Siloam Baptist Church in Norristown Pennsylvania  has a long tradition as a mission-minded church.

But in the early 1990s, a series of events came together—a “perfect storm, says one deacon—that would dramatically change its view of missions, and as a result, how it ministers to its members and its community.

First, the Rev. John H. West III came to Siloam from Lincoln University in 1993 with a lifelong interest in missions. He brought new ideas for missions-focused ministry, says Siloam Deacon Barry Wilford, and introduced the church to the American Baptist Churches, with which Siloam became affiliated in 1994.

Then, Bruce and Ann Borquist, a missionary couple with American Baptist International Ministries (IM), returned to the U.S. from the Philippines and were led to make Siloam their church home.  IM's U.S. headquarters is located in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

These events helped lay the groundwork and ignite the enthusiasm, vision and excitement for the church to make missions the focus of everything it does—from leading youth mission trips and sponsoring a community health fair to planning a building expansion to meet the needs of a changing community.

Building on a tradition of missions

“The church had a mission emphasis long before I came here 20 years ago,” says Pastor West, noting that his predecessor, Rev. William Harris, was a member of the National Baptist Convention’s Foreign Mission Board and traveled frequently to Africa and brought back reports.

“But we became more globally broadened through the American Baptist Churches,” Pastor West added, noting the church availed itself of the staff and of the many resources available through IM.

“The Borquists expanded our vision to different countries as well,” he said. “They broadened our vision of mission at a critical stage in the church that was reshaping itself for the work at hand. They pitched in and helped us become a church that is more relevant to the 21^st century.”

“What has happened is an expansion of the mission and vision at Siloam.… that the church be a focal point in the Norristown community to make it stronger.”

Missionary family provides catalyst

Barry Wilford said that IM missionaries Bruce and Ann Borquist were catalysts in Siloam’s transformation.

“Ann was able to link us with IM and helped train our youth and adults for the first mission trip to Peoria, Illinois.” Three more mission trips followed to South Carolina, Alaska and Mexico—changing the lives of those to whom they ministered as well as the short-term missions team members.

Barry and his wife, Rachael—both members of the Borquist's Missionary Partnership Team—credit the Borquists for expanding the church’s awareness of and sensitivity to others and the needs in their local community, helping them to understand that the kind of Christ-like work done by missionaries in other countries also applies to what a local church can do in their own community.

            “They shared with us a vision of cross-cultural mission and evangelical teams,” Rachael said. “They helped us take things to the next level.”

And from their encouragement the mission involvement has continued to expand.

“Missions are the focus of everything we do”

“We find missions so critical here,” says Barry Wilford “because when you think of missions, you learn to be sensitive to other cultures.”

“When you come back from a mission trip, you have a heightened sensitivity to the needs of God’s people and look at your own community with a totally different perspective.

“You see people you didn’t see before. You’re looking through God’s eyes—you have Jesus Christ’s perspective and vision and you see people in different ways. You ask, ‘What’s my brother’s story… What’s her story…?,’ and as you do, you can’t do ministry in the same way.”

For example, Siloam recently collaborated with the Community Planning Partnership  to co-sponsor  a Seasons of Life Health Fair at a local community center—with free health screenings and workshops designed to increase health awareness through education and prevention.

“It was a tremendous success—the place was packed,” said Pastor West, hailing the co-sponsorship and participation of Norristown’s Hispanic community.

“Jesus Christ ministered to our spirits, but He also ministered to the physical needs of the people he was preaching to, and we feel the same way,” said Barry Wilford—noting that Siloam’s John 9:7-based purpose is to be “God’s House of Hope, Healing and Wholeness”.

Other mission-focused ministries at Siloam include “Meals of Hope” that provides food and clothing for the homeless…a prison ministry…and a monthly door-to-door evangelistic outreach.

 “Our GO team visits different parts of the city and often leave a door hanger about Siloam,” says Wilford. “We take the kids with us and sometimes have them pray for the people we visit.”

Thinking big

“One of the things Pastor West brought to us was his encouragement to think big,” says Wilford. For example, under Pastor West’s leadership, the church has hosted the African Children’s Choir three times, with its singers staying at the homes of church members.

“That was really special for many members,” Wilford noted, “and many have benefited from that cross-cultural experience.”

Siloam is also looking for effective ways to minister to men, Wilford said. “We recognize that we have to find more effective ways to minister to men and tell them about the good news of Jesus Christ—that God can absolutely fill the void of love that so many men are missing.”

Siloam kicked off its men’s ministry with a “man meal” and a showing of the movie “Courageous”—hoping for 35 men to attend. “We ended up with 75,” Wilford exclaimed, “with about one-third of them with no affiliation to Siloam. That got us thinking, there’s something here.”

Building campaign with a mission focus

Over the years, Siloam purchased three properties adjacent to the church. Now empty lots, these properties will soon be used to expand the church’s ministry into the community.

Siloam is engaged in a building campaign, which envisions a church facility more than twice the size of the present building. Although breaking ground is still some time away, the first phase will include space for Christian education, meeting space and events.

The second phase is planned as a multi-purpose facility geared to the community. “We have a vision of bringing affordable day care or pre-school—an area that can be used for additional classrooms, and maybe even additional sanctuary worship space for our growing Latino community,” says Wilford.

Siloam is currently in the first year of a three-year fund raising campaign, in which it has $550,000 in commitments from its membership. It has also recently received approval of a $1.2 million loan from the American Baptist Churches .

International Ministries continues to provide a spark

While missions helped provide the spark to ignite local mission initiatives, international missions remains a priority at Siloam.

For example, six members of Siloam  serve on a Missionary Partnership Team (MPT) that is supporting IM missionaries Bruce and Ann Borquist in their current assignment of training missionaries in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

The MPT provides financial and prayer support to family and builds awareness within our church. Siloam members love to send Christmas gifts—little “pieces of home” to show their loving support in tangible ways.

“Rachael performs an outstanding job in terms of getting out the newsletter to the MPT network on a monthly basis, making sure network is aware of birthday, anniversaries and needs for Ann and Bruce and kids,” says Barry.

“The whole congregation behind them, praying.”

Six years ago, the Wilfords traveled to Brazil with their daughter for 17 days in support of the Borquists. Barry—a professional services manager at Xerox—provided help on technical level, helping provide missionaries-in-training with basic computer skills.

This summer, Pastor West traveled with other Siloam members to Ghana on a mission trip, and plans are already being made for a future trip to South Africa.

Another missons-focused Siloam ministry directly supports the poor of Dominican Republic. Medicine bottles are collected from the congregation and are filled with medications obtained from local pharmaceutical companies. Siloam members—led by long-time Siloam member Jamie Arthur—have travelled to the DR numerous times over the years to distribute these needed medicines. 

“Doing what God has called us to do”

Rachael Wilford marvels at how things have changed at Siloam over the years.

 “When I started at Siloam about 27 years ago, Siloam was an elderly congregation with about 20 members,” Rachael recalls. Now there are well over 300 active members.

 “Missions before was writing a check,” she said. “Now, it’s hands-on support of missions right here and all over the world.

“That is what God has called us to do.”