By David Lyons
Commemorating the 100th Issue of Worldwide Newsletter
To celebrate the 100th issue of Worldwide, we are republishing three inspiring articles by three admirable men—Jerry White, Mike Treneer, and Mutua Mahiaini. Jerry and Mike are former International Presidents of The Navigators. Mutua has been serving in that role since 2015.
First published in Worldwide between 1992 and 2014, all three articles explore how we can live joyfully with God through hardships and trials. Such a theme might not seem too celebratory, but there is a good reason for this choice. Our ministry is rooted in God’s promises and, as the writer of Hebrews said, we need to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what God has promised to us as Navigators (Hebrews 6:12).
For the past 25 years, this newsletter has provided a real-world view of how Navigators are serving God to advance the Gospel among the nations. Worldwide’s writers and editors have avoided hype and public relations spin. In fact, the newsletter archive ( which you can search on this site) is filled with stories about how God is empowering us to joyfully persevere in the face extreme opposition.
The articles in this issue by Jerry, Mike and Mutua capture the essence of God’s faithful presence with us.
The first article, titled “The Road to Joy,” was written by Jerry in 1992 for the fifth issue of Worldwide. Jerry authentically explores his struggle to experience God’s joy (not mere happiness) even amid painful experiences. He wrote the article not long after he and his wife, Mary, had lost of their son, Steve, who was murdered.
Mike Treneer, who served as International President of The Navigators from 2005 to 2015, first published his article “Don’t Lose Heart” in September 2000 (issue 36). Mike’s article presents what the Scriptures reveal about experiencing joy during times of suffering. At that time, he wrote from his experience of believing God’s promises while leading our work throughout Africa. He concludes that, “Our confident expectation of our resurrection with Jesus transforms our attitudes toward life’s trials and troubles.”
Last, but not least, is an article by Mutua titled “Communities of Grace,” which was first published in the January 2014 issue of Worldwide (issue 81). Mutua shows us the vital need for strong, loving, committed communities. A community of grace, he says, is essential not only for spiritual growth, but for our ability to persevere victoriously through life’s trials. It is more and more evident that every Navigator needs such a community to live as an authentic disciple in increasingly hostile environments.
Jesus made it clear that His work in the world would require us to “take up the cross,” to die to the self. For some Navigators, this means risking their lives daily. Some Navigators have been killed. Some are called to leave their families to serve as cross-cultural missionaries. Others travel thousands of miles to provide ongoing, supportive leadership for those pioneers. Many others dedicate their administrative talents to sustain our work. Thousands of people give generously to support our efforts. All of us are called to persevere in our calling within the complexities of our families and relational networks.
Collectively, all this taking up of the cross has resulted in a remarkable Worldwide Partnership that God has expanded into 115 nations. This special edition of Worldwide is, therefore, a reminder of God’s faithfulness to the Navigator work during the past eight decades. He is the One who has carried us this far and He is the One who will lead us forward.
