Richard Moeller
Grantown-on-Spey, Scotland
Rich Moeller was recognized as a short-term missionary to South Africa in September 2005 and completed his commitment in 2007. He is a 2005 graduate of the missions course at Baptist Bible College, Springfield, Missouri. While in South Africa, he worked with his father veteran missionary, Richard Moeller. In September 2010, Rich was approved as a career missionary to Scotland.
Letter Update:
Dear Supporters and Prayer Warriors,
Krista’s and my journey to reach Scotland has been going well. We were truly blessed that for the first five months of our marriage we were able to base out of Montana and visit churches. Many of those churches have partnered with us to reach the lost in Scotland. Now, for almost a month, we have begun to bounce around the country to share the need in Scotland for the Gospel. We have also been reporting back to churches who have for more than ten years supported me faithfully when I was a single missionary.
It has been great reporting back to churches that have cared for and prayed for the Scottish people we have ministered to and reached out with the gospel to these many years. It has also been so encouraging to meet new congregations that have blessed su by partnering with us for the ministry there. We are just over 64% of our needed support. That is a jump of 17% since we started. Praise God! Please continue to pray for us that we can reach our goal and return to Scotland as a missionary couple as soon as possible.
You can also pray for our travels as we visit and present the need in Scotland. In the last six months we have driven 9700 miles just visiting churches. That is only going to jump more as we are now crisscrossing the whole country. Pray for our travel safety and for our vehicle. We are driving Krista’s old truck which she paid off not long before our wedding. It has been a faithful steed. Just before we left Montana to head to Texas, my church found and bough us a hardtop for the truck so that we could put our luggage and supplies back there and be able to lock it. Something I was worried about while traveling. It has been such a useful blessing. I have begun thinking of it as our “Conestoga Wagon.” Like the pioneers that came before us our road warrior cry is “Scotland or Bust!”
Please keep praying for our visas. I need to keep mine and Krista will need one. Please pray that God will open that door when we get closer to going over to Scotland.
Please keep the work in Grantown on Spey in your prayers as well as our ministry partners, Rick and Cheri Moeller. I was told that they had thirty-eight in attendance this past Sunday. That is a lot of visitors. They have been able to hold Sunday school for young children and will possibly be able to restart the same for some teens. This is very encouraging for us and I hope it is for you too.
Please pray also that the Lord will allow us to start some new children’s works when we get to Scotland and that those children’s clubs will allow us to reach their parents and plant new churches in the future.
Please pray for Krista and the Missions courses she is working on. It is difficult to work on college courses while on the road and not having a regular schedule as we visit churches.
Please keep praying even now that God will use us to lead people to Christ and plant new churches in Scotland. Thank you for praying for Krista and I.
Thank you for sending me as one of your missionaries!
Something that we have shared with you in the past, is the threat of mass closings of churches in Scotland. In our area, this situation has moved from a threat to a REALITY.
The Church of Scotland is the national church, and the largest Christian denomination in the country. However, statistics say that Scotland’s national church is now attended by only one person out of 40 from Scotland’s overall population each week. The Church of Scotland is about to face what has been called “…the deepest cull of all in the Church of Scotland’s latest proposed massive clear-out of premises and congregations.”
Recently plans that have been discussed by the Denominations ruling body, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, were leaked to a local newspaper. The article revealed that the General Assembly has put forward a plan to close a total of 31 churches just in our small county area of Moray and the Highlands.
In response to the leak of their plans, one of the members of the Assembly said that these churches have been heavily “… impacted by falling parish members, a lack of ministers and a reduction in financial contributions.” Basically, what it comes down to, is that they have a massive number of old buildings that are very expensive to maintain, and there are no ministers or members to fill them.
In speaking with many Scots about this, they have responded with a general sense of hopelessness and in some cases outrage, at the thought that their village churches could ever be closed. However, it has not seemed to encourage them to want to go and be a part of these churches. A statistic I have shared before, is that on 80% of Scots are only in church 3 times in their life. When they are christened as a baby, when they get married, and when they attend their own funeral. This was made evident to me in a recent conversation:
I bumped into the CoS (Church of Scotland) minister at my daughters elementary school. The minister filled me in about what was happening in regards to the churches closing. While we were speaking, a lady whom I had never met, recognized the CoS minister and came and spoke to us. She asked me if I was also a CoS minister, to which I responded, “No, I am at the Baptist Church in Hopeman.” She looked at me with a fierce expression and said, “I am proudly Church of Scotland!” I then asked her which church she attended, to which she said, “Well, I actually have not been in a church since I was married in 1973.” After she went on her way, the CoS minster looked at me and said, “That is why we are all closing.” She then told me that the local Church of Scotland here in Hopeman will be one of the churches that will be closing. This will leave Hopeman Baptist Church, as the only church in the village.) She then explained that in fact one of the reasons why the General Assembly decided to close their location in Hopeman is because in their own words, “The Baptist Church is doing a good job there.” While it is encouraging to hear that they can clearly see that the Lord is working in and through our church, I am still left with a stab of sadness at the thought of so many churches shutting their doors. Some of these old buildings have been sites of Christian worship for over 700 years!
Another recent interaction that I had with a young Church of Scotland minister gives more insight into what is really at the heart this issue:
At a recent community event, this newly ordained Church of Scotland minister, fresh out of their seminary, was invited to pray. She opened her prayer with the words, “DEAR FATHER OR MOTHER GOD.. It is very clear that if these are the teachings that her Denomination are passing on to those whom they are ordaining for ministry, how can we expect any other result? The CoS has certainly slipped a long way since John Knox, after seeing the idolatry and immorality of his countrymen, fell on his knees and prayed, “Lord, give me Scotland, ere I die.”
If you would like to give money to help Rich on his journey, you can give your donations to Hickory Ridge Baptist Church.