Sustaining the Harvest in Africa Through Acts 2 Journey

Explosive and exponential church growth in Africa demands a new concerted effort to help sustain this incredible soul harvest before it is lost due to lack of doctrinal stewardship or a loss of Pentecostal and evangelistic identity.

Currently, more than 84,000 African Assemblies of God churches dot the landscape of the continent. An increasing number of national churches there number their members or adherents in the millions. Additionally, more national churches such as Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso are sending fully-supported missionaries to other nations.

But the incredible soul harvest on the African continent could be diluted or even lost if churches fail to maintain spiritual and doctrinal health.

"In the African context, when a church does not focus on its [spiritual] health, it remains at the very basic level of preaching and teaching only on salvation," says Dr. Greg Beggs, Africa Regional Director for Assemblies of God World Missions. "They need to be able to grow their people beyond that, around the functions of the church, and begin to teach and preach on those functions."

Unfortunately, less than one in four African pastors have adequate physical resources to effectively disciple believers to go beyond the basic teachings of sin and salvation. Acts 2 Journey resources--originally developed for use in the American church--are being translated and contextualized for use in Africa.

Light for the Lost is partnering with Africa Region to help provide printed Acts 2 Journey resources in the major languages of Africa. These resources will lead pastors and their churches through a process of spiritual renewal, revitalization, and increased evangelistic practice.

"Churches that go through the Acts 2 Journey enjoy ministry clarity and hope for tomorrow," says John Easter, Executive Director for AGWM. "They also reset their priorities and become more missional."

Light for the Lost has pledged to assist Africa Region with translation and printing for all Acts 2 Journey materials that will be used in Africa. Already, numerous trainings have taken place in South Africa and Tanzania and were well attended.

"We can't think of a more strategic way to help grow and sustain this incredible Pentecostal movement in Africa than to provide Acts 2 Journey materials for the pastors," says Rick Allen, National LFTL Director. "For decades we've provided tens of thousands of FireBibles and other resources to help plant church and win people for Christ in Africa. Adding Acts 2 Journey resources are what we need to do next for Africa."

Click here to watch a video describing the Acts 2 Journey and LFTL's role in it.