Duane & Marcia Binkley
Location: Thailand and De Soto, Kansas
Hometowns: Painesville, Ohio and Cleveland, Ohio
Commissioned: 2007
The Binkleys minister among Karen and other refugees from Burma/Myanmar in the United States and Thailand. For six decades, the people of Burma have been the victims of persecution and ethnic-cleansing against minority groups by the military dictatorship that governs the country. Driven from their homeland, they have also had to endure harsh conditions in refugee camps along the Thai border with Myanmar. Since 2006, tens of thousands of Karen, Chin, Kachin and other refugees have been relocated to the United States. The Binkleys continue to travel to Thailand to minister in refugee camps, but their focus has now shifted to partner with Central Baptist Theological Seminary to provide theological education for former refugees now serving as pastors and church leaders in the United States.
Many of the refugees coming from Burma are Baptist, due to the influence of work begun almost 200 years ago by Baptist missionaries from the United States. Thus, as they relocate to America, they are seeking a connection with Baptist churches. Already, nearly 200 new churches and congregations have grown out of this refugee influx. The change in culture and lifestyle is enormous and pastors and church leaders in the midst of making their own adjustments, are not fully prepared to lead their congregations. To help, the Binkleys are beginning a new partnership with Central Baptist Theological Seminary to provide additional theological training to pastors and church leaders in the languages that they best understand to better equip them to lead the refugee church congregations in the United States.
In 2007, the Binkleys were commissioned for service with CBF. They are jointly supported by CBF and International Ministries of American Baptist Churches USA.
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• Field personnel minister to refugees, resource churches
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Related links:
• Photos: Ministry with Karen immigrants and refugees