Moving Forward In Africa
An update from Doug Hayes, Pastor in Covenant Fellowship, PA, and Executive Director of Covenant Mercies…
In my capacity as Executive Director of Covenant Mercies, I’m typically on the African continent three times in a year. Since 2020 was not exactly a typical year, it’s been refreshing to resume my normal travel routines in 2021. In June, I had the pleasure of visiting Liberia for the first time. This was a brief make-up trip for a plan that had to be canceled in 2020. It was such a pleasure to get to know Dyonah Thomas better (along with his beautiful family), and such an encouragement to see the great work the Lord has begun there through Gracelife Church and all its associated ministries.
Dyonah’s kingdom ambition seems to be wonderfully matched by the leaders and co-laborers the Lord has raised up around him. In addition to their normal church life, they are engaged in pastoral training through Gracelife Seminary, and the education of young people through Gracelife Academy. Construction is underway on an ambitious new facility for the seminary, which will position this church well for its church planting goals both in Liberia and in neighboring West African nations.
From Liberia I traveled on to Zambia, where our friends at Christ Community Church (CCC) in Ndola continue to find their footing after the shocking loss of their Sr. Pastor, Wilbroad Chanda. All things considered, the church is doing well. Wilbroad’s name comes up in routine conversations almost every day, many times through tears. But across the board – from the surviving eldership to the newest church member – our brothers and sisters in Ndola are trusting God and persevering in their mission as a local church.
One way the church is moving forward is through the training of current and future leaders. This was a passion of Wilbroad’s, and I am certain he would be pleased to see the brothers he left behind stepping up in both church leadership and in theological study. Three men (one existing elder and two non-elders) are now working on their required readings with a view toward possible Sovereign Grace ordination in the future. Through SGC’s generosity, I was able to deliver a stack of books to each of them to support these pursuits. Their eagerness to “study to show themselves approved” is a great blessing that will serve CCC well into the future.
I was looking forward to seeing our sponsored children back in their classrooms at Lighthouse Christian Schoolduring my visit to Ndola, but just two days prior to my arrival, the government closed schools nationwide due to an uptick in COVID infections. Schools remain closed as of this writing, so prayers would be appreciated both for the health and safety of our Zambian friends, and also for the impact of yet another school closure to be minimized. There is no fallback plan to online classes or homeschooling for the typical Zambian student, so we need to pray for a rapid return to the classroom.
My itinerary said I’d fly on to Ethiopia from Zambia, but sadly this portion of my trip did not come to fruition. Due to a recent election and some political unrest that followed, the country decided to turn away everyone except Ethiopian passport holders and permanent residents. So I was blessed to return home a few days early, but disappointed not to see our friends and partners in Addis Ababa.
Whether on behalf of Covenant Mercies or Sovereign Grace, it is such a delight to visit these dear friends regularly and witness the powerful work the Lord is doing in Africa. I have never been more excited about the opportunities He has put before us, and I am eager to see the fruit that comes from them in the years to come.
