Report by Raymond Zulu
In a short space I am limited to a few fleeting impressions of six truly wonderful conferences. The theme for them all was Preaching Christ from the Old Testament. The preachers were Ronald Kalifungwa – Christ in Genesis, Gary Morrison – Christ in Psalms, Isaac Makhashinyi – Christ in Exodus, Raymond Zulu – Christ in Kings and Sechaba Legoete – Christ in Leviticus. They were joined by Bob Dickie who spoke in Port Elizabeth from Isaiah on ministry marked by humility and brokenness.
Port Elizabeth
The ministry of all the speakers were well received and appreciated. Bob Dickie and Ronald Kalifungwa were the highlights. The spirit of the conference was very good. The local organizers clearly had invested time and effort. Special thanks and appreciation should be expressed to Dr Paul Stoltz, Siphiwo Kiti and BIEC staff for all their hard work.
Koinonia near Hillcrest Kwazulu
The ministry of all speakers was well received and a good enthusiastic spirit was evident amongst the people. Ronald Kalifungwa was especially helpful during the question and answer session. Our book-warehouse manager Gayle Staegeman in Midrand demonstrates unwavering commitment in helping and serving all the APCs. Sya serves with the same kind of commitment at Koinonia. Like Gayle she knows not only the books but the book trade. These sisters deserve praise and encouragement.
Mseleni far north in Kwazulu
Dr Victor Fredlund, a very busy surgeon a sterling work organizing this conference in Mseleni. Our prayer for him to have a helper has not yet been answered. The ministry of the word was well received and Isaac Makhashinyi excelled. There was a group that came from Empangeni who could not make it Koinonia. The urgent need for expository books in Zulu is stark when we see how few books these pastors have to help them.
Newcastle in Kwazulu
The Newcastle Baptist Church once again offered refreshments and manpower thus reducing costs to a minimum. The new pastor at Newcastle, like his predecessor, is very supportive together with his elders and deacons. The ladies of the church were tireless in making sure the conferees were well fed. Paul Jacob led the meetings .The Lord blessed the ministry of the word from Isaac Makhashinyi and Sechaba Legoete which was warmly received.
Welkom in the Free State
Ron and Joan Adams were responsible for organizing this conference. One pastor declared that he was determined to spread the news of the value of the APCs among the pastors’ fraternals in the townships around Welkom. Such zeal and support is the life-blood of these conferences. Joan Adams is the dynamic, compassionate manager of Morning Star for Aids orphans. We were inspired by the extent and quality of care for so many damaged little ones when we visited this wonderful work.
Pretoria – Ora et Labora
Here Isaac Makhashinyi, Gary Morrison and Sechaba Legoete were greatly used of God. Nick and Sheila Court and other ladies ensured that the conference ran smoothly. (see photo on the front inside cover). The meals for so many delegates were served amazingly promptly.
Gayle Staegeman reported at the conclusion of the six conferences that 174 sets of five free books had been given to pastors and the total number of books which were either given or sold came to 1,773. Most books were procured at Ora et Labora with Newcastle second and Port Elizabeth third.
Pastors Elias Masango and Musa Simelane pastors from the townships Soweto and Tembisa respectively, emphasized the importance of extending these conferences to include the pastors of the massive township populations round Pretoria and Johannesburg.
The conferences were a blessing and great encouragement to everyone present as far as we can tell. January 2010 was attended by God’s grace and goodness in a very pronounced way with no tensions or major difficulties. Delegates at all the venues evidenced growth and maturity.All those saints who have taken the APCs to heart and given their support either in prayer or in other ways have much to bless God for in that his word was so clearly proclaimed.