Porters praying for a girl with AIDS in Metu

Dr. Jerry D. Porter, jurisdictional general superintendent for the Africa Region, recently joined with African Nazarenes to train leaders and to celebrate the multiplication of growth among the churches there.

Regional leaders meeting with Dr. Porter included the field strategy coordinators and the Regional Advisory Council for business and disciple-making lectures. In accordance with the Manual of the Church of the Nazarene, the Africa Regional Advisory Council conducted the review of Regional Director Eugenio Duarte with high marks, great appreciation, and unanimous approval for his leadership to continue.

Additional training occurred at the West Africa Leadership Summit where Dr. Porter taught for over 14 hours. Participants included mission coordinators, district superintendents, and missionaries from Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Senegal.

A leadership training day was also held in the Republic of South Africa (RSA) where eight RSA district superintendents and over 50 pastors and spouses gathered from the surrounding districts. In spite of a rainy day, nearly 2,000 enthusiastic Nazarenes gathered on the RSA Northeast District at Leyenye Stadium for a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Church of the Nazarene.

Dr. Porter conducted district assemblies on the Kwa Zulu Natal District where six elders were ordained from two districts. On the Malawi South District, there were 15 new ordinands representing five districts, and the Nazarene Theological College of Central Africa in Lilongwe, Malawi, reported the largest graduating class ever.

The assemblies across Ethiopia were a testimony to amazing results as the Church of the Nazarene is seeing unprecedented numbers of conversions and church multiplication. At the Ethiopia South Central District assembly in Awassa, the district, only six years old itself, approved the resolution to launch two daughter districts, Bansa-Bona and Aleta Selam. Combined, these three districts report just over 1,000 congregations and preaching points.  They also designated the Borena area a target for a future district, with plans to develop the area until it is strong enough to be launched as a Phase 2 district. In anticipation of the creation of these new districts, Dr. Porter had appointed three district superintendents. Following the report of the Ethiopia South Central District superintendent, they divided into three delegations with Dr. Porter and two field strategy coordinators chairing the assemblies of the three districts. They rejoined as one for a moving ordination service for nine new elders, including the newly appointed district superintendent of the Bansa-Bona District.

Burning witchcraft paraphernalia as a testimony to faith in Christ

The Ethiopia Omo District also approved a resolution from its District Advisory Board that a new area, South Omo, be targeted for a future Phase-2 district. The Omo District has grown in membership from 500 to over 2,000 in five years. They celebrated a graduation ceremony for 30 pastors in the extension Bible college program, and Dr. Porter ordained four new elders in the Gamo language.

The Ethiopia Central District reports over 800 members in more than 30 congregations. Four new elders were ordained in this district assembly, representing three districts. Over 70 mission leaders joined the Porters here for a Vision Tour, including representatives from the United States, India, Republic of South Africa, Papua New Guinea, Mexico, Germany, Scotland, and Russia.

The Ethiopia Southwest District, only four years old, is a thriving Nazarene family of 2,600 members, 2,500 in weekly attendance, and more than 300 congregations. At least a third of the pastors started their churches and ministries during the last 12 months. Like their sister districts, the Ethiopia Southwest District also adopted a recommendation from its District Advisory Board to launch a new Phase 2 district, Ethiopia West Central, and a new target area, Ethiopia West.

At one of the Ethiopian assemblies, Nazarenes joined in joyful worship, including the testimony of a converted Muslim imam who had overseen four mosques and had practiced as a witch doctor. Two additional Muslim witch doctors who had burned their caps, incantation feathers, and beads as a testimony to their new life in Christ a year ago were present in this service to reaffirm their testimony. The district superintendent reported that 20 additional witch doctors have embraced faith in Christ, and five mosques are being used each Sunday for Nazarene worship services. “When the imam lit fire to his witch doctor paraphernalia, the assembly ignited with shouting, dancing, and singing!” said Dr. Porter.

An imam recently converted to faith in Christ

Dr. and Mrs. Porter joined a host of Nazarenes in Metu, Ethiopia, for a holiness conference in this primarily Muslim area. Because of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries projects, the community holds the Church of the Nazarene in high regard. A delegation of over 100 adults and children were waiting at the entrance of the town to welcome the Nazarene leaders, and around 3,000 joined in the large auditorium for a powerful holiness conference that continues to reap results in the community to this day.

The work of the Church of the Nazarene in the Horn of Africa can be described most aptly as a movement of the Holy Spirit. Growth has been New Testament-like. From 2005 until 2008, membership grew from 15,000 to 90,000. Attendance grew from 42,000 to 250,000. Congregations grew from 539 to 2,535. In the midst of this phenomenal growth, the Church of the Nazarene so far is working in only three of the 700 languages spoken here.

“We have bold, passionate, and energized visionary leaders who are fanning the flame of the God movement that is taking place in these nations,” said Dr. Porter. “Let us continue to pray for God to grant all the Horn of Africa team the wisdom and protection they need.”