Location: Moletjie Moshate Tribal Office in Polokwane, South Africa. Details to be posted later

Timings: 1200 on Monday to 1200 on Wednesday

Theme:  The responsibilities of the Biblical Pastor

Sessions will include:

• The Pastor’s responsibility to himself
• The Pastor’s responsibility to his flock
• The Pastor’s responsibility to Christ
• The Pastor’s responsibility to his family
• The Pastor’s responsibility to his nation

Speakers:

• Dr.Victor Nakah, Theological College of Zimbabwe
• Pastor Irving Steggles, Birchleigh BC, Kempton Park and Chairman London Theological Seminary
• Sechaba Legoete

Please review our invitation policy before sending invitation requests.

“Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more” (Luke 12:48).

Pastor Kabwe Kabwe (picture below) of Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Ndola, Zambia, and I were in Barberton, South Africa, last weekend preaching at the African Pastors Conference (formerly, the Evangelical Press Conference). We must have had slightly over 100 pastors and church leaders present, largely from the area around Barberton and from Swaziland. The theme of the conference was “Marks of a Healthy Church”. Pastor Kabwe handled the need to ensure regenerate membership, faithfulness to church discipline, a biblically qualified and working leadership, and a commitment to the work of missions. I handled the need to ensure biblically regulated worship, commitment to biblical preaching, and the need to ensure biblical dispute resolution. I also presented a biographical sketch on the life of William Carey, “the father of modern missions”.

Kabwe Kabwe

The chief organizer of this conference is Karl Peterson (seen below with his wife, Glynn), an American missionary living and ministering in Barberton. He is a very committed conference organizer and is also involved in organizing the annual FIEL Conference in Nampula, Mozambique, together with Dr Charles Woodrow. Erroll Hulse, who is part of the organizing team of all the African Pastors Conferences, also came down from the UK to lend his support to this conference. His indefatigable labours in ensuring that Publishers give a most generous discount on books that are sold at these conferences ensures that pastors and church leaders go back home with these books to help them in their ministry. Without this discount, most of the pastors who attend these conferences would only wistfully watch these priceless ministry tools on the book tables because many of them are too poor to purchase them at their real market value.

Karl And Glynn Peterson

These African Pastors Conferences are growing both in attendance and in number. About seven of them were held last January all over South Africa, where Pastors Choolwe Mwetwa and Raymond Zulu were the main preachers. Two more were held in Botswana and Zimbabwe last year, where Pastors Ronald Kalifungwa and Isaac Makashinyi were among the main preachers. There are plans to start another one in Swaziland soon. Enquiries have also been received from Tanzania. We need to pray for these conferences. The organizers would like to maximize on—though not limit themselves to—the use of Zambian pastors. So, we have a very heavy responsibility on our hands! Remember the words above: “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more” (Luke 12:48). These conferences are a rare opportunity to introduce biblical Christianity to the many African pastors who are easy prey to false doctrines simply because of ignorance. I am grateful to God for the opportunity to participate in them and I gladly commend them to you for your prayer support.

Kabwe Kabwe Preaching

Unfortunately we are not able to invite ALL believers from our churches to this important conference. We must limit the registration to church leaders – pastors, elders, deacons, Bible college students, evangelists, youth and children’s leaders and other servants of God who are active in their local churches. Unfortunately we are not able to accommodate children and appreciate your understanding. We welcome wives of our participants to register for the conference.”

Click here for more information from the brochure and for contact details. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Click here to access the registration form. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Six African Pastors’ conferences were held in South Africa during January. My portfolio was to see that these conferences ran smoothly and that included organising the display of the books which are sold at subsidised prices thereby bringing very considerable advantage to the pastors. This latter responsibility was made a pleasure by diligent workers at each conference who know the book trade. Cornerstone Baptist Church, Bolton, generously and whole-heartedly supported me in these travels in sunny South Africa. My first pastorate was in Mandini, Kwazulu and with that background I have great sympathy for the needs of African pastors who live in an economic climate very different to ours.

The first conference was held at Mseleni near the border between Mozambique and South Africa, Pastor Choolwe Mwetwa (Central Baptist Church, Chingola, Zambia) spoke very challengingly on ‘The marks of faithful ministry’, and Pastor Raymond Zulu (High Wycombe Evangelical Church, UK) with the advantage of preaching in his mother tongue soared wonderfully on the theme, ‘The Word of God as our sure foundation’.

Our second conference at Koinonia Conference Centre was nearby the town of Hillcrest which in turn is not that far from the city Durban. The Speakers included Choolwe, Raymond, Dennis Hustedt (Utah, USA) and myself.  The response was encouragingly very positive. Such is the increasing interest and edification that the pastors are calling for an extension to this work to reach the youth and from them so seek to build up a future body of able ministers of the Gospel. We will have our work cut out to wrestle with this challenge and act positively.

Our third stop was in the Eastern Cape in at the city of Port Elizabeth, where Dr Paul Stoltz (Bible Institute of the Eastern Cape) very capably organised the three day conference. Pastor Bob Dickie (Berean Baptist Church in Flint Michigan USA) also expounded the awe inspiring subject of Worship. We also had an outstanding Q & A session. Some interesting topics were discussed including the role of women in ministry. This cropped up at most of the conferences. It seems to be a recurring theme that may need to be addressed sensitively in the future.

The fourth conference (click here for sermons and photos) was near the beautiful city of Pretoria. This time the speakers included Pastor Irving Steggles (Birchleigh Baptist Church, Kempton Park). He spoke on revival and delivered the conference sermon (’Motivation in the Ministry’). The conference was a tremendous success under the very capable leadership and organisational skills of Irving who was assisted by church members from Birchleigh Baptist and also from Constantia Park Baptist Church in Pretoria where Martin Holdt is senior pastor. The Book table ministry was also a great blessing here. The three days and two nights, including six meals cost each person the equivalent astounding sum of 70 Rand (£5.00). This is a admirable demonstration on just how far money given by churches in both the USA and the UK can go towards financing more APC’s in future years.

The fifth conference was in the large Free State town of Welkom. This once rich gold-mining  town is now not far from poverty. Even the local fire engines have been repossessed by the manufacturers. The local CESA (Church of England in South Africa which is a reformed denomination) minister, George van der Westhuizen, acted as host to the conference at his church building. There was tremendous response to the preachers Choolwe and Raymond. On a personal note heartbreak and challenge came to me the next day when the three of us visited Morning Star, a crèche for 85 local HIV positive children. What an inspiring work is done by the ladies there, especially Joan Adams who is responsible for running it.

Finally the last of the conferences took place at Newcastle. This was a first time event and was capably organised by pastor Paul Jacobs. Here we saw demonstrated what can be done when a whole church supports a conference like this. This practical backing came from the Newcastle Baptist Church. Apart from the books hardly any subsidy is needed when this takes place. Some were disappointed inasmuch that they did not have enough time to secure enough money to purchase more of the discounted books that were available. In Newcastle they all wanted us to stay on for a second day. Lord willing next year we will.

The following sermons were preached and recorded at the African Pastors’ Conference in Ora et Labora, January 2009:

• The Word Is Our Sure Foundation (2 Sermons) (Raymond Zulu)
  
• The Marks of a Faithful Ministry (3 Sermons) (Choolwe Mwetwa)
  
• Motivation in Ministry (2 Corinthians 5:6-16) (Irving Steggles)
• The Marks Of A Biblical Church (2 Sermons) (Gary Morrison)

A picture gallery is available here:

Raymond Zulu, previously at Newcastle in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, now pastors High Wycombe Evangelical Baptist Church in England. Many would testify to his helpfulness as pastor to pastors and his valiant stand for the truth.

Pastor Choolwe Mwetwa brings to our conferences 20 years of pastoral experience at the Central Baptist Church in Chingola, Zambia. He is an associate editor for the magazine Reformation Zambia, maintains a weekly column in one of Zambia’s favourite newspapers and keeps a busy preaching schedule throughout Zambia and around Southern Africa. Pastor Choolwe is married to Marilyn, and they have two sons and a daughter.

Irving Steggles, is Pastor of Birchleigh Baptist Church, Kempton Park, SA, and Chairman of the Board of the London Theological Seminary.

Speakers

Choolwe Mwetwa, Raymond Zulu, Dennis Hustedt and Gary Morrison. See the speakers page for more information.

Since 1988 Choolwe Mwetwa has pastored the Central Baptist Church, Chingola, Zambia
Raymond Zulu is pastor of High Wycombe Evangelical Church, UK
Until recently Dennis Hustedt of the USA was pastor of the Durban Central Baptist Church
South African born Gary Morrison is pastor of Cornerstones Baptist Church, Bolton, UK

Chairman

Pastor Ernest McAmbi

Themes

Choolwe Mwetwa: “The marks of a faithful ministry”
Raymond Zulu: “The Word is our sure foundation”
Dennis Hustedt: “Understanding the parables”
Gary Morrison: “Marks of Biblical Church” and “Features of a sound ministry”

Registration

For any interested in further information, or enrolling for a Conference, please contact:

• Pastor Irving Steggles (South Africa +27 82 889 0987 or info@africanpastorsconference.com)
• Pastor Erroll Hulse (UK +44 113 261 2513 or info@africanpastorsconference.com)

Programme

DAY ONE  (7 January)

Registration 8.00 am to 10.50 am

SESSION 1 11.00 –12.30  Choolwe Mwetwa

Lunch 12.30 – 1.30

SESSION 2 14.00 – 15.30  Raymond Zulu

Tea break 15.30 – 16.00

SESSION 3 16.00 – 17.30  Gary Morrison

Supper 18.00 – 19.00

SESSION 4 Dennis

19.30 – 21.00

DAY TWO

Prayer meeting 7.00 – 8.00

Breakfast 8.00 – 9.00

SESSION 1 9.00 – 10.30 Choolwe Mwetwa

Tea 10.30 – 11.00

SESSION 2 11.00 –12.30 Raymond Zulu

Lunch 12.30 – 1.30

SESSION 3 14.00 – 15.30 Q and A Ernest McAmbi

Tea break 15.30 – 16.00

SESSION 4 16.00 – 17.30 Dennis Hustedt

Supper 18.00 – 19.00

SESSION 5 Choolwe

19.30 – 21.00

DAY THREE

Prayer meeting 7.00 – 8.00

Breakfast 8.00 – 9.00

SESSION 1 9.00 – 10.30  Raymond Zulu

Tea 10.30 – 11.00

SESSION 2 11.00 –12.30  Gary Morrison

Lunch 12.30 – 1.30

SESSION 3 14.00 – 15.30  Choolwe Mwetwa