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New Jersey-born Ray Lentzsch has proclaimed the gospel in every country of the world. And he has no intention of quitting.

Backed by a master’s degree in advertising and four years of experience with advertising agencies and colleges, Ray had become director of public relations and journalism professor at one of California’s most prestigious liberal arts colleges. But just when it looked like he’d clinched a successful career and model marriage, his life fell apart. His wife walked out on him, taking their two children.

Months later, in despair at failing to reconcile with his wife, Ray decided to sit in on a Christian businessmen’s luncheon. He was stirred by the testimonies he heard and afterwards talked with one of the men, who gave Ray a small tract entitled, “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” A few days later, he surrendered his life to Christ.

Ray enrolled at Fuller Theological Seminary and, at the Easter sunrise service that year, he was struck by the two large words displayed behind the pulpit: “Go Ye.” Following the service, Ray returned to his dormitory and read through the book of Acts. As he read, he was filled with a passion for world evangelization.

Ray moved out with Worldwide Evangelism Crusade (WEC) and served two years in Jamaica and Barbados. Then, in 1962, he joined Operation Mobilization. For the next 15 years, Ray ministered primarily in Italy, Israel and Malta. He then signed on with the MV Logos, OM’s first ship, for five years, and later the MV Doulos for 10 more years. During this time at sea he visited approximately 100 more countries.

Ray says, “During 15 years with MV Logos and MV Doulos, I often wondered whether it would be possible to fulfill the Lord’s Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 to carry the gospel to every nation.” He discussed the idea with George Verwer, OM’s founder and international director. Verwer pointed out potential problems, but encouraged Ray, who began visiting neighboring countries when the ship was in port.

After leaving the Doulos in 1992, Ray settled in Israel and began moving systematically to reach the rest of the world. First covering Central America and remaining Caribbean islands, he then went on to the 33 remaining African countries he hadn’t yet visited. The final 33 of 214 nations included Cambodia, Afghanistan, Kurdistan, Oman and scattered Pacific islands.

Ray notes, “Although I have been robbed in minor ways a number of times, only twice was I threatened. In Guade-loupe, I was robbed of one-third of my money in a hotel room, with a knife at my throat. In Chad, my bag with airline tickets, traveler’s checks and a passport with 22 visas that I needed was stolen. The next day all but $80 was returned to the US Embassy. Although taken to police stations too many times to number, I have only been jailed twice, both for 10 days.”

More important than the dangers and threats are the positive results of Ray’s ministry. He says that one of the most dramatic responses to the gospel was during the ship’s visit to Belem, Brazil, where he and the crew saw over 1,000 decisions for Christ. “The challenge to see 1,000 came through ship ministry leader Chacko Thomas, who had suggested, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could see that song, “Oh, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing My Great Redeemer’s Praise,” fulfilled in this port?’ We saw the amazing breakthrough as we battled and overcame the onslaughts of spiritists, who sought to break up our meetings by parading around us with instruments while we preached.”

Ray considers his entry to North Korea the most difficult of all 214 countries he visited. For four years he had continually tried every channel to obtain a visa, but was always told that, as an American, it was impossible. Americans had been refused entry since 1948.

Then he heard an announcement that opened the door: North Korea would waive all visa restrictions for Americans for seven days, during an International Sports and Culture Peace Festival in April of 1995.

While in North Korea, Ray was under strict surveillance by an interpreter, security guide and driver assigned to him. He sadly reports that in seven days of asking everyone he met in Korean, “Do you believe in God?” or “Do you have a Bible?” he received only negative responses. However, the three men assigned to him heard the gospel, and so did some of his tour guides.

Although his goal of preaching in every country was reached in ’95, Ray never considered his ministry over. During one six-month period in Israel he preached the gospel every day in Jerusalem’s popular Ben Yehuda Street, undeterred when a cup of hot coffee was thrown in his face or when sprayed from a can of cola. He and his companion were also pelted with eggs. “The most discouraging aspect of our open air meetings was that, when our enemies succeeded in building up a large enough crowd to be screaming at us, the police would move in to stop us for disturbing the peace.”

Ray still preaches in open air meetings in Malta, although he still encounters opposition. Most recently he was involved in distributing 10,000 Maltese language copies of the tract through which he became a Christian. “But,” he stresses, “what has happened in Malta needs to be repeated in other yet unevangelized islands.”

“As Robert Seelye, the businessman who gave me the tract through which I first came to the Lord, once said: ‘With all the unreached world yet before us, we ought to be busier than a one-armed paperhanger.’ Nearing age 75, I realize more than ever that there’s yet much land to be taken.”

Lane Powell and Debbie Meroff serve with Operation Mobilization.

June 7, 2002