God is using WILD to strengthen the Church in Africa. Missionary Dana Belton gave me a series of articles by African authors on the state of spiritual leadership in Africa. Some of these articles dated back over 40 years. They could have been written in 2007. By God’s grace, WILD is hitting the nail on the head and working at fulfilling the need stated even 40 years ago.
This is a grassroots effort to encourage, equip and empower pastors and other key leaders to understand what spiritual leadership is and then help develop them. For too long the African Church has not considered equipping and empowering the whole Body of Christ due perhaps to a poor understanding of the function of the Body and the pastoral role, but also training too few pastors. There are shortages of pastors all across Africa and this problem will not be solved any time soon.
One key to alleviate this shortage is to train pastors and other leaders to multiply disciples. When Steve, Chuck, Marty and I spent the first week with two elders, 13 pastors, two regional bishops and the head bishop of the Evangelical Church in Zambia, we knew we had a special group to work with. What came out of this week is a number of trainers who can quickly take the material and concepts to locations within their congregations and to other Zambian locales and surrounding parts of Africa.
Something that became very evident this trip is to offer discipleship tools to keep spiritually feeding those we train through a vital link such as the internet. This last January, I began emailing a monthly leadership lesson to about 20 leaders in Africa, Nepal and America. I found out that this is a very valuable resource to our Christian brothers and sisters where they have little or no opportunity to gather resources. In fact one leader receives the monthly email and promptly sends it out to 120 pastors, elders and other leaders in his area!
Another application from this trip is to expand the email. Leadership quotes, illustrations, a youth leader’s section along with the leadership lesson and prayer requests will be featured. The email will be such that leaders will be able to build a file of material and tools that will help them in their ministries. If you would like to receive the email, let me know.
In most seminar scenarios, attenders are given the information (which is generally not reproducible) and the presenter leaves. One pastor told us the importance of this training is that relationships are built between all of us. WILD endeavors to stay in contact with all who are involved and relationships are more important than information given. Hopefully, they see it lived out in us when we travel there. The fact that we consistently visit drives home where relationship building fits in WILD’s values.
At the end of the first week, Chuck and Marty went north four hours to Ndola where they taught in a local church during the second week. One of the pastors in whose church we taught two years ago, assisted Chuck and Marty as a fellow trainer and tour guide. They had an excellent week, working with pastors and leaders from a number of churches and denominations. Just as during the first week where we ate all meals together, Chuck and Marty ate the noon meal with the attenders. These meals featured Zambian tradition. The two were full of stories when we came back together!
When Chuck and Marty went north, Steve, Henry Mukonda (who was in the States with us in March) and I went to Zimbabwe. I had been there 16 years earlier during a time when Zimbabwe fed a good share of Africa. Today that is not the case. Due to the ruling party, there are shortages of food and fuel and consistent electrical blackouts. Most of the white Zimbabwean farmers (4000 or so) have been removed from their lands with only 300-400 remaining. The land was given to local people who basically grow crops for themselves and were not instructed on how to farm using equipment or resources such as irrigation systems. We had great housing and plenty of food thanks to our wonderful hosts Dave and Sue Rousseau and their planning ahead.
We found open doors! For two days
Henry, Steve and I taught at the Theological College where Dave is right now in charge. Both students and pastors from throughout the capital city of Harare came, about two dozen total. This was actually the first place we could use multimedia as part of our presentation. One pastor took the three of us to a classroom where he teaches 15 adult students the Bible. The three of us shared for an hour and half on leadership (crash course). Pastor Chris has a gentle, compassionate heart desiring to see his country won for Christ. This meeting was next to the Russian embassy and across from the US embassy.On Wednesday of that week, Dave took us about an hour from Harare and we taught about 45 pastors, wives and other leaders. He had sent out invitations to different areas of Zimbabwe, letting them know what was available. The biggest suggestion from both locations was, “We want more of this teaching”.
During the teaching the Zimbabweans liked Steve and me, but they loved Henry! He related so well with them. This concept of cross border trainers is one of the steps in the vision of spiritual leadership development. Henry proved this works well. The goal is to get him back to Zimbabwe especially to the area we were at and let him teach more this Fall. He would take a partner along to also do some of the training. It is fun to experience how this whole plan is expanding. We were scheduled to teach on Friday but that was cancelled since attenders could not travel due to a shortage of fuel.
God had another task for us. Steve, Dave and I traveled to the city where we were supposed to teach at and picked up a deceased father-in-law of one of the workers for the mission of which Dave and Sue are a part. Taking some family members along to complete the paperwork and purchase a wooden coffin for the body, we set out in a mid-size pickup truck. Steve is slightly smaller than me and Dave is taller, so we had close fellowship all day! It was on this trip that we saw fields lying bare and equipment rusting that years before farmers were using to produce bumper crops.
Steve got a special blessing in the process. He happened to be the first one out the bathroom so the relative asked him to help. Thinking that it would be to carry the coffin out, Steve followed. Well he did get to carry the coffin out but also got to put the body into the coffin. The body was wrapped but there is no embalming. Thankfully, the body had been placed in the cooler for several days. We traveled to a village which if we had gotten lost, you still would not have found us. The village was primarily huts with thatched roofs. We were able to experience part of an African funeral with all its singing and wailing. It was very interesting.
After reuniting with Chuck and Marty, we bussed six hours to Livingstone to experience Victoria Falls with a lot of water (we had to wear rain coats in order to keep somewhat dry) and a one day safari at Chobe National Park in Botswana where we went two years ago. The water portion of the safari was good and we saw many crocodiles, hippos and water buffalo in or near the water. In the afternoon we experienced the best land safari I have ever had. Up close and personal, pods of elephants galore (that means one elephant must be an i-pod!!!), multiple groupings of giraffe, impala, sukos, and within about ten feet of two lionesses and half dozen cubs. Wow!!! What a great viewing of animals without any cages between us.
It is their winter time so the weather was excellent. It did not get warmer than 80 and temperatures were around 40 at night. Talk about great sleeping weather. I had to wear a jacket or sweater most days, especially in Zimbabwe.
Do we make a difference when we do these trainings? According to the responses of the
attenders and what they do after we are gone, most definitely yes. One of the pastors Marty has corresponded with since returning home has started discipling a number of leaders. People continue to tell us the leadership material is vital, the teaching is simple to understand and necessary for the development of the Church in Africa. Pastors and ministry people are understanding the Biblical way to develop and train leaders. Essentially it is grassroots teaching that can be given to any Christian who wants to develop as disciple of Jesus. To change Africa, it must come from the grassroots.
On a previous trip, Steve and his partner were teaching about the Body of Christ and using a puzzle to illustrate the necessity of all the parts working and fitting together. The people were having a difficult time putting the puzzle together so the young son of the pastor put the puzzle together for the people. I found out this prompted the boy to recognize his need to become a Christian and become part of the Church.
A Zambian pastor who travels extensively told Steve and I the window for western Christians to do ministry in Africa will probably eventually close. We do feel like Esther in the Book of Esther – “for such a time as this”. The African nations are working towards have a United States of Africa. It is rumored that Libyan President Kadafi has a key role and the Muslims are also pushing for this.
We did meet up with a man doing leadership training twice, at two different airports. Could that be a coincidence? Stay tuned to see where these crossing paths lead.
One of the goals of the Zambian leaders is to have four regional conferences next summer. This would allow more people to attend due to closer proximity. Where to hold these conferences is an issue along with funding.
Lots of great things happened and are happening. The adventure is getting more thrilling each time.
