February, 2004

Dear Friends of Publick Ministry, and the SWAT TEAM for Christ: 
            (if indeed you are our friend? please read this in its entirety) 

    For sixteen years the nature of our ministry has been the doing of, the training of, and the promotion of publick ministry.  Because this Bible based ministry is needed throughout the world, our ministry has always been fluid, subject to change and travel.  The Lord has made us in such a way that we can move, change and go with the flow.  We have traveled in a motor home through 48 states.   We were stationed in Ireland for 3 ½ years.  We have ministered publickly in 23 nations around the world.  We have either started or been a large part of a total of 23 street preacher?s conventions both in the states and abroad.  So the following news will not shock you.

    We are taking the SWAT TEAM ministry to eastern Europe.  We will hub in Romania and work with other missionaries there.  In particular we will work with our long time friend, Brent Logan. He has a five-fold vision which includes church planting, children?s home, printing, Bible college, and extensive publick ministry.  We plan to help in all of these but especially church planting, Bible college and, of course, publick ministry. 

    This is not a novel or hasty decision, but rather the fruition of a plan cooking for many years.  We made a ministry trip to Slovakia in 1992 after which I envisioned a way to evangelize while bridging the language barrier.   My vision was crude back then but now with the prospect of training east European men in the Bible college the vision has developed and matured.  After establishing these men in the faith, we will use them and their gift of language, art and music to reach not only Romania but as many as 19 nations surrounding Romania.  After training them in the work of publick ministry we will carry the gospel, in teams, to various countries as we are led.  Malls, air conditioning and materialism have long been the enemies of publick ministry.  By using art, music, and preaching in the centralized shopping plazas in Europe, where great hosts still congregate, and being unhindered by super malls and Wal-marts, we can reap a harvest of souls who have not yet been tainted by western materialism.  Anyone can read Proverbs 8:1-4 and see that this situation is the most favorable for publick ministry.  The time is now, for Romania and some surrounding countries are changing to the Euro currency in a few years and the window of opportunity may pass forever for many souls. 

    We would also like to inspire and train other missionaries and churches scattered through the area and possibly establish conventions and blitzes to be enjoyed by eastern Europeans as they have been a blessing to many here in the U.S. The Lord has given us a very fruitful ministry in many areas of the world and now we believe He is going to focus us on eastern Europe.  If the Lord is merciful to me, I may have 15-20 more active years of service, and if He would allow us to accomplish over there what He has allowed us to accomplish in other places, I would go home with a full cup. 

    Many of you are familiar with our personal finance philosophy via my book ?Fragments of Faith.? While in America we are able to carry out the publick ministry work while being supplemented with love offerings.  Some churches have chosen to support us, many more have not.  Whenever we were faced with a choice we have always directed the proposed support to the foreign missionary.  We are now that foreign missionary and will be living, working, and traveling extensively, being solely financed through our monthly support.  We don?t plan to retire, we plan to work and travel as much or more than ever.  We are simply giving you an opportunity to have a part in the extensive spread of publick evangelism as well as the training of such in the vast area of eastern Europe. 

    If you already support us, you might want to consider what this change will entail financially.  If you have not supported us thus far because we were in the U.S. and thus classified as home missions, you may want to reconsider this foreign effort.  If you know little about us you may check us out thoroughly via our website? www.streetpreaching.com

    The Lord has proven our ministry to many of you faithful friends and we pray that He will continue to do this as we are re-commissioned to eastern Europe.  

Preaching the gospel on your streets and around the world,

Gerald Sutek
and the SWAT TEAM for Christ
2 Tim. 1:8, Amos 5:10