House built for Porter by local Nazarenes.

General Superintendent Jerry D. Porter recently traveled to Mozambique, Sudan, Kenya, Liberia, and South Africa to preside over district assemblies and meetings and to ordain new elders in the Church of the Nazarene. Special emphasis was given to messages on “The Mission of the Church of the Nazarene” and seminar training on grace and prayer.

Of the 30 districts in Mozambique organized into five areas, one area joined together in Macuba where Dr. Porter presented a Portuguese PowerPoint message on “The Mission of the Church of the Nazarene” and ordained ten new elders from six districts. This was the first visit of a general superintendent to this province and the first time a Nazarene woman and a Nazarene minister from the Cabo Delgado province were ordained.

In the Maputo area gathering, Dr. Porter taught over 200 pastors and seminary students  Portuguese PowerPoint seminars on “Sufficient Grace” and “Spiritual Leadership” and ordained ten new elders in the Church of the Nazarene from five districts.

Dr. Porter conducted the Sudan Southeast District assembly in Kech Kuen under the shade of several trees. The Nazarene church there is the only brick building in the village, but the crowd overflowed its walls. Even so, only about a tenth of the pastors were able to attend the assembly because of the devastating drought that sent them traveling long distances with their cattle in search of water. As cordial hosts, in preparation for Africa Regional Director Eugenio Duarte and Dr. Porter’s arrival, local Sudanese Nazarenes built a small grass house for each of them. 

In an amazing New Testament church growth pattern, there are 55,000 congregants in 410 churches on this Sudan Southeast District alone. Today there are over 95,000 Nazarenes in 1,004 congregations in three Phase 2 districts and two pioneer areas in Sudan. Dr. Porter reports that they led a dancing and singing procession toward his departing airplane and says, “We wiped tears from our eyes as we took to the skies and waved goodbye to our Sudanese church family!”

After preaching in Nairobi, Kenya, Dr. Porter ordained three new elders in Liberia and taught seminars to Liberian pastors who gathered from across the Monrovia District, Southeast District, and its pioneer area. An ordination service for one new elder was conducted in a rally in Cape Town, South Africa.

“With each trip to Africa, I become more and more grateful for our Nazarene servants there. The Lord is honoring their work with precious, eternal fruit!”