Pray, Prepare, Plant
In partnership with their sending church in Gorran Haven, GBM and others, Jason and Andrea Murfitt have been praying and preparing to plant a new church on the island of Madeira. We chatted to Jason and Andie to hear how the gospel seed is taking root
Jason: Picture a little group gathered under a tree in Santa Catarina Park, overlooking Madeira’s capital city Funchal. The ocean stretches into the distance. The temperature is in the mid-20s, just perfect in the shade. I put down some mats and we sit there. It’s very simple: I open in prayer, read the Word and preach it, then close in prayer. Last time I also set up my iPad and eleven more people tuned in on Zoom from across the island and beyond.
People are wandering around the park, walking dogs, talking, sitting down, and they can see what we’re doing. Before the service I talk to a few of them and invite them to join us. Then after the service if there’s anyone hanging around we give them a tract and tell them what we’ve been doing.
When did all this start? How did the Lord lay Madeira on your hearts?
Jason: The seeds were sown before we went to Brazil, when we met a missionary who had written a book about Madeira called The Wolf from Scotland. Over the next fifteen years I kept coming across news of Madeira, then in 2015 I heard about a Cornish man working in a Baptist church on Madeira. Our mission secretary was going on holiday there, so I asked her to pass our prayer card to him and say that we were praying for him. That very Sunday their pastor of forty years announced his retirement. The pastor and I got in touch, and he said that if I was wondering about where the Lord is calling us next, perhaps consider Madeira. We knew that the Lord was preparing us for another mission field but had no clear call to anywhere else in the Amazon. As we were going to England for a few months in 2016, we planned a week on Madeira. By the end of that week we both felt this was the Lord’s leading. But one way you test the calling is to share with the elders and with prayer partners – and they were supportive too. We needed to spend some time in the UK first, especially with Lucy’s GCSEs coming up. In September 2018 I made my first solo trip to Madeira. The elders agreed that I should go every few months, and that’s what we did until the lockdown! – but I still managed five trips this year.
We’ve also built a strong relationship with a wonderful Madeiran brother in the UK, Sandro. He has a heart for church planting on the island and we hope that he will move back there with his family to work alongside us.
Tell us about the spiritual climate on Madeira. Are there other faithful gospel works on the island?
Jason: The population is ninety-six per cent Roman Catholic, probably two per cent atheists and the rest are a real mixture! There are about 1,700 active Jehovah’s Witness missionaries on the island, a small Mormon movement and a Pentecostal movement which is evangelical but confused on some secondary issues. In terms of biblical, conservative Christians there’s just one small Baptist church with about 10-15 members. We talked to the elders and offered to help, but although they are happy that we’re coming to the island they wanted to remain independent from us.
How does the Roman Catholic culture affect people’s thinking and lives?
Jason: You’re presumed to be Roman Catholic unless you consciously decide otherwise. This goes back to the original Portuguese settlers who came to the island in 1419. There’s a quarter of a million people on Madeira; about 10,000 would go to a place of worship on the Lord’s Day. The vast majority have never heard the gospel – probably most of them don’t even know what they’re supposed to believe as Roman Catholics.
Andie: We always need the Spirit to open blind eyes. It’s often harder when they’ve got a spiritual awareness because they’ll just agree with everything you say; so if you’re talking about Jesus the Saviour and how you need to turn from your sin, they’re nodding. But it’s just because they’ve got an awareness of spiritual things.
Jason: Rome does claim that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that’s a wonderful open door to conversations. Your average Roman Catholic assumes that the Bible is true, but they haven’t thought through what it actually says. Mariolatry is very popular. Mary’s the big statue with little baby Jesus in her arms; she’s got the big crown and he’s got the little crown. They pray through Mary to God and hold processions with idols of Mary all over the place.
How have your short visits to Madeira helped you prepare to plant a new church?
Jason: I just started very simply, walking the streets praying to meet people that the Lord had prepared. It was quite intimidating at first, not knowing anybody on the island. I’d go out with a pocketful of leaflets and every day have several meaningful conversations – ten minutes, an hour or two hours. If I see Jehovah’s Witnesses I talk to them about the gospel. It’s a great temptation to think, ‘I can’t be bothered with them’, but there they are with their little stand and their literature; they’ve got zeal, they’ve got convictions and they’re willing to tell the whole world what they believe. That gives me an invitation to tell them what I believe! If I see a homeless person asking for money then I may give them a euro or two, but I’ll always give them the Word of God. I give leaflets to people in restaurants where I eat, or leave leaflets in strategic places like bookstores, churches, bus stops, on benches and in hotels.
Our summer team in June 2019 had wonderful opportunities. We took 5,000 leaflets, 600 Bibles and 500 booklets, and handed out two-thirds of these in four days. When I returned on my own in August I wanted to distribute the rest. I decided to leave a display of literature in every Roman Catholic place of worship I found. That Lord’s Day I went to twelve different churches and left leaflets, Bibles and booklets. At one church there were about two hundred worshippers. I saw a big table at the back with nothing on it, so I filled it with a wonderful display of Bibles and other literature – then I shot out of there before the service finished! The next day I got an email saying: ‘I’m an evangelical Christian. I’ve just come back to the island and out of desperation I went to that place. I’m certainly not Roman Catholic but I really wanted to go somewhere to worship God, and I picked up your leaflet on the way out.’ Her name is Sabine, and I met up with her the next day and we’ve had contact ever since. She’s our sister in Christ and fantastic! I’ve had services in her home and she’s introduced me to many people. Sandro’s met her as well and every Saturday she joins our Zoom prayer meeting.
We also met a Venezuelan lady called ‘Loretta.’ One day during outreach I handed her a leaflet and a conversation began. Now I see her every time I visit, but I’m passing the relationship over to Sabine as it’s more appropriate for her to meet Loretta regularly. Loretta is close to the kingdom, and she’s asking for prayer – but she’s still holding on to some idols in her life. She’s introduced me to her friends – one of them is very curious and wants to understand the truth through the Word of God. ‘Felix’ is another ongoing contact – someone who thought he was saved until he better understood what the gospel was. He said he’d love to meet with me and Sandro again.
There are other Christians scattered on the island – previously at the Presbyterian church, in the Pentecostal movement, or they are Anglicans or Baptists who don’t go anywhere now. Let’s pray that these scattered sheep will be drawn together and find good biblical fellowship and teaching, so their faith is revitalised to serve the Lord again.
Our plans are in the Lord’s hands, but if all is well we hope to move to the island in the first half of 2021. Our two newly-adopted children will of course go with us, while Lucy stays in the UK living with a Christian family and attending college in Bath to complete a performing arts course. Sandro and his family plan to join us around the same time. We’re so thankful for everyone’s prayerful support, and we’re excited to see what the Lord will do on Madeira.