African Firewall Project Will be Major Focus of 2015
Building a “Firewall” in Africa is a partnership of Church of God World Missions, the Department of Youth and Discipleship, and Men and Women of Action. It begins in Senegal, moves eastward to Niger, across to Ethiopia, then turns southward through Kenya to Mozambique. The Firewall Project’s purpose is to build key ministry centers for training, and spearheading evangelistic and discipleship thrusts along this demarcation line. These areas are hostile to the Gospel.
Last month, 60 people gathered for the first Firewall Conference. It was held at the North Cleveland (Tenn.) Church of God. The project has seven target zones that have been identified for planting of new churches with each supported by sponsors and teams of trainers from the U.S. The “curriculum” for the trainer-teams will be challenging: for three years, two days each year of orientation in the U.S. and four days of teaching/coaching in Africa.
Objectives of the Firewall Project will be achieved by a systematic, rapid and saturating church planting effort, undergirded by sustained, indigenous, multiplication of churches and supervised discipleship training.
Adri Theron, of Wheels for God, recently participated in a ministry trip to Ethiopia and shared his testimony and thoughts about the potential impact of the Firewall Project:
“A minaret next door loomed above with metal lattice work, filling the window of the church. In the pulpit, the minister was preaching the Gospel, using the Heart of Man chart that proclaims Jesus to be the only way to God.
The vision is to plant multiple churches here, but the pastor cautioned against using the words “Islam” or “Muslim,” as the neighbors can hear. They must refer to “the bad teaching” instead. The ministry in Addis Ababa is challenging, but in spite of it, the church has a powerful sound system and everyone in the vicinity can hear the message that “Jesus is Lord!”
Sixty pastors gathered to be trained in church planting, as well as evangelism. Coming from every part of the country they were enthusiastic to learn how to be even more effective in their nation. Churches face the challenge of orthodoxy and tradition. Church buildings are important to the people as a symbol of the church, and the teaching focused on the biblical concept of what constitutes a church.
The church building was small in comparison to the mosque, lying in the shadow of the minaret. Often, the cry of Imam drowns out the voice of the pastor … few would suspect where the real power lies.
A fire has been lit—a fire that will set aflame a Firewall of faith of love and of grace … a fire that will burn until the mosque lies in the shadow of the Almighty!”
To learn more about the Africa Firewall project, visit www.africafirewall.com.
(Source: Church of God World Missions/Janet Price)
