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Zimbabwe (MNN) — The Church in Zimbabwe faces challenges like poverty and “brain drain” as more and more working professionals leave the country. Furthermore, although nearly 8 in 10 Zimbabweans are Christian, many embrace syncretism — mixing their religion with indigenous beliefs.
Local church leaders need support and education to address critical spiritual concerns. Unfortunately, the majority of pastors in Zimbabwe lack formal theological training.
Leadership training in Zimbabwe. (Photo courtesy of CWO)
Christian World Outreach (CWO) is slowly turning the spiritual tide by providing leadership seminars to hundreds of Zimbabwean church leaders.
CWO’s Greg Yoder says, “What we do for them is very well received, and the leaders are excited about that. A lot of times, the comments we get are the seminars, which are two or three days long, are too short! ‘When can you come back?’ [They are] sharing that it has a great impact, and they want to go back and share with other leaders.”
The demand for these seminars underscores the hunger for sound biblical teaching.
CWO works to host these leadership trainings once a month. The seminars talk about real-life issues, such as evangelism, caring for the poor, and combating false teachings like the prosperity gospel.
Many attendees are lay leaders and pastors who travel long distances — some walking up to nine hours — to receive this training.
At a recent three-day seminar, Yoder says, “There were 175 registered before the event happened. On the first day, over 200 showed up. On the second day, 240 showed up. And the third day, they had to turn people away.
“They’re just really hungry for this kind of training to learn how to be great leaders in their churches and in their communities.”
Pastors and leaders at CWO training conference in Zimbabwe. (Photo courtesy of CWO)
CWO also collaborates with other ministries in Zimbabwe such as SIM and the African Evangelical Church. “We’re not just out there desiring to be our own ministry,” Yoder says. “[We] partner with those who also have a like-minded heart to share with leaders and train them.”
The need remains great. Access to study Bibles is a recurring challenge for many church leaders, and prayer is essential.
“Pray for these leaders as they deal with issues in their communities and strive to lead biblically,” Yoder asks.
You can support CWO’s mission by donating for study Bibles and by praying for Christian leaders in Zimbabwe. Ask God to guide them as they build Christ-centered communities and share the Gospel in challenging circumstances.
Give to CWO’s Zimbabwe Leadership Development fund.
Learn more about CWO in Zimbabwe.
Header photo courtesy of CWO.
