Regional Conference in Africa Results in Proclamations and Miracles
The first of three African regional conferences was recently held in Lusaka, Zambia.
Reporting from the conference, liaison for Prayer Ministries of the Church of God Doug Small said Peter Thomas, field director for the Church of God in Africa, challenged the African leaders to be self-sustaining in five years, to own the goal of becoming a missionary sending agency – no longer dependent.
“We can do this!” Thomas declared with a mix of conviction and enthusiasm. Pouring his heart out to delegates from eleven nations in south-central Africa, he pointed out the challenge of Islam, the huge French-speaking sector of the continent, the number of unreached people groups. “They are our responsibility,” he urged.
Charles Karangwa, regional superintendent for the Church of God, moderated the conference. In a unique show of continental solidarity, all three superintendents attended. Additional speakers for the conference included Asbury Sellers; Paul Stockard, chaplaincy coordinator; Africa Christian Education Director Jurgen Rudolph; Waneda Brownlow, children’s ministry coordinator for Africa, and Doug Small. Videos providing windows on God’s work in the world were shared. The conference was also marked by seasons of fervent prayer.
The largest Church of God on the continent hosts some 1,500 worshippers each Sunday. Of the approximately 3,000 congregations, the average size is about 100 members. Small pointed out that the Global Day of Prayer was born in Africa, and in that movement that last year connected 200 million in prayer on a single day – is led by Africa.
As the conference ended – a notable miracle occurred. Peter Thomas greeted one of the groundskeepers asking, “How are you?” He did not respond. The caretaker informed Peter that he was both deaf and mute. Using sign language, and with help of the care taker, Peter related the message, “God bless you!” He returned to the session, and soon thereafter, the caretaker frantically called him out of the session, reporting that the deaf and mute man had been healed. When he first spoke, the wife of the caretaker ran – he had worked at the church for a year, and had never spoken. He was certifiably disabled. Before the conference he spoke fluently. Peter asked, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Charles Banda.” What followed was remarkable. Not only the gift of speech, but fluent and coherent speech.
Peter Thomas declared, “God was telling us that when we pray, he will hear, and that he will speak and answer.” Pastors from the event left with holy hearts charged.
