Nazarene Gauteng

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Dr. Filimao Chambo

Vision 2013 -- by Filimao M. Chambo

From the Regional Director's Desk:

At the end of church year 2012, the Church of the Nazarene Africa Region reported 568,491 total members, over eight thousand organized local churches and preaching points and 127 districts. This represents over 130% growth from 2001 to 2012.

As we celebrate the expansion and growth of the Church in Africa, we are continuing to prayerfully implement strategies to strengthen the existing work of the Church; strategies that will enable the church to continue to mature into a strong, firmly established and progressive holiness movement in Africa. Secondly, we strive to maximize the implementation of agreed upon regional strategic principles; to further advance God's Kingdom in all peoples groups in Africa, with special attention being given to the areas were we do not have mission work yet.

To accomplish this, the Africa Region Mission Team (RMT) and Regional Advisory Council (RAC) are calling the church to return to the message of holiness of heart and life. The Celebrating Holiness Initiative, which we began in 2012, was designed to be a catalytic Initiative for Holiness Revivalism on the region. We received encouraging feedback from local churches and districts that were a part of the Celebrating Holiness 2012. Many new conversions from sin were reported as a direct result of this initiative. Many people were sanctified. Individuals, local churches and districts were transformed. In a recent district assembly, in Eastern District, South Africa, Rev. Solomon Ndlovu, district superintendent, reported 17.4% growth in membership as a direct result of the implementation of this initiative ( see article above ).

It is my prayer that in the year 2013, all local churches, preaching points, districts and fields and educational institutions will partner with us in implementing the Celebrating Holiness Initiative. My prayer is that the Lord will rekindle in us the passion, "to preserve and propagate Christian holiness as set forth in the Scriptures" ( Manual 2009 - 2013) .

I invite you to partner with me to encourage and amplify the necessity of local church, district and college revivals, holiness discipleship, holiness evangelism and holiness leadership development, to impact the church on the region with the Great Commission of Jesus Christ as a first priority in the functioning of the Body of Christ.

May we catch on fire to make Christlike disciples afresh! The measure of our success should be the conversion of sinners, restoration of those who have fallen from grace, the entire sanctification of believers and the development of strong, stable and progressive holiness congregations on the Region
Filimao Chambo

Africa Region Facts

The Continent of Africa:

There are 54 countries on the continent of Africa:
- 48 continental nations and 6 island nations
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent:
- 11.7 million square miles
- Population of 1 billion people (as of 2009)

The Church of the Nazarene at Work - Statistics:

The Church is in 42 of the 54 countries on the continent of Africa
The Church began in the north of Africa in Cape Verde in 1901
The Church began in Swaziland in 1910
From 1901 to 1950 the church was in four countries only
From 1950 to 1980:
- Total Membership = 37,000
- Total countries entered = 9
From 1980 to 1990:
- Total Membership = 71,121
- Total countries entered = 19
From 1990 to 2000:
- Total Membership = 173,690
- Total countries entered = 35
From 2000 to 2011:
- Total Membership = 549,463
- Total countries entered = 42
The work of the Church of the Nazarene in Africa is new work:
- 78.5 % of the work is about 30 years old or less
- 61% of the work is about 20 years old or less
Today there are 119 districts distributed in seven strategic fields:
- Central
- East
- Horn
- Lusophone
- Middle
- South
- West
There are 4,237 organized and 4,195 preaching points
There are approximately 4,000 Trained Clergy across the continent
There are over 6,750 learners at Nazarene Institutions preparing to be pastors

Initiative Phases

Prayer and Fasting for Spiritual Renewal

(22 February - 8 April 2012)

Prayer & Fasting Resources - Holiness Heritage
Core Values Resources

Holiness Revival: (8 April - 27 May 2012)

Sermon Outlines - Holiness Heritage
Core Values Resources

Description

This initiative is intended to complement and enhance the current work of the local churches, districts and fields in furthering the creation of a spiritual environment on the Africa Region where God is given freedom to bring on going, holiness revival to all churches and spiritual renewal to the leadership and membership on the continent of Africa. The recommended course for this initiative is a 50-day guided study and reflection leading to personal and corporate Holiness as it relates to the Wesleyan tradition with the desired outcome being a call-to-action leading to an awareness of need, focus on prayer and fasting, personal and corporate confession and repentance, engagement in a covenantal and accountability relationship with God and the Church.

Objectives of the Initiative

50-day guided study and reflection that leads to personal and corporate holiness revival
- Through awareness of need
- Obedience to God's call to be a holy people as revealed in the Scriptures
- Through focus on prayer and fasting
- Through personal and corporate confession and repentance
- Through engagement in a covenantal and accountability relationship with God and the Church
The creation of a catalytic agent that promotes on-going, personal and corporate revival on the Africa Region

The critical objective of this initiative is that this effort will be a catalytic agent in ongoing "holy" Christian fellowship, the conversion of sinners, the entire sanctification of believers, their upbuilding in holiness, and the simplicity and spiritual power manifest in the primitive New Testament Church (Manual, 2009-2013).

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