Update From Martin: Partnering With African Leadership
Things are going VERY WELL here. We are wrapping things up. Tomorrow, we meet with the president of the Free Church to hear his vision and strategic ways we could partner with them. Africa is a land of many contrasts and contradictions. It is also the land of great opportunity.
The African leadership do not want a handout, they want us to partner with them in strategic ways. They are doing the best they can with what they have and are accomplishing incredible things. It is very important to them that Americans not forget them. They revere the missionaries who have come in the past because they recognize that without them, they would not have the Gospel. However, they do not want us to forget them. They realize that they must stand and reach their continent, and they are committed to doing so, but they face significant obstacles that require some outside help and leadership.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, I met with around 400 pastors and leaders from a wide geographic area. We spent four hours each day talking about leadership from Scripture. They hung on every word we shared. We were told they had never been taught anything about biblical leadership. It is a real stretch to think that what has become common knowledge to us is new revelation to them.
Some may ask, "Can't they read the Bible?" They could if they had one! Many of the pastors don't have Bibles or have only portions of the Scriptures. Very few people in their churches have access to the Scriptures. There are many reasons for this. I will explain later.
I look forward to being home soon. I am tired of eating goat. Cal had to try caterpillars the other day. I didn't go there ... for obvious reasons.
See you soon.
- Martin
The African leadership do not want a handout, they want us to partner with them in strategic ways. They are doing the best they can with what they have and are accomplishing incredible things. It is very important to them that Americans not forget them. They revere the missionaries who have come in the past because they recognize that without them, they would not have the Gospel. However, they do not want us to forget them. They realize that they must stand and reach their continent, and they are committed to doing so, but they face significant obstacles that require some outside help and leadership.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, I met with around 400 pastors and leaders from a wide geographic area. We spent four hours each day talking about leadership from Scripture. They hung on every word we shared. We were told they had never been taught anything about biblical leadership. It is a real stretch to think that what has become common knowledge to us is new revelation to them.
Some may ask, "Can't they read the Bible?" They could if they had one! Many of the pastors don't have Bibles or have only portions of the Scriptures. Very few people in their churches have access to the Scriptures. There are many reasons for this. I will explain later.
I look forward to being home soon. I am tired of eating goat. Cal had to try caterpillars the other day. I didn't go there ... for obvious reasons.
See you soon.
- Martin
posted by Larry Short at 6:38 AM
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