People are hearing the good news of Jesus Christ in Southern Africa through God’s work in the Africa Church Planting Initiative (ACPI). Five years ago, the ACPI launched after Matt Boyers and Rocky Rocholl met with John Mutandwa in Zimbabwe to explore ways to bring more Bible-based doctrine to churches that had begun moving away from truth. Today, with the support of over 20 FEC churches, 60 churches have been planted across Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, and, as of next month, Madagascar.
Eric Kabwata, Pastor of Missions and Outreach at Crossroads Evangelical Church in Wauseon, Ohio, joined the ACPI team in 2022 and recently returned from Africa alongside a team of leaders from FEC. During the visit, African church planters and leaders were trained in the use of the African Study Bible instead of the King James version. This specific version provides “examples and illustrations and commentaries with African context,” says Eric, who moved to the United States from Zambia in 2012. His group then spent time hearing incredible testimonies about the work God is doing. “It’s a movement that we are seeing.”
One African man who previously spread false teachings came to a redemptive faith. He returned to the followers he had deceived, this time preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. With ACPI supporting him, this man is now leading people in his community to Christ. There are also many chiefs in very rural areas, where families often live on less than $2 a day, learning about Jesus for the first time, Eric says. “Just to have somebody to explain to them what it means has opened the eyes of many people.”
The ACPI plants four churches at a time in each region so these “clusters” can be spiritually and physically connected. There is also a “planter advocate” within FEC who connects regularly with the African church planters, encouraging them, passing along prayer requests, and advocating for their needs.
Matt Boyers and Eric Kabwata visit Africa every six to eight weeks, offering continued support and training to ACPI’s leaders, planters, and pastors
