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
