Global Gospel Advance: Summer 2023

In early July, Pastor Medard (Carmel Church in Saskatoon) and Pastor Athanase (Mission Pentecostal Church in Regina), together with Beatrice, an evangelist they had invited from Rwanda, attended a conference in Edmonton. They, along with the pastors in Alberta, met Beatrice through zoom meetings that continue to happen numerous times a week and reach the scattered people of the Great Lake Region of Africa, who live world-wide. In Edmonton, hundreds of people met for all-night prayer meetings, worship and teachings, with Pastor Athanase preaching on Sunday and encouraging them that the church is where God has established his kingdom.

From there Pastor Athanase went to Lexington, Kentucky, joining four other speakers, three from the United States and one from France. The conference focused on John 9:4 where Jesus says, “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” Pastor Athanase preached the same message as in Edmonton, spurring on believers to join their King. The conference was also a fundraiser to build a church in Kentucky.

Enroute to Finland, while in New York, he fought a bout of COVID. Although weary, he arrived in Helsinki with a few days to rest before speaking. In Finland, people traveled from various areas of the country, representing a number of different churches. The three speakers, two from France and Athanase, first connected through the zoom meetings mentioned above. The goal of the conference was to unite churches that had been established as men and women, mostly from Zambia, were invited to settle in Finland, and to encourage them to work together. Pastors and leaders attending said the value, need and necessity for unity was clear. Wanting to build into what had begun, preliminary plans for a seminar targeting pastors and leaders to discuss how to practically work together is hoped for next year. Seeing the value of unity, this conference will hopefully be the first of many.

Before returning to Regina, Pastor Athanase traveled to Quebec, preaching in Trois-Rivières, having been invited by a pastor he first met in Zimbabwe. Here, many pastors, new Canadians from Zambia, met to celebrate with food and pray together. Over the next week Athanase worked his way to Drummondville, again meeting Beatrice as well as an evangelist from Australia. A church started by two Burundian pastors was publicly opening and a conference was planned to commission it. People came together Friday night and Saturday. At the final service, chairs had to be continually added until close to five hundred people sat and stood to hear God’s word and bless this new ministry. Pastor Athanase’s time in Quebec also afforded him a wonderful opportunity to meet and network with many pastors.

“Everywhere I went, the message of God was received very well and the church was greatly encouraged.” Pastor Athanase.

Vicki Clarke

GGA Team