This week I am visiting Dili, Timor-Leste, to meet with local Baptist leaders as we progress an exciting, first partnership initiative in the country.

On Sunday it was great to share with the Darwin Baptist Church community, long-time supporters of our ministries and a key partner in this new Timor-Leste project.

I am travelling in Dili with Keith Jobberns, former General Director of our organisation, and Richard, a leader from Ryde Baptist Church in Sydney. Keith’s home church, Dural Baptist Church, along with Darwin and Ryde have all thrown their financial and prayerful support behind this new initiative, given long-term relationships they have had with the Gethsemane Church in Dili and their pastor Francisco (pictured below).

It was a joy to meet Francisco at an APBF gathering in Malaysia in November and hear his heart for mission and his deep, humble gratitude for the support of Australian Baptists.

I shared with the Darwin Baptist Church community on Sunday how this project reflects the heart of so much of what we do around the globe. It’s made possible when people and churches from different places across the country faithfully and generously come alongside our team members and ministry partners and back mission ventures.

All stakeholders become a part of these faith stories! You and your church are part of these transformative mission stories.

The former senior pastor of Darwin Baptist Church Mal Sercombe interviewed me in their services on Sunday and when speaking about Pastor Francisco and the project, you could see Mal’s emotional connectedness to the Dili church, pastor and vision. He has journeyed with the church for almost a decade. He knows Franscisco’s powerful testimony and his burden for his people in Timor-Leste. He has hosted Francisco in Darwin. Mal is an alongsider, wholeheartedly invested in this vision.

I have the privilege of seeing this connectedness as I travel across the country:

• As a church supporter in Perth tells me how each day they pray for our ministries in Africa.
• As a young adult in Sydney tells me about his learnings from a GX visit to Vietnam and how he has been challenged to financially support our ministries and reorient his life priorities.
• As I have a coffee with a mission team leader in Adelaide, and I see and hear how much they know about each of our team members that the church supports and prays for.

Everton Jackson from the Baptist World Alliance describes these partnerships as “missional koinonia” – deep, humble, mutual collaboration, centred on sharing in God’s mission.

In the Timor-Leste example, we are coming alongside a small global south church community with a big vision, closely aligned to our four key causes. The faith community has long-term aspirations to plant churches in each province of Timor-Leste, so more people will experience and express the transforming love of Jesus. They have planted small seeds in developing an English training ministry for university students and are seeking to support children and families with a nutrition program. Our project will enable them to construct their first permanent building on the site, with the goal of a stage-two community centre development. It’s exciting to see the stage one project fully funded by donors.

Please join me in praying for Francisco and the Gethsemane Church in Dili. Pray for the nation of Timor-Leste. Pray that more people will personally experience the transforming love and hope of Jesus in their lives.

I look forward to connecting with the Gethsemane faith community in person this week, seeing their local community, and hearing more about their vision. This is just one of hundreds of Baptist Mission Australia stories that we all share in.

We all have a part to play in building missional koinonia, a deep, loving fellowship united in pursuing the loving, compassionate and just ways of Jesus. We’re called to that, across the street as local faith communities, and in partnership together across the world.

Everton Jackson’s beautiful picture of missional koinonia comes to life in a special way across the country each year as we share in May Mission Month. We’re only seven weeks away from the start of May Mission Month 2026, and so can I invite you today to check out all the great resources available to support your local church this May.

Please spread the word in your church community as we encourage more and more Australian Baptists to join us in what God is doing across the world and in Australia through Baptist Mission Australia team members and ministry partners.

You can find out all you need to know here>>

Thanks for your partnership in the good news of Jesus.

Grace and peace

Scott