Chief Justice Mogoeng of South Africa hosted a historic virtual Africa Day prayer meeting on Monday May 25 with nearly 1 000 leaders from across the continent.
The meeting, which was birthed out of a campaign Mogoeng heads up to take healing to SA, marked a new phase of the Church in Africa uniting to rebuild the continent.
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The prayer gathering was hosted on Zoom and was also followed by many people on Facebook, DNCTV and community radio stations in four SA provinces and Botswana.
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Apostle Linda Gobodo opened the meeting, sharing that it was based on prophetic words about South Africa over a number of years.
She explained that despite the release of words that the Lord would change the face of Africa in 10 years, there had not been much change because the Church in South Africa was not ready. She said Monday’s meeting represented the awakening of the church in South Africa, which according to prophecy will lead the process of the restoration in the nations.
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Mogoeng began his message by reminding attendees of Biblical accounts of Africa’s role in fulfilling God’s purposes. He shared how the patriarch of the nation of Israel, Abraham in a season of famine came to Africa; how Mary and Joseph fled to Africa when Herod wanted to kill baby Jesus; and how it took an African man, Simon of Cyrene, to help Jesus to carry the cross for the last mile. These examples are among many in Scripture that confirm that Africa is indeed part of God’s agenda despite its unfavourable reputation as “the dark continent”.
He then shared a word he had received for the meeting, saying: “The time for the visitation of Africa has come. The time to remember Africa for good has come. The time for the rebirth of Africa has come. Africa is being born again today. What Africa had lost is being restored today.” He declared that this day marked the restoration, the healing, the unity the revival of the lost hope that Africa needs to move forward under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. He then led the meeting in a prayer of repentance on behalf of the continent, calling on the Lord to show mercy to Africa.
Mogoeng said what the body of Christ and people of Africa needed to do in this season is to love God, and love one another from pure hearts. He challenged Africans to love their continent, and to marry the land because such a commitment to the continent would bring an end to self-serving leadership. He also spoke strongly against the spirit of toxic denominationalism and commercialisation of the Gospel, calling for the Church to be united, to seek the Kingdom of God, and to demonstrate selfless and ethical leadership.
He also spoke about the importance of spiritually securing the four cardinal points and centre of every country and of the continent of Africa. He personally undertook to ensure that the centre of Africa is secured by raising an altar to the Lord.
The next speaker, SA evangelist Angus Buchan, affirmed the beauty, the blessing and the abundance of the land of Africa. He said these qualities are compromised by greed which comes when the eyes of men move away from Jesus to themselves. He declared that Africa has been given one more chance to return to the Lord which will birth revival. He also brought repentance on behalf of men for violence against women.
Rev Christine Shimanya of Uganda shared a number of prophetic dreams and visions God gave her and a team of intercessors over a period of time, confirming that God’s hand was upon Africa and that Africa will be healed and restored.
Pastor Laban Jjumba of Uganda challenged praying people to take up the responsibility of building the nation, because according to Isaiah 58:12 those who pray get to rebuild and restore. He attributed the lack of solutions in the nations of the world to the fact the Jesus has been “imprisoned” in the religious system. He is not known as the King who has practical solutions to the challenges faced by nations. He also said the church was meant to be modelled on communities like Abraham’s household living in their land, and not congregations as we currently.
Apostle Naomi Sheneberger from Zambia shared that God was raising new apostolic order so that his promise of revival will begin. She said revival will begin with a shaking that will cause only that which is from the Lord to remain. She also shared that Africa was being repositioned to become a global economic stability for natural resources, with the Spirit of the Lord hovering and replenishing all that was stolen. [See separate report on this word]
Bishop Joshua Banda from Zambia shared that Africa cannot afford to go for secularism or become a values-free society that seeks to build without God. He spoke about the power of prayer that gives the Church access to the throne of God. In His presence the Church can receive actionable spiritual intelligence as well as biblically-grounded models for national transformation.
Apostle Emmanuel Kure of Nigeria thanked the Lord for using the Covid-19 virus lockdown to facilitate Monday’s gathering which, otherwise, would most likely not have taken place. He said the Lord was allowing COVID-19 to help us reorganise our priorities and to align with His plans in this season. He prayed for God to reset the economy of Africa for the benefit of Africa.
Bishop Tudor Bismark of Zimbabwe spoke of the need for a new generation of thinkers and pressure movements to rise and turn the tide against status quo politics so that Africa could move beyond national independence to economic independence and stability and pursuing destiny instead of satisfying daily needs. He prayed for God to grow Africa through the coming together of tributaries from across the continent to contribute to a greater purpose.
The last speaker was Pastor Enoch Adeboye, of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria who gave a brief Bible study based on 2 Chronicles 7:14 before praying for the healing of Africa. He explained the importance of learning to give thanks to God for what He has done for the continent before presenting requests to him. He prayed humbly before the Lord, expressing gratitude for the independence of Africa, her resources and small measure of revival, inviting attitudes to shift from complaining to seeing possibilities.
Every speaker’s contribution was loaded with depths of wisdom and revelation that deserve greater analysis than the highlights shared in this article. Gateway News aims to provide more in-depth coverage of some of the inputs next week.
What was clear at the historic Africa Day prayer meeting is that it was an example of the Christ-centred convergence that Bishop Banda spoke about, and of the word picture that Bishop Bismark of different rivers that feed into the great Zambezi.
Words spoken by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali at an African Union prayer breakfast, that “the ultimate solution to Africa’s problems is Jesus Christ” were echoed at this continental meeting as Mogoend referred to them as marching orders for the continent.
A number of action items came out at the meeting. While no announcements were made about going forward, there was a clear willingness to continue to unite in order to see through the fulfilment of God’s promises for Africa.
I wonder why, according to Apostle Lindo Gobodo, “despite the release of words that the Lord would change the face of Africa over the next 10 years, there has not been much change because the church in South Africa was not ready”. Could it be that God was mistaken in what He “prophesied” or perhaps He didn’t know that the church in SA would not be ready? I thought that the prophetic word is based on what has already happened before the foundation of the world; that God knows the end from the beginning. Just asking!!
It seems that Luella asks a valid question. These prophecies of Revival, the ‘healing of Africa’, and ‘the church was meant to be modelled on communities like Abraham’s household living in their land, and not congregations as we currently have’rouse my cureiosity and whet my appetite, but they are vague – we need specifics so that will recognise their fulfilment when it comes. I await with anticipation the ‘greater analysis’ that is coming.
Thank you, Hugh. Your observations open a can of worms. Can it be that these conferences and their esteemed speakers are representing a movement which shifts the attention of the church, and I use that word to include the global body we call the church, away from the accurate, Biblical presentation of the kingdom of God towards an unbiblical movement called the New Apostolic Reformation? There is a subtle change of emphasis from the Biblical presentation of the “end times”., i. e., trials, persecution, trouble, hardship, apostasy, the love of most growing cold, and a call to persevere, stand firm, rejoice in suffering, remain faithful to the faith, etc., which are all building character and transforming us into the image of Jesus, to so-called “prophecies about “the end time harvest”, revival, glory, Africa leading the way, and… and… and… none if which has any Biblical basis. Just asking?
Luella – I wasn’t aware that there was a formalised “New Apostolic Reformation” movement. What I have observed is that prophecies that promise end-time revival, glory and now ‘Africa leading the way’ are popular, while teachings about end-time sufferings in ‘the distress of those days’ (Matt 24:29) are scarce – and would be highly unpopular. The end-time signs Jesus gave us included: ‘false prophets doing miracles to deceive the elect” (Mark 13:22), love of many gowing cold (Matt 24:16), when Jesus comes will He find faith on the earth (Luke 18:8). But we must not be quick to judge, which is why I await with anticipation the ‘greater analysis’ that has been promised. We must listen to both sides of this matter.
Hi Hugh, I have read up quite a bit on the NAR, but mostly from the critics of the movement. Some of it is alarming if it is true. I have yet to find an article in defence of what is believed and taught. You will be surprised to find the names of well-known and respected leaders among those who identify with this movement to some degree or another. A study of the New Testament reveals that false teaching within the early church was of greater concern than persecution. Every book in the NT except Philemon warns of false teachers and false prophets. Should we not also, then be wary of “new” teachings which go beyond the Scriptures?