By Randal Dick
Superintendent of missions
In past months I have brought you news of our newer churches in Africa. This month I highlight some countries in Africa where we have had established congregations of faithful brethren for many years.
As you read the excerpted report below from James Henderson, superintendent of African mission, I ask you to appreciate the degree to which God has brought transformation to the churches in these countries.
In addition to facing the same trials regarding doctrine as the rest of the church, these countries were highly dependent on foreign subsidy to exist.
Growth had stagnated because additional subsidy was not available to hire additional ministers. Then, they were told that their subsidy would have to be drastically curtailed.
Most full-time ministers in these countries were released from the church's employ, and were faced with trying to seek a living some other way. Our gratitude and appreciation goes out to these men, most of whom continue to serve as elders to the degree they are able.
An intense time of seeking and training emerging leaders began. Now, just three years later, the churches are stable and growing again. The churches are pastored by councils of elders, usually three in number, who in turn report to an area pastor. Today, we find healthy churches, and new congregations are beginning to spring up across the landscape.
We have much to rejoice and be thankful for. We also have much to pray about. So we can all pray with the brethren there, I am including, at the end of James' report, a list of prayer needs submitted by the brethren in Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Uganda and Kenya.
Below are updates from the various countries.
The first round of 1997 leadership conferences in Ghana took place in Accra Feb. 1 and 2. Around 30 leaders from all over Ghana attended. The Ghanaian conference forms the basic framework for the conferences throughout Africa in the first half of 1997.
One problem facing most churches in Africa is the renting of church halls and the pressure this puts on central and local funds. As we experience growth, this pressure increases.
We are trying to encourage congregations to come up with local solutions to this problem without using central funds or precious reserves.
The Kumasi church has begun its own building project, which involves local fund-raising and pledges.
Gabriel Ojih, area pastor for Ghana, reports: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step" is a proverb that Kumasi brethren are putting into practical effect.
For about two years, the Kumasi brethren have realized a need for their own meeting place. The school hall they have used for free may not be available in the future.
The building project has served as a rallying point for the Kumasi brethren, fostering a sense of belonging, involvement and a desire to accomplish goals. The Accra members have taken a cue from their brothers and sisters in Kumasi and have begun planning their own building project.
Many other WCG congregations throughout Africa are working on local church buildings. The basic approach being used is that central funds, obtained from tithes and offerings, are mainly for evangelical and national pastoring needs, while local funds for church buildings are generated through fund-raising projects.
The first Nigerian leadership conference of 1997 took place in Lagos Feb. 7 and 8 with about 30 in attendance.
Communication with Nigeria continues to be a problem as we have no church telephone link, and the postal service is not always reliable.
The Lagos congregation continues to reap the harvest of its December campaign. As a result a new congregation of 45 has begun in another part of Lagos. It is the Agege congregation and meets each Sabbath.
Also, baptisms since December have now topped 30. Several of those baptized are second-generation WCG members who decided to commit themselves to Christ in the wake of the campaign.
Brenda Ukpebor, in her early 20s, who grew up in the church, was baptized Feb. 8.
Before the doctrinal changes she thought baptism meant committing to a life of change on your own with some help from God, but now she realizes that baptism is a symbol of a relationship with Christ who will help us to grow in his grace.
This is what Brenda said after her baptism: "Getting baptized in the past has always been a case of being independent. That is, living on your own, knowing what life entails and what we are supposed to do.
"But now we've come to realize that it is a question of knowing Christ, counting the cost and believing in him. I now realize that without Christ my existence is worthless --as if I had never been born."
Last year Eke Udeagha, area pastor, reported on the beginning of the Aba congregation as a result of efforts in congregational evangelism.
The group of about 50 people meets regularly, and they planned another evangelistic rally Feb. 22 and 23 supported by the local church without direct aid from the Lagos office.
Some have asked about the drought in Kenya and whether members are affected.
Although some members live in the drought area, there is no news of immediate danger to anyone associated with our fellowship.
However, many others are suffering from famine in these drought conditions, and God loves them all, and your prayers for them are much appreciated.
John Amadala of the Kitale group has been in touch with a new group of about 60 people. Since that time another group of about 60 has also been in touch with him.
This means that in the space of two months John finds himself going from helping one small group of 15 in Kitale to helping three groups of about 135 people.
In addition he helps serve other small groups in western Kenya toward Lake Victoria. The first leadership conference he attended was in December, and since then things have really taken off.
The emergence of small groups in 1996 has been a growth phenomenon for the WCG in Kenya. In December 1995 the best weekly total attendance for Kenya was 320, taken from the two main congregations (Nairobi and Kibirichia) and three small groups.
In December 1996 the best weekly total attendance was 520, which takes into account some people who returned from other fellowships and those who began to associate or attend with us throughout the year.
This figure of 520 does not take into account the two groups in Kitale that have contacted John Amadala--another possible 120. The number of small groups or congregations in Kenya is now 16. How to pastor these scattered groups is one of the main discussions at the East African leadership conferences.
There are so many things to pray about, not just concerning the WCG in Africa, but worldwide. For Africa specifically please remember the following:
1. The launch of the South African magazine.
2. The launch of the African edition of The Worldwide News, which will fea- ture news from the African areas.
3. The various Nigerian campaigns scheduled for the next few months.
4. The drought in East Africa.
5. The plight of Christians in Zaire and Rwanda.
6. John Amadala and the new groups in Kitale in Kenya--that John will have the wisdom to know what to do next.
7. For the success of the national conferences planned for 1997.
8. For one of our local church elders who is in prison somewhere in Africa. For various reasons we cannot disclose his identity or publish the details--it is too sensitive a matter.
9. For Atsu Dravie as he begins his service as lay pastor for Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso.
Thank you for noting these prayer requests.
March 18, 1997, WN, page 7
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