Church of the poor - Jesus Army

multiply
LEADERSHIP EXPLORED
Seven days’ travel was not too much for delegates
to the first Pan-African Multiply Conference
“CHURCH IS a living organism,
not a building,” heard the 131
delegates at the first Pan-African
Conference, held in Lagos,
Nigeria from 8 to 10 November
2007.
Delegates came from the
west, east and southern states
of Nigeria like Ibadan, Ogun
and Osho, and from other West
African countries like Ghana
and Cameroon for three days of
intensive and comprehensive
teaching on “the church”. Three
of the Sierra Leonean brethren
had to take a seven-day journey
by road to reach the conference,
while the luggage of Victor Shefford
and Clive Strudwick, representing
Multiply UK, was left
behind so they were three days
without a change of clothes and
wash or shaving gear! But nothing
hindered the enthusiasm
among the leaders to give and to
receive during the conference.
“The message was timely,
inspirational and met the needs
of the people,” said Matthew
Oluwalesin, chief organiser, senior
pastor of Glad Tidings, Lagos,
and Multiply apostolic leader
for Nigeria. “Individualism
was denounced and unity for a
common purpose was acknowledged.”
After a 10-point introduction
to God’s church from Victor,
Matthew expounded on the ministerial
gifts: “Teachers are like
the little finger in a man’s hand,
called to dip into God’s word and
teach His body. Pastors are like
“The world
is filled with
supervisors
and managers
but few
leaders.
Leadership is
like beauty:
it is hard to
define but you
know it when
you see it.”
the ring finger and so married to
the church. They must be compassionate
over the flock of God
like a mother and must be ready
to feed the flock at all times.”
In a time when many Christian
leaders are falling around the
world, integrity is of critical importance.
“Leadership has very
little to do with what you can do
and is fundamentally a matter
of becoming who you are,” said
Desmond Thomas, apostolic
leader for Sierra Leone. “The
world is filled with supervisors
and managers but few leaders.
Leadership is like beauty: it is
hard to define but you know it
when you see it.”
Interspersed with the teaching
were Holy Spirit-filled worship
times and fellowship. “The
worship was motivating. People
were not tired and did not feel
like going home,” said Matthew.
“I want to thank the Jesus
Fellowship who, with the love of
God in them, want Christians to
come together as brothers and
sisters,” Matthew concluded. “I
want to thank Multiply leaders
Lagos, Nigeria: scene of the first Pan-African Multiply
all around the world for their
vision all over the world. The
network is expanding every day
and we are seeing the fruit in the
nations in Pan-African countries
of Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
Ghanaian Multiply has been inaugurated
and we believe other
countries, such as Cameroon,
Togo and Benin Republic, will
follow suit.”
Multiply is on the move!
JOIN US
in June 2008
in UK for
our next
biennial
Multiply
International
Conference
Jesus Life One/2008 Page 18
www.multiply.org.uk