Discipleship

The SIM-related (SIM is a mission organisation - ‘Serving in Missions’) churches worldwide (of which BCA is one) meet together in an association called Evangel Fellowship (EF). In February this year, during one of the EF’s meetings, the Lord put the burden of discipleship on the hearts of leaders. At this meeting the churches saw the need to put ‘intentional’ disciple making as a top priority. Thus the call of EF is to return to ‘‘Radical Discipleship’. This vision and concern was taken further by a committee (of which Abukari is a member) who met in Ethiopia during the first week of August to proactively plan and strategise how to implement intentional discipleship in member countries.

During one of the meetings

In affirming the call ‘Back to Radical Discipleship’ the committee agreed with EF that in many of our churches (including BCA) discipleship has ceased to be a priority. It has been neither intentional enough nor radical enough to produce fully mature Christians…..thus the Church in Africa and beyond is growing wide but not deep; people are repeatedly invited to be ‘born again’, but they are seldom discipled as true followers of Jesus Christ; they are saved but not transformed; they have knowledge about Christ but are not conformed to His image. Many who make profession fall away, while some are lured away from the truth seeking the spectacular or by a shallow gospel that promises wealth and prosperity but denies suffering, persecution and the way of the cross. All around us is evidence that revival is currently taking place on African soil as we daily witness hundreds of conversions in our churches. But the questions we ask ourselves are: Is Africa prepared for that revival? Can we sustain it? Where is our workforce? Do we have men and women who are really rooted in the Word of God who can spiritually reproduce after their own kind? Where are our writers? And if there is revival in our land, why are evil, corruption and HIV/Aids still in the ascendency on our continent?

Meeting with a group who are being equipped to become disciple makers

Our meeting in Ethiopia offered us the opportunity to let member nations begin to see intentional discipleship as the driving ethos of everything its churches and SIM do. In our meetings and visitations of ‘Discipleship-making Centres’ it once again became clear that God gave two important commands to humanity, "Be fruitful and increase in number..." (Gen 1:28) and "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..." (Matt 28:19). Looking at these commands, humankind has been faithful in fulfilling the first command of multiplication (physical). Throughout Scriptures you hear that this person lived so many years, gave birth to children and died. The world is now about seven billion people despite wars, diseases and natural calamities. Man will go to any length to fulfil this command, thus the issue of fasting and prayers for children, exorbitant fertility funding, etc. If these experiences are not found in other parts of the world they are certainly here with us in Africa on a daily basis. The second command which is spiritual multiplication has not seen much fulfilment in the life of humanity despite God giving us all that is needed (all authority in heaven and on earth and His presence) to accomplish the task. This is a great challenge for our generation of Christians who live in an age of fast and instant growth, a generation where materialism is starting to suck the life out of the church, and at the same time being surrounded by powerful forces of Islam.

Our week in Ethiopia produced a document with strategies and plans on how to train and equip the Church (specifically SIM related churches) and mission leaders in at least 20 countries on prioritising discipleship. We hope and pray God will use this document to stir the hearts of His people towards intentionally making disciples and that plans will be implemented.

Abukari enjoying the traditional Ethiopian dish "enjera" - a sour tasting pancake with soup or sauce

Ethiopian clothes for Samuel and Micah

Thank God for:

• A safe journey to and from Ethiopia

• The opportunity to set out strategies to make the shared vision of discipleship possible

Pray for:

• Implementation of the plan; that it will not just be another document but that the church leadership will go all out to make this plan possible

• For funds needed to train and equip people within the churches

• For Abukari as he is to lead the coordination of discipleship throughout Ghana

• For churches and individuals (missionaries long and short term) who want to partner with BCA in serving the Lord in the area of discipleship