By Alexandra Brewer | Arts & Life Intern
The Beyond Us Missions Conference, which ran from Monday to Wednesday, was a partnership of Mission Waco, local churches, global leaders and the Baylor community. The group was brought together for three days of connection, worship and personal reflection.
The three-day conference kicked off on Monday night during Vertical in Waco Hall, where students gathered under dim lights in worship before hearing from University Chaplain Dr. Charles Ramsey and Compassion International representative Meghan Foley about the various speakers and workshops that could serve as mentorship and guidance.
People lifted their hands, their voices mingling with those of missionaries and pastors from all over the world. The atmosphere was unlike a lecture — instead, more like a living expression of faith.
Jimmy Dorrell, founder of Mission Waco and pastor of Church Under the Bridge, has spent decades working to empower poor and marginalized populations through ministry and social action. His passion for his work led to his help in starting the Beyond Us missions conference in the Baylor community, he said.
Dorrell discussed the importance of Baylor students acquiring different perspectives from people all over and hearing ways in which God influences the community, as these perspectives won’t be learned in a classroom.
“To go to a poor side of town or to hang out with people who don’t think like us, or to go to the other side of the world where there’s real, sincere poverty or brokenness helps people begin to see the world differently and their own values,” Dorrell said.
The conference’s schedule consisted of workshops, breakout discussions and five keynote speakers, including Christine Caine, a mission leader known for her work in global justice and discipleship through her organization, A21. Caine’s organization fights against human trafficking through raising awareness, working with law enforcement to free and provide care and support for victims following their release.
“There is nowhere I have gone where I have not seen God moving,” Caine said. “Even in countries where He’s not supposed to be moving, nobody told him. I really like that about God.”
Caine spoke about her personal relationship with God and the callings that He’s given her, resulting in her ministry. With offices in more than 15 countries and global preaching, Caine has created one of the largest anti-sex trafficking organizations in the world. Caine said that the “secret sauce” for the success of her ministry is her relationship with God.
“Every time we put a predator in jail, I think ‘Devil, you can put it in your pipe and smoke it.’” Caine said.
Earlier in the afternoon, a workshop was held by Susan Peters and Emily Mills, the founder of UnBound Now and the co-founder of Lovely Village, respectively. UnBound Now is another anti-sex trafficking organization that has a local chapter in McLennan County, and Lovely Village provides a community for sexual assault survivors to heal in the company of other victims. The workshop aimed to provide education on the prevalence of sex trafficking and the importance of support for survivors.
“The amazing thing is when we walk with survivors like this, we see them get their life back,” Peters said.
