One night in 1970, young Wayne Gordon woke up at 1:00 a.m. with a strong sense that God was calling him to give his life in service to the African-American community. Only a junior in high school, Wayne felt so strongly about this impression that he was ready to quit high school and get started right then!

Taming his youthful zeal a bit, his mother suggested he slow down and speak with his pastor, who recommended some books to read that would help him further understand the realities and challenges facing the Black community. As Wayne devoured these books, his conviction deepened. Wayne did not just read; he took active steps to prepare for his call. He volunteered as a baseball and basketball coach to teenagers in inner-city Chicago for one year. Even with barely enough money to buy food, at times going hungry, and almost being molested, he had a “tremendously fulfilling experience.”

When Wayne went to college a year later, he continued to intentionally prepare for a life of service among disadvantaged African-Americans. He selected courses and read books to help him toward that end. Upon finishing his studies and marrying, he was ready to find a disadvantaged inner-city community in which to live and work. He settled in North Lawndale, Chicago, the 15th poorest neighborhood in the nation at that time. People thought he was crazy to raise a family there, but Wayne and his wife pressed forward, undeterred. They were moved with compassion for the people in the community and were determined to do what they felt convicted that God was calling them to do. This, even though thieves broke into their apartment at least 10 times during their first three years of marriage.

The sacrifice and perseverance of Wayne and his family have helped to transform the entire community of Lawndale. Not only has a vibrant church been planted, but also a health center that sees over 180,000 patients per year and offers affordable health care services. Also established are the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation, the Lawndale Community Church House of Hope, and the Lawndale Legal Center. Through these various services, people can access affordable housing, undergo drug rehabilitation, and receive legal services. Countless lives have been transformed, and people who have been subject to years of generational poverty and dysfunction are finding hope for a better life and an eternal life to come!

The 10/40 window is filled with scores of cities, communities and villages like Lawndale, places destitute of resources, hope and a knowledge of God. Where are the men and women like Wayne Gordon who are willing to respond to God’s call and undergo training, then follow Him into places in the 10/40 window that call for patience, courage and sacrifice as they study the local culture and language to reach others with the gospel? Has God put a burden on your heart? Are you willing to count your losses as gains and answer the call? If you are, please contact us at 800-937-4236 or recruiter@afmonline.org.

There is nothing more precious in the sight of God than His ministers, who go forth into the waste places of the earth to sow the seeds of truth, looking forward to the harvest. – Acts of the Apostles, p. 370

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