Fishing Season in Africa (by Jim Poitras)

Jim Poitras
Former Missionary
to Ghana

It’s fishing season in the Africa Region. We have launched out into the deep. Forget the single pole. We’re casting our net. Our Regional Director, Jerry Richardson compares our ministries and multiple nations to the rope that holds the net together. Every nation - where the United Pentecostal Church International is present - is bent on being fishers of men. We will double in less than ten years.

Strengthening the catch is the Vision for Africa Ministries. We have seven specialized groups assisting us. First things first: Africa Network of Prayer represents our prayer needs throughout the region. We are not only a continent in need of prayer ,we are one that is in prayer. Africans everywhere are on their knees with raised hands storming heaven for revival. Under promotions in our region, we have the Africa@Revival Newsletter bringing good news from far countries. Both the Africa Network of Prayer and Africa@Revival have monthly e-letters that go out to thousands of friends and supporters. Join the list by writing vdrichardson@gmail.com or AfricaAflame@aol.com. We’ll be happy to welcome you on board!

Africa boasts the largest number of Bible schools and nations presently desiring to be part of the Global Association of Theological Studies. Over half of the nations worldwide that have sent letters of intent come from the Africa Region. We are thankful to be leading the way in Bible school education. We believe in trained workers in every nation. Brother Nicky Sisco is our new leader of GATS-Africa.

Africa Aflame is a long standing ministry of the Africa Region producing an annual CD of print and non-print resources. Requests come from around the world for our resources in English, French, and Swahili. We have literally hundreds of resources available.  Need help in resources? Write us at AfricaAflame@aol.com.

Leadership Development Africa is now under the capable leadership of visionary Ted Grosbach. He writes lessons regularly, has taught in loads of countries over the last year or so, and is planning to put his material on a CD for distribution. With the catch that’s coming, we need qualified leaders to facilitate our anticipated growth.

Former Secretary-General of the United Nations once said something like, “If you want to know how the future of any nation would look, you do not need super computers to predict. They are already represented in the minds and hearts of the young people.” There’s a lot of little fishes in our fishing pond. They are our future and believe me, the future is bright. Over fifty percent of our population is below the age of fifteen. So, we have two ministries preparing for the gigantic catch. Campus Ministries Africa reaches students at every level. Reaching Africa’s Children envisions a children’s ministry in every United Pentecostal Church on the continent.

Someone has said, “No one leader has all the answers, but by combining the most brilliant ones, you have everything you need to lead your organization to success.” In Africa, no single ministry takes its fishing pole and expects a gigantic catch. Together, as strands of rope in a fisher’s net, we are working to lead the United Pentecostal Church International in Africa to unprecedented success.