Reflections from Mission Empowerment Conference 2016, Zambia

It's 10:09 somewhere in Zimbabwe. I'm sitting in a bus from Zambia, en-route to South Africa, dark - with all the lights off. Everyone in the bus is either asleep or silent, all except a very small few.

A few rows of seats behind me are a pair of young sisters in a dialogue on the subject of righteousness and Biblical hermeneutics, about 4 rows ahead are another small group exchanging, I believe, their views of social equality from the Biblical perspective. I don't quite catch the details of their discussions but the fact remains: the only voices I hear are those of young people engaged in genuine, deep and Biblical conversation. This is the ride back from the Mission Empowerment Conference 2016 (MEC2016) in Zambia.

About the conference

The MEC2016 Conference was organized by IMPACT Missionary Movement, in collaboration with Student Missionary Movement (STU-MM) and the Seventh-day Adventist Student Missionaries (SASM).

Under the theme: "Come up Higher", the conference challenged attendees to "explore greater level of spiritual, academic and professional excellence." I can best summarise my experience at the conference as being a "mountain-top" experience. Here I share just a few highlights from my time there.

Some highlights

Since December 2010, it’s been a personal wish of mine to visit Zambia. Making it to the conference has been by the hand of providence. My prayer, while planning was that if God wanted me attend, He would ensure that all the means necessary would be covered.

The conference offered challenging, reviving and practical presentations by Godly presenters, most of which spoke directly to me. Morning devotions covering the assurance of salvation and balanced Christianity were shared by Ps. Munyumbwe (Zambia Conference president), radical calls to commitment were made in afternoon and evening sermons given by Pr. Randy Skeete, and plenary sessions were shared by Ps.Joshua Shin (among others).

At the conference, I was given the immense privilege of presenting a seminar under the theme of Righteousness by Faith. My burden throughout the sessions given was an emphasis on experiencing the gospel, and understanding the cross in the context of the Three Angels’ Message (Revelation 14). I was inspired by the testimonies, lessons learnt from those who attended my seminar. One brother shared a testimony on how something I shared with him to read was an answer to a prayer he prayed before the conference. I really saw the seminar as led by God, both in the lessons learnt and conversations had.

I was impressed by the genuine Spirituality of the attendees and volunteers. It may be my fondness for Zambians (and other Africans), but I enjoyed meeting great people and making new friends. I’ve been positively influenced by my personal interactions with attendees from around the world, at the conference. The peak of the experience for me was time spent after the conference in fellowship with other speakers, volunteers and individuals from around the continent, including South Korea and Holland. That night I had the privilege of engaging with the conference delegates and speakers in a less formal environment; many lessons, laughs and godly influences.

One of the greatest takeaways is the answers to a prayer I prayed before going to the conference. I’ve been praying for guidance in a particular matter or two, and the directions God would have me go in best serving Him. My prayer was to have the answer before leaving the conference. From the developments of the conference (sermons, presentations and conversations), God really gave a clear answer on the morning of my departure from the conference. I do not return home the same.

Challenges and commitments going back

My time at MEC2016 gave greater encouragement in seeing the book I’ve been writing, Communion with Christ, finished. I shared some material from it in the seminar. The greater hope after this conference is to see the book reach those who requested for it in Zambia, and other parts of the world.

Ps. Mensa, a Ghanaian speaker, gave an enthusiastic challenge to delegates from different countries to have active plans (as lay-persons and young professionals) for advancing the gospel in their respective contexts. South Africa was no exception. I was personally challenged to “translate concerns to actions”, in putting to work the ideas and convictions that have been growing over time, especially for service to God. Progress is made when the rubber hits the road, and there is no time like the present for one to act on the impressions God has laid on the heart.

I believe that the conference was not an end in itself, but the means to an end: a starting point to greater things. I look forward to seeing what will be initiated by and with those who attended, both in my own country and across the continent. All in all, MEC 2016 fulfilled its call to not only challenge, but also to equip us to “Come up Higher.” This has been a reality for me.

“Be ambitious, for the Master's glory.” White, E