Gribble 100th Anniversary Celebration
February 2021
100 years ago this month, James Gribble arrived in Oubangui-Chari, one of the least-reached regions in Central Africa (today in the Central African Republic). Since he had come to Christ a couple of years prior, Gribble had felt an urgency to proclaim the gospel there that he couldn’t ignore.
At the time, he spoke of his desire to reach this region with the good news of Christ: “I long to go to the darkest and most densely populated region, to a place where not only has the Gospel never been preached, but where no one else plans to preach it.” (Press On! by Dave Guiles, p. 2)
By the grace of God, Gribble was able to pursue this desire, eventually arriving in Central Africa and dedicating his life to sharing the gospel with its inhabitants until his death. His story is an incredible one of dangers, setbacks, illnesses, and trials, but also of God’s sustaining grace, provision, guidance, help, and care through every step.
Because of God’s work through James Gribble, less than a century later, a world map called the Status of Global Evangelization was published, and the region with the highest responsiveness to the gospel of Christ—the most evangelized region of the world—was Central Africa. (Ibid)
This month we celebrate his arrival, imagining what he would feel if he saw how many Central Africans now have the joy of a relationship with Jesus. We invite you to celebrate this special anniversary with us by embarking on a spiritual journey. Retrace Gribble’s steps as you read the pages of Press On!, a missions-focused devotional that engages readers in the Great Commission.
The best part is that proceeds from Press On! book sales in February support gospel efforts to the Mubi Tribe, which is one of the most least-reached Muslim groups in Chad. By purchasing this book, you can not only celebrate the legacy of this great missionary along with us, but you can also contribute to taking the gospel to more least-reached communities in the heart of Africa. Join our celebration today and get your copy of Press On! below.
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