HISTORY OF AFRICAN CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP WEST REGION MISSION OUTREACH IN AFRICA

The Origin

Our journey into mission in Africa started in 1996 in African Christian Fellowship Southern California. Prior to this time, the fellowship would raise funds and disburse it among several ministries without adequate, corresponding accountability, a sense of ownership and involvement.

This became very dissatisfying to us and we finally decided to have a program which we could call our own and at the same time be measurable, accountable and provide the opportunity for members-participation.

The Process

In order to achieve our objectives the following three committees were set in motion:

1. Education
2. Radio ministry
3. Community projects

We had international leaders on mission from different ministries speak to us. We were blessed to have amongst others, the Late Dr. Ralph Winter of US Center for World Missions, Rev. Reuben Ezenmmadu of Christian Mission Foundation of Nigeria and Rev. Edet Geroge of Adonai Missions International, address some of the above subjects to help us shape our vision. After much deliberation, we voted for education - educating the future leaders, today.

Geographic Location

Africa was unanimously our focus and there was no debate about that. The question was where in Africa. The group at this point made it clear that we wanted a place where we would have the highest return on our investment.

In our search, it became obvious to us that Franco-phone Africa, unlike Anglo-phone, was less endowed in terms of spiritual investments mostly because of the language barrier.

Christians coming from the West always end up in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, etc.

This quickly made our choice easy and eliminated potential affinity for “my country, my village” mentality. We settled for the Franco-phone but did not know which country.

Search for a Liason

Searching for the country and a liaison on the ground became the next hot issue. Unbeknown to us, God had packaged both for us when He had our paths and that of Rev. Edet George cross.

It turned out that he, Rev. Geroge, was in a Franco-phone country of Central African Republic (CAR) and was the kind of person we wanted on the ground.

We excitedly picked the combo-package-CAR and Adonai Missions International, headed by Rev. Edet George.

Mission Activities Progression

In line with one of our criteria, Rev. Edet insisted on partnership and physical engagement and this led to Dr. Linus Ojukwu, Pastor Ron Fraker and Brother Rich Musser making the first trip to CAR in 1999.

This consisted of open air discipleship program during the day and open-air crusade at night.

At was on this trip that God planted the idea of medical mission in our hearts. Since then a lot of us have taken short-term mission trips and our activity has grown from education, to supporting widows, orphans, and medical outreaches, which in now executed bi-annually.

The first medical mission to CAR occurred in 2004 and we have gone every other year since then.

Adoption of the Mission Program by the West Region

In 2002, African Fellowship Southern California gave birth to African Christian Fellowship, Los Angeles. With this, we made a collective decision to make missions activities a West Region-wide program. Furthermore, we identified as the focus of our outreach.

Reaching the Nations

Our mission has taken us to the following countries both collectively and individually: Central African Republic,Congo Democratic, Congo Republic, Liberia, Gambia, Rwanda and Kenya.

Some of the students we sponsored are today missionaries in various countries. In addition, and by God’s grace, we have fed and medically treated thousands over these years as our mission activities evolved.