Long-term and rapid growth in churches has brought significant challenges:

a) Nominalism is a major issue, even among evangelicals/Pentecostals. Attendance nationally is only 7%, less than one-tenth of all Christians. Establishing effective means of discipleship is a huge need as increasing numbers associate themselves with the Church, yet with no true spiritual growth in their lives.

b) The recent explosion of Independent churches. These churches are able to grow and multiply rapidly, but many are single congregations with minimal or no accountability. This presents dangers in financial and theological integrity; many adopt syncretistic practices or unbiblical beliefs and practices. Pray for their integration into biblical faith and church networks.

c) Tribalism, “kingdom building” and multiplied denominations cause divisions. Pray for biblical unity that transcends culture and personalities.

d) The need for trained leaders for the more than 80,000 congregations gives cause for concern. Over 70 institutions train Christian workers for ministry. All major denominations have training centres. The Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (300 students, including a PhD level), the Pan African Christian University and Daystar University serve all of Anglophone Africa. Yet these academic programmes are insufficient to address the sheer numbers needing to be trained. TEE programmes abound, but pray for grassroots training programmes, such as Langham Preachers Seminars, that aim to ground leaders in the Word and to help them lead and plant truly biblical, truly African churches.

Source: operationworld.org

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