Regional pastor reports on churches in East and West Africa
By James Henderson
NAIROBI, Kenya--I have just returned from an extensive trip throughout East and West Africa.
The warmth of the African welcome always touches me, and the brethren there have a remarkable loyalty to the church.
Wherever I went people asked about their brothers and sisters outside of Africa, and indicated their prayerful support of Mr. Tkach and headquarters.
For the most part they have not been unsettled by our doctrinal refocusing, and they are excited by the prospect of future church growth.
Many ask, "What can I do to help the members in Africa?" Usually the thought concerns sending money or aid. Obviously there is a need for physical assistance, but above all, the Africans stand in need of prayer. They need their fellow Christians to pray for and with them.
Here are three areas in which you can offer intercessory prayer:
When I first visited the Tororo church in eastern Uganda I was asked to report to the local police station.
They wanted to interview me before the group met to make sure I was not going to cause civil strife or speak anything of a seditious nature.
Nowadays in Uganda, thanks to enlightened government, the situation is more relaxed, and the authorities are not as suspicious of small groups meeting together.
Africans know how the political climate can change overnight. It can turn quickly from liberty to oppression.
Many African countries are transitional democracies, and are facing their first multiparty elections within the next couple of years. This can cause tension, fear and unrest within the major cities and states.
Your African brethren need your prayers for political stability that they may continue to meet in peace and safety, and be able to actively proclaim the gospel of Jesus without hindrance.
With stability comes a degree of economic prosperity. So many live in poverty, facing the daily challenges of how to feed themselves and their families.
You only need to think of Rwanda to realize that tribalism is still a major force in Africa. I have attended intertribal weddings where the relatives of one of the spouses refused to attend because of tribal barriers.
Christians live with such tensions, and they seek guidance on how to cope with them.
In addition, many Christian groups in Africa oppose one another in the name of Christ. The Worldwide Church of God, just as other groups, has experienced schisms and accusations.
We need unity in the body of Christ in Africa, not fragmentations. Please pray that God through the working of his Holy Spirit would bless the churches with unity in Christ Jesus.
Africa desperately needs the comforting message of Jesus. The people need the hope of the gospel.
The Worldwide Church of God, having abandoned doctrinal errors and yet retaining the strengths of commitment and dedication to the Bible, is in an ideal position, through Christ and the leadership of the Holy Spirit, to have a major impact on African traditional religion and on nominal Christianity.
Yet our churches remain small with few funds. They need the strength to recognize and to go through open doors for the gospel.
Pray for Christian growth in Africa, and that the Worldwide Church of God can have a major role in that growth.
I know that church members worldwide have so much to pray about, and life is not easy wherever you live. Praying for Christians in different countries and cultures broadens our minds and unifies the body of Christ. So, please, amid your busy routines, spare a prayer for Africa.
James Henderson is regional pastor for East and West Africa.
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