Lausanne World Pulse – LAUSANNE REPORTS – Lausanne Regional Gathering in Abuja, Nigeria: The African Church Prepares for 2010
“From the commencement of this consultation, it seems to me that God has a message for the churches and the indigenous missions groups in Africa.” – Rev. Dr. Panya Baba
Twenty-five people from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia met in Abuja, Nigeria, for three days of intensive discussion and planning 21-25 April 2008. Included was Dr. Panya Baba, who has been part of the Lausanne Movement since its inception in 1974. The aim of the gathering was to identify the most critical issues facing the African Church over the next five years, and to explore ways of making Cape Town 2010: The Third Lausanne Congress as effective across the continent of Africa as possible. The meeting was chaired by Gideon Para-Mallam, Lausanne International Deputy Director for English, Spanish, and Portuguese Africa, who is also on staff with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students.
Para-Mallam opened the meetings by delivering greetings from Doug Birdsall (Lausanne Executive Chair), Lindsay Brown (Lausanne International Director), and the Anglican Primate of the Church of Nigeria, the Rt. Rev. Peter Akinola, who was represented at the meeting by Ven Tunde Papoola.
The gathering expressed enthusiastic appreciation for the choice of Africa as host continent for the 2010 Congress and made an appeal: “Please do not come to the African continent and leave us as you met us, without taking a look at the issues which are pertinent to the Church on the continent.”
While the African Church has both weaknesses and strengths, the leaders acknowledged that the Lord has infused the Church with passion and vibrant worship. The leaders felt this passion and vibrancy could be a gift to the global Church at the Congress. “We need to continue working toward a healthy Church on the continent, as it is bound to have an impact on the culture, in politics, and in every sphere of national life,” said Para-Mallam.
In looking toward the Congress, participants saw benefits to creating greater awareness of the Lausanne Movement. They sensed that as word spread, there would be a sense of delight in Africa being the host continent and a genuine desire to pray for the Lord to use the Congress as a means of blessing both Africa and the world.