In a bid to foster the Great Commission in which Jesus Christ commands Christians to take the gospel to every person throughout the world and to make disciples in all nations, Judah 1, an aviation ministry based in the United States is planning to unveil a new airline for missionaries next year.
Speaking to CBN News this week, Judah 1 founder and president, Everett Aaron said that he hopes that 2021 will be the year Judah 1 goes from a private, non-profit organization to the world’s first Christian airline, transporting large teams of missionaries and their cargo across the globe.
“We give wings to missionaries. The Great Commission tells us we go to all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” said Mr Everett Aaron.
This development has received plenty of praise as many Christian organisations see the initiative as one that will unite churches, organizations and individuals around the cause of reaching every unreached people group on earth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Judah 1 has a hangar full of small planes and plans for a commercial fleet, according to CBN News.
“We’re able to get out into the mission field to take smaller teams, 12 to 10 member teams…taking them into the field. But in the future, once we get our certification, the 125 certification for the large plane, then we can carry the larger teams of up to 136 with our MP83 and 17,000 pounds of cargo and, of course, we can go anywhere with those,” Aaron said.
Aaron told CBN News Judah 1 started operations in 1994 after God spoke a calling over his life.
“I see hundreds of these airplanes lined up as far as you can see. They’re full of food, medical supplies, Bibles. Engines are running on them, I can see the crew in the cockpit, I can see the flight attendants inside the plane…I mean these planes are ready to go and I get super excited because I knew in my spirit, these planes are missionary aircraft and they’re taking supplies into the mission field,” Aaron said.
He saw missionary teams lined up outside the planes but no one would board. Aaron says he could feel a grieving of the Holy Spirit, so he asked God why no one was moving.
“And the Lord spoke and he said, ‘None of these people,’ and when he said ‘None of these people,’ it wasn’t just the missionaries, I saw the pilots on the planes, the flight attendants, the mechanics that maintain the planes, everybody that’s associated with doing this stuff. He said, ‘None of these people can do what they’re called to do until you get the airplanes. This is my call on your life,'” Aaron recounted.
Earlier speaking to the Christian post, Aaron said the airline will charge no luggage fee.
“About 50 percent of missionaries lose their cargo when it travels via container and that’s one of the problems we have. I know some of the trips we have been on ourselves with other missionary groups traveling, they ship their stuff via container and medical supplies and stuff either get tied up in customs, food spoils, some things it just gets lost,” he said.
Sometimes, according to Aaron, missionary cargo like Bibles have been known to get stolen as well.
“Even the Bibles. I found out Bibles are one of the largest black market items in the world. People steal Bibles and sell them,” he said.
He explained that the ministry’s MD 80 aircraft carries about 2,000 pounds of cargo and several Boeing 767s they plan to introduce once they are approved will carry 30,000 tons of cargo.
The aviation ministry’s motto is: “Your hands, God’s love, our wings.”
