Reflections
Things learned and experienced during my trip to Africa (April 2010)
by Thurlow J. Switzer
1. God is working with and in the context of nations. He is the author of languages, races, and geo-political boundaries. An insight that grew within my inner being during this trip is the power of the “holy nation” that lives within the context of the “secular nation” (I Pet 2:9). God’s holy nation does not advance by political power and partisan fighting, but by the influences that arise from prayer, humility and authenticity of faith. As the Holy Nation grows in size and influence, it comes in time to affect and overtake the secular nation. I believe this occurs country by country.
2. This nation-changing strategy occurs when the Church of Jesus Christ freshly discovers the power of unity and mutual cooperation. This is why Jesus appealed that we “all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (John 17:21-23 NKJV).
3. The Kingdom of God and the Church of Christ are two correlating truths. The Kingdom of God is His rule and reign in the life of those people who yield the control of their lives to God. The Church of Christ is the physical, earthly expression of the Kingdom of God, whereby believers gather in communities of faith which are the congealed expression of the Kingdom of God, local community by local community.
4. The temptation to be a community that surrenders its quality of life to be driven by the surrounding culture is as tempting in other countries and cultures as it is in America. I was able to discern characteristics driven by the Togo culture in Togo, the Liberian culture in Liberia, and the Ghana cultures in Ghana, even as churches in America are driven by American culture; rather than driven by Kingdom culture. The true nature of Kingdom culture is characterized by righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom 14:17).
5. The people of Africa are a people of passion. Sometimes they live in such conditions of deprivation, poverty, and just seeking to survive, that the only alternative to things that would satisfy, (that would be available to Americans, such as restaurants, cinema, sports, etc.,) is the practice of gathering for worship and prayer, and this they practice with passion. They are very involved in talking back to the communicator with responses of “amen” and “hallelujah,” and all this with great sincerity. The Christians of Africa enjoy their faith and worship involvement and are committed to radical discipleship and the need to be totally sold out to God.
6. I discovered, however, that in the same way in which the charismatic movement and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the 70’s and 80’s have waned in America, so they have in Africa. I believe the Lord is weaning His people worldwide off the “wilderness” provision of manna, quail, and water, by God’s miraculous provision, in favor of calling the church corporately to cross over Jordan and to embrace the Promised Land through overcoming faith. In the Promised Land, the Israelites were now required to produce crops, till the soil, cultivate the land, and harvest crops. The economy had changed. A new season lies before the Church of Christ worldwide, in nation by nation, even so in America.
7. God is enabling the church at large to move from the pastoral-led church with a passive people to an unleashed and mobilized people embracing apostolic order and mission, led by leaders with a strong sense of apostolic mission. In Africa, we identified this as the Kingdom Apostolic Order. The message was well received and the pastors and leaders of Africa are excited to move into the next chapter of advancing Kingdom of God. Once again, Kingdom Order is a fresh emphasis on the universal rule and reign of God in the lives of people, cities, and nations, whereby kingdom people are walking and exercising spiritual authority as people of light in the midst of darkness. Apostolic Order is the active and full restoration of the fivefold function of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher, but uniquely in our day, such leaders working together in teams and plurality, not only in local churches, but in trans-church interconnectedness.
8. We emphasized that God’s people need to move out and into the seven gateways of society, extending the authority and influence of the Kingdom of God: (1) Family (home, marriage); (2) Religion (church, spirituality); (3) Education (schools, colleges); (4) Government (politics, strongholds); (5) Arts (entertainment, sports, drama); (6) Media (print, internet); and (7) Business (commerce, science, hi-tech, etc). Revelation 11:15 projects a coming day when “the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.”
9. Of special interest to me were the children. They are precious with big eyes filled with curiosity and excitement. In every church that I spoke at the children were present, and I made a point to ask the children to come up and see me after the service. Blessed are the children for of such is the Kingdom of God.
10. Pastor after pastor came to me and thanked me for coming to encourage them. They were saying the church of Africa had plateaued, and they could see better into the next stage to do the work of God. Several said they liked my “American English” as it was easier to understand than British English. I’m not quite sure what they meant, but perhaps it was because I tend to speak slower and enunciate my words, which they also commented on. Wow! Several said they enjoyed the “systematic” way in which truth and perspective were communicated to them. I believe the American Church and the African Church need to link up and do what the Bible says, “the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Eph 4:16 NKJV). This not only applies to our local church, but also to the universal church. Amen. Thank you very much for all your prayers.
The Itinerary from this trip included:
March 30 – arrive in Ghana
April 1-5, Lome, Togo (with Apostle William Tettey)
April 6–12, Monrovia, Liberia
April 13–26, Central Ghana and Tema, Ghana
April 27, 28 – return to USA
2. This nation-changing strategy occurs when the Church of Jesus Christ freshly discovers the power of unity and mutual cooperation. This is why Jesus appealed that we “all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (John 17:21-23 NKJV).
3. The Kingdom of God and the Church of Christ are two correlating truths. The Kingdom of God is His rule and reign in the life of those people who yield the control of their lives to God. The Church of Christ is the physical, earthly expression of the Kingdom of God, whereby believers gather in communities of faith which are the congealed expression of the Kingdom of God, local community by local community.
4. The temptation to be a community that surrenders its quality of life to be driven by the surrounding culture is as tempting in other countries and cultures as it is in America. I was able to discern characteristics driven by the Togo culture in Togo, the Liberian culture in Liberia, and the Ghana cultures in Ghana, even as churches in America are driven by American culture; rather than driven by Kingdom culture. The true nature of Kingdom culture is characterized by righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom 14:17).
5. The people of Africa are a people of passion. Sometimes they live in such conditions of deprivation, poverty, and just seeking to survive, that the only alternative to things that would satisfy, (that would be available to Americans, such as restaurants, cinema, sports, etc.,) is the practice of gathering for worship and prayer, and this they practice with passion. They are very involved in talking back to the communicator with responses of “amen” and “hallelujah,” and all this with great sincerity. The Christians of Africa enjoy their faith and worship involvement and are committed to radical discipleship and the need to be totally sold out to God.
6. I discovered, however, that in the same way in which the charismatic movement and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the 70’s and 80’s have waned in America, so they have in Africa. I believe the Lord is weaning His people worldwide off the “wilderness” provision of manna, quail, and water, by God’s miraculous provision, in favor of calling the church corporately to cross over Jordan and to embrace the Promised Land through overcoming faith. In the Promised Land, the Israelites were now required to produce crops, till the soil, cultivate the land, and harvest crops. The economy had changed. A new season lies before the Church of Christ worldwide, in nation by nation, even so in America.
7. God is enabling the church at large to move from the pastoral-led church with a passive people to an unleashed and mobilized people embracing apostolic order and mission, led by leaders with a strong sense of apostolic mission. In Africa, we identified this as the Kingdom Apostolic Order. The message was well received and the pastors and leaders of Africa are excited to move into the next chapter of advancing Kingdom of God. Once again, Kingdom Order is a fresh emphasis on the universal rule and reign of God in the lives of people, cities, and nations, whereby kingdom people are walking and exercising spiritual authority as people of light in the midst of darkness. Apostolic Order is the active and full restoration of the fivefold function of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher, but uniquely in our day, such leaders working together in teams and plurality, not only in local churches, but in trans-church interconnectedness.
8. We emphasized that God’s people need to move out and into the seven gateways of society, extending the authority and influence of the Kingdom of God: (1) Family (home, marriage); (2) Religion (church, spirituality); (3) Education (schools, colleges); (4) Government (politics, strongholds); (5) Arts (entertainment, sports, drama); (6) Media (print, internet); and (7) Business (commerce, science, hi-tech, etc). Revelation 11:15 projects a coming day when “the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.”
9. Of special interest to me were the children. They are precious with big eyes filled with curiosity and excitement. In every church that I spoke at the children were present, and I made a point to ask the children to come up and see me after the service. Blessed are the children for of such is the Kingdom of God.
10. Pastor after pastor came to me and thanked me for coming to encourage them. They were saying the church of Africa had plateaued, and they could see better into the next stage to do the work of God. Several said they liked my “American English” as it was easier to understand than British English. I’m not quite sure what they meant, but perhaps it was because I tend to speak slower and enunciate my words, which they also commented on. Wow! Several said they enjoyed the “systematic” way in which truth and perspective were communicated to them. I believe the American Church and the African Church need to link up and do what the Bible says, “the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Eph 4:16 NKJV). This not only applies to our local church, but also to the universal church. Amen. Thank you very much for all your prayers.
The Itinerary from this trip included:
March 30 – arrive in Ghana
April 1-5, Lome, Togo (with Apostle William Tettey)
April 6–12, Monrovia, Liberia
April 13–26, Central Ghana and Tema, Ghana
April 27, 28 – return to USA