Idaho Falls and Jesus’ Great Commission

 

How has Jesus’ Great Commission motivated men and women who were called to Idaho Falls and sent from Idaho Falls to other nations?  How have pastors challenged the church in Idaho Falls to respond to Jesus’ Great Commission?

The rich history of missions to Eagle Rock, Southeast Idaho and Idaho Falls began with Rebecca Mitchell.[1]  Soon after attending the first session of the Missionary Training School in Chicago the winter of 1880-1881, she came west to Eagle Rock and never returned to her home state of Illinois.  While she did not need to learn a new language or the ways of a foreign culture, she was an example of fulfilling a missionary calling in numerous other ways.  She sought the good of the community; she got to know people and families; she learned and wrote about the history of Eagle Rock and southeastern Idaho.  The people of Eagle Rock became her family and her home.  She saw the needs of Eagle Rock and Idaho and addressing those needs was her mission.  And the greatest need I believe that she saw was for the people of Eagle Rock to know the Savior, to become part of His church and live according to His commands.[2]

God has called many other men and women to proclaim the gospel and make disciples in Eagle Rock, Southeast Idaho and Idaho Falls, from starting the early churches of the area to building up our current ones.[3]  One excellent example of someone who brought the gospel to communities in SE Idaho where it was not known was Rev. George D. Peacock.  Growing up in an LDS family in Utah, at age 11 he was so wild that his mother sent him to a Presbyterian school in Manti.  There his hunger for knowledge led him into a solid faith in Jesus, though it also meant rejection by his family.  At the urging of Dr. Samuel Wishard, a district church leader who was instrumental in forming the Presbyterian Church in Idaho Falls and many other places in Idaho and Utah, in the 1890’s George began assisting in evangelistic tent meetings.  It wasn’t long before he took on a role that could be called a “roaming teacher-evangelist,” taking the gospel and starting churches and Sunday schools in rural and remote areas of the Mountain West.  From 1905 until his death in 1956, his headquarters were in either Blackfoot or Idaho Falls.[4]

Southeast Idaho has had various immigrant populations at different times in its history, and these have not escaped the focus of churches and mission organizations.  One example is the outreach to Japanese in Southeast Idaho in the 1940’s by two Methodist missionaries, Miss Carolyn Teague and Miss Olive Curry. In 1941 Miss Teague had spent 29 years in Japan and Miss Curry 16 years.  Because of the deteriorating situation between the US and Japan at that time, the two women were recalled to the States and reassigned to Idaho Falls, to share the gospel with Japanese in the area.  Their efforts were fruitful, as they saw many conversions to Christ and from them formed two churches, one primarily with first generation Japanese and the other with second generation Japanese Americans.  After World War II ended, both Miss Teague and Miss Curry returned to Japan, leaving the Idaho Falls churches with trained leaders. 

Two Idaho Falls churches that stand out in the history of Idaho Falls for their efforts planting churches in the area are Calvary Baptist Church and Rise Church, formerly Shiloh Foursquare.  In 1987 Calvary Baptist took on sponsorship of a Hispanic mission in town, which is now Iglesia Bautista Calvario.  In 1991, Calvary Baptist assumed sponsorship of Mountain View Baptist Church at Ft. Hall.  Starting in 1994 the Idaho Falls Korean Mission Church met in the facilities of Calvary Baptist Church.[5] In the 42 years 1953 to 1995, Calvary Baptist was involved in 26 church plants or missions.[6]

In 1999, Shiloh Foursquare Church planted a Spanish-speaking church, Casa De Oracion.  At that time there were about 10,000 Hispanics living in Idaho Falls who because of language barriers had few church options.[7] A few years later, Shiloh helped start Theologica El Shaddai, a 3-year program for training people in ministry to Spanish speaking residents of the area.  During Tony Maupin’s years as pastor of Shiloh Foursquare Church, he helped start seven churches in Southeast Idaho, four of which are congregations of Hispanic believers.[8]

The above is just a small sample of efforts of Idaho Falls churches to proclaim the kingdom of God, to make disciples, to baptize and teach all of Jesus’ commands to the residents of Eagle Rock, Idaho Falls and Southeast Idaho.  One focus of the above has been church planting, within every ethnic group and to all geographic areas, as that is central to Jesus’ commission. 

But of course the scope of the Great Commission, as found in Matthew, Mark and Luke’s gospels as well as the book of Acts, involves all nations, all peoples, peoples of all languages of the world, or in the words of Acts 1:8, going to the remotest part of the earth. Many have been sent out from Idaho Falls to the nations.  In an interview with Pastor Tony Maupin in 2017, he told me that he has seen God raise up and send 47 people into missionary service, teaching, pastoral positions or other ministries.  I have documented a few people sent from Idaho Falls in Section 6.3 of https://barnescm2.wixsite.com/jiif/jesus-church-called-and-sent and also https://jiif140yrs.blogspot.com/2024/01/sent-from-idaho-falls-genita-to-gaza.html and   https://jiif140yrs.blogspot.com/2024/05/idaho-falls-india-connections.html and would like to hear and record the stories of many more.  Here I will just give a very brief account of one.[9]

J. Christy Wilson grew up in Idaho Falls in the early years of the 20^th century.  While still in high school, he was an invited speaker at regional student Christian conferences, known as the Christian Endeavor Union.  Following college, he worked for two years as an editor and reporter of The Daily Post, one of three newspapers in Idaho Falls at the time.  Realizing a call from God on his life, he obtained a Masters of Divinity Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, during which time he also married Fern Wilson, a native of Twin Falls whom he got to know in college in Kansas.

Christy and Fern were sent to Persia in 1919, during a time when Russian, Ottoman, British, French and German military forces freely roamed the country, when several minority groups were seeking autonomy and when several epidemics is the wake of WWI raged.  They mastered three languages, studied the cultures of the peoples of northern Iran and Christy became a recognized authority on Iranian art.  While Christy’s primary ministry was that of an itinerant evangelist, his servant’s heart also led him into a variety of other roles that others did not want.  During a season of unusual suffering, Christy smuggled wheat across the Russian border to feed starving Armenians.  While nearly all previous mission work in Persia had focused on Assyrian and Nestorian peoples, the Wilsons saw a window of opportunity to bring the gospel to the majority Muslim population and seized it.  That window closed 20 years later, in 1940, by which time nearly all missionaries in Iran, including the Wilsons, had left because of hostile conditions.  Christy spent the remainder of his career as professor of missions at Princeton Seminary, a position that allowed him to lead many trips to Afghanistan, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Palestine and Egypt, as well as publish a number of books on Islam and the life of the pioneer missionary to Islam, Samuel Zwemer.

To get another glimpse into Idaho Fall’s exposure and response and to Jesus’ Great Commission, I searched two data bases containing approximately 40,000 Idaho Falls newspapers, using the search term “Great Commission.”  Out of those 40,000 newspapers, there were 23 articles or announcements that mentioned of the Great Commission in a local context.

The earliest three references were sermons preached on the Great Commission by Pastor R. P Douglas of the First Baptist Church in October 1930, by Pastor W. F. Pool of First Christian Church in March 1934 and Assistant Pastor Martin Bohn of First Presbyterian Church in September 1935.  Five later newspaper issues announced sermons to be preached on the Great Commission, three of which were at the Baptist church.[10]

In February, 1939, the women of Trinity United Methodist Church held an international fellowship tea, embracing the world-wide fellowship of the Methodist church.  At the conclusion of the program the entire group joined in repeating in unison a message from missionary statesman Dr. E Stanley Jones which was read throughout the world, “May the cup of tea, drunk around the world in many climes and among many peoples, become the very chalice of Christ in which we pledge to Him our common loyalty and our common determination to carry out the great commission among all peoples with wholehearted zeal and loving devotion till the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Christ.”[11]

In May, 1939 Rev. Frank Poole Jr., pastor of the Evangelical Mission Church of Idaho Falls, was the final speaker at a district meeting of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. He spoke on the Great Commission, with keeping the commandments of Christ as the foundation for families, community and national life.[12]

Prayer is extremely important in fulfilling the Great Commission, in many ways.  For many decades the United Christian Women of Idaho Falls organized an annual World Day of Prayer.  In 1949, Mrs. Worth D. Wright, the World Day of Prayer program chairman and representing the Rebecca Mitchell Circle, gave the devotional based on the topic, “The Great Commission.”  She spoke of conditions in China, concluding with a prayer, “God of All Nations.”[13]

For a number of years, The Post Register ran a weekly column written by Idaho Falls pastors, called “Friday’s Pulpit.”  Four times the theme of the column was the Great Commission.  Two of these four were written by the longest serving pastor of Idaho Falls, Rev. Donald Austin.[14] In the first, Rev. Austin referred to the Great Commission in both Matthew’s and Luke’s gospels, citing evidence in the book of Acts of Scripture fulfilled.[15]  In his second column he again used the Great Commission in Luke 24 as well as Mark 16:15, emphasizing that the disciples were to wait to be imbued with the power of the Holy Spirit, and then once they were, they immediately began to witness to the resurrection and to preach the name of Jesus with dramatic results, although not without opposition.[16] He concluded the column with, “This commission that so spurred these early Christian followers of Jesus Christ to preach His gospel to all the nations of their day carries the same impact today upon the lives of the followers of Jesus.  They are carrying it to the ends of the earth, preparing the way for the return of Jesus for His people.”

In 1964, in a Friday’s Pulpit column, Pastor Norvell Wixon[17] of the First Church of God cited the Great Commission in both Mark and Luke, concluding with, “Every Christian is called to be a missionary…we must share (the gospel) with others at home and abroad!”[18]  A later pastor of the Church of God, Rev. Lee Todd, wrote in a Friday’s Pulpit entitled The Bible Has the Answer that “Christ established the Church and gave the Great Commission to the Church, Matt 28:18-20.”

Calvary Baptist Church in Idaho Falls was mentioned more than any other church in articles that referenced the Great Commission. One article discussed a Japanese dinner served to the women of the church, with an address following the dinner on the book “Japan Advances,” by Dr. W. Maxfield Garrett, and a devotional on the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20.[19] Another article announced an Easter cantata performed by the choir of the church, ”Hallelujah for the Cross” by John W Peterson: The cross, though an instrument of death, signals a beginning and not an end for because of the cross we have an empty tomb, a great commission, an ascended Lord, an empowered church and a glorious hope of Christ’s return.[20] In 2004, Calvary Baptist Church placed an ad in the Post Register about a video series they were having on Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life book. The ad included a quote from Billy & Franklin Graham, “The Purpose Driven Life will guide you to greatness through living the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.”[21]

Some of the missions zeal of Shiloh Foursquare Church perhaps can be traced to one of its predecessors, the Christian Center founded in 1976 in Idaho Falls by an Australian couple, Cliff and Helen Beard.  Before coming to Idaho Falls, this couple conducted mass crusades and missionary seminars in many countries around the world.  After several years, they turned the Christian Center over to fellow Australian Tim Marsh, but for the next 15 years the Beards periodically returned to Idaho Falls to share stories of their missions around the world. The Beards encouraged personal responses to the call to serve overseas.  In one meeting in 1979 they said, “There is no amen to the Book of Acts. Jesus’ great commission to His followers was ‘Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature…’”[22]

Also in 1979, St. John Lutheran church expanded their library and connected it to the Great Commission.

A major goal at St John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church is to encourage each family, as the basic unit of Christianity, to be responsible for the building of Christ’s kingdom in the home.  To equip parents and children better for this task, many opportunities for learning and sharing are available.  One of these opportunities is the church library, which during the past few years has expanded from a single bookcase into a multi-media center of cassette tapes, records, books, pamphlets and reference works… The rationale for this expansion is simple.  The Bible is the source for relationships between God and man, between parents and children, between husbands and wives and among church members.  Since these relationships are clarified by solid Biblical teachings, the library’s role becomes more evident. “The central place of the library, says its coordinator Tom Biery, “is to offer a source for the study of these relationships.” Closely related is the underlying concept of the up-building of the church. “The library is only valid insofar as it is based on the Word of God and is in accordance with the great commission in Matthew 28:19” stressed Tom.[23]

The reminder of references to the Great Commission in Idaho Falls newspapers are in accounts of missionaries speaking in local churches. Here are three brief examples:

In 1975, Dr. and Mrs. John Ross, missionaries in what was then the Belgian Congo spoke at First Christian Church in Idaho Falls. In the announcement before the meeting, James Goettsche, the world outreach chairman of First Christian Church, said, “Dr. Ross will also be speaking on the opportunities in mission in a changing world order,” and added that there are exciting things happening in world missions as well as great ferment concerning how best to fulfill the Great Commission….”[24]

Also in 1975, Mrs. Mary Door of the American Bible Society was interviewed by Joe Marker of The Post Register and gave a seminar at the Christian Church in Pocatello, making an appeal for workers “who want to answer the Great Commission of our Lord to tell others of Him” by helping distribute Scriptures in prisons, hospitals, and given to migrant workers, people in the military and elsewhere.[25]

A final example of a citation of the Great Commission was in an ad placed in the Post Register for several days in late June and early July of 1982.  It read in part, Brother Franz of the Netherlands, Founder of International Bible Missions, which has been carrying the work of God to Iron Curtain Countries since 1963, will be available for ministering in the Snake River Valley July 8-11.  Brother Franz recently spent 6 weeks in Russia and witnessed a tremendous move of God’s power.  This anointed man of God has many inspiring testimonies to relate to the Body of Christ.  He can also lead we Idahoans in how we might help to fulfill the great commission. Matthew 28:19.

The first Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class will be held in Idaho Falls[26] starting on January 6, 2025 and continuing each Monday night through the first Monday in May.  This class will provide a Biblical and historical basis for participation in God’s global plan.  It will address such questions as:

•         What is God’s ultimate purpose - for us, for all of time, for all peoples?
•         What is God’s strategy for accomplishing His purpose?
•         What is the unifying story of the Bible and what difference does it make in our lives?
•         What is God’s kingdom, why did Jesus preach it, and how does it empower us to fulfill our purpose?
•         What was Jesus’ mission and how is His mission our mission?
•         How did the apostles continue Jesus’ mission?
•         How is God inviting us to join Him in His story?
•         How do we see God’s purpose, His will, His kingdom & His glory advance through the centuries?
•         Where are we now in terms of fulfilling the mission Jesus gave us; what is left to do?
•         What exactly is culture and why is so important to our mission?
•         How is the gospel communicated across cultural barriers?
•         How is Jesus’ incarnation the model for our witness?
•         How do you form bonds with people of other cultures?
•         Given all the needs of the world, what is most strategic in carrying out our mission?
•         How is God working in the world today?
•         How are communities transformed?
•         How do churches multiply and why is church multiplication so important?
•         What are the dynamics of movements to Christ and why are they important to understand and pursue?
•         What are the practices and disciplines of a life in harmony with God’s global purposes, joining with God in what He is doing?

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[1] Or you could say it began earlier with several circuit riding preachers who made stops in Eagle Rock.

[2] For more of the story of Rebecca Mitchell, see  https://barnescm2.wixsite.com/jiif/rebecca-mitchell-supplemental-mater and section 5.2.1 of https://barnescm2.wixsite.com/jiif/jesus-church-called-and-sent

[3] For a few examples, see https://barnescm2.wixsite.com/jiif/jesus-church-called-and-sent.  Also see https://jiif140yrs.blogspot.com/2023/10/sharing-gospel-with-idaho-falls.html .

[4] For more of the story of George Peacock, see https://jiif140yrs.blogspot.com/2024/04/rev-george-d-peacock-shepherds-dog.html

[5] See Highlights in the History of Calvary Baptist Church, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 2016 Anniversary Booklet

[6] Sources include the 20^th, 35^th & 50^th Anniversary histories of the church plus an article in The Post Register, August 6, 1995.

[7] Post Register, May 7, 1999, Karen Chavez, “A New Seed in God’s Garden.”

[8] Interview with Tony Maupin, 2017.

[9] For a fuller account of the life and ministry of Dr. J. Christy Wilson, Sr. see Section 6.3.1 of https://barnescm2.wixsite.com/jiif/jesus-church-called-and-sent

[10] Idaho Falls Daily Post, October 17, 1970, p. 7; The Post Register, March 2, 1934, p. 6 & The Post Register, September 27, 1935, p. 7.

[11] The Post Register, February 8, 1939, p. 5.

[12] The Post Register, May 16, 1939, P. 1 & 3.

[13] The Post Register, January 14, 1949 p. 5.

[14] See Section 6.6.1 of https://barnescm2.wixsite.com/jiif/jesus-church-called-and-sent

[15] The Post Register, March 30, 1962, p 11.

[16] The Post-Register, January 18, 1963, p. 8.

[17] See https://jiif140yrs.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-pastor-with-several-names-rev.html

[18] The Post-Register, June 19 1964, p. 8.

[19] The Post Register, November 28, 1958, p. 5.

[20] The Post Register, April 1, 1977 p. A-8.

[21] The Post Register, April 18, 2004, p C-5.

[22] The Post Register ,June 30, 1979, p. A-12.

[23] The Post Register, November 19, 1979, p. C-1 “Learning, Sharing by Family Encouraged,” by Dorothy Van Haaften.

[24] The Post Register, August 29, 1975, p. A-8.

[25] The Post Register, February 14, 1975, p A-8.

[26] If you read this before January 13, 2025, you can still register for and take the class.  See https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTQdtHZTfuiHm18WTD_mgcKfgBJMSPrbWsAqkEfR6GX-tjtfQoQwvk06I_1RWjzY7YmsoBdyNxxnxGJ/pub