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It is the challenge of every generation to find out what God is
doing and do it with Him. For the last two centuries, hundreds of missionaries
and thousands of national workers sacrificially served Africa. As a
result, many thousands of Africans are now becoming Christians and
hundreds of local congregations are forming. This is what God is doing
in our generation.
However, not enough pastors are being trained to serve these new churches:
Africa needs more Christian leaders. We are career missionaries and
train Christian Leaders. In order to do God’s work with Him in
this generation we have established an African base in Pretoria, South
Africa. From here, we are responding to invitations to conduct city-wide,
inter-church leadership conferences and seminars throughout the nations
of Africa.
There is Scriptural precedent for this kind of ministry. Samuel (1
Sam. 7:15-17) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:1-4) both traveled from place to
place teaching and training leaders. Another example is from King Jehoshaphat’s
reign. “In the third year of his reign he sent his officials...to
teach in the towns of Judah. With them were certain Levites...and priests...
They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law
of the LORD; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught
the people.” (2 Chronicles 17:7-9)
Learn more about:
The Nations of Africa
North Africa: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, West
Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, & Sudan
West Africa: Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau,
Guinea, Sierra Leon, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon,
Equator Guinea,
Sao Tome, & Principe
Central Africa: Gabon, Congo, Central Africa, Republic
of Zaire, Zambia, & Angola
East Africa: Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, & Burundi
Southernmost Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique,
Madagascar, South Africa, Swaziland, & Lesotho
If you want the Meyers to conduct an Empower Africa Christian
Leadership Conference in your African nation, use the email address on the “Contact
Us” page on this website. We are here to serve you.
An African Ministry Opportunity
What God is currently doing in sub-Sahara Africa alone:
- 23,000 Africans south of the Sahara are
converting to Christ each day. That is 8.4 million per year.
- Hundreds of churches/meeting places are being started
each week
- Not enough Christian leaders for these churches
are trained
- Our African brothers say: “The African Church
is a mile wide and an inch deep.”
- The seed of the Word of God is scattered
and the Africans become believers;
- Africans are great evangelists
and church
planters. But leaders of the Churches of Africa are
urgently requesting ministry training.
- Training exponentially increases pastoral effectiveness; pastoral training,
now in this generation, is crucial.
- Leaders of a major middle-eastern religion in northern Africa are implementing
strategic plans to convert the Africans, from northern
to
southern Africa. Many
- Africans are converting to that ideology out of
desperation just to receive the free and much needed social assistance
and education.
- The Church must be strengthened. The next ten years
are crucial.
[TOP]
Empower Africa Christian Leadership Conferences—Based
in Pretoria,SA
We have rented a flat, however, we are not there as much as we are
traveling to other nations. It is, nevertheless, a pleasant place to
rest, regroup, correspond, and prepare for the next travels. We travel
by car to nearby nations and by plane to nations further north. We
are finding a great hunger on this continent for the teachings and
are gratified by the eagerness of the Africans to be taught about effective
Christian ministry.
South Africa is a good location from which to embark to the other nations
of Africa, especially southern Africa. Our flat is within driving distance
to ten nations in the southernmost area of Africa and only a half hour
drive from the Johannesburg airport through which other African nations
can be reached.
[TOP]
Ministry Skills, Gifts, and Qualifications
We have served as pastors, missionaries, and educators for forty-two
years.
Ron has experience in training pastors in a ministry of prayer,
fasting, spiritual disciplines, Christian Family, and public ministry.
He has
a B.Th., an MA in Missiology, an M.Div., and a Ph.D. in Intercultural
Studies. From 1996-2006 he trained missionaries and pastors in ministry
at Oral Robert University’s School of Theology and Missions,
the world’s largest Pentecostal/Charismatic seminary.
Char has a BA in Religious Education, an MA in Missions,
and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in distance
education. She
is a women’s ministry leader, a Bible teacher, and instructs
how to study the Bible.
Though we have academic qualifications, we believe that
the more important qualifications for ministry are character issues
and spiritual power
and insight, along with spiritual disciplines, such as a good work
ethic, and fasting and prayer. The Lord has been preparing us for
many years to be spiritually and academically qualified, helping us
become
a cost-effective mobile two-person team of educators/trainers.
[TOP]
Empower Africa Christian Leadership Conference Vision
The
purpose of Empower Africa Christian Leadership Conferences is
to train and equip African pastors, missionaries,
and Christian
leaders
for spiritual ministry, educating them to be “apt to teach” – I
Timothy 3:2.
There are many worthy Christian ministries in Africa addressing
the issues of AIDS, orphans, vegetable gardens, wells for clean
water, and Christian
discipleship. Our unique call is to help strengthen His Church by training
the leaders of churches.
Purposes for Empower Africa Christian Leadership Conferences:
- The Church in Africa is growing rapidly—23,000 converts
per day in sub-Sahara alone
- The need for trained African leaders is great—hundreds
of new churches are started every week
- Christian leaders training at the grass roots produces increase in ministry
effectiveness
- The Meyers are educated and experienced trainers of Christian leaders
and missionaries
- The Meyers are establishing Contacts with African Christian Organizations
- Foreigners are free to travel on the African continent to conduct conferences
Christian Leadership training is helpful at any of these levels:
conference, institute, college, graduate studies, or doctoral
studies.
We have done all of these. But training pastors on site in Africa is most
needed today in order to strengthen the African Church without
removing her
leaders
from where they serve. We envision conducting inter-church
conferences that are city or region-wide in scope. African Christian Leaders
need
training to 1) become firmly grounded in the Word and in
prayer, 2) learn
the spiritual as well as practical aspects of ministry,
and 3)
become empowered by God’s Holy Spirit to minister more effectively
to their congregations. As God breathes His blessings, we look forward
to seeing ministry skills sharpened, ministries increase in effectiveness,
and the churches and Christians of Africa strengthened.
[TOP]
A Sample Conference Schedule
Each conference is designed to meet the needs of the ministry situation. Any
of the subjects included on the Seminar Page of this website are available
for teaching. The following schedule is a sample conference which covers
(1) The Christian leader’s personal spiritual development, (2) The
Christian leader’s family life, and (3) The Christian leader’s
public pulpit ministry:
EMPOWER AFRICA CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
An Advanced Classroom Experience
Guest Instructors: Ron Meyers, Ph.D. & Char Meyers, Ed.D.
From 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, five, one-hour sessions with breaks between sessions
DAY ONE
Session 1 Philosophy of Christian Education How to identify and then
confront contemporary non-Christian Worldviews with biblical truth
Session 2 Bible Study as Preparation for Teaching and Preaching,
Part One How to dig for diamonds in the Word of God as
preparation for preaching good sermons
Session 3 The Power and Danger of Prayer A teaching
about how prayer is most effective and productive when we pray according
to God’s agenda, not ours
Lunch Break
Session 4 Better Than Silver and Gold. A teaching
demonstrating human needs and how God answers prayer better than
we can pray
Session 5 The Power of Perseverance in Prayer A
teaching demonstrating that we sometimes settle for less than God’s
best because we don’t pray until we get the answer
DAY TWO
Session 1 Bible Study as Preparation for Teaching and Preaching, Part Two How
to dig for diamonds in the Word of God as preparation for preaching good sermons
Session 2 How to Grow in Character as you Marriage Grows,
Part One Instructions for husbands and wives based on
the Bible, experience, and contemporary literature
Session 3 How to Grow in Character as you Marriage Grows,
Part Two Instructions for husbands and wives based on the
Bible, experience, and contemporary literature
Lunch Break
Session 4 How to Raise Confident Children Instructions for parents
about how to create a stimulating atmosphere in which confident children can
develop
Session 5 How to Raise Obedient Children Instructions
for parents about how to lovingly, yet firmly, train and discipline
children so they grow up to be good Christians
DAY THREE
Session 1 Bible Study as Preparation for Teaching and Preaching, Part Three How
to dig for diamonds in the Word of God as preparation for preaching good sermons
Session 2 Structure and Delivery of Strong Biblical Sermons Practical
instructions about how to organize material and present it attractively,
persuasively, and powerfully
Session 3 Intimacy With God, Part One A biblical
study of God as our “Daddy” and how intimacy with Him
creates courage and fruitfulness in us, His little children
Lunch Break
Session 4 Intimacy With God, Part Two A biblical study of
God as our “Husband” and how intimacy with him contributes to fidelity,
creativity, and fruitfulness
Session 5 Discussion In this unstructured session,
comments, questions, and responses will help each participant better
understand and apply what he or she has learned.
[TOP]
Your Opportunity for Response
Your first opportunity: Pray for the Church of Africa and the Empower
Africa Christian Leadership Conferences
If the “Lord of the harvest” (Luke 10:2) is the Lord of
the harvest, it is the responsibility of the servants/employees to
learn His reaping strategy. What does He want done to bring in the
harvest? He told us to pray.
- Pray for the nations and their governments.
- Pray for the Church in each nation, their leaders, pastors,
and trainees.
- Pray that the hearts of the people of Africa will be open
to the Word of God.
Pray with us about the following ministry needs. These are what we
are praying for as we prepare to join Him in Africa:
- Sensitivity to cultural and local ministry situations
-
Discernment of spirits and understanding of God’s plan for
each conference
- Wisdom to use our skills, education and experience for
the benefit of the Church
- The ability to rely completely on His leading as we conduct
conferences
- Favor with people, especially our hosts in each nation
and conference
- Open doors to minister
- Protection from evil forces, physical dangers, diseases
-
Resources to conduct pastors’ training conferences
Your second opportunity: Supply of Resources for Conferences
- ·
Ron has retired early and is receiving a Social Security check each
month. Christian groups, who believe in the validity of the Empower
Africa Christian Leadership Conferences, are also supporting us. However,
our objective in Africa is not just to survive here but to conduct
pastors’ conferences throughout southern
Africa. This requires added finances.
- · The projected cost of a conference is approximately $1,000.
It is our financial responsibility to provide transportation,
food, lodging and resources for all attendees, including interpreters.
Our frequent journeys
can be structured, for example, as a 21-day
trip per month to one or
more nations in southern Africa to conduct
three to four
conferences. The remaining seven days we would return to Pretoria
for rest, administration, regrouping, and preparation for the next
trip.
- · After each ministry trip, digital photos of the attendees
and activities, and a report of each conference are made available
through a monthly email. Supporters can then view pictures and read
about what their prayers and gifts produced. Of course, only eternity
will
reveal the permanent results.
- · Individuals, groups, and churches are welcome to make
this investment. Donations toward the costs of conferences will
help provide training of local leaders of ministries in African nations.
To sponsor this program, send your gift to:
World Mission Centre
Empower Africa Christian Leadership Conference
P.O. Box 11423
Columbia, SC 29211 USA
Tax-deductible receipts are issued and funds are relayed to
the Meyers in Africa. We realize you have a choice of ministries
in which to
invest.
Thank you for considering the Empower Africa
Christian Leadership Conferences.
Your third opportunity: Join us in Training
the Church of Africa
Training Christian leaders is a specialized
ministry. We are recruiting and facilitating
the teaching
skills and ministries of qualified persons
to match them with ministry needs in Africa.
Our
commitment and
vision is to do everything
within our power to help African leaders.
If you are a seasoned pastor or a Bible College or
seminary professor who would like to serve the Church
in Africa
and are not afraid
of living simply,
we
would be glad to do what we can to help facilitate
an opportunity for the training of pastors in Africa.
Please
use the e-mail
address on
the “Contact Us” page.
Let us know about yourself, your experience, unique
interests, and qualifications, plus references from
your supervisor
and a fellow
pastor or professor
familiar with your teaching skills and ministry. Please
allow several weeks for
a reply.
We are eager to bless you and/or your church with missiological
education and opportunities to serve on the mission
field. As you bless the pastors
of Africa
through your prayers and financial support of the
Empower Africa Christian Leadership Conferences, you and your
church will be energized and enriched
by your involvement with what God is doing in Africa.
[TOP]
An Excerpt from Ron’s Personal Mission
Statement
Ron’s Personal Mission Statement in chapter 7 of Habits of Highly
Effective Christians, Know Who You are and Aren’t, includes the
following two paragraphs:
World evangelism is the great cause to which I have consciously dedicated
my life and resources. Anything I can do to further the cause of seeing
the world’s people come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ as their
Savior is automatically the high priority. I will go anywhere to lecture,
teach, train, or raise up Christian leaders who can further evangelize
their people. I seek to put into their hands the tools they need and
release them to serve in ways most effective in their own culture.
When I cannot personally go, I financially support those who do. I
train young missionary and ministry candidates, pouring myself openly
and honestly into them in an effort to help them, in their generation
improve on the efforts made by missionaries in mine. I seek to be transparent
so that they may be prepared for difficulties as well as the opportunities
involved in world missions. I also methodically and by name pray daily
for nations, national heads, governments, pastors, churches, Christians,
and peoples.
I believe that earthly life is merely temporary preparation
for the real existence that begins when we depart this tent of clay.
When
my mind and spirit are free from present physical restrictions, in
my
new body, I anticipate the fulfillment of my eternal destiny. Holy
and lofty opportunities for meaningful service and responsibility
await me. At that time, I do not want to regret having missed any
opportunity to serve, give, or prepare adequately on earth. I seek
to apply now,
in this life, the same value system we all will use in the next;
to
live and serve now so as to have no regrets then.
[TOP]
Why is Missions Such a Priority
for the Church?
The following three paragraphs are an excerpt from Chapter 13, Grasp
the Bigger Picture, of Habits of Highly Effective Christians. It represents
the value system which is the basis for our decision to come to Africa:
One of my favorite stories from the history of the early Christian
Church comes from the great church of Alexandria, Egypt, in the second
century. The elderly bishop of that church had been told on his deathbed
that a man would arrive the next day with a present of grapes. That
man was to become the bishop’s successor. True enough, the next
day a rustic, illiterate, and married layman named Demetrius arrived
with bunches of grapes taken from a vine on his farm. Through this
curious circumstance, he was hastily ordained and, surprisingly, ruled
well on the throne of St. Mark’s for forty-two years. During
this time, the church produced three great scholars: Pantaenus, Clement,
and Origen.
When a deputation arrived from India, according to Jerome, Demetrius
asked his most famous scholar, Pantaenus—a Jewish Christian educated
in Greek philosophy—to respond to an invitation to go to India
for discussions with Hindu philosophers. The bishop considered the
cause of the advancement of the Christian church in far away India
no less important than the advancement of scholarship at home.
Lord, hasten the day when we again send our finest sons
and daughters to this noble enterprise. The mission field is not the
place to send less competent Christians or misfits. We have not done
this exclusively, and God can use anyone. But that is no reason not
to send our best-qualified Christian workers abroad. May we not be
so ethnocentric that we feel other places in the world deserve less
than our finest minds.
Note: Perhaps you are a modern day Pantaenus. If you feel the Empower
Africa Christian Leadership Conference Project is attractive to you
and that God would have you join us in Africa we will help introduce
you to a network of pastors and churches in cities and nations that
need your skills. You would need to be spiritually, educationally,
and experientially qualified to complete a sometimes difficult ministry
assignment. You would be expected to raise or otherwise provide your
own living expenses and the costs of conducting your seminars. Africa
is a ripe harvest field. You have your “Macedonian call” right
here. Come over and help us train workers.
Ron and Char Meyers, 4422 East 82nd Street, Tulsa, OK 74137
ronrm@juno.com 918-495-6168 charhm@mail.com 918-523-9353
© 2003
Ron Meyers
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