Page 254 - LD215 History of the Church in Africa A4 final

A History of the Church in Africa

has directed the social work of the church. The church has also had
a powerful influence through radio and television. Wayne and Sylvia
Turner have steadfastly directed the training ministry, which is now in
the hands of capable Congolese leaders. The church also operates an
effective Bible school in Masina, Kinshasa.

Missionary Pat Hurst is involved in training in Kinshasa. In a recent
ministry update, he stated:

A pastor testified that he had felt the call of God on his life to go
as a missionary to another country in Africa. As this was not
something that was common in the Congolese Assembly of God
churches, he resisted this call. He is the pastor of a large and
“successful” church here in Kinshasa.… However, he decided he
could no longer avoid the call on his life. He stood up in front of
all of his colleagues and announced that he was to leave Congo
and go to another politically turbulent part of Africa. Touched
by his courage, the other pastors and church leaders gathered
around him and prayed that God would open the necessary doors
to release this brother into missionary service. (1)

The preceding example illustrates the level of maturity of the
African church.

Space and time do not permit me to write exhaustively on the history
of Pentecostalism in Africa. I regret that it is not possible for me to
include the story of every national church in this textbook. Perhaps some
other graduate student will follow the example of Latourette and write
an exhaustive history of the expansion of the church in Africa from a
Pentecostal perspective. It is my hope that the previous illustrations
will suffice to make a point—the same point with which we started.
That point to which I refer is that God is moving by His Spirit in Africa,
and every individual involved in this mighty river must ask the next
question: Where to from here?

Where to From Here?

Winston Churchill once said, “The farther back you can look, the further
forward you are likely to see.” In the introduction, I asked the student to

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