The Mombasa West Mission in Kenya is the first one to be conducted in the year 2021. The mission is scheduled for 1st to 11th July. The mobilization of missioners and preservation facilitators took place in the month of May. The AEE Kenya team intends to host 300 visiting missioners in 9 zones. The rest of the missioners will come from within Mombasa. This month, there has been a series of continued mobilization and trainings.
The Kayonza Mission in Rwanda was scheduled for 20th – 27th June but following the Volcanic eruption in the neighboring DRC, the mission was postponed to 15th – 22nd August. Preparations for the same are ongoing. At least 127 homes are targeted to be trained to conduct Home Based Evangelism (HBE). Though this is an ongoing activity, 42 households were reached in May this year using HBE and 9 people accepted to follow Christ.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), preparations for the Mont-Amba Mission, which is set for 16th to 24th October, are ongoing. Mont-Amba is located South East Kinshasa in DRC. AE DRC Team conducted School of evangelism in the targeted location of the Matete, Ngaba, Kisenso and Lemba districts and a total of 276 participants from 99 local churches were trained. Currently, the team is mobilizing for prayer and funds for the mission. Earlier, 19 different local churches were equipped for further church members’ mobilization in the target area.
AEE Tanzania is set to have its mission between 22nd and 29th August in the capital city, Dar es Salaam. The team has been meeting the Pastors, equipping them through trainings towards the mission and conducting prayer for the 2021 Mission. Mobilization of evangelists and partners to participate in Dar Back-to-God Mission has as well been ongoing. In the month of May, a group of intercessors from different Churches gathered to purposely pray for the mission preparation and all programs at AEE-Tanzania.
In September, AE Uganda will have a mission in Jinja from 19th to 26th. The AE Team conducted a Vision Casting seminar for the mission where 52 leaders from Jinja City attended. This meeting brought together both the Anglican church leaders and Pentecostal church leaders in one house for the same purpose bridging the gap and dealing with misunderstandings that have always been there. Mobilization teams have been established and tasked to draft their strategies to aid achieving the mission targets. An overall steering committee with 18 members was constituted in May to help oversee the preparations. AE Uganda facilitated a training held in Entebbe for 120 evangelists by our partners in ministry who are planning a citywide mission in that city. The training was organized by the Joint Pastors Network in Entebbe city.
AE Southern Africa Region (AESAR) which is comprised of the Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe teams is set to hold a mission from 19th – 25th September in Zomba, Malawi. AE Malawi held three training sessions in Zomba ahead of the mission where 85 people were trained. The second phase of training the same group was set for the month of June. In April this year, task team leaders for the Zomba Leadership Mission were successfully appointed and a meeting with Church leaders in Zomba to review mission plans was held.
The AE Zambia team continues to go through the AE Manuals to adequately prepare for both the Kitwe and Lusaka mission scheduled for this year and next year respectively. The AE Zambia team visited Kitwe at the invitation of the Maranatha Pentecostal Assemblies of God church to help with the mobilization of the church for evangelism. Close to about 100 church members turned out for the evangelism outreach in Kalulushi.
In Ghana, the AE team is preparing to have a mission in Lome, Togo from the 15th to the 25th of October. An online meeting with the leaders in Togo was held earlier to aid preparations. The leaders were also able to meet the working committees in person. A HBE online training is scheduled for 30th June.
Preparation is ongoing for AE Ethiopia’s mission scheduled for 22nd – 26th December in Kotebe, North East of Addis Ababa. Last month, the AE team held a Home Based Evangelism training as part of the preparations steps for the mission.
Reminiscing on Billy Graham’s landmark crusade in apartheid South Africa
“The South African Congress on Mission and Evangelism in Durban in March 1973 was, I believe, a turning point both in our own ministry and for South Africa.” – Michael Cassidy
When AE invited Dr. Billy Graham as a guest speaker for the Mission Congress, there was a frenzy of interest from the South African public. The Congress was a landmark event in segregated South Africa, as Christian leaders of all races and denominations united in pursuit of true Gospel transformation.
On Saturday the 17th of March 1973, a large evangelistic rally was held at Durban’s Kings Park rugby stadium. A record audience of between 45,000 and 50,000 gathered that day. In a landmark moment for South Africa, a racially diverse, yet peaceful crowd had gathered publicly.
In his autobiography Footprints in the African Sand – My life & times*, Michael Cassidy reflects, “Here was South Africa as it should really be – a glorious kaleidoscope of racial beauty and diversity. In fact, never did the segregationist way seem more unnatural and grotesque than in those moments.” He goes on to describe the ripple effects that the rally had on the nation, “Newspaper banners screamed in hyperbole: ‘Apartheid Doomed’. Beyond that, multitudes in that stadium and around the country via the media caught a vision of what South Africa could become.”
Dr. Graham gave a simple Gospel message that day, followed by an invitation to accept Christ. More than 4,000 people surged forward. Counsellors struggled to provide follow-up booklets to all the new believers, many of whom were unable to get near the platform area.
Michael Cassidy describes the beautiful scene that followed:
“Blacks counselled Whites. Whites counselled Indians. Coloureds counselled Blacks. And so it went, for an hour or more, as the stadium slowly began to empty. This was South Africa. The Beloved Country. The country to weep for. And pray for. And work for. Here it was in an identity crisis, and trying to find itself. And here was the Spirit of Jesus on the job, proclaiming good news to the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and liberty to those who are oppressed… Of course, history would prove that we still had a long way to go. But a start had been made.”
In reflecting on that day at Kings Park, Prince Mntambo, an African pastor, said,
“Black alone looks dull. White or yellow alone look pale and empty – but black, brown, yellow and white look like beautiful flowers planted by God. That was the beauty of Kings Park with Dr. Billy.”
Please pray for our upcoming missions across Africa and for the Gospel to reach those that have never heard it before.
*Footprints in the African Sand – My life and times (by Michael Cassidy) is available for purchase from AE Australia. Contact:ae@aeint.org
Michael Cassidy shares his thoughts
What makes Africa relevant to those of us who live in Australia? We recently chatted to Michael Cassidy about the obvious question, “Why Africa?”, and here is what he had to say:
‘AE is called to serve Africa. Although evangelism is needed throughout the world, the calling of AE is a specific one, namely “To evangelise the cities of Africa through word and deed in partnership with the Church.” So it is for this cause that we call people to invest.
Sub-Saharan Africa is immensely responsive to the Gospel, making evangelism in Africa wonderfully worthwhile. A vast percentage of Africa’s population are ready to receive the seed of the Gospel, and in our missions, we see thousands upon thousands of people responding – unlike most other parts of the world. 20% of the world’s youth live in Africa, and Africa’s young people are particularly receptive to the Good News of Christ.
Africa is a continent of the future. While other countries may celebrate their history, Africa is pulsating with new life and constantly looking to new horizons.
What excites me about the African Church, is that it is very mission-minded. Africa is now sending missionaries to evangelise and plant churches in other parts of the world. Some of the biggest and most vital churches in cities like London or Brussels are African, and their influence on the spiritual life of those cities is considerable. So investing in the African Church is also investing in a new and marvellous mission movement. Incidentally, when I have travelled together with African colleagues on various ministry trips, I have noticed an increased level of interest and openness to the African voice, as opposed to that of a white Anglo-Saxon.
The old Christendom of the Northern hemisphere may have come and gone. However, a new Christendom, a culture where presuppositions are Christian, is being born in the Southern hemisphere, in Africa and Latin America. To pray and give towards the Lord’s work in Africa is a worthy cause. It is helping to shape and build a new Christendom which may well re-evangelise the old one.
I believe that the hour of the African Church has come.’
Listen to Michael Cassidy’s Christmas Message here.
African Evangelistic Enterprise Uganda (AEE-U) has been doing urban evangelism for more than 45 years.
This year’s Makindye mission which took place from 22 – 29 November 2020 was greatly affected by the global pandemic. In Uganda, severe lockdowns paralyzed every sector of the country, including limiting gatherings such as church congregations.
Where AE Uganda would normally receive funding and support from various churches, now churches themselves needed support to reopen after a long period of lockdown. This in turn forced a scale down on the mission field and reevaluation of the mission strategy. AE Uganda had various ideas but after meeting with police and the security agencies enforcing the COVID-19 restrictions, only door-to-door evangelism was approved.
The Makindye mission kicked off with prayer sessions held on Friday 20/11/20 at Gospel Messenger Church led by Bishop Mitchel Mukasa. It attracted over 90 Church leaders and evangelists who sang praises and prayed over Makindye Division.
As usual, trainings were carried out as a way of preparing for the proclamation and subsequently discipleship of new converts. From the 22nd to 28th November, many foot soldiers were moving in different places, homes, workplaces markets and many other places with the aim of sharing the Good news of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The mission ground was divided into four (4) Zones. The zonal evangelists were fully trained and prepared for the proclamation week. Each zone had on average 35 evangelists each day who were strong enough and courageous to go out there and share their faith and good news of Our Jesus Christ despite the continued growing numbers of COVID 19 patients in our country. This brought the total number to between 100 and 140 evangelists who took up this mantle with courage.
By the end of the mission, 7,041 people had been reached by the good news, out of which 1,378 made commitments to accepted Christ as their lord and savior and re-commitments to salvation.
On the 2nd of December a post mission meeting was held with coordinators from each zone to discuss effective follow up and how the churches and evangelists can continue to encourage those that made commitments. The meeting was ended with a plan in place for all new believers to receive regular phone calls, messages and encouragement from nearby churches and evangelists.
Testimony from the mission field – Nagudi Doreen
Nagudi’s had to drop out of school at a young age and started helping others with house chores in Kampala for an income. She often suffered from epileptic fits at work, this used to upset her employer tremendously and resulted in them casting her out of their house.
No one wanted to employ Nagudi because of her epileptic seizures and she had no other option but to start begging on the street. During one of her epileptic fits, a Pastor from a nearby church picked her up and took her back to church where he could pray for her.
Nagudi stayed at the church for over 3 months. With the Makindye mission preparation in full swing, many evangelists were stationed at the church getting ready for door to door evangelism. Nagudi desired to go out and spread the gospel but others were not so sure if she should do it because of her epileptic fits. On the second day of Mission, she approached Brian who was a coordinator for the region and requested to be part of the team.
Brian allowed her to take part and when she returned from the field she had a dream with a voice telling her to keep it up her healing would follow. She stepped out in faith, knowing that God had a plan and a calling for her life and with God she could overcome any obstacle in her way.
Meet Ben Sachie, the inspiring Team Leader of AE Ghana
Bernard Owusu Sachie, Team Leader of AE Ghana, has been serving at African Enterprise since 2004.
Born in 1965, Ben lived with his aunt and uncle, and did manual farm labour until the age of 10, when he was able to attend school for the first time. Ben recalls his first public Scripture reading in primary school, which was from Jeremiah chapter 1:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
After committing his life to Christ in high school, Ben felt called to Christian ministry. Describing himself as a “nervous person” who prefers “committing myself to do background work, rather than to be put forward”, Ben was encouraged by these words, also from Jeremiah chapter 1:
“Do not say, ‘I am too young’. You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you”.
And Ben has done just that.
After completing high school, Ben joined a fellowship that conducted rural evangelism and planted churches.
He then completed a Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree in Theology, and pastored a church for 12 years.
He has also served in multiple leadership roles, such as the Administrator for Ghana’s Bible Training Centre for Pastors, Secretary of Ghana’s Evangelism Committee and coordinator for several pastors’ conferences and evangelical crusades, including Ghana’s Franklin Graham Festival.
Ben feels privileged to have served AE since 2004, when he first coordinated an AE mission.
“Working for AE has been a blessing to me. I have seen a lot of lives transformed by the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ… I believe that our gracious Lord is always on the move to accomplish His plan of redemption. He really has better things for us, and yet only together with us would they be made perfect.”
Ben Sachie has chosen to partner with the God who continues to work out His perfect plan, through us. The God who knew him “before he was born”.
Ministry focus for AE Ghana:
- Vocational training through the Street Kids and Vulnerable women training programs in Kumasi and Accra.
- Togo mission outreach: 2020 follow up and 2020 outreach.
- Mission follow up in Accra
- Leadership training and ministry centre Accra
Click here for more on Ghana.
Featured Photo – Ben’s family:
Front: Vida (Ben’s wife), Agnes (granddaughter), Beatrice (granddaughter), Linda (Step-daughter and mum of Agnes & Beatrice)
Middle: Josephine (daughter), Sarah (daughter), Mercy (daughter)
Back: Ben, Ernest (brother-in-law), Victor (son)
Rwanda’s long road to peace and reconciliation
Located in the heart of Africa, Rwanda is a nation with a troubled past. In spite of this, the nation has recently made great strides in terms of its growth and development. We chatted to John Kalenzi, Team Leader of AE Rwanda, as he told us about some of AE Rwanda’s inspiring development projects.
Having seen the devastation caused by Rwanda’s genocide, John is particularly passionate about AE’s role in bringing true reconciliation to the hearts of people.
He describes that, “Reconciliation is at the centre of everything we do as AE Rwanda… to reconcile people with God, and also to reconcile people among themselves. We want to make sure that we build on what the government has done to build… peace and a justice system. But the government can’t really do reconciliation very well, because reconciliation is the issue of the heart… and the issue of the heart is the work of Christian ministries like AE and the Church… It is only the Word of God that can make a difference when it comes to reconciliation”.
With the deep trauma that Rwanda has experienced, it is so important that reconciliation is not merely skin deep. John describes his desire to see reconciliation that not only “discourages the opening of hostilities”, but that actually heals human hearts.
To hear more about AE’s work in Rwanda, watch Ben Campbell’s recent interview with John Kalenzi here:
