If you don’t know where you are going you will never arrive
The Secretary General of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA), Dr. Master O. Matlhaope, met with the secretariat, this being the first formal meeting with the staff members at the AEA headquarters in Nairobi.
The SG took time to highlight to the members of staff the AEA’s vision: Evangelicals in Africa united and engaged in effective ministry. He also discussed with the team matters related to the mission, purpose and objectives of AEA, without forgetting the basis of our unity as evangelicals in Africa, based on the words of Jesus Christ as he prayed for the Church in John 17: 21 – that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Dr. Master encouraged the staff to promote AEA in all their engagements by getting fully involved in God’s work wherever they are, in line with AEA’s mission: To mobilize and enhance the empowerment of the church for the holistic transformation of communities and societies in Africa.
The intentionality of the AEA fraternity was also emphasized on, in providing the tools of holistic transformation – body, soul, spirit. “When we neglect areas that God is concerned about, it is sin,” stated Dr. Matlhaope, adding that gone are the days when evangelicals would only step out to speak about the love of God carrying only a bible. A time is here when we have to care about the overall wellbeing of God’s people, in line with the vision of The Africa God Wants, that will see a continent where diseases are eradicated, leadership, governance and the way of doing economics being grounded on integrity and Ubuntu ethic.
Dr. Matlhaope took time to remind the staff of an African proverb that states, A hungry stomach has no ears. In the context of evangelicals, this simply means that when Christians go out to share the good news, they must care about the needs of the people just like God does, otherwise they may not hear what the carriers of the message have to say. Therefore, it would be important for evangelicals to care about nutrition, health and safety of the people among many other facets of human life.
“We must not forget why we are here; to provide a continental platform for fellowship, partnership and joint Christian witness, the SG said. He added that AEA should strive to see a continent united by its diversity, where resources are stewarded sustainably, and everyone has the opportunity to flourish.
“If you don’t know where you are going, you will never arrive and if you arrive, you will not know that you have arrived and will keep going about,” said Dr. Master in conclusion. With this wealth of knowledge, the secretariat was invited to walk together in a journey that will see the African church prevail, even in the hardest of circumstances. The meeting ended with a prayer, asking God to guide the steps of the evangelicals in Africa as they do His work.
