L'Afrique que Dieu désire : AEA SG s'engage auprès de l'Église évangélique de Madagascar

The Evangelical Alliance of Madagascar (EAM), in partnership with the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA) and the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), successfully held the Members’ Meeting of the Evangelical Church on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, in Antananarivo. The gathering was honoured by the presence of Rev. Dr. Master Oboletswe Mathlahope, the Secretary General of the AEA, whose participation added significant value to the time of dialogue, prayer, and reflection. Convened under the leadership of Rev. Dinah Ratsimbajaona, President of the Evangelical Alliance of the Islands of the Indian Ocean and Madagascar, the meeting brought together spiritual fathers, pastors, and church leaders in a spirit of unity and fellowship inspired by Psalm 133:1, with a shared focus on strengthening cooperation and advancing the mission of the Evangelical Church in Madagascar and across the region.

During this visit, the Secretary General’s primary address focused on strengthening the National Evangelical Alliance, deepening the understanding of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA), and reaffirming the theological and missional foundations upon which AEA exists. The address linked continental vision with national responsibility, emphasizing Madagascar’s strategic place within the wider African evangelical family.

The Secretary General also provided a historical overview of the origins of AEA, explaining why the association was formed and the context in which African evangelicals discerned the need for a continental body. Central to this identity is the indispensable place of Scriptural orthodoxy, which anchors AEA’s theology, values, and witness. He emphasized that AEA’s credibility, unity, and mission are sustained only through unwavering commitment to the authority of Scripture.

The Call to Unity

A significant part of the address emphasized unity among the Body of Christ, drawing from John 17:20–21, where Jesus prays for believers to be one so that the world may believe. The Secretary General stressed that unity is not optional but foundational to effective Christian witness and transformation. Churches, both large and small, were encouraged to join and actively participate in the national alliance as a practical means of strengthening collective evangelical voice, influence, and impact in Madagascar.

L'Afrique que Dieu veut

The address then moved to AEA’s long-term vision, articulated through the slogan ‘The Africa God Wants.’ This vision was deliberately contrasted with the African Union’s ‘Africa We Want’, highlighting the distinctively biblical and gospel-centered nature of AEA’s vision.

The Secretary General outlined the realities of Africa today, persistent challenges such as wars and political instabilities, disease, poor leadership, weak governance and health systems, the existence of Unreached People Groups (UPGs), and the tragic exploitation of youth, often by extremist movements. He affirmed that while these realities describe the Africa we experience, this is not the Africa God desires.

In response, the Secretary General articulated AEA’s Transformational Agenda, emphasizing continental transformation through gospel-rooted leadership. AEA seeks to provide spiritual, moral, and strategic leadership to facilitate change across Africa, promoting greater participation, ownership, and responsibility at national alliance levels.

Each national alliance, including Madagascar, was challenged to prayerfully discern and articulate its own contextual transformation agenda, aligned with the broader continental vision, so that together, Africa may increasingly reflect the Africa God wants.

Flowing from this vision, the Secretary General underscored the need for unity of purpose among churches and evangelical bodies in Madagascar. He encouraged leaders to see unity not merely as structural alignment but as shared commitment to gospel-driven transformation within their national context.

Humanitarian Outreach and Field Visit

Following the address, the delegation proceeded to aid distribution sites, where humanitarian assistance was being delivered. At the relief site, the Secretary General offered a brief exhortation, drawing from the biblical account of Jesus feeding the multitudes. He reminded those present that while the people followed Jesus for bread, Christ ultimately rebuked them to point them toward the true Bread of Life. In this context, the humanitarian assistance provided by AEA was presented not as an end in itself, but as a signpost pointing to Christ, the giver of life.

The Secretary General led the recipient in a prayer of repentance and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. The spiritual reflection emphasized the holistic nature of the gospel. Following this, the water was purified, and the people were able to drink, an act symbolically reinforcing that the relief offered points beyond physical sustenance to the spiritual life found in Christ.

Conclusion

The humanitarian response was thus framed as an expression of integral mission, where compassion, proclamation, and spiritual transformation are held together. The relief effort ultimately pointed beyond the gift to the Giver of Life, affirming AEA’s commitment to gospel-centred transformation in word and deed.