Reaching Souls International

Occasionally I still hear Africa referred to as “The Dark Continent.” Sadly, in some ways that is still accurate. Africa’s one billion people, half of whom are under 16 years of age, are scattered throughout the continent’s 53 nations. More than half of them are desperately trying to survive on less than $1 per day, only half of what the United Nations has set as the international poverty level.

“The Dark Continent” is still significantly hampered by war, tribal conflicts, drought, AIDS, malaria, witchcraft, poor infrastructure, political corruption, lack of clean drinking water, incredible numbers of languages and dialects (over 1,700), and many other factors.

Yet, in the midst of Africa’s bleak circumstances, the light of Jesus Christ is penetrating hearts and minds as never before in recorded history.

2 Timothy 2:2, the Scriptural model for how Reaching Souls International conducts its ministry, holds the key, and it involves training African pastors to reach their own people most effectively. It’s a simple blueprint: “Nationals Reaching Nationals.”

Besides the biblical model that Paul laid out to Timothy, why, practically speaking, should we embrace a “nationals-reaching-nationals” approach?

· It’s much less costly than is the traditional Western missionary approach;
· There are no language barriers since the pastors live among their own people;
· There are few cultural or travel barriers;
· Seldom are there racial considerations as the pastors usually have the same skin color as their neighbors: they are not projecting “a white man’s religion” or an “American belief system.”

The key is always for those African pastors to present a biblical view of Christianity, and helping the people to understand how they can have a vibrant, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Teaching the people what God’s Word says is bringing light, dramatically changing the entire culture within many portions of today’s Africa.

Jim Falkenberg
Special Assistant to the President