The Dal Tamang family immigrated from Nepal to Ft. Worth Texas in early 2016. Soon after an initial interview the Tamang family (pastor DB, wife Sangita, and their adult children, daughter Neema and son Silas), attended the Sabbath Retreat in Colorado and began visiting Nepali and Bhutanese immigrants in southeast Ft. Worth, casting vision for a new Friends Church. Soon thereafter, the Home Missions team approved the new project and formed a Partner Church Advisory Team led by Ft. Worth residents, David and Andrea Byrne Moses. Other leaders joining were Pastor Steve Patterson, at that time from Booker Friends, and David and Joyce Byrne, representing Texas Area and Friendswood Friends, as well as Walt Mills from Northeast Area and Stanwood Friends. David Moses lead the team in securing the Texas legal steps for incorporation and opened the initial bank accounts. The team chose the name, Eternal Life Evangelical Friends. However, soon thereafter the congregation changed their name to Living Friends Church of Ft. Worth, TX.
Pastor Dal and Sangita began canvassing their large apartment complex, building new relationships and introducing the church vision while praying with families. Before long they had several leaders that they introduced to the PAT. The PAT began sharing the financial reports and their desire to begin to financially support new congregations that Pastor DB had begun back in Nepal. To date Pastor Dal mentors several new pastors, and this new congregation sends regular offerings to 4-5 new churches back home. The pastoral couple, both Pastor DB and Sangita, hired on to full-time positions at the Walmart Distribution Center in Dallas and have worked bi-vocationally since. Both Neema and Silas are excelling in their college classes and leading the youth and music ministry for Living Friends. The congregation agreed to rent space at a local Methodist church near the apartment complex and have worshipped there ever since. Pastor Dal has also been a leader in gatherings of Nepali and Bhutanese congregations from across America. The congregation has outgrown their current worship location several times over and continue to save money, and search for potential locations for future growth. They are dreaming of the right property on which to build God’s church. Please pray with the people of Living Friends.Living Friends is a congregation of prayer and fasting for the salvation of souls touched by their people. God has blessed them tremendously in this! God has also blessed this work with dedicated leaders and Elders, and the PAT that has supported them with wise discernment and direction. As of last summer, the local leadership team had completed the steps required in their Journey Toward Maturity. The PAT approved the recommendation to Yearly Meeting Elders to move Living Friends to full church status here in EFC-MAYM. Pending representative approval at this Ministry Conference, we anticipate seeing that happen. All praise to God and to these leaders for their faithfulness and dedication in building this new church!
Randy Littlefield
Director of Multiplication Ministries
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