Africa Church Planting Initiative

The Africa Church Planting Initiative (previously Southern Africa) began in 2019. Now, midway through 2023, 44 churches have been started resulting in well over 1,400 new believers. Watch the video below to see all the 2022 year end statistics details.

Establishing indigenous, multiplying, self-sustaining churches in rural areas of the southern region of Africa began as an FEC initiative in 2019. Led by a multi-national team of directors, FEC is in partnership with a growing group of in-country evangelical denominations, local Bible training schools, national church planters, small business trainers, western churches and partnering pastors to initiate and resource both single church plants and clusters of 4-6 church plants. Church plants are already established in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Botswana with South Africa and Madagascar anticipated in the near future. Church networks from several neighboring countries are inviting ACPI to launch similar church planting strategies in their countries.

Several years ago, Crossroads Church, Wauseon OH, explored micro-investment partnerships in Zimbabwe helping develop business investment groups to fight poverty by creating flourishing economic environments. Then in 2018, a Zimbabwean man, John Mutandwa, involved in the investment group contacted Pastor Matt Boyers for advice. That conversation led to more conversations about planting sustainable churches. Through God’s providence, much prayer, and dialog a church planting initiative took shape. Since the spring of 2019, John Mutandwa, Matt Boyers and Isaac Soda (a Zimbabwean church leader) are directing what is now ACPI. With a solid foundation and leadership structure in place, the hope is to plant multiple congregations each year in the southern region of Africa and beyond.

Even though historically the gospel has spread in the urban areas of southern African countries, the rural areas still need churches that preach the true gospel and serve the people. Many people in these areas speak English, so relationships with Westerners can develop quickly and without translators. ACPI unites rural church planting with entrepreneurial training creating economic development that leads to sustainability in the local context.

US churches or individuals can sponsor an ACPI church plant and planter, which includes the western pastor regularly connecting directly with the African planting pastor for relationship, encouragement and prayer. In this region of Africa, the initiative directors and church planters that ACPI has encountered are grateful for the relationship, encouragement and support. They are motivated to take the gospel into the rural areas of their countries.

To learn more, visit the Africa Church Planting Initiative Website.