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Report on the Nigeria International Church Planter's Summit
November 2006

This report comes from Henry Oursler, who is flying home after almost two weeks in Nigeria...

Dear friends,
I am flying across "the Pond" as I write this letter. For the past twelve days, I've been in Jos, Nigeria. Our main purpose was to conduct our fifth "International Church Planters Summit" conference from November 7-10. We also did a parenting conference, an outreach to businessmen, appeared on a national radio program, and spoke in six churches while we were there. I wish I could sit down with each of you to describe the events of these days ... Over 175 pastors and church planters attended the conference. They came from all across Nigeria, as well as several from Cameroon. Some of the topics we taught on included: "Planting Churches to Reach a Country for Christ," "Spiritual Leadership," "Doing Church Planting God's Way" "Creating a Culture of Change," "Turn Around Churches," "Avoiding Church Planting Landmines," "Evangelism and Church Planting," and "Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing." The response was electric. Person after person came up to us throughout the week to tell about the impact of the conference in their lives. We had four hours of workshops that gave them time to interact, ask questions and delve deeper...continued below..

There were church leaders, several high-ranking bishops, young proteges, evangelists, pastors and seasoned church planters in attendance. Collectively they "got it" -- they captured the vision for reaching their country for Christ. I personally believe we will see hundreds of churches that start throughout Nigeria as a result of this Summit. Several of them remarked how our speakers took the time to listen to them, pray with them, and help them with their situations.

I think about Olu Jacobs -- one of the pastors we trained last year during our trip to Nigeria. Olu's church has grown to over 350, they are building a new building, and have been intrumental in starting 4 other churches. I asked Olu to teach the workshops I was scheduled to do. For four hours, he described church planting as they had done it -- and he did a great job. I was so impressed with him. This is a rising young leader who God is using greatly!

Pastor Moses Akema just wrote an email saying: "Thanks You for organizing such a life changing conference, my life was transformed and I was encouraged and a new decision was taken, thank you for your effort in bringing such wonderful ministers to Nigeria.

One of my favorite highlights was during one of our cultural entertainment nights. A musical band -- a group of men who travel around West Africa ministering to Muslims -- spoke and entertained us with music. They talked about how their lives are in constant danger from the persecution they face almost daily. They are having a very fruitful ministry proclaiming the gospel to Muslims, seeing great fruit (sometimes even in jail!). I was honored to be in their presence.

Then there was the young man who told me about his two children who had died on the mission field as they were planting a church in a remote area. We cried together. He and his wife had gone through a lot in the last two years – but he said that God had used this week to re-focus and re-energize him. He couldn’t wait to get home to talk with his wife about all he had learned from the Lord.

One major prayer request I have is for the follow-up from this conference. We are putting together a creative partnership of several missions organizations to help achieve our goals there. Under Ken Eze’s leadership, we hope to see a hundred churches starting in the next few months.

We also have many invitations to come back, especially to smaller cities and villages. Obviously that is not possible, but we have trained several communicators over there. Please pray for: Ken Eze, Olu Jacobs, Peter (forgot his last name), and Chawang Devou as they represent us in speaking to pastors and churches in all these villages.

Thank you for your prayers. God was gracious and opened doors for fruitful ministry. Keep praying for Nigeria! Below is a picture of a portion of our church planters!

Henry

Africa -- International Church Planter's Summit -- Jos, Nigeria
November 2006

In preparation for the Nigeria Summit, Henry sent out a series of Leadership Letters and Studies. These letters and studies are intended to provide encouragement for pastors, church planters, and other ministry leaders. You can read them on the ENCOURAGEMENT PAGE of our website. In response to the Leadership Letters, we received dozens of emails from pastors in west Africa telling us how excited they were about the conference.

Here is an email letter received from one of them (in Cameroon).

Dear man of God, I have received all the letters you have sent. The letters are so encouraging it seems as we are already in the church planting conference in Jos Nigeria. We cannot afford to miss this conference by the help of God we all shall be there.

My only prayer request is that God should lay in your heart and that of Kenneth Ezeh to bring such a conference to Cameroon early next year. We will be prepared to host the conference. The tone of your letters shows that you are not just trying to plant churches but it is a calling:

"come over to Macedonia (Cameroon) and help us"

A Pastor from Cameroon

India International Church Planters Summit Trains Pastors from India, Nepal, Thailand, China, Nigeria, and the US

Dr. Greg Kappas travelled to India again in February 2006, preaching, teaching, and training church planting leaders from . Click on the title above to read a report on what happened at the India Summit...