Day 3, Annual Africa Leadership Team Meeting in Pretoria, South Africa

“Unless You go with us, Lord.”

The second full day of Africa leadership meetings began with prayer as we joined our YWAM family for the third day of corporate prayer for Africa. This was followed by a challenging message from Jane Rhoades (Member Care Team) as she reminded us that leadership is appointed by God to accomplish His heart and mind, not our own agenda or that of another person. Our loyalty is to Him before any other.

Speaking from 2 Samuel, Jane outlined the way Eli’s leadership deteriorated from the time of his sons’ sins because he failed to rebuke or restrain them effectively. Indeed, although God was very clear about the consequences of tolerating their wrong-doing, we later find Eli’s sons still holding positions as priests among the people. In spite of God’s clear instructions, when the Israelites were overcome by the Philistines the Elders did not understand their defeat as the result of an absence of God’s presence. They took a strategy decision without consulting God and suffered another defeat; Eli’s widowed daughter-in-law declared this to be a state of Ikabod, “the glory of the Lord has departed from Israel.”

As leaders we are challenged, when we are made aware of sin, to deal with it in a way that honors and pleases God. Our priority must be to hear from God, to get His perspective and direction and then to be obedient, out of absolute loyalty to Him.

ALT Business
As the meetings moved into a discussion of the agenda items there was a sober awareness of the God-given responsibility each leader carries as part of the eldership for YWAM Africa. This is particularly true of the Executive Team: Kobus van Niekerk, Garry Tissingh and Pete Thomson. This team has brought leadership to the ALT since the time John Kisamwa’s term as Field Director came to an end. As they reviewed the effectiveness of this team, the Africa leaders expressed their happiness with the way the three executive members have been able to serve the needs of the continent. There is no feeling that this model should change at present, rather that YWAM Africa would be best served by continuing with an executive leadership. This will be reviewed again in 12 months’ time.


Training Opportunities
Additional presentations were brought to the ALT by non-members. This included Pretoria-based Dave and Alison Swann, who spoke of their intentions to offer field-based training for staff involved in Community Development as well as for leaders. Note that they will be offering their Community Development Seminar in Madagascar, from 21 September.

Miranda Heathcote from AfriCom presented two wonderful opportunities to develop communicators for your location: the Communication Team is running a School of Field Journalism from 05 January next year and is also partnering with the YWAM base in Jinja, Uganda, to host YWAM’s international Communication Consultation and Basic Communication Workshop from 20 April to 02 May 2009. Both events form part of their efforts to develop a stronger communication network to serve the needs of YWAM Africa. For information about either of these opportunities, contact them at ywamafricom@gmail.com.