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<P><B><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">From:</FONT></B> <FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">owner-meeting@kent.net on behalf of Jones, Rob (SF02)[SMTP:ROB.JONES@HONEYWELL.COM]
<BR></FONT><B><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Sent:</FONT></B> <FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Thursday, December 09, 2004 10:35:59 AM
<BR></FONT><B><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">To:</FONT></B> <FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">meeting@kent.net
<BR></FONT><B><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Subject:</FONT></B> <FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">meeting: POST - CONFERENCE PRESS RELEASE
<BR></FONT><B><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Auto forwarded by a Rule</FONT></B></P>
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<P class=MsoTitle style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><STRONG>Pan African
Brethren Conference on Missions<o:p></o:p></STRONG></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoTitle style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><STRONG>8<SUP>th</SUP> to
12<SUP>th</SUP> November 2004 - Good News Convention Centre, Johannesburg,
South Africa<o:p></o:p></STRONG></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoTitle style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoTitle style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><STRONG>POST - CONFERENCE
PRESS RELEASE<o:p></o:p></STRONG></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoTitle style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoTitle style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">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.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">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<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">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.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">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.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P><SPAN
lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">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<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>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.</SPAN></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>