In late 2022, African Enterprise (AE) ran a mission in Lusaka, Zambia titled ‘Lusaka for Jesus Mission’. Streams of people from across the world joined over 2000 local missioners from around Lusaka, and 150 from other provinces across Zambia, for 11 days of theological training, teaching and evangelism.
The missioners were briefed on the AE Stratified Evangelism model, given mission welcome packs as well as a schedule of events and information booklets for the people they hoped to convert during the mission. The Stratified Evangelism model aims to proclaim the gospel across every level (strata) of society through three pillars:
- Preparation – engaging and working with local churches in effective evangelism
- Proclamation – strategically preaching the gospel across the city
- Preservation – support the local churches as they welcome and support new believers
One of the local missioners in attendance was Pastor Francis Chanda.
This was Francis’s first introduction to AE. He is a local pastor appointed by his church, Woodlands Baptist Church, to participate in the Lusaka Mission. Francis committed his life to Christ in 2012 and had gone on to study at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Zambia. Following his training Francis was employed at the Woodlands Baptist Church in Lusaka, Zambia as the youth pastor.
One of the speakers at the mission was Dr Lutangu Lubasi, the Regional Team Leader of the African Enterprise Southern Africa Region (AESAR). Francis was particularly impacted by what Dr Lubasi had to say.
“I was greatly impacted by what Dr Lubasi shared with us,” Francis recalled. “I learnt about Stratified Evangelism and this approach captured my heart. Seeing Stratified Evangelism was a game changer for me.”
Each day of the Lusaka mission the Stratified Evangelism teams met together for training and prayer, ready to go out across Zambia to evangelise the message of Christ’s salvation.
“My passion and calling for evangelism and mission was confirmed upon my life and I also learnt the effectiveness of personal evangelism. I saw many people visit our church during the Lusaka Mission. But I was particularly encouraged to see two of the many people who visited our church and made professions of faith, become members of Woodlands Baptist Church,” Francis shared.
Francis is now one of 40 trainees that are being trained in evangelism by AE. This training has impacted him tremendously. He shared, “This training has stirred up my spirit and awakened me in the area of evangelism. I can now say I am equipped as an evangelist to share the Gospel of Jesus and win souls to the Lord.”
In May of 2023, Pastor Francis was selected as one of 18 missioners from Zambia to participate in the Mutare mission in Zimbabwe. This trip to Mutare gave him great opportunities to practise what he had learnt in the evangelism training during the Lusaka mission. He now looks forward with great anticipation to participate in future AE Missions.
Pastor Francis is doing great work in Zambia as he is equipped both theologically and with practical training to evangelise! Praise God for the work of Pastor Francis and his continued enthusiasm for evangelism. Pray for him as he continues to work as a pastor and seeks more opportunities to share the gospel of Christ with others.