God Is At Work In Africa
| Written by Gideon Para-Mallam |
| Saturday, 03 October 2009 09:12 |
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The Church in Africa has been experiencing tremendous growth over the last 3-4 decades. We have seen an unprecedented commitment to personal evangelism by students on the campuses and Church members who are taking the challenge seriously, to share their faith in love. Today Churches from Lagos, Nigeria to Accra, Ghana, Nairobi, Kenya to Kampala, Uganda, from Addis Abba, Ethiopia to Abuja, Nigeria, from Lusaka, Zambia to Kumasi, Ghana, from Bujumbura in Burundi to Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, from Jos, Nigeria to Cape Town, South Africa, people are turning to Christ and churches are filled to the brim. Africa hosting the world to me represents a recognition and celebration of what God has done, is doing and will continue to do on the African Continent. This has implications for world evangelization. An aspect of what God is doing which thrills me most is that the Church in Africa has a missionary vision. This is what The Lausanne Movement and the spirit of Lausanne is all about. The world does not know much about the great things coming out of the African Continent, or of how the Church has been a social vanguard of so many good things taking place in Africa today. The popular media is more interested in the many “woes” coming out of Africa. Most times it seems to me that the old journalism adage which says, “Where it bleeds, it leads,” is even truer in world news coverage of Africa than of any other continent. Lausanne III: Cape Town 2010 will show the world a different Africa where God is at work in a redemptive and transformative way. For me, playing a small part in all this as the Lausanne International Deputy Director (IDD) is both humbling and exciting. In my visits to several African countries, I see a Church genuinely interested in contributing to the spread of the gospel now more than ever before. I see a Church in Africa very eager to take on the world with the message of the Cross. The principled stand of the leaders of the Anglican Communion (Episcopal Church) in Africa regarding same-sex marriage is a pointer to the uncompromising commitment of the Church in Africa to living biblically. As I travel around to mobilize Africa to host the world, I see a willingness and commitment to make the most of the moment. That The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization is being hosted by Africa is seen as a Kairos moment – an opportunity to make the Church more relevant in society. In fact, with South Africa hosting the greatest world soccer fiesta (the FIFA world cup) in June and the Church also hosting the world in Cape Town 2010 in October, the hope is that Africa can show case a healthy balance between the secular and the sacred in the spirit of promoting peace and reconciliation in a much troubled world of today. More thoughts next time. Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam of Nigeria serves as the Lausanne International Deputy Director for English, Spanish and Portuguese-speaking Africa. Gideon is also the Regional Secretary for the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students in English and Portuguese Speaking Africa (IFES-EPSA). |
My
heart leaped with deep sense of joy and encouragement, when in February 2007,
during a meeting with 65 Church and mission leaders in Abuja, Nigeria, Rev.
Doug Birdsall (Executive Chairman of The Lausanne Movement) confirmed that
Africa would be the host Continent for 
Comments
I am looking forward to experience Africa actively engaging in the Lausanne Issues in the next year and beyond.
I really hope that the contributions by people in Africa can also mould the thinking and discussions that will in the end impact communities.
What do you think will be the biggest contribution the people of Africa can make to the present thrust of the movement?
Kind regards, looking forward to your next thoughts,
Rudolf
Jonathan
Thank you for all your work as an International Deputy Director. I share share hope that Cape Town 2010 will be used by God to amplifiy the great works his Spirit is doing throughout Africa. I'm excited to learn from my African brothers and sisters.
Blessings,
Lindsay O
It so nice to know that over the years you have kept the fire burning. Africa hosting the evangelical world is indeed the doing of the world. We look forward to experiencing an out pouring of the spirit of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. We look forward to a new surge of evangelistic drive that will usher in the return of the King.
God bless
This was an inspiring and encouraging thought line,we are actually exited to identify with you and this development in africa.I trust that a new dimension of God visitation will come upon africa and the global church. I believe the African Church will be willing to share with the global church her spriritual experience in terms of the different negative challenges she has faced over the past decades as we would collectively anticipate another outpouring of Gods grace upon the church and her servant leaders to accomplish the remaining task of world evangelisation and overcome the crisis of undiscipled leadership
Gods blessings
I was excited reading your article about Capetown 2010. Honestly, it is a thing of joy for Africa to host the whole global church next year in South Africa. I believe there is a lot the whole world would learn from Africa ranging from our commitment and passion to kingdom service, the excitement and the energy in our worship of the Lord and our relational culture which is wonderful for fellowship ,teamwork and oneness.It is not always about bad ,bad, bad ;when it comes to Africa. The media are not reporting a lot of great things happening here. And in fact , Africa is going to play a great role in world evangelisation.Of course ,the world is seeing that already.We cannot wait to host the whole world. I am sure my South Africa brothers & sisiters agree with me.
Africa been spiritually weak and insensitive is only in the imagination of few. That the global church is coming to Africa shows how enlightened spiritually the countinent is. I have no doubt that this is just a process, God's doing to launch a new order in the world and it will be through Africa and in Africa that it will start. In deed Africans are in God's plan. We need pass this message down to every corner of the continent, informing the chruch in Africa that the Sun of Righteausness has rising upon her. It is time also to look up and receive what He is streching out to this earth in the coming event. God has a plan. This is our visitation. Shall we prepare to meet with Him? PS. Even those not in South African for the programme shall also receive divine visitations. Let us keep praying and believing.
This is to show that God rules over the affairs of men, even though man may see it as a coincidence but God has planned it for such a time and year as this.
May the Lord do what He has planned to do in Africa... Oh Lord awake us as a Continent to do your will especially in this season that all attention of the World points to Africa. May we not waste this opportunity but maximize it in Jesus name!