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 When you move from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, you change masters--no longer serving Satan, but the Lord (Col. 1:13). You become the enemy of Satan (although he isn't concerned for the wellbeing of followers). The battle line is global, since the world lies in Satan’s power (Jn 16:11; 1 Jn 5:19). This fight requires spiritual armor (defensive and offensive), to grapple with him, his demons and those “held captive by the power of Satan.” (2 Tim. 2:26; 2 Cor 4:3-4). Not sure there is a Satan? Jesus believed him real (Mat 4:10, 12:26; Lk 10:18, etc.). Peter, Paul and John treated Satan as a personality (Act 5:3; 1 Co 5:5; 2 Co 2:11; Rev. 12:9; 20:2,7). And, read the news.
Jesus came to destroy the work of Satan (1 Jn 3:8). He did this in part by destroying the power of death and hell over His followers (Heb 2:14). He did this in part by casting out demons (Mt 8:28-34), and by healing those bound by him (Luke 13:16). God “disarmed” evil rulers and authorities through Jesus’ death (Col. 2:15). As God sent Jesus to destroy Satan’s work, Jesus now sends us (Jn 20:21). Stop and consider this. How are you destroying Satan’s work? Jesus now goes with us, as we go (Matt 28:18-20).
Our primary, but not exclusive, work is to turn people from the power of Satan to God (Acts 26:18). Evangelism is a search and rescue operation. For this, Jesus gave us ability “to overcome all the power of the enemy”, confirmed when he saw Satan falling from heaven. (Luke 10:18-19, NIV). This power was not given just to 12 disciples, but to the 72 nameless disciples after them, and to us by extension. Jesus is now “the head of all rule and authority.” (Col. 2:10, ESV; Col 2:15; 1 Cor 15:24; 1 Pet 3:22; John 12:31).
Where is the darkness that you, being the light of the world (Mt 5:14-16) were born again to illuminate? Where is satanic darkness apparent in your culture, your area? We may not feel not up for this level of combat. We aren’t. That is why Jesus told his disciples to wait for the power of the Spirit at Pentecost to empower them to extend the Kingdom of God (Lk 24:49). The Spirit helps us in weakness (Rom 8:26). Now as we keep being filled with the Spirit, we can win (Eph 5:18). Now we can do all things that the Lord has given us to do (Phil 4:13). If we’re bloodied in battle, we’re still “more than conquerors” through Jesus (Rom 8:35-39). A good soldier will suffer (2 Tim 2:3). We should check our spiritual birth certificate if we don’t suffer for the work of the Kingdom (Rom 8:17). We die anyway. If we save our life, we lose it, but if we lose our life for Christ, we gain it (Mt 16:25; Mk 8:35; Lk 9:24—repeated 3 times).
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Sudan’s civil war continues a third year. The momentum may now be with the RSF rebel militias against government forces. They apparently sent drones to attack oil facilities in Port Sudan on May 4, 2025, 835 miles away from their western stronghold of Nyala, Sudan. Reports are that they also recently gained control in northwest Sudan, near Libya and Egypt. The UN on June 19th reported an “alarming scale” of sexual violence in Sudan, especially in the west, Darfur area, with the RSF being the major perpetrators. https://sudantribune.com/article302043 | https://sudantribune.com/article302047. Despite the ongoing civil war, over 40,000 South Sudanese migrated to Sudan, due to fighting and instability in northern S. Sudan states. https://sudantribune.com/article302033. Since oil is 90% of S. Sudan’s government income, civil servants still haven’t been paid for over a year. Added to this is fighting between the S. Sudan government and Upper Nile province-based opposition forces. The UN declares that 32,000 face “catastrophic food shortages” in this area. https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1164311 Juba itself is peaceful. The International Monetary Fund lists S. Sudan as the poorest nation by GDP per-capita in 2025. S. Sudan currency has lost 15% against the US dollar so far in 2025, according to Trading Economics. In response to economic conditions in S. Sudan, RMNI donors provided emergency food relief in Juba and Torit, an agricultural project and financial support to Buluk Eye Clinic staff. We hope to send an RMNI team to Juba in February, 2026.
Redeember FM 104.2
We have a frequency and a tower location, by God’s grace and many prayers! We also can broadcast at the desired higher wattage, which can reach between 35 and 75 miles, and will allow people inside cement structures to listen. We have an elephant by the tail. We’re updating costs of transmission equipment and the appropriate tower. Since the location is now at Grace Theological College, and sending a signal from the existing studio to this location 5 miles away is very uncertain, we need to build a simple studio on the slab of the GTC building under construction (see p. 4). We’ll use components of the former studio, as will be feasible. Prayer is definitely needed to complete this project! Teaching Missions International is partnering with RMNI to get on the air.
Food Relief at Gumbo and Terekeka (Juba region)
The H&C Trust of the Maclellan Foundation provided $6,000, and other RMNI donors provided $2,390 to give food relief to 85 elderly and disabled residents of Gumbo Residential district, near Juba, on June 7th. Seventy-five made professions of faith in Jesus as the Agape Mission team evangelized April 18-20th! At last count 8-10 are coming to Sunday Bible study at Agape School, also funded in part by the H&C Trust. Thirty chairs and a podium were purchased to assist in planting a church from this nucleus. A hundred and ten Bibles, audio and print, were purchased as well.
Terekeka is about 50 miles north of Juba. We learned that the tribe there had land to cultivate and that providing instruction in agricultural methods, hand tools, and seeds would be a developmental project, instead of emergency relief. Agape mission again sent evangelists into the community. Forty-three surrendered their life to Christ and seventy-five farmers received a hoe, rake, ax and machete, on May 2-3. Farmers received 11 pounds of peanut seeds on May 31st, since they could not afford them. An African agriculturalist taught them biblical methods of cultivation during two days.
Pictured below is tool distribution among the Mundari tribe at Terekeka. Above is farming instruction. Agape staff will return to check on the anticipated crop to gauge the outcomes of this outreach. Villagers aren’t literate, so we’re providing 2 large Proclaimer audio Bible units.
Torit Food and Seminar Ministry
A donor who funded two previous food ministries in Juba, also provided funding for help at Torit, 85 miles southwest of Juba, where RMNI worked for several years. Two churches in our network there have struggled with poor, or almost no leadership. On May 16-17th, seventy-five of the most needy people received our typical provision of 22 pounds of corn flour, 11 pounds of dried beans and 1.3 gallons of cooking oil. In addition, the Agape team taught 65 church members about biblical church leadership, biblical stewardship, discipleship, evangelism, church planting and the Great Commission.
Buluk Eye Clinic Support
Buluk Eye Clinic is the only public clinic in S. Sudan for cataract surgery. Staff hasn’t received salary for over a year, forcing some to leave. RMNI donors provided $1,000 in mid-June to assist. Here are Clinic staff in 2022.
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 Westside Chattanooga
Inner City Ministry
New workers are coming to the Westside in answer to prayer! Dustin Mahoney’s “simple church” network of ten evangelists came to the Westside April 29-May 1st. These joyful spiritual warriors came from four states. At least three at the Westside professed Christ.
Jim Ball, Director of Microchurch Development at Silverdale Baptist, Chattanooga, has come numerous times, sometimes with others, to establish a presence, witness and pray.
Jim introduced me to Hunter Stonebraker, Youth Pastor of Citizens of Heaven Church, Chattanooga, which is Southern Baptist, who adopted Westside youth a year ago. We had not met, as we work at different days and locations. We’re exploring ways to work together after he returns from a mission trip.
The RMNI team welcomes Jeannette Tulis, who has proven to be a perceptive personal worker. For brief videos of Westside work, on location, please visit Bob Wooten – Influencer | Redefining Aging and Jim Sutherland 2025 | Redefining Aging
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Two and a half years into construction, GTC’s new campus is progressing! A generous donor provided this $25,000 phase of a solid first floor, columns which will be used for the second floor, and stairs.
The FM studio is planned on this slab, later to move to the second floor. Visiting teachers would stay on the second floor. James Batista in Juba is developing the GTC website with some assistance from Walt Robertson, our RMNI webmaster. Currently there are 15 students in the regular diploma program, 40 in the weekend diploma program, and 15 in the bachelor weekend program. Another 12 are in a distance learning program.
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- This radio project is like trying to conduct a band, without reading music. Please pray for the right equipment and safe arrival through customs, the best tower at a fair price, an affordable simple studio and generator, and for a dedicated station manager. Then we’ll need protection of equipment, programming assistance, and sustainability. Thankfully we now have higher broadcast wattage, instead of 250. We’re grateful for Tim Kochis, our expert (pro bono) radio consultant, who works at Broadcasters General Store in Ocala, Florida.
- Please pray for GTC, for completion of construction, for students and teachers, for wisdom in leadership and for Kingdom impact. The radio station is somewhat dependent upon construction.
- Also please pray for positive impact and content of the GTC website being developed.
- We’re both thankful for new Westside partnerships and cognizant that we need to continue to pray for new local spiritual soldiers, and for Kingdom advance at the Westside. Age and health have reduced the team. Prayer can break strongholds—lies people believe. Even the poor think they don’t need Jesus, although less likely than among the middle class.
- We would like to send a team to Juba in February 2026, led by Jeff George, if conditions permit. Please pray for favorable conditions, and for the team God wants to enter into that desperately needy nation. Jeff has been a great encouragement and keeps in regular contact with Juba ministry partners. I have no idea, other than God’s grace, how people are making it in S. Sudan.
- Please pray for the work of Agape Mission, led by Michael Ojok. They combine ministry to the body and soul and passionately engage mercy ministry, development, and evangelism.
- Please pray for me, Jim, for wisdom and strength to make a difference for the Kingdom and to complete my work. My wife Judy remains the priority. God sustains daily!
Family Update
- Having home health care for 10 hours per week is a God-send. Workers cheerfully clean, do physical therapy with Judy, and even take her to a local park. Long-term healthcare insurance has kicked in, so we could get another 25 hours, or more, as needed. I haven’t gotten away overnight since early February, but I’m working on it, together with a very dear friend.
- Judy is often “wobbly” and weak, but God uses her calls and letters. Thankfully she hasn’t fallen so as to hurt herself. I have new appreciation for her ministry to others even now, despite limitations. She is doing better in 2025 than she did in 2024, with a new neurologist, meds, and God. “Progress” is anomalous, but real. And marriage has become sweeter.
- Tim and Karen Sutherland and family are now moving to property about an hour away to be near us and Karen’s parents, who also have physical needs. Please pray for their daughter Liza, with Teen Mission Int’l, serving at Jinja, Uganda during July. She works with orphans, assists with medical outreach and does construction. Pray for Tim who needs much wisdom for the best housing decisions, and for his demanding engineering work, done remotely.
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