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An Interview
with our Urban Missionary Donna Saylor: "The Power of Prayer
in Urban Ministry" by
Kenny & Estelle Martin
Rev. Donna Saylor
in downtown Indianapolis, IN |
It has been an honor and a privilege to meet, work with, and become
personal friends of Rev. Donna Saylor; and we want to share her testimony
and her call from God with the Body of Christ in our first leadership
interview.
1. What is an urban missionary?
An urban missionary is a person called by God to do missionary work in
a city of the world. This work for me has been as an educator, pastor,
and intercessor. An urban missionary ministers cross-culturally to one
or more people groups/races/cultures that are different than their own.
An urban missionary sees the city as a mission field and is compelled
by God to move into the neighborhood to live in love with the people who
dwell there. What is the mission? To present Christ and make Him known.
2. How long have you been an urban missionary?
I have been an urban missionary under self-support since 1976. I served
under the VIA program from 1976-2001. I am now serving under Mission Indy
in the Wabash Conference as the VIA program was phased out in 2001. I
continue to raise my own support.
3. What are the qualifications?
An application form and screening process was done by the Director of
Evangelism and Church Growth. The qualifications were: Spiritual: The
person must know Christ as their personal Savior and be called of God
to serve in an urban area. The applicant must have a heart for God and
a heart for the city. Social: The applicant must show a willingness to
adjust and adapt to local customs and situations, to be flexible, have
a sense of humor, and to be able to enjoy change and new ways of doing
things, as well as to live in harmony with fellow workers of different
races and cultures. Talents and skills: As necessary for the applicant's
area of service. The applicant must be willing to seek training in cross-cultural
ministries. Volunteers also agree to submit to all policies of the denomination
for the duration of the appointment.
4. What are your duties?
My primary appointment is Assistant Pastor at Indianapolis First Free
Methodist Church (20+hours) with the rest of my work devoted to assisting
other Free Methodist Churches as a hands-on consultant in the areas of
Educational and Latino Ministries. My schedule is determined on a project
to project basis according to the expressed needs of the church
and my experience and training. I have been assisting in several capacities
regarding Mission Indy since 1988. I have been involved in setting up
English as a Second Language classes at W. Morris St. and Ritter Ave.
churches. This Fall I have been working with Nicolas Estrella who is planting
a Spanish Free Methodist Church(Comunidad Cristiana) at W. Morris Street
Free Methodist Church. I am also involved in a Cross-Cultural Ministries
Team at John Wesley Free Methodist Church.
5. What are your goals?
- To see the whole body of Christ in a city come together to seek God's
face through regular times of fervent, passionate corporate prayer.
- To be involved in recruiting, training, deploying, and funding the
urban worker.
- To be involved in bringing about racial reconciliation.
- To be used as a liaison for our Latin churches. To network with the
denomination for our ethnic ministries.
- To see spiritual awakening come to our cities.
- To be involved with the larger body of Christ in active Kingdom work.
- To promote and participate in the SUE agenda.
6. How are you sponsored?
I raise my own support. The administration of these funds, including regular
communication with my supporters, has been carried out by the VIA program
of the Free Methodist Church. VIA was sponsored by the Dept. of Evangelism
and Church Growth. As the VIA program ended in 2001, the Conferences of
the Free Methodist Church took on the role of handling the funds and the
other aspects of administration. Funds processed through the conferences
can be tax exempt.
My Testimony:
In the winter of 1970 I was privileged to enter into an uncommon relationship
to our Lord Jesus Christ during the Asbury Revival. At that time of full
surrender to God, I was ready to go where He wanted me to go and do what
He wanted me to do. God called me to serve as an inner city missionary,
and I began a great adventure of being a career urban missionary. This
calling has taken me to many inner cities, and I have served in many roles
as educator, pastor, and intercessor. I HAVE BEEN OBEDIENT TO HIS CALL.
Eph. 4:1 and Rom. 11;29 "I beseech you brethren to lead a life worthy
of the calling to which you have been called. For God's gifts and His
call are irrevocable. "
In my years of inner city experience, I am learning of the power of prayer
in urban ministry. Those involved in urban ministry are in great need
of constant prayer. They are contending with principalities and powers
in spiritual places and directly being light in a dominion of darkness.
We are God-incarnate, showing that God does have an inner-city address.
Urban missionaries are being the life-giving presence of Christ in a community.
My guiding verse is, "Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and
thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message."
I intercede for the major cities of our great nation.
Rev. Donna Saylor shares on the power of prayer in urban ministry.
She stated, "It took a great deal of conscious prayer to discover
God's will for my life. When I obeyed His call to serve Him in inner city
missions work, I began to realize that prayer does not prepare you for
the work. Prayer is the work." Rev. Saylor has ministered in the
inner cities of South Bronx, NY, Newark, NJ, Brooklyn, NY and now in Indianapolis,
IN.
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