[Meeting] meeting: POST - CONFERENCE PRESS RELEASE

[Jones, Rob (SF02)]

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> Sent: 	Thursday, December 09, 2004 10:35:59 AM
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> Subject: 	meeting:  POST - CONFERENCE PRESS RELEASE
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Pan African Brethren Conference on Missions

8th to 12th November 2004 - Good News Convention Centre, Johannesburg,
South Africa

 

POST - CONFERENCE PRESS RELEASE

 

 

We would like to give thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ for His help and
blessing that we experienced during the recently held conference for
Brethren churches on Missions in Africa. It was a time of rich
fellowship, with new relationships formed between workers in various
countries. It was a time of learning, as we heard reports of the work in
each others countries. It was a time of being envisioned as we saw ways
forward in different aspects of God's work in Africa. Most of all we
left with a sense that this is a very exciting stage in the development
of Brethren assembly work in this continent. A watershed, as we move
from the time when Africa was a major recipient of missionaries, to the
present age where Africa becomes a source of missionaries to reach the
continent and the world for Christ.

 

There were 103 delegates coming from 18 countries, with a further 20
believers coming in some days from the Johannesburg area. Countries
represented were Angola, Congo DR, Chad, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia,
Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Burundi, Madagascar, South Africa,
Zimbabwe, UK, Canada, USA and New Zealand. 81 delegates were nationals
from throughout Africa, 13 were expatriate  missionaries who are or have
worked in Africa, 9 from world-wide Service groups or individuals with a
commitment to the Brethren work in Africa. In total we represented a
variety of ministries such as elders of local churches, church planters,
leaders in Bible schools/colleges, medical missions work, school
education ministries, youth work, HIV/AIDS interventions, orphan care
work and literature printing and distribution. 

 

Each day was based on a theme, opened up by a main speaker and followed
by discussion and workshops which applied the theme to various
situations and problems facing the work. Gaining a world perspective on
missions (Dr Ian Burness) set our minds on the issue of the role the
church in Africa is playing in spreading the Gospel message and how in
future this will include the sending of missionaries from Africa to
other continents. The second day was spent around the matter of unity
and diversity in the Body of Christ (led by Dr P Coates), in which we
saw the need for greater respect and tolerance of one another for the
sake of Christ Jesus. Then the thorny issue of contextualising the
Gospel message in Africa's varied cultures was tackled (led by Felix
Muchimba). Helpful workshops explored the challenge of appropriate
styles of worship, handling traditional healing and witchcraft and how
to handle rites of passage (birth, adolescence, marriage and death) from
a Biblical perspective. Thursday saw us facing up to the critical need
for integrity in handling resources, opened up by Martin Solomon. We
examined practical ways in which as church we can set the standard for
dealing with finance in the face of corruption that so infects public
life throughout the world. Finally we looked head on into Africa's
current greatest threat, that of HIV/AIDS. In the wider context of the
responsibility of the church to be at the forefront of community care
work (key talk led by Peter Andrews), we examined the advantages and
dangers of being involved in social care ministries. Helpful workshops
also looked at the future of medical missionary work and the role of
education and schools work in missions.

 

There were really too many issues touched upon to cover here. Also time
at the conference prevented extended in depth study of problems raised.
For these reason and to spread the usefulness of the conference, a book
will be published shortly. This will give a detailed account of each
paper presented, each message given and the discussions and findings
from the workshops. We encourage you all to purchase this book and see
for yourself the value of meeting for times of fellowship and mutual
learning, and why this conference was a blessing to all of us who
attended.

 

Perhaps the over riding thought on our hearts as we left was that this
was a singularly strategic and beneficial time for the work of the Lord
through the Brethren movement in Africa. Our prayer is that it has been
a watershed point in terms of seeing clearly what has been going on for
some years. We must recognise that in many countries the  Brethren
assemblies have come of age and national leadership has been effective
in taking up its responsibilities. Now is the time for effective
cooperation and participation together between the believers in Africa
and overseas brothers and sisters, so that together the rich
people-potential of the church in Africa can be fully utilised for the
work Christ throughout the continent and world wide. In all of this we
pray that the Lord has been and will be glorified through our meeting
together.

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