Ministry in Europe Completes a 25-Year Circle
African Pastors in Europe Catch the Vision to Take the Gospel Back to Africa
and into the 10/40 Window

By: Dr. Howard Foltz
AIMS News: Posted 7/1/2004

Twenty-five years ago, my wife and I left Brussels, Belgium, where we had pioneered Teen Challengeís first global program into Europe, the Middle East and South Asia. When I returned to Brussels in May, it had grown and developed dramatically. However, what I noticed primarily was the new ethnic diversity in Belgium and the rest of Europe. When we left Belgium, there were no known African churches on the continent at all. Now, the African churches in Europe are exploding! These "on fire" churches are growing and ready to reach out in world evangelization.

Where the Circle Began

The May training in Belgium amazingly came out of our relationship with "Pastor Zachariah," who has convened four major AIMS training in Ghana. Although 2,000 believers attended Pastor Zachariah's church, they had virtually no missions program. More than 1,200 pastors convened for the very first Equipping for the Harvest training in Ghana. Teachings included Harvest Connection, Partnership, Networking Methodology, and Faith Promise Giving. The results were astounding! When we returned the following year, 4,500 pastors attended for the same track of teaching.

Today, more than 1,500 new churches have been planted throughout Africa as a result of that teaching. We plan to return to Ghana again this fall for five different teaching tracks: two Equipping for the Harvest conferences, one mobilization training for women, a track for businessmen and professionals, and training on HIV/AIDS prevention.

The European Connection

Pastor Zachariah has not only impacted Africa. He also began working as a liaison in Europe, networking pastors for the Brussels conference in May, 2004. He visited many African churches across Europe and encouraged the pastors to attend. Most of these churches had no missions program at all. During May 20-23, about 150 African leaders met for the first training in Europe.

The response was greater than I had expected. Like holding a flame to dry tinder, these churches quickly caught the flame and are ready for missions. Through the Harvest Connection seminar, God's word and Spirit changed them, and they decided to change their churches. They gave a tremendous faith promise offering toward the AIMS' projects in India and China. All the pastors were encouraged to incorporate at least four basic elements of Harvest Connection within the next calendar year into their churches.

Completing the Vision in Africa and Beyond

Beyond mobilizing their own churches, these African pastors have a vision for Africa and the 10/40 Window. They asked AIMS to partner with them in holding Equipping for the Harvest conferences in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, and even into East Africa. When I shared with these pastors our vision to see them mobilize a trip to India and for them to recruit English-speaking Africans to become English teachers in China, they became even more excited.

Without question, God can use the African churches in Europe to become a missions force that will reach many unreached people groups throughout the 10/40 Window. These African pastors are concerned with the growing Islamic population in Europe. They asked AIMS to train them how to reach Muslims living among them. This request coincides with the arrival of two new staff who will join AIMS this summer. "Gideon" (AIMS Asia Director) and "Andrew" (AIMS Southeast Asia Coordinator) have studied Islam and are developing a teaching on how to reach Muslims.

The African churches have invited AIMS to return to follow up on this initial breakthrough with a multi-track training. Please pray with us as we continue to work with these churches to further their training, mobilize them for missions, and help them take the Gospel into the 10/40 Window and beyond.