We’re so excited to hear the following update of what God is doing in Africa from Rich Frazer with SOS International! Every Monday, a group of SOS Africa Associates gathers online to pray. These prayer meetings are filled with gratitude, dependence on the Lord, and a shared longing to see the Church in Africa strengthened for the work God has placed before it. During a recent prayer time, Dr. Jamali Joshua Milanzi of Malawi described the SOS Africa Academy as a “Training Ground for Africa’s Destiny.” That phrase captures the heart of what the Academy is all about.
The SOS Africa Academy brings together pastor-trainers from across the continent for a week of intensive training, encouragement, fellowship, and resourcing. These leaders are not simply attending for their own benefit. They are being equipped so they can return to their tribes, regions, and nations to train pastors, missionaries, church planters, youth workers, counselors, and other ministry leaders. The goal is multiplication: faithful leaders training other faithful leaders who will strengthen the Body of Christ across Africa.
This work matters because leadership training is one of the most urgent needs facing the growing Church in Africa. Africa’s population is expected to grow dramatically in the coming decades, and many of those people will identify as followers of Christ. That growth brings incredible opportunity, but it also creates an urgent need for leaders who are called, competent, credible, connected, and Christlike. Without strong and trustworthy leadership, churches and ministries can struggle to disciple believers, plant churches, care for communities, and proclaim the gospel faithfully.
Last year, the SOS Africa Academy commissioned 73 pastor-trainers from 49 African countries. Their goal was to train 10,000 pastors, missionaries, church planters, children’s and youth workers, counselors, and other ministry leaders in the following year. This year, SOS International is working and networking with the hope of inviting pastor-trainers from all 55 African countries. It is a bold vision, but it is also a necessary one.
This vision also requires partnership. One practical way to invest in the long-term health of the African Church is by helping sponsor Associates to attend the Academy. Each Associate represents far more than one person receiving training. Each one represents pastors, churches, ministries, and communities that may be strengthened through the training they bring home.
What is especially encouraging is that African leaders themselves are also investing in the Academy. Pastor Mike Sitole from Namibia has been encouraging fellow Associates to contribute monthly toward Academy expenses. His heart is clear: this is not just a program supported from the outside, but a shared investment by African leaders who believe deeply in what God is doing through this training.
SOS International is also continuing to build partnerships with churches and ministry friends in the United States. Recent updates included the opportunity to introduce SOS International to Sierra Community Church in South Lake Tahoe, as well as an upcoming visit to Bay Hills Church in El Sobrante. These partnerships help expand the circle of prayer, encouragement, and support for the work happening through SOS around the world.
There was also a brief update about Pastor Pradeep Jha and Tabernacle Ministries in South Asia. Because of security concerns, this ministry is shared about carefully and discreetly, but it continues to have a meaningful impact in a sensitive region.
As we think about the future of the Church in Africa, the need is clear. The harvest is great, the Church is growing, and the next generation of leaders must be trained, encouraged, and equipped. The SOS Africa Academy is helping meet that need by investing in pastor-trainers who will multiply what they receive. It truly is a training ground for Africa’s destiny.
Prayer Needs
Please pray for God’s continued blessing on everyone who partners with SOS International through prayer, advocacy, and financial support. Pray for the SOS Africa Associates preparing to attend the Academy and for the training opportunities they are already fulfilling in their own countries. Pray that SOS International would be able to invite pastor-trainers from all 55 African countries and that the Academy would continue to strengthen faithful leaders across the continent.
Pray also for the 73 pastor-trainers commissioned last year as they work toward training thousands of ministry leaders. Pray for financial provision so Associates can attend the Academy, including sponsors who are willing to invest in these leaders. Pray for Pastor Mike Sitole and other African Associates as they give sacrificially toward the Academy themselves. Pray for growing church partnerships in the United States, including Sierra Community Church and Bay Hills Church.