Expanding to Edinburgh
Have you ever read the Bible story of Esther? The timing of events is crazy, and so obviously God ordained that when Mordecai says, “... who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” the reader’s resounding response can be nothing short of “Duh!” Ryan and Kelly Akers are leaving this summer for Edinburgh, Scotland, and when you hear the story of how they got to this point, it is OBVIOUS that the Lord has been working throughout their lives to bring them to this ministry launch at this time.
Ryan and Kelly met at the University of Alabama and have always had a heart for the nations, though serving overseas themselves seemed unlikely because of family circumstances. Still, they were committed to the world, and during a World Missions Conference at Briarwood Presbyterian Church in 2018, Kelly heard the Director of Campus Outreach SERVE, Kent Bailey, share about forty invitations CO had received to expand in partnership with local churches around the world.
The present locations of CO were marked with blue dots, but the countries extending invitations were marked on a map with red dots. Kent asked those in attendance to pray and trust the Lord to turn all the red dots to blue. Kelly got so excited, requested a list of the “red dots,” and began to pray in earnest for a different location each day.
The Lord had brought Ryan into a mobilizing role with Campus Outreach Birmingham (COB), where his job involved helping students transition from college into the real world. He helped many serve in overseas mission work through CO. A partnership in Birmingham, England, allowed for a fun connection with COB, Birmingham to Birmingham. Once this location became a “blue dot,” Ryan helped transition nine graduates to this growing ministry. Then in 2021, the Akers planned a trip to visit that team, and it happened to coincide with CO SERVE staff traveling to investigate other expansion opportunities in the UK.
Neil McMillan, Director for Church Planting for the Free Church of Scotland and on the Board for City to City Europe, had contacted Campus Outreach the year before about a “red dot” opportunity in Edinburgh. The trajectory of the Church in Scotland shows extinction in the next 15-20 years, and Neil is convinced the future lies with reaching university students, of which there are 60,000 in Edinburgh. The present Church had been able to identify no more than 300 students who were involved in any Christian organization. Ryan was asked to be a part of a visit with Neil, and he was surprised by how bad things were spiritually. Kelly and Hannah Ryan had stayed behind that day, and when Ryan returned and shared all he had learned, he asked Kelly, “Would you be open to praying about something like this?” Kelly responded, “Yeah, I think I would.”
For years, Ryan had been convinced that the UK was key in reaching Europe again, and this was a call he could see giving the next 20-25 years of life. Family circumstances had changed, and for the first time, the Akers were in a position to seriously consider a move overseas. When they asked Hannah Ryan her thoughts on the move, she replied, “Dad, I think we're supposed to go to Edinburgh. There's just such a need, and it's too big of an opportunity to pass up!” Soon after that, the Akers committed, and the Lord quickly raised a team of six others to join.
Undoubtedly, the Lord has called them and gone before them for such a time as this. He has provided a flat for the Akers VERY close to campus and all the funds needed to labor. Now they are waiting for their visas so they can leave for Scotland within the next couple of weeks. Please pray with us for the visas to come in God’s perfect time and for the Lord to use this team to build laborers on the campus in Edinburgh for the lost world! Check back here to see when the red dot in Edinburgh is changed to blue!