AFCI World News

New AFCI Team Member in Ethiopia

On January 18, 2012 the AFCI team in Ethiopia visited Kolfe Kale Heywet Church and took part in the dedication of Worku Haile-Mariam Mohammad to the ministry of AFCI Ethiopia. This is Worku’s home church.  AFCI Regional Director (Fred Amoah-Darko) delivered a message on commitment from Romans 12:1-2. To conclude the service, a number of pastors, elders, and evangelists gathered with the AFCI team to pray for Worku and his wife, Tiruwork Siefu.

Worku remarked to those attending, "I hope by the grace of God I will fulfill the AFCI vision worldwide as well as Ethiopia in particular." Worku has a wide experience in ministry, including teaching at the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology. He is a well respected church leader in Ethiopia.  Shiferaw Feyissa, National Director for Ethiopia, said, “Worku brings many gifts to the AFCI team that we need. We have known each other for many years and we have worked together in ministry from time to time.  I am excited to now be working more closely together. Worku will be part-time with AFCI at present, but we are confident that this will grow to be full-time in the future.”

Evangelism Festival in Ethiopia

In the first day of meetings the ground was full and an estimated 25,000 people attended. A local mass choir from several churches lead in worship. After the crowd gathered, Shiferaw Feyissa, National Director for Ethiopia, gave greetings to the crowd shouting with his big voice “Jesus!” several times. When the crowd respond with “Jesus” it looked like the ground was shaking.

After preaching, Shiferaw appealed for people to respond and many souls committed their life to Jesus. Shiferaw wrote, “Many of the people attending are involved in local religions and participate in witchcraft rituals while at the same time claiming to follow Jesus; sadly they are following in mixed belief system. Two things came to mind.  First, how Satan is cruel and wants people to suffer, and second, how southern Ethiopian traditional religions have led people astray. For those that responded, there was a group of trained counselors to help direct the new believers.”

Shiferaw goes on to write, “The first day of meetings had a full-size impact and it was big news in Dodolla area. In my observation and other witnesses for five days of meetings, more than 3000 people came to the Lord! We are full of praise at seeing God work in the lives of those who came.”

Multiplying Church Leaders in the DRC

BY: Paul Hanak

While visiting Congo with our Regional Director, Fred Amoah-Darko, both of us sat down for a conversation with Dr. Kadony (National Director for the DRC) and his wife, Cathy. What a rich experience we had listening to how God is using them in this vast nation. Dr. Kadony’s original home is in the eastern part of the nation, where there has been unrest and much bloodshed for many years. When the nations in this region of Africa were geographically divided by colonial powers from Europe, some of the tribes were split between nations. This is surely true in looking at the border between the DRC and Uganda.  This is where much of the fighting has taken place in recent years, and continues even today.

Even though the Kadony’s have been living in Lubumbashi (in the south of Congo) for many years, for three months every year, Dr. Kadony travels to the eastern part of the nation to work with pastors in an extensive training program. The need for theological and practical training is great, and God has prepared Dr. Kadony for this work in a wonderful way. With a PhD in International Relations, he works as a full professor at the university.  However, when he joined AFCI a few years ago, he went back to school to earn a theological degree so he could better minister to pastors across the country.

Now, he and Cathy have a vision to identify and train pastors in all 11 Provinces of Congo. They have started in one of the most needy Provinces, in the eastern part of the nation, and as we sat together we worked on a plan to have ongoing training conferences for pastors there in the next 3 years. The plan is to identify a few leaders and take them  systematically through training materials already developed and tested by AFCI over the past four years in Ghana, annother African nation with similar needs. While this plan unfolds in the future, Dr. Kadony will also be identifying pastors and leaders in other Provinces to develop a similar program for pastors there.

Focus on the Heart Training for Women in Ghana

For the past two years, Chris and Barbara Hanak (leaders of AFCI’s Focus on the Heart ministry) have been traveling to Ghana to work with Ruby Amoah-Darko in an intensive training of a few women leaders in the basic courses of Focus on the Heart. Now, after working through the basic courses in a small group context, the women in Ghana are qualified to teach these courses to others and can work to multiply the number of women being trained.

Having worked with two groups of women through several of the FOH courses, there are now 20 women who have completed the training. In the coming months some of these women will team up in pairs of two to form other groups and take the ministry to the next phase of development.

The impact of the training on the lives of women in Ghana has already been great. As one of the women attending the courses expressed, “I had no idea how being trained to listen and care for others would impact me and my ability to minister in my church. I now have a new understanding of what it means to help other women dealing with issues effecting their lives. The impact of these courses will be felt for a long time to come. It is exactly what the church in Ghana needs, and I pray God will use me to spread this knowledge.”

Partnering for Training in Ghana

Charlie Bing from Texas (second from the right on the front row), founder and director of GraceLife, has been writing and teaching theology for many years. Several years ago he met Fred Amoah-Darko when Fred was studying theology in the United States. Some years after Fred returned to Ghana to work with AFCI, Charlie developed a partnership with AFCI in Ghana to help train pastors and church leaders. This led Fred and Charlie to work together and develop the Ambassadors Leadership Institute, a training program for church pastors and leaders in Ghana.  Part of this plan has been to send a team of teachers to Ghana once each year to systematically take church leaders through a set curriculum over a period of four years. Already the first four-year class of students has graduated.

Students are enrolled by invitation through an application process. Strategically, the Institute is designed to train 120 persons in three locations for the period of the course. These trained leaders are expected to multiply the teaching and reach an average of 50 others per person trained in the Institute. This means that 6,000 people can be exposed to the training over the course of a four year period. This picture is part of a graduation ceremony after four years of study, when each student receives a certificate. AFCI’s International Director, Paul Hanak, was able to participate in the teaching, and also share with Fred Amoah-Darko and Charlie Bing in presenting the certificates.

Reaching Rural Villages in northern Ghana

Pictured here are Fred & Ruby (Africa Regional Director), along with Mohammed & Hawa and Jonas & Sophia (all AFCI ministers in Ghana). In the northern part of the Ghana, Mohammed, Jonas and their spouses have been working for many years, reaching out to tribal villages with the Gospel. In an amazing way, God has opened doors for them to share Christ with entire villages and over time they have worked with others to plant churches in many of these villages. 

Their approach is to contact the Chief of the area they want to evangelize and ask if they can show the Jesus film. In 90% of the cases, the answer is, “Yes.” A time is then set and an AFCI team travels to the village to show the movie and share Christ. In some villages over 50% of those viewing the film have given their lives to Christ. What a joy it is to see entire villages changed in a single night. Often even the Chief of the area gives his life to Christ.

Follow-up of the film showings is important. And as soon as several people in an area place their faith in Christ, one member of the AFCI team starts visiting regularly to disciple the new believers. Being first generation Christians, they have to start from the very beginning, explaining and teaching most basic stories and principles of the Bible. Over time, many of the new believers have begun to reach out to other villages nearby. God is faithfully building His church in northern Ghana.

Equipped for the Master's Use (Zambia)

AFCI Africa Regional Director (Fred Amoah-Darko) recently visited Zambia to join with Zambia’s National Director (Mark Kaoma) and participate in three separate conferences across the country under the title, “Equipped for the Master’s Use.” Fred and Mark were joined by a team from the USA. The training sessions for pastors and leaders included approximately 50 pastors in each location; and 20 women were trained through AFCI’s “Focus on the Heart (FOH)” materials.

Ruby Amoah-Darko participated in the women’s training program using an FOH course called “The ABC’s of Heart Care.” This course teaches how to care for and counsel women in the church. The sessions include practical exercises to help facilitate healing for women, including how to listen to the needs of women and how to help them deal with grief. Fred wrote, “The effect was instant because the ladies attested to personal answers to pain they have carried and insights into knowing how to help others who continue to carry burdens of grief and pain.”

RUBY (MIDDLE) TEACHING IN ZAMBIA

Counseling Course in Nigeria

Samson Olushola (Nigeria National Director) and Ebenezer (Chaplain of the Alliance Bible School) just finished teaching in a course on Pastoral Counseling to 56 future pastors. Samson writes, “We designed the course to equip these young people to face very practical situations that we have encountered over many years of ministry in our nation.” The value of nationals teaching the next generation of ministers is the fact that they know the people of their nation well and can tailor their teaching to meet specific real life situations. The Bible School leadership was impressed with the practicality of the course and plans to to reproduce the materials in a booklet form for future use with students.

A Student’s Testimony at AFCI Faith Bible School in North Africa

Before joining Faith Bible School I was so superficial in my life. My knowledge of the Bible was so limited. The way I interpreted and understood the Bible was simply wrong. No one taught me of the importance of reaching out to the lost around me. I thought it was the responsibility of only few people. 

I cannot count the things I learned and applied to my life. These are only few:

• have a vision for my life and ministry
• managing my time
• putting my priorities right.

I came thinking I am going to learn courses to pass them but I found something deeper that goes beyond academic learning. The whole setting designed to change my character to the better. The example set before my by the staff and faculty transformed my life. People in my church witness the change in my behavior.

Now I am involved in youth ministry. I lead worship meetings. I am also doing door to door ministry. My heart's dream is to work with orphans.

Christmas Outreach in North Africa

Fifteen students were accompanied by a doctor and the AFCI team in North Africa to travel for three weeks in late December and early January to reach out to four villages.  During this trip …

• 1000 blankets were distributed
• 2000 patients were examined
• the Jesus Film was shown on 15 nights, with an average of 500 people attending each showing
• 700 Bibles were distributed
• Sunday School was held each day for three age groups, reaching 1,500 children
• 15 training sessions were held for local leaders with an average attendance of 50 in each meeting
• 800 homes were visited
• 1,000 decisions were made for Christ
• one church doubled in size from 300 to 600 during the week of outreach