New Ministry and Contact Information

Dear Friends,

We will begin our new ministry as Executive Director of Missions for the Blue River-Kansas City Baptist Association on October 1.  We are grateful to the Lord for His continued call on our lives and the opportunity to continue to work in making disciples in our new Jersualem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.  

On October 7 Blue River-Kansas City Association will hold its annual meeting at First Baptist Church of Blue Springs, Missouri from 7-9pm.  I will be installed as their fifth Director of Missions that night as well.  If you happen to be within driving distance of Kansas City on October 7 I'd like to personally invite you to come.  If not, please pray the Lord will guide all the proceedings, begin the process of birthing his vision within us for the years to come and unify our hearts around His Mission.

The theme will be "Envision" and the annual meeting will begin  a process of evaluation, study, and envisioning together how the Lord would have us to move forward in this Association and in partnership with others in fulfilling the Great Commission and Acts 1:8 mandate.

We are also in the midst of moving into our new home and all the set up things involved in that and becoming new residents of a new neighborhood, county, state, etc.   Luke is doing well in his new school in 8th grade, we are blessed with great neighbors, a  wonderful home, a new puppy, one set of grandparents across town, and God's grace going before us.  We've even been able to see the Terrills and Combs families from CEE-IMB already here in KC and hope to see many other colleagues and friends in the months and years to come.  Please let us know if you will be in this area, going by Midwestern Seminary, or if we can assist you in some way.  

As of today we have our own internet service, home phone and are back on Skype as of today.  Below is our new home address and contact information with more to come later.  We will no longer have everyheart or other IMB email addresses going forward.  Please use contact information below.

We'd love to hear from you and especially want to invite you to come see us if you have opportunity to do so. The light will be on and a bed prepared for you to stay with us!

Rodney, Debbie and Luke Hammer

1303 SE Princeton Drive

Lees Summit, Missouri 64081

Home Phone:  816-600-2447

Rodney's cell phone:  816-500-3090 and email:  hammer_rodney@yahoo.com

Debbie's cell phone:  816-500-3089 and email:  dee9835@yahoo.com

Luke's cell phone:  816-500-3088  and email:  garfieldluke@yahoo.com

New Ministry Role

We are humbled and grateful to have accepted the call of the Blue River-Kansas City Baptist Association to serve as their Executive Director of Missions beginning officially October 1.

I had the privilege to preach and share missions vision and philosophy last night with the Association's Executive Board. Luke and I flew back from packing out in Prague arriving in Kansas City a few hours before going to the meeting. Debbie is still in Prague for a few more days wrapping things up and teaching English to Czech kids at an outreach camp. She will return to the US Saturday night. Our goodbyes were difficult and draining in Prague with Czech friends and IMB colleagues. Part of our heart will always be in eastern europe and we are grateful to God for the relationships and the privilege we had to serve there for 8 years.

As a result of this leading of the Lord in our life, we look forward to this new ministry and getting moved to Kansas City. Luke actually began school today! It's been hectic but God has been gracious.

We'll share more details later but wanted to get this update out and thank the many of you who have been praying for us.

Gratefully,

Rodney, Debbie and Luke

Teri Tarleton Funeral and Latest Family Info

Dear Friends,

Thank you for all of your prayers and support. God has been gracious to us this summer. Since I last wrote we had two good weeks of time with my family in Arizona, traveled again to Kansas City where Debbie's parents live, and were able to attend Teri Tarleton's funeral in Oklahoma City earlier this week.

It was truly a blessing to be with Ed and kids, the Tarleton family, and many CEE'ers in Oklahoma City for Teri's funeral. While we and all still grieve the sudden loss of Teri, the funeral was truly a wonderful celebration of a life devoted to Christ and wonderfully God honoring. It was warmly moving, fitting, lovingly evangelistic, and a tremendous display of missionary family honoring and loving their own. We were honored to be there and to get to hug and see so many. We continue to pray with you for Ed, Adam, Anna, Rachel and Rebecca and the whole family.

As for us, we leave tomorrow for a bittersweet time of packing out in Prague, selling and giving things away, and preparing other things for a move to the States. We will be in Prague August 11-17. Luke and I will return to the States on August 18 and Debbie will stay longer to help with English outreach camp for kids and finish up some details. We regret that we are unable to attend any AGMs this summer but look forward to seeing some of you in Prague. Please pray especially for our time with Czech friends while we are in Prague, and the opportunities Debbie will have at English outreach camp.

On August 19 the Blue River-Kansas City Baptist Assocation's Executive Board will meet and I will preach and share "in view of a call" as their potential Director of Missions. Please pray that they and we will know the Lord's confirmation if that is what God has for us next. If the vote is affirmative, Luke will begin school August 20 in Lees Summit, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City where the Assocational office is.

We will be in touch again after August 19! Thanks again for your prayers and encouragement.

Rodney, Debbie and Luke

Interview

Dear Friends,

We hope and pray your summer is going well and blessed by our Lord. Our summer has been most blessed...wonderful family times and worship, grace for transition and change, encouraging notes and phone calls with friends, fellowship with believers and new friends, and some incredible times in nature in the mountains.

I would greatly appreciate your prayers for an interview Debbie and I will have on Monday, July 14 for a possible ministry position.

There are a few possibilities and previous interviews that have taken place this summer. We just want to be where God wants us to be of course...no more, no less.

Next week, after the interview, we go to Arizona to spend two weeks with my parents. It's always a wonderful gift to see and spend time with family, and we look forward to opportunities to go to Arizona since my Dad can't travel much and not at all overseas due to his heart circulatory condition.

Thanks so much for your prayers,

Rodney and Debbie and Luke

Resignation and Future

Dear Friends,

The IMB Board of Trustees officially received and approved last week our resignation from missionary service effective November 1 of this year. We remain on Stateside assignment until then, with potential for two months of salary and benefits beyond that to the end of the year if we are still not in a new job by then.

We essentially were not going to be allowed to stay with the IMB while publicly opposing candidate policy. The Lord has given us peace, led us to resign, and is leading us through multiple discussions and possibilities about our future role. We will keep you posted. In the meantime, we continue to support and call for all concerned Southern Baptists to make known their dissatisfaction and write their State's IMB Trustees to ask that the candidate "guidelines" on baptism and ppl be revoked.

Some concerned Southern Baptist leaders are seeking meetings with their Trustees to do exactly that this summer. The next IMB BOT meeting is in September of this year and hopefully Johnny Hunt, new President of the SBC and reportedly against the policies, will be in attendance then.

So, while we pray that the policies will be overturned, we also encourage all to continue their CP and Lottie Moon and direct support of the IMB...to do otherwise will only hurt the missionaries and their ministries and we never want to see that happen. I believe the best way to deal with these issues is to make direct contact with IMB Trustees and call for this needed change.

Meanwhile, we Hammer's continue to seek the Lord, pray through several possibilities, and pray for our colleagues and friends at IMB.

Thank you for your prayers and notes of encouragement. We'd love to hear from you!

Rodney, Debbie and Luke

Latest from the Hammer's

Dear Friends,

Thanks to the many of you who have continued to write, encourage, and pray for us! We are truly grateful for how you all have touched our lives and continue to bless us.

We pray for all of our colleagues in CEE who are in their season of AGM's (annual general meetings for missionaries and their families). We wish we could be there with you all, but know the Lord will refresh and empower you during those times of feeding on the Word, worshipping together and being equipped for further service.

We also pray for the many volunteer missions projects taking place around the region and the world this summer...that God will move mightily to draw many to Himself and change lives for His glory of both recipients and volunteer missionaries!

We Hammer's are enjoying some time away from it all in Colorado on stateside assignment right now. We are seeking to grow in the Lord each day, be renewed and refreshed, and consider the opportunities He is bringing our way to dialogue with others about various job and ministry possibilities for the future. They are diverse in location and type and covet your continued prayers that we will know the Lord's will and do it in His good time.

Please pray for the IMB Board of Trustee's meeting next week (Monday-Wednesday, June 23-25) in Richmond, that all will hear from the Lord, needed policies be reconsidered, and priorities and actions would reflect and glorify Christ.

Grateful for each of you,

Rodney

SBC Meeting Indianapolis

Friends,

I have just returned home from the SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. I was not a messenger this year, but wanted to be there to speak personally with colleagues, SBC leadership, IMB Trustees, and other messengers as the Lord would direct.

I also wanted to hear first hand the proceedings and encourage my former supervisor and friend Avery Willis. Avery didn't win and is actually relieved! God will continue to use him mightily throughout the world. You can keep up with what he is doing at averywillis.com.

Dr. Johnny Hunt, someone I greatly respect and enjoy personally, was elected President on the first ballot and will do a fine job. I knew of his great evangelistic and missions heart, but he surprised me in his interview with Baptist Press just prior to the convention with his comments expressing concerns about the IMB policies on PPL and baptism. I hope and pray he will be of some help in addressing those policies.

I did not go with a plan to offer a motion as I wasn't a messenger. I did however have many conversations with those who share concerns over the IMB Trustee policies for missionary candidates. It's my understanding there were those who considered motions in this regard from both a pro and con perspective, but none made it to the floor. I hope and pray that means there were some good private discussions with others to come to address these issues. I know that many are expressing their disagreement with these issues...some openly like at imbchange.info and some in conversations. We'll see what develops. The next IMB BOT meeting begins June 23.

I roomed with my good friend Scott Patty and two other guys from Grace Community Church in Nashville, TN and they were most encouraging and incredibly fun to hang out with. There were many excellent presentations and reports...my favorites were David Dockery's presentation on Confessional and Cooperative needs; Frank Page's President's address, Danny Akin's Southeastern Seminary report, and Al Gilbert's Convention Sermon. I think Dr. Page did a wonderful job leading not only this convention meeting but the SBC the last two years. The NAMB and IMB reports and presentations were excellent and inspiring and creative.

There were some awkward moments for me personally, but overall my interaction with IMB'ers, Trustees, Pastors and others were very good and I'm grateful I was blessed by the Lord with good interactions and discussions in Indianapolis.

Thanks to those of you who prayed and wrote before and during the Convention.

Time to Change

Fellow IMB M's,

You may have heard about the Time to Change initiative aimed at the candidate policies of the IMB. You can find it at IMBChange.info as well as the press release at sbcoutpost.com.

If you are in agreement and feel led to sign the 'Time to Change' statement, I would like to encourage you to do so.

The authors and moderators of IMBChange.info will confirm for accuracy and credibility but without divulging your name unless you specify. They are trustworthy, and precedent on the site is established for M's.

Additionally, I believe that much attention will be paid if there is heavy M signing. I believe this is your best opportunity to register your voice without censure or reprisal.

May the Lord encourage you today in your call and outreach...stay with it...we will continue to advocate for you.

Grateful for each of you,

Rodney Hammer

What's Up With Us and IMB?

We are seeking God for what He'd have us do next. We continue to pray for missionary colleagues on the field, and also to appeal to Southern Baptists to urge change in our IMB missionary candidate policies that many more conservative, qualified Southern Baptists may join you on the field than are currently able to be approved.

As for our feelings toward IMB, I want you to know that I also recently sent the following to State Baptist Papers and Baptist Press...

Dear Southern Baptist Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is very important to me that you know that while I
believe change in IMB Trustee policy is needed, I still love
and support the IMB. I want to urge all missionaries of IMB
to carry on and give even greater service to Christ in
eradicating lostness in the world, and for Southern Baptists
to give even greater financial and prayer support to IMB
missionaries and ministry.

While I urge Southern Baptists to consider the appeal to
change the new missionary candidate guidelines (policies)
and contact your state's IMB trustees...I also urge you not
to cut funding. This would not address the policies or
trustees, but would only hurt the staff, missionaries (their
outreach and deployment), and the unreached. I have
included similar statements such as this in my previous
letter and other communications but wanted to make it
explicit.

I sent an "Open Letter to Southern Baptists" to State
Baptist papers and Baptist Press so that my fellow Southern
Baptists could see my entire thoughts and not just the
leaked portions and few excerpts previously published by BP.

May God do with it what He desires, may all IMB personnel be
encouraged by the Lord and the concern and support of
Southern Baptists, and may many more truly qualified, called
Southern Baptists be able to serve overseas through the IMB
to the glory of God.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rodney Hammer

Follow up on Family-Do Angels Drive Dodge Ram Trucks?

Thanks to all who prayed for us as we went to Kansas City for Debbie's grandfather's funeral. It was truly a blessed time.

We drove back to Colorado where we are on STAS on Thursday, a day later than originally planned to spend more time in KC. We didn't realize that the Lord would have to help us dodge multiple tornadoes and get us through a late spring Rocky Mountain snow storm!

We literally drove through the edge of one thunder storm which 30 minutes later produced hail and a tornado that touched down right where we stopped for a brief break...only to learn on the radio there were more spotted tornadoes and storms in surrounding areas. The Lord blessed us by letting us drive on in beautiful sunshine...albeit with high winds...with storms behind us and north of us which continued to move out of our path.

We stopped in Denver to buy cheaper groceries and a break and the weather was nice. But as we drove further west on I-70 up into the mountains, we encountered a snowstorm as we neared the Eisenhower tunnel. We and the traffic had slowed. Unfortunately, despite the slower speed I hit a patch of snow and black ice and hydroplaned big time! The car began to fish-tail out of control and we swerved back and forth, in traffic! Each time we were about to go into a total 360 degree spin, the Lord would enable me to get the car going back the other way. Yes, I applied all the lessons about steering, non-breaking, etc when skidding on ice and snow. But God definitely kept us and everyone else from crashing. Good thing too! On our left and behind us was traffic trying to avoid us...and on our right was a constant series of large light poles. The Lord kept us from hitting anyone or the poles while no one else lost control or crashed either. We swung somewhat wildly between traffic and the poles yet came to a stop between two of the large poles on the shoulder of the highway.

As if that weren't enough, a "God sent good Samaritan" pulled over behind us with his flashers on to protect us from oncoming traffic. The man in a large Dodge Ram pickup truck waited as we collected ourselves, prayed thanking God, and then proceeded. He pulled out behind us as we now very slowly, in 2nd gear, went up and through the tunnel and then down the very steep, slippery, and icy highway on the other side of the pass. He stayed behind us for 30 minutes, flashers on, protecting us all the way to our exit. He then waved, slowly passed us and went on his way down the highway.

God was so gracious! Do angels drive Dodge Ram pickup trucks? I don't know. But I do know that the Lord very mercifully spared us and many others just a couple of days ago. We press on to follow hard after Him, thanking Him for His continued faithfulness.

With love and appreciation for your prayers,

Rodney, Debbie and Luke

Family Update

Debbie's grandfather's funeral was held on Monday. It was a wonderful time of celebrating Glenn Lichty's life lived for God. Wonderful tributes were shared by family members and a close friend who is retired Salvation Army Lt. Colonel. I had the wonderful blessing of sharing from Scripture and remembrance as well. Jesus Christ was lifted up, the gospel presented, and God was glorified. Please pray for family members and perhaps a few others present who don't know the Lord personally.

We drove from Colorado to Kansas City to be here with Debbie's family. We leave tomorrow to drive back to Colorado where we continue our stateside assignment.

On another front, I sent an "Open Letter to Southern Baptists" to State Baptist papers and Baptist Press. Some have begun to publish it. I wanted fellow Southern Baptists to see my entire thoughts and not just the leaked portions and few excerpts previously published by BP. May God do with it what He desires, may all IMB personnel be encouraged, and may many more truly qualified,called Southern Baptists be able to serve overseas through the IMB to the glory of God.

We continue to pray, respond to inquiries, and seek what God would have us to do next in His service.

Thanks much for your prayers,

Rodney

Answers to Some Questions

Dear Friends,

Thank you to all who have written and called us...for your many kind words, encouragements, and expressions of love. Thanks also for your prayers especially! We pray for and support the current Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Regional Leadership Team and Interim RL Mark Edworthy, the missionaries of CEE and entire IMB, Senior Leadership and IMB Trustees, and all concerned.

We are in Kansas City this week as my wife's grandfather passed away Sunday. So, we are here to help, be with family, and participate in the funeral and celebration of Debbie's grandfather's faith and life in Christ this coming Monday.

You are probably visiting this blog because you either know us, or you read or heard about my appeal to change two new missionary candidate policies. I would like to clarify some erroneous information. It was my intent to write the missionaries of CEE and the Trustees privately, and then to share publicly if needed. However, some well intentioned folks evidently shared my letter to the missionaries of CEE explaining our resignation and position. It was then published on a blog. I need to clarify that I was not asked to resign nor fired by trustees, but rather it was necessary to resign my role if I was going to appeal further. I was the one who informed our regional trustee committee that I was resigning for that reason.

While I believe change in policy is needed, we still love and support the IMB, and urge all missionaries of IMB to carry on and give even greater service to Christ in eradicating lostness in CEE and the world. We urge Southern Baptists to consider the appeal to change the new missionary candidate guidelines (policies) and contact your state's IMB trustees...while we also urge even greater financial and prayer support of IMB missionaries and ministry. To cut funding would not address the policies or trustees, but would only hurt the missionaries, their outreach and deployment, and the unreached.

We've been incredibly blessed and privileged to serve as Southern Baptists through the IMB. We are currently on stateside assignment with the IMB seeking what God would have us to do next. Thank you again for your prayers.

Gratefully,

Rodney, Debbie and Luke