From Africa to Europe

Dear Team,

This first week of May is the Ministers Conference in Zurich, Switzerland. The European branch of KwaSizabantu sponsors it. I’m privileged to be one of the speakers. Immediately after the Conference I’m booked to jet back to Cape Town and finish this itinerary with meetings there.

The elections in South Africa last month were relatively peaceful for which we sincerely praise the Lord. Sadly there was some bloodshed in KwaZulu Natal. The communist ANC won 70% of the vote, which is cause for concern. They can now change the Constitution and redistribute land as Zimbabwe has done – causing widespread starvation as previously productive farms go uncultivated.

By contrast, Zambia’s government is very open to the Gospel. ITMI’s co-worker Bishop Bwanali Phiri provided the President and every Member of Parliament with a copy of Peter Hammond’s newest book, Biblical Principles for Africa. Just back from his trip north in February, Tim reported widespread distribution to Zambian leadership

Last month Peter Hammond and I were invited to a private dinner with Mr. Ian Smith, former Prime Minister of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). The hostess was our longtime friend Mrs. Ingrid Pickard. He’s 85 years old now, but still very active in Zimbabwe. He was very interested in the PowerPoint presentation of current mission work in Zimbabwe. ITMI is becoming more involved this year in that needy land.

The ITMI Board of Inquiry’s Final Report has finally been completed. Thanks Dr. Tim Ruchti for a job well-done. You may remember that last November/December our Director, Steve Evers, spent 5-weeks in Africa [see January “In Touch Monthly”] interviewing more than a score of people, many of whom gave written testimony of their personal knowledge to facts refuting the slanderous charges against Dr. Peter Hammond. This thorough investigation concluded that the charges were “not substantiated and are contradicted by a credible body of evidence.” A copy of the 34-page, 19,000 word Final Report is available from our office on request and on a need-to-know basis.

Last month I casually mentioned my review of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code and said that it was on our ITMI website. Wow! We’ve had more ‘hits’ on that site than on any other article I’ve ever written. If you haven’t read it, log on and check it out.

The Tempe office is in a serious countdown to next month’s wedding of our Administrator, Kristi Messick to her handsome fiancé David Blanchard. If you’re anywhere near Grace Community Church on June 11, stop by and throw some rice. Harriett and I plan to be there to help them tie the knot. What joy!

Yours in His grip,





Bill Bathman