Testimonials
Read what previous attendees had to say:
“I attended Legacy 2016 in the middle of four months of preparations to move to Dearborn in a full-time ministry capacity. I had just graduated from college and was eager to serve the Lord but was also wary of what lied ahead. Through the speakers, musical worship, exhibitors, and attendees, the Lord confirmed to me that, yes, indeed - He dearly loves these Arabs living in the darkness of Islam, and He wanted to merge my life with some of theirs. Two years later, I am grateful for that time of training and networking, and for how He strengthened my convictions and affirmed my life/ministry trajectory at Legacy.”
“Hey Legacy Committee, thank you very much—you did a terrific job. I liked the ethos of the whole thing, the fact that it was principled, had good direction,etc. The program with Zwemer’s story and some great quotes was very nice. You really knocked yourselves out.”
““Being at the Legacy conference on opening night was where I wanted to be! The worship was glorious! That Ann Arbor band did a wonderful job of leading us into the presence of the Lord!””
““God was so good to supply needs and even wants to instruct us on Islam, enemy of Jesus. I learned much about that world religion and how Muslims think. Surely what I heard just scratched the surface, however. I appreciate what was presented at Legacy 2010 and all the details attended to for our enjoyment and education. Thank you for all you did to make the conference wonderful. I enjoyed it so much. The schedule was well thought out and timely. …Jack was most interesting and helpful as our guide to the mosque and the restaurant afterwards. He has a dynamic testimony about his work and walk with the Lord while in the Middle East on bicycle. So many exciting experiences! Our talk with the guide in the mosque was instructive also. The vendors were interesting and I learned from them. Good book choices. The verbal book review idea in the plenary sessions was great and helped us decide which book(s) were for us. Even thought I did not attend the closing session on Sunday, I’m sure it was a blessing to all who attended. We must keep praying for the Muslim who needs Jesus just a much as we do.”
“The conference was excellent. What a huge encouragement it was to be surrounded by so many people who all share a passion for reaching Muslim people with the gospel, and to hear the thoughts and ideas of those who are experienced at this type of ministry. We were inspired, encouraged, and challenged by all the things we heard that weekend. The talks by John Leonard were excellent and the women’s track was very helpful to me. My husband attended the Engaging Islam track and found it to be excellent. The food was perfect, the scheduling was good. We benefited from the various literature displays and appreciated the book reviews (and more would be welcome). In general, everything was great.”
““The conference was great and very encouraging for me. It affirmed many things I’ve learned over the years and that was encouraging and enlightening since I learned more new things. I deeply enjoyed hearing the way John Leonard presented the holiness of God and how that fits into evangelism of both Muslims and others in our own environments. I have a new way of looking at God’s holiness and our response in a fresh way and one is never too old to learn new things. I was very glad to see so many people come from Ohio and west Michigan. I wish there were more from metro Detroit. Thank you and the others who volunteered to put together the conference.””
“Recently the opportunity came [to talk to some Muslim girls in chem lab] so I simply asked them what their beliefs were…The things we talked about were topics discussed in my Legacy track with Abdu Murray. She said she couldn’t believe the Bible because it has been changed so many times and that Jesus never actually claimed to be God.
“The Legacy Conference was excellent — rich teaching, great networking, etc. Our friends in Dearborn did such a great job putting it on. One of the great highlights for us was hearing of all God is doing to bring Muslims to Himself in Iran, particularly through dreams. Here are more of my highlights:
“The worship on Friday night was just outstanding. We are biased but we think the Harvest Mission crew really knows how to lead worship in both a spiritual and professional way. It set a marvelous tone for what followed…
“Barbara Yandell’s talk was also outstanding. She inspired us greatly. We could have listened to her for a lot longer. Her love for the Lord and lost people shines through. She takes you back to the basics, back to early Christianity. She speaks in a humble, winsome, refreshing manner – even when she brings a convicting word.
“Tat Stewart’s track was just amazing – the stories, the teaching, everything. I know he ministers in a different world – Iranians vs. Arabs – but it was just rich. He gave out tons of information but the way he speaks is also so easy to listen to. I could have gone to hear him for 2 more days. Networking is always such a benefit of any conference like this. We loved meeting new people but especially 3 MBB’s – Agshin, Leyla, and Ben. Great to hear their stories.”
“Tremendous preaching…on fire!…All the content and the speakers were outstanding! …I felt a true connection with God, especially during the Thursday worship time.”
“Overall an excellent conference. …Wonderful presenters and excellent material. …I liked the background on Zwemer. …The church-planting track was beneficial. …The food was good.”
“This conference was excellent! It inspired me, fired up my spirit and confirmed what God has burdened me with. It gave both practical and sound doctrinal info.”
“I liked the organization, the worship, the sound doctrine, and the exhibits. My favorite thing was the variety of ministries and denominations. I loved the unity. I’m really getting inspired about reaching the Muslims…one of the biggest needs in the world today.”
“I thought the Legacy Conference was extraordinary. I attended one of the tracks on Friday and Saturday. The instructors were absolutely wonderful, informative, and I learned much from them.”
“I only attended on Saturday. I was blessed to receive teaching on incarnational ministry to Muslims. The presentations were full of illustrations and guidance on effective ways to minister to Muslims.”
“It was great! This was my first Legacy conference. I really appreciated the plenary sessions–great truth, interesting and passionate presentation, thought-provoking and insightful perspectives. The breakout sessions were very helpful too.”
“Great people, excellent worship, super/excellent facilities. Having had no background in the Arab culture, I have benefited greatly from by all the information and facts presented. John Leonard was like following a train but worth it. I liked the book reports and the exhibits. Thanks for the meals, not heavy in calories, and the snacks. The practical experience offered by going to the Arab festival helps to give a heart for the people and see them in their setting. It was exciting to see people from diverse backgrounds united in one purpose.”
“It opened my eyes to more than I ever dreamed… I appreciated the exhibits and books a lot… They were really amazing! The Q & A with all the speakers was wonderful!”
“I wanted to share with you what God did for me during the recent Legacy Conference. As you may know, on the continuum from emotional to rational, I tend to fall pretty far towards the rational end! Therefore, it may be significant when something touches me emotionally. What I found happening was the Lord touching my heart and affections with the personal stories of God’s current working in the lives of Muslims around the world in similar ways to how I see Him working here in Dearborn. I had never met or heard of Georges Houssney [Horizons] before, but I went to his workshop on Friday and within 10 minutes I was fighting back tears of joy in the Lord’s work in their lives ministering to Muslims in Boulder, CO. The next morning, the same thing happened as I watched the video of the [Crossroads] teens from Indiana singing and sharing in the park, and I observed the needy eyes of Muslim children and women. God seemed to be touching my heart and giving me a greater love for Muslim people in general and for the Muslim people of Dearborn in particular. Then on Friday night he gave me great joy in going door-to-door [one of the Cultural Experience options, but also a local ministry that occurs weekly with Stones Cry Out], sharing this experience with brothers in Christ, talking extensively to a Muslim family about Jesus, and then hearing reports of how God had blessed not just my team but all 4 teams that went out. Overall, the personal message from God that I took away from the conference was that I am right where God wants me to be–smack dab in the middle of one of the best mission fields in the world. I am so thankful to Him for that privilege! And my desire and commitment to Him is to try to do everything He will allow me to do to serve Him in this field! Thanks, Scott, Adam, and many others, for all your efforts to make this conference possible. To God by the glory, great things He has done!”
“I regard this conference as a ‘milestone’ in our ongoing quest to alert our community and the nation to, as well as recruit a new generation of laborers for, the vast and often difficult task of bringing the gospel to muslims. This conference was our “rite of passage,” blessed of god, and has given us the sense that god has moved us into a “new era” of our history. From the planning team to the directors, to the large core of volunteer workers, barriers were hurled or ignored, unity was present, and profit was . . . Experienced by all. I personally think that adding the cross-cultural, hands-on experiences, including the “festival,” helped set us apart from other purely “islamics-based” conferences. Make no mistake, these are valid; ours was unique. I was pleasantly surprized that these were responded to so well by the conference attendees. . . But my praise would be misguided were it to rise no higher than mere human activity, no matter how grand. The bible says, “in his heart a man plans his course, but the lord determines his steps” (prov. 16:9 – Niv). The “course” for this conference was well-planned and executed by men, but God was on the move. There was true worship rendered, eager service given, life-long committments made, and, this would please samuel zwemer the most, god’s glory seen! These and others are the handiworks of God.”
““Thanks for Legacy. I enjoyed the morning plenary session, the worship time and the workshop on working with Muslim women. Thank you for organizing Legacy. I am amazed at all that our God is doing in and among his people right here in Dearborn. Thank you, again, for your hard work to bring this conference to our area.” ”
“Thank you so much for allowing me the privilege of being involved in the Legacy conference!!!! It was a blessing. I was surprised at the amount of Satanic attack that preceded the conference and continued throughout the whole thing. It was a real battle in many ways. Personally, I experienced great deliverance from the Lord. By the end of the conference, my faith was encouraged and strengthened in some truly significant ways. I marveled at the way the conference smoothly unfolded with such great attention to detail. The level of organization and cooperation far exceeded my expectations. I took note that MANY commented positively along those same lines. I was duly impressed with God and the way that He obviously equipped His people to pull this conference off in a way that ensured He would receive the most glory. It appears to me that God answered our prayers in a mighty way and used the Legacy conference for the encouragement and exhortation of many. I’m sure this is true far beyond what I am even aware of. If we have opportunity and sense God’s leading, I would see no reason why we should not host this conference in the future. As long as we are convinced that the Lord goes before us and with us, we have nothing to fear and only much to gain!”
“These are arguments I had heard before, but because of Legacy I felt so prepared.””
“Legacy was a great conference–actually, one of the best ones I’ve been to I think. I was very encouraged and renewed in several ways in my relationship with Christ, as well as in evangelism. Our God is so good and He definitely knows what we truly need. Thank you so much for all your hard work and dedication! It’s hard to believe that the time has already come and gone. It seemed like it was a long time ago when I was over last year and you told me the conference would be in the summer of 2006. God has brought it to pass and He certainly used you in significant ways! I specifically want to commend you and others on the organization of “Glory.” I found that very respectable and I believe such organization really aids in creating an environment for people to learn more. …I am amazed at how you all (with God’s help of course) have brought so many people together to work!–That definitely is how the Body of Christ is supposed to function. Yet, in spite of its importance and emphasis in The Word, it seems to be so difficult for The Church to do. So, really great job!”
“I think the most significant thing that God showed me personally was that we are not alone in our concern and desire to see God’s glory revealed and His Son, Jesus Christ, worshipped. I was quite overwhelmed by the number of people who attended the conference and the level of interest they represented – from those whose hearts are already engaged in Muslim ministries to those who are on the fringes of involvement to those who are praying about it and curious to find out what it might involve. I felt a little like Elijah in I Kings 19 when God encouraged him by telling him that he was NOT the only one holding up His name in that area, but that there were others also and God was about to move. I have a growing picture of how God is moving in SE Michigan and other places where Muslims are concentrated. Of course He is moving all over the world, just as He has promised to do!!! It is a privilege to be involved, even in a small way, with those who are passionate about God’s fame and His Son’s name being lifted high.”
“Hi everybody! I wanted to sincerely thank you for letting me play a small part in the conference this weekend. It was really great! I never expected to connect with so many people and it was also pretty cool to see almost everyone I have met out here back in MI under one roof for one purpose. I was SO BLESSED with what I was able to be a part of! ? You guys rock! I took some people out to the festival last night [another Cultural Experience option] and we had a great time. I saw a lot of familiar faces with WSU students and God’s Team and U of M Dearborn students and MY [Saudi] students too!!! People were coming out of the woodwork. I got to hang out for a long time with a few of the lady students and also some with the guys. I got to connect some of the IVCF students with some of the Saudi students too ’cause everyone was out at the festival, and I ran into everyone all at the same time. It was great for me to watch them all talking to each other! I had a TOTAL BLAST! I think being with the peoples I love [Arabs] along with others that love them too was really amazing as it always is! Joe…a guy from Ohio at Legacy hung out with me too and even said he wants to start praying about maybe moving up here!” – Heather Brown, former English Professor, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
“Just a note to tell you how much we enjoyed the Legacy conference. It was an amazing way for my wife and me to spend the first four days of my sabbatical! I cannot say how much I enjoyed the conference. My passion for missions exploded again. Mary Jane and I learned more about Islam and ministry to Muslims. Going door-to-door was a fantastic experience, and one man accepted Christ. Everything at the conference was done in a godly and professional manner. It had to be a ton of work for you and the others, and we hope you all have had some rest since then. I am curious as a pastor how a church in the area (Ann Arbor) can be involved. I don’t know what our church can do or what I as a pastor can do (or what God wants us to do!), but I am e-mailing a few of the leaders I met at the conference and exploring options regarding their ministries. He certainly sent Mary Jane and me there—no doubt about that. We are just praying and trying to read the brochures we got there and watch the dvd’s we got from the tables. Is there a common e-mail announcement kind of thing that tells what is happening through each of the ministries reaching out to Muslims?” [As a result of his their experience with God at Legacy, Mike and his wife have resigned from their roles in pastoral ministry and now serve with Nations Light.”