Group Unveils Plan to Track Gospel Spread in Africa

The mission of the African Missionary Association is to assist churches in Africa to establish missionary associations in all 54 of the current seven countries on the continent.

Stephen Mbogo, vice-chairman of the African Missions Association (AMA), recognizes the enormous challenge, but is equally aware of the great opportunity to formalize country mission associations that will become a source of coordination and support for missions in their respective countries.

In a conversation with Christian Daily International on the sidelines Encounter of Christ over Asia, Africa and Latin America (COALA 2.5) in BusanSouth Korea, Mbogo said last month that the AMA is working strategically to establish national missionary associations in each African country, strengthening the sense of ownership and coordination at the national level.

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According to Mbogo, one of the key issues the AMA is addressing is the historical under-representation of Africa’s significant contributions to the global mission movement. This underrepresentation is often reflected in statistics and mission reports, which tend to overlook the extensive missionary activities carried out by African churches and organizations.

He said the continental association would learn from the experiences of more established missionary organizations such as the Nigeria Missions Association, which has been in existence for 40 years, and the Ghana Missions Association, which has been in existence for 30 years.

“These other countries challenged us because we realized that unless you have a national association, the achievement of the unmet goals remains very fragmented,” Mbogo said.

This unity of purpose achieved by the association, Mbogo added, is what has allowed Latin America, through COMIBAM (Ibero-American Missionary Cooperation), to obtain detailed and up-to-date information on the number of missionaries they have sent or the number of missionaries unreached. groups of people, “the same cannot be said for Africa.”

According to the organization, in 2023, COMIBAM mobilized 2,750 pastors in 24 Latin American countries to participate in global missions, 850 churches were involved and approximately 1,000 women and youth were mobilized for missions. Report for 2023.

Mbogo, however, said this does not negate the influence of African churches in sending missionaries to other regions of the world, thereby challenging the traditional view of missions as a primarily Western-led enterprise.

“We have a long way to go, but it also shows that the need is there because if no one can essentially say where we are in Africa, if you don’t measure it, you won’t know whether you’re getting there or not . – Mbogo said.

Although Mbogo faces various challenges such as limited resources and infrastructure, he is optimistic about the future of Africa-led and funded missions. He highlighted the enormous potential that lies in the passion, commitment and spiritual vitality of African Christians, especially the youth.

Africa, with its young and rapidly growing population, is now the continent with the largest number of Christians, and in this Mbogo sees an opportunity to redouble missionary activities for the benefit of the African Church and the global Christian community. He noted that as Africa continues to be a driving force in sending missionaries to the rest of the world, discipleship, and especially youth discipleship, will be a “key factor” in expanding the Kingdom of God.

The AMA is looking to the continent for partnerships and effective mission strategies, Mbogo added, citing the work of African Enterprise, a pan-African urban mission organization of which he is CEO. With extensive experience and expertise in urban missions, African Enterprise plays a critical role in equipping and mobilizing African churches to effectively engage with the complexities of urban environments.

With a presence in 12 African countries, Africa Enterprise is following an elaborate prayer plan, supported by the people of God, to establish missions in some of Africa’s major cities. Mbogo said it takes up to two years to prepare a new mission.

“We have what we call the three Ps: preparation can take one or two years, during which we groan and pray for the city, and also map the city, identifying different areas that we will target with the gospel,” Mbogo explained.

The second phase is proclamation, where Africa Enterprise partners with various churches, professional groups, para-church organizations and government agencies to meet demand-driven needs with a missionary purpose. The third is retention, where new believers are assigned to local church partners to disciple and train pastors and churches.

“We call it stratified evangelism, where you reach everyone at their level. That’s why we say “from the statehouse to the streets.” We ask ourselves, “How can I reach the top leaders, politicians, influential people in the city?” But you also ask yourself, “How do I reach a street boy who is on the street?” Mbogo explained.

An integrated approach to missions has allowed Africa Enterprise to impact more people and provide an opportunity to demonstrate Kingdom principles in a variety of socio-economic areas. Mbogo gave the example of a microfinance organization in Kigali, Rwanda, which has 300,000 members and has won numerous awards as one of the most effective parachurch NGOs in the country.

The mission has also partnered with health facilities in different countries to provide free health camps and build clinics in informal settlements as part of missions for the unreached in urban areas. This, along with prisoner missions and sports, provided opportunities to minister to people of other faiths and create common ground for discipleship.

“In Africa, we must consciously engage with the social side without assuming (that physical needs will be met),” said Mbogo, who trusts God that the impact of national missionary associations will be felt primarily on the spiritual level, but also on the socio-economic level level.

Originally published on Christian Daily International