2004 Overview
Posted: March 07, 2021
pageCell Structure & The Mana House
The Mana House, a facility for poor women with hospitalized children
The Lord guided Greig to be stationed in the capital city of Tucuman in the state of Tucuman, Argentina. With a population of one million, Tucuman is the business and educational center of northern Argentina. As written at the base of the flagpole in the picture, Tucuman is called the garden of Argentina, and is the birthplace of Argentina, where they claimed independence from Spain. It is a city with much spiritual significance.
The Lord put it in the heart of Pedro Hernandez, an apostle of the faith in Tucuman, to seek Greig out at his hotel. Pedro has truly taken new territory in the business world of Tucuman and has been God’s instrument to bring many with financial resources into the Kingdom of God. He also is a friend to many church leaders in many denominations there. Through Pedro’s contacts, many other Tucuman church leaders have been connected with Greig.
Pedro wife, Laura, happens to be the daughter of Peter Robeff, the Supervisor for the Church of God over seven states in northern Argentina. Pastor Robeff just recently presented his recommendation to the Church of God in Argentina. He told them that they need to be heading towards a cellular church structure. This structure places much of church fellowship away from the big services, which we are familiar with, and into many smaller groups functioning relatively freely, as the Lord directs. This structure facilitates the move from a church with a few leaders and many spectators, to a church full of active leaders utilizing all the gifts and ministries that have been placed there. Our Father wants to give all his sons and daughters a chance to more actively participate in building the Kingdom of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amazingly, that was the same reason that God had sent Greig there.
Greig read six books on how to implement this structure, put together a series of 4 lessons, and then began training 21 new leaders from the Church of God in Tucuman; some of them shown here. They implemented this new structure with the method Jesus used: I’ll minister, you watch; I’ll minister, you help; you minister, I’ll help; you minister, I’ll watch. The pastor was at first somewhat resistant to the idea, but by the end, everyone was convinced this was totally God’s idea. On August 22nd, 2003, the training was completed and 21 new cell leaders, fulfilling the biblical role of pastor, began leading cell groups under the new structure. The lead pastor invited Greig to pray for and give words to those new leaders at the morning church service on that final day of training. God moved powerfully and confirmed that this was His plan for His body.
On September 4th, 2004, Mana House, a facility for poor women with hospitalized children, was dedicated and opened. The dedication ceremony was attended by government and church leaders in the state of Tucuman, including the Governor’s wife. Mana House was established as one of the outreaches of Mana Foundation, a non-denominational Christian organization founded to be the hands of Christ among the community. The president of the Manna foundation is Pedro Hernandez, the first person the Lord connected to Greig in Tucuman. AMI is supporting the efforts financially.
The Russian Prison
In October 2004, Greig traveled with Robert Johnson, an associate of this ministry, to Finland and Russia. Over a three week period they covered about 2,000 miles of territory and spoke to church groups on fourteen different occasions in eleven different cities. They made their way north from Helsinki in southern Finland to Kolari in the northern Lapland. Then they crossed over into Russia and headed up toward Murmansk on the northern coast. From there they made their way south in until they crossed back over into Finland and ended the trip back in Helsinki. Finland is now the third base-country in a row that the Lord has sent Greig to that has a white and blue flag. Coincidence?
There was probably no greater stretching experience than the one they had at the Murmansk maximum security prison. One thousand five hundred of some of the worst offenders, and they walked through the midst of them! They gave some financial help to the prison’s Bible club and planted a few other financial seeds during their travels.
One of the most amazing things was when God gave Greig the perfect verse to start his message on How Jesus Wants His Church Built. They were just about to cross into Russia when they passed a car that had the license plate USE 127. Their interpreter noticed the plate and said, I think you’re supposed to use Psalms 127 for your message. They didn’t know what that verse said so Greig grabbed a Bible and read ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain’ (Psalms 127:1). Best verse in the entire Bible to start a message on building the church correctly. God is in control beyond our imagination.