a second radio segment wherein he provides a version in English of the “Creation to the Cross.”