ONE BODY, ONE LORD
East Africa Leadership Conference, August 2004
From Monday the 9th of August to Wednesday the 11th, the full-time ministry staff of the Nairobi church together with the leaders of our various East Africa congregations met for a conference under the theme of "One Body, One Lord." It was a time to be challenged and called higher from the word of God, to renew a commitment to being great disciples and godly leaders, and to bond as friends and as partners in the gospel.
Speakers shared very candidly about lessons they have learned from weaknesses in their lives, from spiritual and emotional low points that they have experienced, from past victories and from biblical insights. Co-lead evangelist Steve Mukenya shared how he and his wife, Carol, and fellow co-evangelist and Women's Ministry Leader, George and Anne Irungu, have worked hard to be unified as they co-lead the East Africa family. The two couples have been through many battles due to differences in opinion and perspective, but have always aimed to be unified, as a result of which they have all grown much closer to each other and have grown in their spirituality.
That embodies the central message of the conference, not only for those who were there but for all of us as disciples - we are different but should not be divided. Instead, by standing together in love and humility, our differences should make us dynamic.
Prayerfully, as the leaders in East Africa take stock of their lives and their progress, we will all gain from it. An article on the website of the Seattle, USA church, declares, "True, as long as we're human and fallible, we'll never fully arrive at the 'right' way to do leadership and we must trust in Him to guide us as we stay faithfully devoted to the Bible. But despite our setbacks, it's still true that God has arranged, for good and for ill, for men to lead His church. The antidote for bad leadership is not no leadership, but good and righteous leadership." Let us thank God for and pray for continued good leadership in East Africa.
While most of those at the conference are in the full-time ministry, it was inspiring to have Joakim and Eva Pallangyo from Arusha and Didi from Bujumbura, who lead their congregations and women's ministry while holding down full-time secular jobs.
As the conference wrapped up with the past and present leaders of the Kigali and Bujumbura congregations teaching a powerful Rwandan/Burundian medley, many were able to share the impact that the conference had on them.
Jeff Maloba from Eldoret shared, "I have resolved to kneel before the Father. I pray to be a great friendship-builder. It starts with me." Florence Ahenda, who leads the women's ministry in Kampala said, "I want to be used by God to get the church to where it needs to be."
The unity embodied by the theme of the conference was evident at the end of the three days. More than just being the reunion of back-slapping mutual admirers, it was a time where people let down the barriers and got open with each other. Prayerfully, the fruit of the conference will be lasting unity among congregational and ministry leaders, unity among disciples within the various East African churches, unity across the borders that define and divide countries, and unity with Christ in the life of every single disciple of Jesus in the region.