Eglise Evangelique au Maroc in Kentucky
May 2, 2008
Karen Thomas Smith and Jean-Luc Blanc speak to members of Lexington Avenue Baptist Church in Danville about Morocco.
Members of the Eglise Evangelique Au Maroc (Evangelical Church in Marocco or EEAM) traveled around the state of Kentucky sharing news of the partnership between the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship and the EEAM. At the annual KBF Spring Gathering held at Highland Baptist in Louisville, Fellowship churches were delighted to welcome and hear from Jean-Luc Blanc, president of EEAM and pastor of the Protestant church in Casablanca, Morocco, and Karen Thomas Smith, Christian Chaplain at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, and pastor of the Protestant church in Ifrane.
The purpose of their trip to Kentucky was to continue the conversation began last year between Kentucky churches and the EEAM. Last year, Kentucky Baptists traveled to Morocco to assist in the repair and painting of the church in Fez. More importantly, though, the group became an essential piece to the beginning of building bridges between cultures for relationships between Americans and Moroccans, Christians and Muslims, and people of the east and people of the west. What began in 2007 has blossomed into a wonderful partnership, as many Fellowship churches can attest to through their own experiences.
Jean-Luc and Karen visited a number of churches across the state sharing their story with your stories. Some of the churches they visited were Immanuel (Frankfort), Central Baptist (Lexington), Third Baptist (Owensboro), Living Faith (Elizabethtown), and Lexington Avenue (Danville). Their presentation consisted of sharing the ongoing work provided by the EEAM among the people of Morocco, who are composed of so many cultures and ethnicity’s due to the influx of refugees and migrants who travel hoping to find work and sustainable income in another land. Each of the churches who have partnered with churches in Morocco were featured on a slide show given by Karen and Jean-Luc which they used as a visual aid to show how Kentucky Baptist have helped to build lasting relationships with people on another continent.
The hope for the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship and for Jean-Luc and Karen as they return to their places of ministry in Morocco is that we here in Kentucky will continue to pray for these who we are partnering with across the world as well as to determine in what ways we are able to give to this necessary partnership. Our relationship is only now beginning; we are only now attempting to understand them as they are attempting to understand us. May we seek to listen to our Moroccan brothers and sisters as we struggle to bridge the gaps that divide us geographically, culturally, religiously, and economically. Pray for Jean-Luc and Karen as they return home and minister in their country. Pray for the next Moroccan team from Kentucky that will travel in June to further our partnership in person. And pray for yourself, asking how God can use you to continue our efforts through the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship to minister with and be ministered to with the Eglise Evangelique au Maroc.