James and Megan Williamson have been married for 14 years and have five children.  James has served in the gospel ministry for nine years, first in Missoula, MT, and for the last four years at the Reformed Baptist Church of Louisville, where he serves  along with four other elders.  He is finishing his M.Div. with the Reformed Baptist Seminary in order to be better prepared to teach in Zambia starting next year.

Before our family had ever heard about Zambia, our heart began to be tugged toward the continent by learning of the lost boys of Sudan.  The magnitude of suffering in Africa and the great need for the light of the gospel impressed my heart.  Soon after, a pastor in New York, Lenny Byrely, asked our church to assist in a work in Zambia.  We agreed as a church to help, and I made my first trip there with my good friend Stephen Gambill in July 2006.  This began a relationship with men I have grown to love more and more since first meeting them that year.

Once back home, the desire to help did not “wear off” as it often does, and we began to support orphans and church planting immediately, as well as making plans for Copperbelt Ministerial College. 

Soon after beginning the Copperbelt Ministerial College, it became clear that in order to have a deep and substantial impact in the lives of ministerial students, we would need to send a person to Zambia full time.  With the growing ministries of LION of Zambia, that person would also be a contact point for discovering needs and keeping track of the work in Zambia for supporting churches in the US.  More than that, however, it became increasingly clear that Zambia has open before it a great day of opportunity to grow not only in the country but far beyond, into the rest of the continent.  But the work to worker ratio was quite imbalanced!  Of the 31 Reformed Baptist churches in Zambia, 7 are without a pastor.  And even in the two largest churches (Kabwata Baptist and Lusaka Baptist), which have around 400+ members each, there is only one overworked full time pastor carrying all the load.  Since Lusaka has 10 Reformed Baptist churches (including the two just named), and several ministerial students, it was the best place to send someone to teach and to pastor. 

But who could go?  As is often the case, the person who points out the need ends up being the one to take up the task!  As my burden for Zambia increased, and I discussed with my wife and others that burden, it became clear that this work was something which the Lord had given me training and ability for, and the opportunity to do.  This was confirmed in consultation with pastors here and there who knew me and the work that needed to be done in Zambia.

As to the more subjective, but also very important, side of things, my wife and I have grown together in a sense of the Lord’s direction and calling.  The Lord used our desire to adopt internationally (which is still there!) as something that joined our hearts with a burden for needy children.  A sense of the call to sacrifice for missions grew in us and was fueled by a John Piper message we heard at the Together for the Gospel Conference in April 2008, conversations with a Far East Missionary that summer, and other particular events and experiences to confirm in us a sense of His direction for our lives.  We went to a Missions Conference in Owensboro, KY where the Lord again ministered His word in a special way to our hearts.

We presented our plans to go to Zambia to our church in September 2008 (you can listen to the presentation here.)  In January 2009, this plan was confirmed by the eldership of the church, and plans began in earnest for the move.  Since that time, it has been our prayer that the Lord  would open the door to establish an orphanage in Lusaka. 

We are very thankful for the privilege to serve the Lord’s kingdom in this way.  And we’re also grateful that God has given us unity of heart, and a desire and interest to go in our kids as well— a great blessing!  Please pray that the Lord will continue to help us prepare for this major life change!