Regional Snapshot 
  from James and Shirley Henderson, Africa

African churches
are gateways to mission

By James Henderson

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa —Warm heartfelt greetings to all of you from your brethren in Africa, where the fellowship of the Worldwide Church of God is making an impact congregationally and in the various nations.

In his remarkable book, No Future Without Forgiveness, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa wrote: "God wants to show that there is life after conflict and repression—that because of forgiveness, there is a future."

So many of our African members are living this idea—God has given them life after conflict. But for others God grants them hope in the midst of prevailing struggles and injustice. They walk in continual expectancy of God’s presence and comfort.

Because they live wholeheartedly in their communities, sharing in and feeling the pain of others around them, crying when they cry, laughing when they laugh, our members are able to reflect the image of Jesus wherever they live—the Jesus who came and dwelt among us and experienced the ups and downs of life.

They are able to reach out in empathetic, meaningful ways. And as they come together to worship they create churches that are oases of hope in their often spiritually barren localities, like sanctuaries where people can find rest from their broken worlds.

Our African churches are gateways to mission.

Each of our local and national churches has possibilities beyond its doorstep. Church is not just about feeding ourselves spiritually, about an exclusive club for people of like disposition.

Good pastoring is not just directed to the members of a congregation, it is a broader idea, involving the representative ministry and the congregational members as they join to offer salvation to people caught up in society’s hopelessness. Jesus felt emotionally for the people around him—with compassion he called them sheep without a shepherd.

Sometimes Christian corporations spend vast amounts of money on market analysis to try to find the best ways to reach the non-evangelized. A simple fact that is sometimes overlooked is that when Christians assemble they come from the surrounding environment. Our members live in the local areas and they, as they try to live Jesus 24/7, are often the most informed people when it comes to understanding the immediate culture. With Jesus shining through them they have the means to take the gospel into the home, the workplace and the marketplace.

With that thought in mind we regard our members as the most precious commodity that God has placed in our collective care. Treasures more important than buildings, projects, finances, even more important than doctrine. They need to be nurtured, cared for, included, pampered at times. Therefore effective ministerial care of our members is a high priority in Africa. Mission opportunities can evolve from good pastoral work. There is a correlation between pastoral care and mission.

In order to equip our men and women for ministry, regular national conferences are conducted throughout the continent. These are sometimes open to Christian leaders from other denominations. In addition, regional seminars and retreats are offered. Funding for these is at times difficult. Nevertheless God usually finds a way "exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us" (Ephesians 3:20).

We appreciate the care in action shown by so many people in responding to needs such as the Kenyan refugee situation and also the threatened food shortage in Malawi. Thank you for the continued prayers for and support of the African members who face political suppression and physical hardships.

I know that many have been praying for improved communications in this vast continent, and I am delighted to inform you that now all major leaders and countries are in weekly or monthly e-mail contact. Such communication has not existed for us before, and it opens up new possibilities for all involved. We are now in e-mail contact with churches, groups and members from the following countries: South Africa, Mauritius, Seychelles, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Botswana, Lesotho, Angola, Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Niger, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Liberia.

Please continue to pray for our new mission areas. New groups and contacts exist in a number of places, and future Worldwide News articles will highlight some of these.

Your brothers and sisters in Africa pray for you, and value highly being part of our worldwide fellowship.

MISSION FIELD—Africa needs
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
[Photos by James Henderson]

CAMEROON CONFERENCE—Leaders meet in Cameroon in June.

ORDINATIONS—Members ordained
in Johannesburg, South Africa, June 15.

MAURITIUS—Mauritian congregation in April.

PRAYER GROUP—Members of
prayer group in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 2002