Botswana Church Mobilasation - March 2004

Our goal in Botswana was to get on the ground and influence church leaders, especially pastors to the point that mission awareness and missions involvement is the result. We focussed on Mahalape, Francistown, Nata, Kasane and Maun. God truly led us to the right people and gave us favor with them. We met key pastors in these towns and they invited other like-minded church leaders into the process, which ultimately culminated in the national meeting that was to be hosted in Francistown, Botswana. It became clear that there was broad-based consensus and that it was time for local churches to be challenged to get involved in missions.

After a motivational road trip to all these towns, the logistics for the national meeting was finally in place. It was decided that during the day the meeting will be for pastors and church leaders only, but in the evening church members would be invited to attend. The idea was to influence a larger part of the body of Christ in Francistown specifically.

What a blessing it was on the first night as almost 200 people attended. Ps Willie Crew shared and it was clear that there was great expectancy from those attending. On the second night there was around 300 people. There was a real presence of God in the meetings and on the second night, 12 people declared themselves willing to go into full time missions work, should God call them. Praise God for early fruit on our labor.

The following morning the first meeting for pastors and leaders was held and was attended by 80 church leaders from all 5 targeted towns and cities. One pastor commented that this was the first time in the history of the town that he experienced such co-operation between churches. Ps Willie and Ps Zakes Khumalo from Swaziland shared and challenged the pastors to mission involvement, especially with regards to reaching the least reached people groups. One session led by Ps Zakes was especially significant as he led indigenous pastors and foreign pastors in a time of reconciliation. This was truly a God moment in the meeting.

Towards the end of the meeting Ps Willie Crew challenged pastors to write the vision for planting new churches in unevangelised rural areas. Most pastors wrote and reported that they were planning to plant one, two or three new churches. It was also decided to build a “Donkey Church Ministry”. Donkeys are very common in Botswana. The ministry entails workers using donkeys to travel to outlying cattle posts on a weekly basis in order to disciple converts. The delegates committed themselves to paying for 5 donkeys and sponsor 5 Bushmen missionaries on a monthly basis.

Each delegate received material that shows the least reached people groups of Botswana. This will help them to understand what the needs are on the ground.

In closing. We are convinced that this is God’s time for Botswana to rise up to the challenge of missions. A process has started that could ignite a missions awareness and involvement like never before. By God’s grace, this to us was an excellent investment of our prayers, time and money. We endeavor to stay informed about the progress that this committee and the church pastors make and to encourage them to fulfill God’s call on them.

For further information, please contact Cobus Behrens @ 012 343 1165 or mapregional@worldmissioncentre.com