I N ALL THY WAYS acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Many are those who set out to do something for God, only to wind up in discouragement and failure. Too often this is true simply because the one important ingredient to a successful ministry is omitted: God’s direction in the entire matter. Here is a story o f what God will accomplish when this scripture is faithfully and patiently applied to one’s life. “WITH HIS EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTIES and friendly assistance, Director W. Ji Bateman, Armed Forces Service Center, has proven himself deserving of the high esteem and admiration of the officers and men of the Republic of Korea Navy.” This Korean naval citation symbolized on an accompanying and beautifully engraved mother-of- pearl plaque, was presented recently to the Rev. Walter J. Bateman in public ceremony at the U.S. Naval Station theater in San Diego, California. In 1943, Rev. Mr. Bateman, assisted by his wife, was pastoring a small church in Omaha, Nebraska. It was still a young work which they had founded, when a crisis arose within their hearts. Their eldest son had enlisted in the Marine Corps the year before. Now they had received word he was soon to go overseas. Praying much concern ing this, they felt that God would have them go to California to see their son, perhaps for the last time, for it was at the height of fierce fighting in the South Pacific. Many would attribute this trip to the strong pull of a mother’s heart, and no doubt this element was present. Still, they had prayed much about it and the Word did contain this prom ise: “ In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Once having arrived there, and after seeing their son off to the South Pacific, they were faced with a dilemma. It was difficult, with rationing at its peak, to persuade the ration board to give them enough additional points for gasoline to make the trek west. To talk them into sufficient points to get back to Omaha proved impossible. Still feeling God’s leading, Mr. Bateman accepted the pastorate o f a small church on the Mexican border south of San Diego. It was here God commenced to reveal His plan for a ministry that would one day circle the globe. Across the International border lay Tijuana, a typical border town, filled with bars, lewd shows, and prostitution. American servicemen thronged to this bastion of sin and degradation in typical war time abandon. Mrs. Bateman, evidencing a true mother’s heart, felt constrained to do something to reach as many of these boys for Christ as she could. So it was, after Sunday evening services in their church, Rev. and Mrs. Bateman could be found at the border crossing, picking up carloads o f servicemen and taking them back to the church.
There, ladies had prepared home-made sandwiches, cake and coffee. After a snack time, they would gather around the piano to sing hymns and per sonally witness to the boys. It was a fruitful and rewarding ministry as many men came to Christ. Ultimately the war ended, and as was to be expected, the number of servicemen waned. It ap peared that their work was ended, and yet, they could not dismiss working with servicemen from their thinking. They prayed almost daily concern ing this burden. When the Korean War broke out, the Bate mans felt the call of God again, and stepped out in faith. They rented an office on the fifth floor of a downtown building and started ministering to servicemen on April 8, 1951. To support his family, Mr. Bateman, who had resigned his church, took a grueling job as a presser in a downtown dry cleaning plant. Eight months later, the building where they had located the new work changed hands and the Cen ter was moved to its present location. On March 2, 1952, the first service was held at 846 Fifth Avenue, directly above the San Diego Hardware Co., in the heart o f downtown San Diego. The fa cilities include a recreation area, a home-like lounge, a kitchen, and a chapel. From the begin ning, in the new location, God’s hand was evi denced time and again as many men came to a saving knowledge o f Christ. The Batemans expected to minister to Ameri can servicemen as their life’s calling. But God had plans that were to far exceed anything either of them could have dreamed of. God was beginning to shape a plan that would take the Gospel around the world. "Word quickly passed from ship to ship9 and from man to man , and soon an endless stream of men from all over the world was wending its way to our door." In January 1953, three Peruvian ships came to San Diego. The streets were thronged with Peru vian servicemen. Since there were several centers around San Diego catering specifically to Ameri cans, the staff of the Armed Forces Service Center felt led to extend their help to foreign nationals as well as to Americans. Spanish invitations were printed. Some were sent to the ships while the Center’s workers handed others out on the street. In a matter of just a few weeks more than 200 of these Peruvian sailors had publicly confessed Christ. Most o f these were taken to local churches and baptized by immersion as a profession of their new-found faith. Here was the new effort which seemed to indicate that this was the course of ministry for the Center.
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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