Fire Service Chaplain Hal Lowder to join 26 Leaders Raging War on Terror.

Fire Service Chaplain Hal Lowder to join 26 Leaders Raging War on Terror.
For many years, news from the Middle East has been filled with headlines of dangerous and alarming acts of terrorism originating from that region. The world’s attention has been drawn to this area primarily due to the startling, gripping and dangerous activities of terrorism.
After retiring from 25 plus years in public safety as a fire and explosion investigator and bombing crime scene technician, Fire Service Chaplain Hal Lowder is joining 25 Pastors and lay leaders to form Operation Ishmael’s Cry. Prior to retiring, Hal felt the call of God and began training as a Fire Service Chaplain and felt the call to return to areas of the world that he had once traveled to as a member of the US Army and veteran of Operation’s Desert Storm and desert Shield to minister the gospel.
Without doubt, Jesus Christ loves the people of the Middle East and He is that much needed relief. Operation Ishmael’s Cry is a new and thriving ministry birthed out of a desire to see the nations of the Middle East touched by the power of the living God. Chaplain Lowder was known as an expert in fire and explosion investigation, bombing crime scene technician and security expert. Chaplain Lowder also served during the Cold war in the US Army as a Military Policeman and in the Persian Gulf and Southwest Asia Theater of Operations during the first Gulf War. It was at the end of that career that Hal felt a calling to fight terror at the root, not by destroying the terrorists, but through spreading the gospel and educating Pastors. “It is awesome that God makes little sticky notes and saves them for later, and pulls them out and sends you to places you never thought. Here I was at one time fighting terrorism and communism and now I am returning to the same areas to minister to those that were once sworn enemies.” states Lowder. “The first place God sent me after I retired was Cuba, and now here I am off to the Middle East.”
Operation Ishmael’s Cry is a ministry dedicated to providing a powerful training center for Christian pastors and leaders of the Middle East, for the purpose of reaching their nationals with the truth of Christ. OIC is fully aware of the intensity of the hour and the urgency of the time – we must do whatever it takes to reach these people with the message of hope. OIC has adopted an aggressive, proactive attitude in its efforts to bring restoration, recovery and a relationship with God to the people of the Middle Eastern region. It is the mission of Operation Ishmael’s Cry to train and equip Christian leaders of the Middle Eastern countries so that they may bring biblical truth to their own people groups.
“This is a very sensitive area” states Lowder. “At this time we are being very careful to guard the identities and locations of our Pastors as some of them have already faced persecution and death from radicals”. “We want to protect these Pastors, so in a way it is a clandestine activity, just for their and their parishioner’s safety”.
“We are looking for prayer support, corporate sponsors to assist the ministry in order to get this operation off the ground.” “We already have a 13 week training session scheduled to train pastors from numerous countries in the region to come to a neutral area to receive training in biblical studies, mentoring, counseling and all of the topics that a pastor would receive in a traditional seminary here.”
If anyone would like more information on Operation Ishmael’s Cry, and how to support the ministry through prayer, corporate or individual support is urged to contact Chaplain Lowder. “I appreciate everyone’s consideration and dedication to discretion as our Pastor’s lives are actually on the line over there. “I will place any interested parties in contact with our leadership to discuss as many details of the ministry as we can and verify this as a legitimate ministry. We just have to be so careful as to protect our leaders on the ground” Lowder emphasizes.
The answer to terrorism, the answer to the wars, the answer to the political and religious conflicts must be found in the Person of Jesus Christ. We are determined to see to it that the message of Jesus is spread throughout the region of the Middle East, and that many leaders and pastors are raised up to carry the fire of God to the most desperate area of the globe.
For thousands of years, the voices of the nationals of that land have cried out for the One True God. Genesis 21:17 says, "God heard the boy (Ishmael) crying. Then the angel of the Lord…said to Hagar, ‘Do not be afraid. God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up. Take him by the hand. I will make him a great nation." The people groups of the Middle East are the descendants of Ishmael!"" The Middle East is experiencing turmoil and strife ultimately because of their need for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.