When we look at the early New Testament Church, we see the hand of God at work among His people. This is clear by the fact that lives were being changed (“Those who received his word were being baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls” ~ Acts 2:41), God’s Word was being sought after (“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching” ~ Acts 2:42), God’s people were unified, sacrificial, and marked by love (“All those were believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need” ~ Acts 2:44-45), God was being praised (“everyone kept feeling a sense of awe…praising God” ~ Acts 2:43,47), and they were finding favor with all the people (~ Acts 2:47). Although we have a long way to go, I have seen (by God’s grace) these same characteristics describing our ministry throughout these past several months of conferences. God has so far through the conferences this year brought impact, unity, and a renewed passion for the exaltation of God and His Word.
These last three weeks God has been answering our prayers and doing the impossible — impacting lives! This past year God graciously gave us a new relationship with the Baptist Union of Uganda (BUU). The Baptist Union of Uganda is a denomination that according to its president in an address to his denomination, is “a mile wide and an ½ inch deep” and a denomination that may “have churches but has no content in those churches.” The Baptist Union has tremendous potential, but has been crippled by divisions and disunity. However, after our conferences the leadership is now saying, “The Baptist Union has been getting caught up into so many things, but we must turn our eyes back to the Highly Exalted God.” The Baptist Union president said, “I believe this is the beginning of revival within the Baptist Churches.” The vice president of the Baptist Union, who on his own initiative has attended in full all three of The Highly Exalted God conferences that we have put on for the Baptist Union this year said to the participants before the conference, “If you have come to this conference with wings (thinking you are someone great), this conference 
will cut them off (you will be humbled).” He continued to say (which has been repeated by most of the leadership), that “God has brought SOS Ministries to us at the perfect time.” The president himself said, “The world does not need more chiefs; they need more servant leaders and this is the thing that SOS Ministries is demonstrating.”
In preparation for these conferences, one Ugandan brother said to me, “Shannon, you should come up with a slogan that you repeat continuously for the participants of your conferences. Make it something that will stick within the minds of the Baptist pastors.” As I processed his statement, I came up with the slogan, “Baptists Back to the Bible.” By God’s grace, this slogan has become the common saying by everyone throughout the conferences. One sweet, older pastor responded to this chant with, “O.K., let me get back to the Bible.” Another participant wrote to us saying, “I am determined to see that the BUU gets back to the foundation, which is the Word of God. It’s time for us to arise from our sleep and get back to the truth found in what God has given us, which is His precious Word and ONLY His Word.”
As the one that God has entrusted the responsibility to lead this organization, I am most amazed by how God has molded such an unbelievably unified and likeminded team. We come to each conference with around 30 SOS staff. From the cooks to the main speakers there is such a sweetness of loving unity between everyone; a unity that is felt among all the participants. Each member of SOS is really part of the family and each person is serving God out of the overflow of his own passion for Christ. I praise God for this unity because it is really a result of the pruning through the suffering which God has brought us all for the past several years.
This is all the story of God’s handy work! Once again, the Master Craftsman finds a way to use sinners for His purposes. I am so thankful that I am one of those sinners being used. May the Lord bless all of you who faithfully pray and support this ministry. Please praise God with us as we rejoice in what He is doing through each of us playing our individual parts. “Now to the King Eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (I Timothy 1:17).