Over 200 missionaries from across Africa converge on Lagos for Global Mandate Conference

Over 200 missionaries from across Africa converge on Lagos for Global Mandate Conference

Rev Toyin Kehinde and his wife Sade at the conference

 

Well over 200 missionaries converge on Lagos on Thursday February 20 for the annual four-day Global Mandate Conference. The conference is expected to last till Sunday February 24.

The conference is being hosted by the duo of Rev Toyin Kehinde and his wife Pastor Mrs. Sade Toyin Kehinde.

It is also being supported by the Lagos Chapter of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria led by Bishop Sola Ore, a host of para church agencies and other organisations.

The conference, which kicked off at about 6pm at the Agape Generation International Church, Mende, Lagos, also witnessed the presence of top church leaders from across Nigeria.

It also turned out to be a great union for the missionaries who are largely from Nigeria and a few African countries.

Need for strategic partnerships

Cross section of participants on the opening night of GMC

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Rev Toyin Kehinde said the theme of this year’s conference, Strategic Partnerships for Global Engagement, has been carefully thought out because of the need for the church to collaborate in the work of missions.

He said it will be practically impossible for one single denomination to carry out the work of global evangelization stating, “If we must finish the task of world evangelism, we have to reconsider our strategy and approaches. Strategy is important, partnership is important.”

He expressed hope that during the conference strategic partnership will be initiated that will help bring the gospel to the unreached people of the world.

Reeling out statistics on the state of world evangelization, he said, “One out of every three persons has no access to the gospel. In 1985 there were 1.4 billion people without the gospel, by 2017 the figure has risen to 2.13 billion people. Birth rate is higher than the rate at which we are reaching the world. We have 4607 unreached people groups all over the world.”

He said the statistics clearly shows that the church is still lagging behind in world evangelisation adding that the time to collaborate is now. “We need to come together and work out strategic modalities on how the work could be done. No single church can do it alone. We need to collaborate. We need to synergise.”

When bones come together

Bishop Sola Ore preaching at the conference

Delivering the first message of the conference titled, bones coming together, the Lagos Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Bishop Sola Ore noted that the church is having difficulty in achieving the task of evangelisation because many church leaders are doing their own thing.

Ore who did an exegesis on Ezekiel 37v1-10 said the flesh is useless without the bone. The bone gives the body the shape it has. If bones are not aligned there will be problem in the body. The bones must be together before the body can function well. Many of us are scattered because we have problems with ourselves.

“Until we deal with ourselves we can’t relate with ourselves. There are many who are not sure of themselves that is why they don’t relate. Low self-esteem is the reason why we don’t work together. You must believe in yourself.” He counseled.

He encouraged the missionaries to do all they can for the work of God to be fruitful in their hands warning however that they should not go overboard in trying to impress God.

“If your ministry is not growing don’t kill yourself. Don’t die before the church grows. Take it easy.  Do what you’re supposed to do. Believe you can do all things as the Lord strengthens you.” He said.

The Lagos PFN chairman noted that “When you believe in yourself you can’t be intimidated by the success of others. Believe in what the Lord is doing through you and don’t allow the enemy to discourage you. Thank God for those who have 10,000-member congregation. If your membership is just 10 thank God for it while you trust that the Lord will increase you with time.”

While prophesying that the church is getting to the age of collaboration, he said, “When bones come together there will be a sound. When the Lord wants to manifest Himself it is usually accompanied with a sound like what happened on the day of Pentecost. I hear the sound of God entering the camp of the enemy.”

He however described as nonsensical the way some pastors try to force things to happen. “I have heard people say if the Holy Spirit does not move, you can move the Holy Spirit. That is a vague statement. Perhaps it is their Holy Spirit that they want to move. The church should be wary of such extra-Biblical statements.

“When the bones come together there is revival of Holiness and of doctrine. There is revival of love. When bones come together there will be synergy. There will be no more “I’m sufficient in myself” syndrome. When we come together we complement ourselves. When we are together people won’t see our weakness”

A couple of missionaries earlier at the opening ceremony shared testimonies of how the yearly global mandate conference have impacted their lives and ministries.

A missionary from Borno State, Bitrus Matawere said the conference has greatly impacted his mission work in Adamawa. Matawere who is the coordinator of the Christian Missionary Foundation in the north east said between last year and now, about 300 souls have embraced Christ at his Adamawa field declaring that lessons from the GMC has been a great blessings to the mission work under his purview.

And the hosts celebrate

Rev Kehinde and family cutting the wedding anniversary cake while Rev Mrs. Akpabio looks on

The first day of the event also afforded participants to celebrate the 27^th wedding anniversary of Rev Toyin Kehinde and his wife Sade. The missionaries took time to pray for the couple while Rev Dr. Emma Ajose who incidentally was the one who preached at their wedding was on hand to pray for them.