Malawi (MNN) — Grace Ministries
International is approaching a decade of planting and cultivating in Malawi,
and now they're seeing the harvest. GMI's Sam Vinton says their partner has
been establishing preaching points which would eventually become church plants.
Their work in the country began
in 2000 when two Zambian Bible School graduates were sent as short-term
missionaries. It became obvious that
hearts were open, and people were ready for the Gospel.
In January 2005, Rev. and Mrs.
Kennedy Simtowe, GMI missionaries to Zambia, moved to Malawi and helped
establish a training center to expand the evangelistic outreach and church
planting ministries.
The team began offering module
programs for the leadership of the churches. Since then, several churches have been planted in Lilongwe, along with several
elsewhere plus preaching points which
will eventually become church plants.
However, "Since he had no
pastors to place there, he began a program of training elders, regionally
bringing them in for a week. In the last two years, he's up to about 75
preaching points where we actually have elders working in the churches, and he
continues this training project of these elders. Many people have come to the
Lord."
The discipleship circle between
the preaching points has been expanding and demanding more resources. Vinton says that's their challenge. "Pray that these men and women will be
trained, will be faithful to the Word, will be solid, so that these Christians
will grow. Too many Christians are maybe knowledgeable about the basic issues,
but they never go deep enough into the Scriptures."
