Dear Friends,
This Sabbath I have chosen to issue a press release for the Conference in Africa.
Please place the release in as many places or forward it to as many as possible.
It represents a great step forward in the churches of God. The African church
is now comprised of a vast majority of new members who have never seen or experienced
the Churches of God previously.
This is a significant aspect in the growth of the work.
Keep the faith and love one another
Wade
Christian Churches of God
Press Release
The Christian Churches of God has just conducted its first Trans-national African Conference in Nairobi, Kenya over the period 9-14 August 2002.
It was attended by representatives of the CCG from its churches in West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa and South Africa.
At the beginning of the conference the Coordinator General of the World Conference Mr. Wade Cox re-baptised seven ministers who had joined the CCG with their congregations.
A number of ordinations and credentialing occurred during the conference. An Executive Committee was established forming an African Regional Conference. This committee is formed as a sub committee of the World Conference under the powers vested in the Coordinator General.
The CCG has experienced a significant number of new churches joining in recent times from Catholicism, Pentecostalism, Methodism and various evangelical denominations. All these churches required rebaptism and regularisation of their procedures and ministry.
The conference discussed a large number of significant issues including the doctrinal on Divorce and Remarriage in Africa and the requirements for counselling and the requirements of Repentance and Baptism.
The preparation of the church for the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God was discussed in detail with Mr Cox explaining the Plan of Salvation in detail for the ministry and outlining the timeframe ahead of the church.
Churches were authorised in the following nations:
Churches in Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Ghana are authorised in West Africa with the ministerial headquarters in West Africa being located in Togo where the French African work will also be located.
Central Africa will see churches on Rwanda and the Congo with Uganda working with both Central and East Africa. The Rwandan and Congolese French work will operate in conjunction with West Africa.
Churches were also authorised in Kenya and Tanzania with a church to be organised in Zanzibar. West Tanzania will be run from Mwanza.
The Regional Conference leaders will be in South Africa.
There will be a large number of re-baptisms in all these African nations, after the ministry returns home and prepare their congregations. These will be the largest number of new baptisms into the churches of God in many years. In many cases the baptisms involve entire churches
Mr Cox explained the mission to Islam over the next few years. CCG is to publish the original Koran free of the Hadith and cross referenced to the Bible. This is expected to involve a number of Muslims and Christians in a cooperative effort under CCG oversight.
To facilitate the work translations are being now undertaken in French, Hausa, Kiswahili and Arabic. Mina and Fon are also being undertaken. Linggalla and Kenyawandan will be undertaken from Central Africa. Kenyan languages will include KiSwahili and also Kisii and Kikuyu among others. Tanzanian dialects will be undertaken after Kiswahili is complete.
CCG is now in a position to complete the work of the Churches of God in and to Africa.
Wade Cox
Coordinator General
© Copyright 2002 Christian Churches of God, All Rights Reserved
