In the 1990’s I traveled up into N.E. Kwa-Zulu Natal (pre-apartheid years) and taught pastors on leadership. There I met an incredible pastor by the name of Ps. Ezrom Mbonambi. We traveled and preached far and wide and even into Swaziland and Mozambique. Over the years we communicated by letter and then by e-mail and we have not seen each other for many years. We were so delighted to meet up again and through Ezrom’s reputation and influence this trip was a dream come true. The weeks plan was to awaken the evangelist and churches to evangelize again. We planned to work with all churches regardless of differences of denomination. The most important objective was to win souls and they loved it.
The vision came from Luke 5:1-8 the lowering of the nets in daylight to catch fish. We encouraged the leaders not to get exhausted doing their ministry – like fishing and catching nothing and staying busy on land, tying up knots of doctrinal differences in the gospel net. Allow, Jesus into their boat (church) and go out a little way, allow the boat to do what it is built for – to catch fish, to go fishing at the obvious wrong time of day, and get away from herd mentality. The disciples were exhausted from catching nothing, nevertheless they did what Jesus said, “I will do as you say and let down the nets” and they caught a big haul of fish. They called for ‘partners’ other boats (churches) to come and help and they did. The boats were all filled – churches filled to capacity. We encouraged them to work together in reaching the lost; to work with ‘nets-that-work’ and not ‘networks’ that get knotted over trivial things that prevent them doing what should be done.
So outline what we did and what happened:
Situation: Evangelists to be trained in churches.
Mission: for this purpose was the church: to make disciples by winning the lost.
Execution: To go and teach, train, impart and demonstrate evangelism by equipping, empower evangelists in the churches in an area and do crusades with them.
Administration: A team 20 from 4 different churches in South Africa went and effectively experienced this: 5 areas were selected over the vast Makatini Flats, area where pastors and evangelists came to specific geographic venues on different days to be equipped and trained. Over 50 leaders gathered in some areas. A whole afternoon each day was devoted to impart true biblical truth on the Apostolic Evangelist and how local churches and evangelists can “turn a world upside down”.by working together as in Acts. Two crusades in two different venues were done each night (4 nights). The team of 20 split up when necessary to cover the events. Denominational leaders came from the AFM, DRC, Assemblies of God, Zionist churches and our NCMI churches. Also in the mornings training to the 20 strong team was given when we could.
Communication: Ps. Caroline Pitout, who co-ordinated this trip and who is with the AFM church and Judea Harvest was able to give: Bibles, books and teaching tools to the leaders in each venue. Details were documented for donors to know these gifts were accurately dispensed.
The response from the pastors was amazing and requests have come in for more of this.
Next week we adventure into Namibia with GTN – God Touching the Nation doing the same into different cities from Windhoek to Oshakati.
Should you want this to happen in your area – use the contact details on this website.
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