God Has Done Great Things--"Africa Arise" Conference Report

(Dr. Pipim’s Good News From Africa—Part 1) Of all my travels around the world, and in allmy work over the years to advance the Kingdom of God, my most recent trip to Ethiopia(January/February 2016) is by far the most spiritually remarkable, impactful, and humbling! Iwas invited to Ethiopia for an “Africa Arise” Conference and an African Heads of State PrayerBreakfast at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.It was humbling to see Christian believers of all walks of life, totally committed to living lives ofholiness and integrity, and passionate about sharing their faith—to the best of their knowledgeand ability—wherever they are in the public sphere. I also witnessed a deep hunger for theWord of God and the opening of new doors for the proclamation of the everlasting Gospel onthe continent of Africa. It’s why I title this report “Good News from Africa.”BACKGROUNDA little over a week ago, I requested your prayers for our trip to Ethiopia. I informed you thatrepresentatives of the two Centers for Leadership Development under our EAGLESonlineorganization had been invited to a series of engagements in Addis Ababa, the capital ofEthiopia and the headquarters of the African Union (AU). The engagements included: (i) a request to speak at an annual “Africa Arise” Conference; (ii) an invitation to attend a special African Heads of State Prayer Breakfast at the African Unionheadquarters in Addis Ababa;(iii) a series of private meetings with some influential African leaders who are committed totransforming Africa (they include some leading political and religious leaders, as well as someleaders of organizations engaged in youth development & empowerment).I’m here to report to you that the Lord has answered your prayers on our behalf—and has farexceeded our wildest expectation. Although we still have three more days before we concludeour trip here in Addis, I thought I should share with you what the Lord has done so far and toexpress my heartfelt gratitude for all your prayers on our behalf.In this part 1 of the “Good News from Africa” report, I will focus on the “Africa Arise” Conference.I will explain what it was all about, explain this year’s conference theme, mention the principalspeakers, the program’s schedule of events, a summary of my presentation, and a finalreflection on the conference. Subsequent reports will highlight other aspects of the trip to Ethiopia—namely, (i) the AfricanHeads of State Prayer Breakfast at the AU headquarters, (ii) the visit with the Patriarch of theEthiopian Orthodox Church & to some historical and religious sites in Ethiopia, and (iii) ourinteraction with one of the most active Christian youth & young adult groups in Africa—andperhaps the world. “AFRICA ARISE” CONFERENCE REPORT (Good News From Africa—Part 1)This was the first time I have attended an “Africa Arise” conference, a special conferenceorganized for Africans from different denominational backgrounds who genuinely seek thespiritual and social transformation of their continent. I was approached in September last year (2015) by the leader of the “Africa Arise Network,”after I spoke at a special Ethiopian New Year Prayer Breakfast for the diplomatic community inAddis Ababa. The leader, Dr. Betta Mengistu, met me at the African Union headquarters toexplain the vision of the Africa Arise Network and to request that I attend this year’s (2016)Africa Arise conference. WHAT THE AFRICA ARISE NETWORK IS ABOUTThe Africa Arise conference is a yearly event that is conducted by the “Africa Arise Network”

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God Has Done Great Things--"Africa Arise" Conference Report

alongside the annual African Heads of States Summit in Ethiopia. Hosted by Beza InternationalMinistries in Addis Ababa, attendees to the conference come from different African countriesand represent different religious persuasions and professional backgrounds. They meet toreport on activities in their different locations, share ideas, and network with one another. The Mission Statement of the Africa Arise Network reads:“Africa Arise Network is a movement established for the purpose of combatting Africa’s uniquechallenges from a Biblical perspective. Our programs are designed to effect change, empowerpeople, and to see the continent fulfill her potential. We envision nations redeemed inrighteousness, and the hands of begging turned to hands of blessing.”The operative word is “a Biblical perspective.” It is a network of Africans who’re committed toletting the Word of God diagnose and provide answers to the unique challenges confrontingAfrica. While promoting a spiritual foundation as the basis for Africa’s rise, the name “Africa Arise” isemployed (i) as a clarion call upon all well-meaning Africans—whether on the continent or in the Diaspora— to rise up and do something for their continent;(ii) as a special call upon all Bible-believing African Christians, to respond to their calling as “the light of the world” and to shine on their continent that hadbeen darkened by all kinds of social and spiritual ills. I believe I was approached by the organizers of the Africa Arise conference because they felt Imet these two criteria. THE “AFRICA ARISE” NAMEBelieving that “righteousness [i.e., just principles and actions] exalts a nation, but sin isa reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34), those who elect to be part of the Africa AriseNetwork seek to positively influence the African continent by their lives, actions, and witness. Members of the network believe that NOW is Africa’s time to rise (Isaiah 60:1-3)—to rise andmake a positive difference in every area of life (whether in business, education, government,media, arts & entertainment, religion, or family). Not only that, they also maintain that, already, Africa is rising—i.e., lives are already beingchanged and the continent is being transformed—because of the work being done by those whohave embraced the vision of the Africa Arise Network. Thus, the “Africa Arise” name also affirmsthat, because Africa is rising, Christian believers who truly care about their continent should joinhands in the effort of re-building their continent.The spiritual approach of the Africa Arise Network must be distinguished from secularmovements that have also embraced versions of the “Africa is rising” narrative. For example,there is a popular narrative in certain quarters which believes that the current average of 6-7%GDP growth in African economies evidences that “Africa is rising.” (An African business leaderand thinker, Ali A. Mufuriki of Tanzania, has offered an insightful critique of this economicnarrative that “Africa is rising”. Listen to his provocative TEDxEuston talks at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjgJ2KpyJ5w).In contrast to secular or humanistic approaches to Africa’s development, the Africa AriseNetwork seeks a spiritual means to address issues on the continent. Theirs is a call uponwell-meaning African Christians to rally together to offer a spiritual approach to issues facing the

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continent—an approach that is often missing in much of the diagnoses and prescriptions toAfrica’s ills. This is why the Africa Arise Network invites to its conferences only those who are known to beAfrican “Christian thinkers and doers” to share their respective perspectives on crucial issuesfacing the continent. The background of attendees is usually a mix of Pentecostal, Evangelical, traditional Protestant,and Ethiopian Orthodox traditions. This mingling affords a rich diversity of perspectives to drawfrom and engenders warmth and fellowship. (Roman Catholics were noticeably absent at thisconference, apparently because their church has its own well-developed approach to socialissues). THE 2016 CONFERENCE THEMEThis year’s Africa Arise conference (January 27-31, 2016) was under the theme: “ENGAGE.” Asexplained in the program brochure, “this year’s theme is ENGAGE—a short form of ‘Engagingwith our Destiny.’ The main task was to explore ways to “define the moral destiny of ourcontinent.” In other words, the focus of this year’s conference was on ethics or morality and the role of theChristian church to practice and promote it. The relevance of the theme (“defining the moraldestiny of Africa”) can best be appreciated if one realizes that the same subject of ethics andmorality was also at the heart of discussions at this year’s African Union’s Heads of Statesummit at the AU headquarters (January 21-31, 2016). The theme of the AU summit was "2016: African Year of Human Rights with Particular Focus on the Rights of Women.”Besides issues on human rights, the Heads of States’ Summit was also expected to deliberateand pass resolutions on important issues of peace and security, development, and integration inthe African continent.Thus, while African political leaders who were meeting at the AU headquarters were addressing“Human Rights” and other related ethical issues, the “Africa Arise” Conference sought to“Engage” in the same kind of discussion, but doing so by offering a Christian perspective on thesubject. In short, the Africa Arise conference focused on ethics or morality in order to equip the Christianattendees to understand, clarify, and define what their roles ought to be in an Africa that isbeginning to battle with ideological pluralism and moral relativism. The program brochure aptlyexplains the urgency of the task:“Traveling is accessible and the Internet has made sharing ideas easier than ever. Theindividual, the family, and community in general are taking the heat of being redefined andrestructured. Changes are happening fast. No culture is left isolated and no nation can say ‘myborders’ are closed to change. Nations and generations are in fierce battle for their moraldestiny. Diversity is demanding political correctness and tolerance is giving way to compromise.In the process, many enduring moral values and universally accepted convictions are erodedand those who refuse to ally, are marginalized.“Indeed, Africa is at a crossroad of its moral destiny. Godly or otherwise, accepted or not, theAfrican church is the sole divine agent with the mandate to define and establish a Godly moraldestiny for this continent. While our political and economic leaders are attempting to defineother elements of our destiny, we come together to reflect, pray and consider strategies todefine our moral destiny and reset the global moral agenda.”For Conference attendees, the program brochure explained that “this year’s conference is

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designed equip us with tools to engage with our destiny, and allow God’s purposes for our timeto come to pass.”CONFERENCE SPEAKERSThe lineup of this year’s Africa Arise presenters and respondents included some of the mostinfluential Christian voices on the continent. Amongst them were CEOs of companies, bankers,diplomats & government officials, journalists and media personnel, graphic designers,musicians and dancers, church growth specialists, theologians, youth leaders, and pastors. Although all the professional presentations in the different fields of society were undergirded byChristian assumptions, some of the presentations were more biblical or theological in nature. Iwill briefly list the names of those whose presentations were more devotional or homiletical innature, while giving more details about the backgrounds of the few presenters that I had theopportunity to be more intellectually engaged with during the brief duration of the Conference. I will briefly mention the following speakers:· Pastor Zerubbabel Mengistu(Ethiopia)—Senior pastor of Beza International Church in Addis Ababa.· Bishop Tudor Bismark(Zimbabwe)—Senior pastor of New Life Covenant Church in Harare, Zimbabwe· Apostle Robert Kassaro(Swaziland)—Senior pastor of Jesus Calls Worship Center in Matsapha, Swaziland· Tomi Daniel(Nigeria)—Program Director of EAGLESonline, and Africa Coordinator of ANANSE (Africa Network &Advisory for Needed Services & Excellence). · Apostle Linda Gobodo (South Africa)—Founder and Chairperson of Vuka Africa Foundation, Roodepoort, South Africa· Bishop Dr. Bernard Nwaka (Zambia)—Founder and Presiding Bishop of Living Waters Global Churches and Restoration BibleChurches in Cameroon, Tanzania, the UK, the USA, and South Africa. · Dr. Mamusha Fenta (Ethiopia)—Bible expositor and regular conference speaker and teacher in the fast growing UniversityFellowships of Ethiopia.

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· Rick Seaward(Singapore)—Founding Pastor and Overseer of Victory Family Centre in Singapore & Co-chairman of theNational Prayer Alliance as well as Together in Transformation.In addition to the above named presenters, the lineup of speakers also included the followinginfluential thinkers and authors with whom I was more theologically engaged during the courseof the Africa Arise conference:1. Rev. Dr. David Oginde, (Kenya)Currently serves as the Chancellor and Chair of the Governing Council for Pan Africa Universityin Nairobi, Kenya. He’s also the President of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Africa andVice-Chair of the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya. He is the presiding Bishop of "Christ Is theAnswer Ministries” (CITAM), a Church ministry focused on reaching the urban communities inKenya, Africa, and the rest of the world. CITAM currently has over 45,000 members in 10congregations. He holds a PhD in Organizational Leadership from the School of Business andLeadership, Regent University, USA. (You may want to watch a 6-minute video of his prayer atthe inauguration of the President and Vice-President of Kenya https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRy...)2. Bishop Dr. Joshua H.K. Banda (Zambia)Currently serves as Chancellor of City University College of Science and Technology in Zambiaand also as a member of the University of Lusaka Advisory Board. Dr. Banda has served onseveral national delegations to the UN General Assembly Special Sessions. He has manypublished and unpublished works on social justice, HIV/AIDS, human rights, and communitytransformation. He is the Overseer/Senior Pastor of Northmead Assembly of God in Lusaka,Zambia, & President of the Southern Africa Region Chapter of the Pentecostal Assemblies ofAfrica, overseeing the work of over 4,000 congregations. He holds a PhD in Theology and is inthe final stages of completing his second doctorate in Social Science at the Oxford Centre forMission Studies. Since 2010, his “Liberating Truth” TV Programs has peaked to nearly 5 millionviewers. (For a 5- minute video interview, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4IKCzgpBno).3. Dr. Mehret Debebe (Ethiopia/USA)Dr Mehret Debebe is a board certified psychiatrist and Fellow of the American PsychiatricAssociation. He is a leading thinker in the areas of Transformation and Transformed Mind.Currently he practices psychiatry both in Ethiopia and the USA. As a General Practitioner inEthiopia, Dr. Mehret has worked at Hurso Army Camp Hospital as a Physician and DeputyMedical Director. He earned his M.D from Addis Ababa University. His specialty training is inPsychiatry, which he completed from St Louis University School of Medicine, USA. He haspublished several articles on peer reviewed international journals and book chapters onspecialized psychiatric textbooks. A frequent guest on several radio and TV shows, he ispassionate about mindset change, strongly believing it is the KEY to both individual and societaltransformation. 4. Dr. Delanyo Adadevoh (USA/Ghana)He’s the Chairman of the African Forum on Religion and Government [AFREG], & Founder &President of the International Leadership Foundation [ILF]. Since 1980 he has served in many

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capacities for Campus Crusade for Christ (known in the USA as CRU). In 1990, Dr. Adadevohwas appointed vice president of Africa, Middle East and Central Asia. Based in Florida, USA, hecurrently serves as Campus Crusade’s Vice President for Area Team Leaders. He holds a PhDin Interpretation Theories at Leeds University (UK). He’s published 10 books, the most recentbeing “Empowering Leadership for Transforming Africa.”(For a 9-minute video of his work with African government leaders through AFREG, see, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5kIArV6nWg).5. Dr. Samuel Koranteng-Pipim (USA/Ghana)I was invited to the Africa Arise Conference because of my work as a Christian theologian andauthor, leadership trainer, advocate for grassroots youth empowerment, and promoter of “mindliberation” as the basis of transformational social and spiritual change on the continent of Africa.I was also invited because of the impact of my published works on Africa (“The Transformed Mind,” “Africa Must Think,” & “The African Giant”) and of our work at EAGLESonline in engaging African students, young professionals, and(recently) thought leaders in the work of spiritual renewal and the transformation of Africa. (Formore, see, http://eaglesonline.org/about-us/te...). WHERE DID I FIT IN?I had mentioned earlier that a majority of the “Christian thinkers and doers” who spoke andparticipated at the Africa Arise conference were from the Evangelical-Pentecostal background,with a significant few from the traditional Protestant and Ethiopian Orthodox traditions. It was awarm melting pot of distinctive worship and theological expressions of the different groupsrepresented, some of which were unusual for my more conservative Protestant background. But I resonated with all the attendees and presenters, bound by the common thread of genuinelove for Christ, respect for Scriptures, ready commitment to revival and Christian discipleship,passion for Africa’s transformation and development, and burden to win lost souls for Christ. Allthese were demonstrated by making missions a priority of the Church.In the midst of the hectic schedule, it was a pleasant surprise to discover another brother, Dr.Adadevor. We share a lot in common and spent more time together catching up on a widerange of topics. Though we had never met prior to Addis, we’re both Ghanaians by birth, andboth currently based in the USA. In addition, until our meeting at the Africa Arise conference in Addis, I didn’t know that,· We both attended the same university in Ghana—Kwame Nkrumah University of Science andTechnology (KNUST); we were just two years apart. We even lived in the same residential hallof the university. · We both also experienced remarkable conversions during the time we studied at thatuniversity.· We both received our calling to full time gospel ministry while at KNUST (he studied chemistryand I did engineering). · Even more, we both felt a call to the specialized ministry of outreach to public universitystudents. Whereas his journey took him through Campus Crusade for Christ, mine went through

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God Has Done Great Things--"Africa Arise" Conference Report

CAMPUS and now EAGLESonline. · Although currently living in the Diaspora, we both have a passion for Africa’s transformation,making our voices heard on issues pertaining to the transformation of the African continent.· Our approaches tend to be more distinctly Protestant-Evangelical. (He’s a Presbyterian and Iam a Seventh-day Adventist). There’s a difference between us, though. For one, he’s very tall (which is more typical ofNigerians than Ghanaians), whereas I am of an average Ghanaian height. Moreover, his workof African transformation tends to engage African Heads of State, government officials, andpolicy makers, while mine tends to be focused on grassroots youth training, empowerment, andleadership development. Another way of stating the difference is that, because he’s very tall he engages the higher-upsof society; but I, because I’m much shorter I enjoy working at the grassroots. Perhaps this maypartly explain why he’s very calm in his demeanor and articulation. He has to! For, those whodeal with government officials and diplomats must be calm and wise, while individuals who workat the grassroots tend to be more charged-up and activistic.Seriously, though, it was a very pleasant surprise to discover Dr. Adadevoh. He is a Christianthinker and leader! I was privileged to receive from him an autographed copy of a just-released335-page book he edited and titled “Empowering Leadership for Transforming Africa.”In return, he went home with four of my works, including “The Transformed Mind: Changing the World By Being Changed” (304 pages), which I co-authored with an influential Ghanaian and mutual friend (Dr. JoyceAryee). SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AT THE CONFERENCEThe Africa Arise Conference was carefully planned and consisted of devotional messages,music, poetry, sermons, seminars & panel discussions, and networking opportunities. Each dayhad a different emphasis. Here’s the schedule of each day’s events:DAY 1: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 (Theme: “The Africa Arise Business Forum.”)This event highlighted Christian business people and investors from across the continent. Theforum sought to promote best practices of biblical ethics in business, while facilitatingintra-Africa trade and investment. It featured some Africans who are transforming business,banking, and industry, sharing their accounts of how biblical integrity can have a strategicadvantage in Africa. It included national performance reports, plans, and projections, andconcluded with the challenge to actively pursue integrity in the market place, especially whensurrounded by corrupting influences.I was greatly inspired—and encouraged to know that Christians of integrity can succeed in themarket place, despite the corrupting influences around them. And while some of those at theAfrica Arise conference are doing extremely well in their businesses and fields of practice, I washumbled by their humility, selflessness, and sacrificial commitment to the cause of evangelism. DAY 2: Thursday, January 28, 2016 (Theme: “Defining Our Moral Destiny as a Continent.”)This day was designed to make a biblical case for (i) “a strong moral foundation” as the bedrockof all other visible structures in society (family, schools, government, media, etc.), and (ii) the

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Church’s mandate and responsibility to shape society with righteousness, justice, and Godlyvalues. As explained in the program brochure, the goal of Day 2 was to clearly show why andhow “if Africa has to arrive at its destination and be a blessing to others, it needs the strongestfoundation that will carry and guide its generations to come.”Attendees were richly blessed on that day with some very insightful presentations andstimulating panel discussions. I was privileged to be one of the two principal presenters thathelped on that day to define Africa’s moral destiny (For a summary of my presentation, see,below, the section titled “Engaging to Define Our Moral Destiny”).DAY 3: Friday, January 29, 2016 (Theme: “Engaging in Social Change”)On the third day of the Africa Arise Conference, an attempt was made to meaningfully engagewith some of the critical challenges of our day: Who speaks for the widows and the orphans?What about the sick and the elderly, the refugees and outcasts? How does the Church engagesociety on these questions? How does the church balance its social responsibility with itsmandate for missions?The above questions were taken up in a panel discussion that day, bringing together differentprofessionals who are at the forefront of social engagement—a retired United Nations diplomat,two influential pastors whose churches are actively involved in reaching out to the marginalized& needy, and a Canadian missionary who has worked in Africa for 33 years). Of note is the fact that, though not originally in the program, two of us who representedEAGLESonline organization were invited to participate in the panel discussion. One of us (ourProgram Director and African Coordinator), who has a background in community developmentwas drafted there to show how we can engage in social change through “community service,”while I (the Director) was to share how we can effect social change through grassroots youthinvolvement, and writing. Both the presentations and panel discussion on Day 3 (“Engaging in Social Change”)were stimulating and electrifying. Based on the responses from attendees, I believe that thepresence of the EAGLESonline representatives offered a most valuable contribution to thediscussion. The day ended with a powerful challenge from Rick Seaward, a guest speaker from Singapore,urging the Church to make missions a priority. (Rick Seaward is the founding pastor andApostolic Overseer of Victory Family Centre in Singapore and Apostolic Advisor to 10,000+churches planted by his church in over 90 nations around the world. He has recently challengedhis church with a 10-year vision and strategy to see 100,000 churches planted with 5 millionbelievers in more than 150 nations! Within Singapore, he is co-chairman of the National PrayerAlliance as well as Together in Transformation). Day 4: Saturday, January 30, 2016 (Theme: “Engaging African Heads of States & Youth”)There were two special events on Saturday. In the morning, a select group, comprising all theConference speakers/presenters, as well as representatives from the nations present (33African countries & 16 European and Asian countries) were invited to the African Unionheadquarters for a special Prayer Breakfast on the occasion of the AU’s 26th Heads of StateSummit. (I’ll share more on this in my next report).

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In the evening there was a special event—billed as “Worship Concert/Youth Night.”Every attendee wore the Conference’s “Engage” T-shirt for this event. The concert featuredactive youths from different African countries who showcased how music, dance, poetry, etc.can be instruments for transformational change in Africa. On the whole, it was a very enlightening and uplifting event, although coming from a traditionalProtestant background, at times the performance looked more like Christian entertainment thana worship concert. My favorite part of the Youth Night was the traditional music from theEthiopian Orthodox church tradition. (I’ll try to get a video clip to share in a future posting). OurEAGLESonline Program Director rounded up the musical concert with a short, inspirationalBible study on what God expects from the African youth attendees, given how they had beenempowered by the Conference. The day ended with an uplifting message by Apostle Robert Kassaro, challenging all Africans toprepare to run with the baton of Africa's development that is about to be passed on to thecontinent. Day 5: Sunday, January 31, 2016 (Theme: “Engaged in Worship”)This was the final day, and the occasion showcased Christian worship within the context ofAfrican culture—more specifically the Ethiopian Orthodox Church tradition. We were privilegedto listen to a live performance by the famous Yetsidk Tsehay Choir a piece called “Haleluya”(available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnLMpoD_Xk8).Two other special features of the worship service were presentations by the youth on “Engagingthe Youths to Media in Our Moral Destiny.” Two young people (a final year communicationsstudents at Addis Ababa University—Wongel Abebe—and a young professional mediaspecialist from Zambia—Ryan Banda) challenged the adults to give space to the youth in thework. (I’ll share the video at a later time). The worship concluded with a powerful sermon by Bishop Tudor Bismark of Zimbabwe,considered by some as “the TD Jakes of Africa.” His well-crafted sermon was titled “Tricks &Schemes.” It was an inspiring message that traced God's incredible plan to restore andempower humanity, from when Adam and Eve fell to when Christ's died and triumphantlyresurrected. It’s one of the best sermons I have heard preached by a Pentecostal minister onwhat Seventh-day Adventists refer to as “the Great Controversy” theme in Scripture.ENGAGING TO DEFINE OUR MORAL DESTINYYou recall I mentioned that on Day 2 (Thursday) I was one of the two main speakers taskedwith making a biblical case for “Engaging to Define Our Moral Destiny.” (The other speaker wasDr. Mehret Debebe, a board certified consultant psychiatrist). Both of us, from our differentbackgrounds and experiences, were to argue for “a strong moral foundation” as the bedrock ofall other visible structures in African society. Or as stated in the program brochure, “if Africa hasto arrive at its destination and be a blessing to others, it needs the strongest foundation that willcarry and guide its generations to come.”Dr.Mehret did a masterpiece of a job, by arguing that in our world of moral relativism—a world inwhich black and white issues have been painted into shades of gray—it is only through “anawakened conscience” that we can find divinely ordained moral values to engage the world. He

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therefore argued for “Awakening the African conscience” so we can be the Noah’s, Josephs,Daniels, John the Baptists, etc. of our time. His presentation is, perhaps, the most biblically-sound treatment I’ve listened to on the topic ofthe “conscience.” It, however, raised some important questions: · What happens when there is a clash of consciences? When one person feels one way on anissue (based on his “awakened” conscience) and another feels differently (also based on her“awakened” conscience)? · Isn’t there an objective, universal moral standard (a set of moral norms, values, principles orlaws) for us to appeal to that is higher than our individual and collective consciences? · Has God given definitive clarity by way of a universally-binding moral guide that is higher thanthe sometimes murky realm of human conscience? If so, where can it be found in Scripture?Dr. Mehret’s insightful presentation, as well as the questions arising from it, provided a goodbackground for me to later pursue the topic “Engaging to Define Our Moral Destiny,” when itwas my turn to make my presentation at the Africa Arise conference. This, I did later in theevening, in a message I titled “The Gold From the Two Mountains: Rediscovering Africa’s Lost Currency.”In that message, I made my case for an objective, universally-binding moral standard which isthe highest standard we can appeal to. I argued that God has bequeathed to Africans “the goldfrom the two mountains” (the Golden Rule, which a shorter version of the Ten Commandments)as the moral currency to conduct all our engagements.Here is a summary of how I made the case in my presentation titled “The Gold From the Two Mountains: Rediscovering Africa’s Lost Currency”:1. Statement of the Problem:Moral relativism has plunged Africa and the world into a crisis. This week’s thought nuggetsummarizes the problem:THE VALUE OF VALUES: Are there unchangeable, universal moral values to guide humanconduct? Today, “everything is relative,” including values. Moral relativism is the crisis of ourtimes. The crisis is not the violation of morally-accepted standards of conduct (every age hashad its share of this). Rather, the crisis is the questioning of the existence of universal moralvalues to define what’s right and wrong. But if “everything is relative,” then that statement itselfis relative and, hence, self-refuting. Worse, “a world without values quickly becomes a worldwithout value” (Jonathan Sacks). It’s why for our ethics we must value what God values. (Micah6:8; Matthew 7:12; Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14; Exodus 20:1-3; Romans 2:14-15; James 2:8-13;John 14:15).—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim2. The answer to the problem is found by, first rediscovering God’s moral values, clearly statedby Christ in the Golden Rule (“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”). This is a law or principle of love that most people—whether religious or non-religious—canembrace. It is the most “loving” thing anyone can do.3. But, according to Christ, the Golden Rule, the law of love—which He proclaimed in Hissermon on the Mount—is itself based on “the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew7:12; cf. Luke6:31). 4. The clearest place in the Old Testament Scriptures (“the Law and the Prophets”) that GoldenRule is clearly revealed is the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), which Christ Himself sayssums up our duty to love God and our fellow human beings (Matthew 22:37–40).

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5. The same Christ who gave the Golden Rule on a Mountain is the same Person who gave theTen Commandments on another Mountain—Mt. Sinai. So we can view the Ten Commandmentsand the Golden Rule as “The Gold from the Two Mountains.”6. Whether in the Old or the New Testament, Africans have a legitimate claim or heritage to thisGold from the two mountains, since (i) it was an African through whom the Ten Commandmentswas given, (ii) Africans are represented in the two largest tribes of Israel to whom the TenCommandments were given, (iii) Africans provided a home for Christ in Egypt, an Africancarried His cross, and many believe that an African from Ethiopia was the first Gentile to bebaptized. 7. Thus, in our times of moral/ethical crisis, God calls upon Africans to reclaim their moralmandate by calling the world’s attention back to the Ten Commandments (the Royal Law).8. In short, the Moral Law or the Ten Commandments is the golden standard of morality. Godbequeathed this priceless currency to us as Africans on two mountains—Mt. Sinai and theSermon Mount. This lost legacy was—and remains—our continent’s code of ethics: Africa’smoral compass.As the Christian’s code of conduct, the Golden Rule sets forth our responsibility towards oneanother. Without the Golden Rule, our nations and African continent, and indeed the wholeworld will be impoverished. For, gold without a Golden Rule is poverty and misery.9. At a time when an increasing number of people in the world believe that Truth is relative(pluralism in beliefs) and that moral values are relative (moral relativism), Africa has a moralmandate to point its people and the world back to the Ten Commandments. For, in the words ofTed Koppel, the Ten Commandments are commandments; they are not Ten Suggestions. In thewords of Charles H. Spurgeon, the popular nineteenth-century Baptist preacher,“There is not a commandment too many; there is not one too few; but it is so incomparable, thatits perfection is a proof of its divinity. No human lawgiver could have given forth such a law asthat which we find in the Decalogue [the Ten Commandments]. It is a perfect law; for all humanlaws that are right are to be found in that brief compendium and epitome of all that is good andexcellent toward God, or between man and man.”10. God’s Moral Ten Commandment Law encompasses the whole duty of man: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, forthis is man’s all” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Or as the King James Version states it, “for this is the whole duty of man.”The apostle John says, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And Hiscommandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).In short, my presentation at the Africa Arise conference sought to call people’s attention to aloving obedience to God’s commandments. Jesus said, “if you love me, keep mycommandments” (John 14:15). Regrettably, despite their claim to love Jesus, many have triedto disregard God’s Moral Ten Commandment Law. The fundamental problem facing Africa and the world is an unwillingness to live in accordancewith God’s Moral Law (1 John 3:4). This unwillingness is fundamentally a heart problem—theproblem of our mind-sets or attitudes. The theological word for this is “sin.”Stated differently, the heart of the African problem is the African heart.

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God Has Done Great Things--"Africa Arise" Conference Report

Thus, if our current plight should change for the better, the African heart must be transformed bythe renewing of our minds so we can live in accordance with God’s will. Only Christ, through theindwelling power of the Holy Spirit, can transform us. This is why Africa’s greatest need isChrist.[NOTE:The above is just a summary of my presentation at the Africa Arise conference. If needed, I canshare the entire script of “The Gold From the Two Mountains: Rediscovering Africa’s Lost Currency,”my presentation at the Conference. I’ll do so when I finish the editing some time next week]. REFLECTION ON THE AFRICA ARISE CONFERENCEAfrica Arise 2016 has come and gone, but the lessons it yielded are too profound to beforgotten. In some ways, those lessons have become new marching orders for me, calling fortha renewed commitment to the cause of God in our generation. I will mention a few things I takewith me from this recent trip to Ethiopia.1. Commitment and faithfulness of attendeesThere is a silent rebuilding going on in Africa, and the attendees of Africa Arise confirmed that.The innovation, strategies, and impact of the work that many are already doing was a pleasantrevelation. While there, every opportunity was used to network with people from other countries.And, as I've been told happened in previous years, new bonds were formed for even biggerventures in the continent. In the midst of the rot, insecurity, and uncertainties that has plagued Africa, it was heartwarmingto confirm that a lot of positive changes is taking place on the continent. Judging by thedetermination of the people that we met, I am optimistic that it is only a matter of time beforethis will become evident to the rest of the world. 2. Mission EmphasisAfter listening to Rick Seaward, you’ll have ask yourself what you've been doing aboutwitnessing, if you're a Christian. For me, the 10-year vision of one local church in Singapore toplant 100,000 churches with 5 million believers in more than 150 nations, puts to shame manyother Christian denominations, including my own church—whether in Africa or even worldwide. Also, the recognition that Africa's problems are not merely physical or structural, but, moreimportantly, spiritual gave birth to the spiritual focus of the Africa Arise conferences. Therenewed emphasis on the mission component of finding the spiritual solutions to Africa'sproblems suggest to me that it is only a matter of time, Africa will find her way and regain herdestiny. 3. The Youths. Generally, youths are vibrant, but those at Africa Arise 2016 are phenomenal! The selflessnesswith which these young people worked and took care of every detail, their passion and zeal forGod, their professionalism, dreams and ambitions for God are a blessing for Africa. Theseyouths recognize themselves as the anchor of the present and the future of tomorrow. They arealready in charge of a lot of responsibilities and handling these commendably. In them, Africatruly has its brightest days ahead. (In a future report, I will highlight some of the things they’redoing and their future plans).4.

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God Has Done Great Things--"Africa Arise" Conference Report

Impact of Presentations. We have received a lot of testimonies and letters that mirror our sentiments that Africa Arise is astep in the right direction. It is clear that our invitation to the event was a divine opportunity toconnect with others burdened with similar visions as EAGLESonline. And whether through thepresentations or the presenters, the mutual impact is undeniable.From the testimonies and emails received so far, you can feel the pulse of the attendees thatmany were impacted and will not go back the same. Below is an excerpt from just one of themany emails I have received since the end of the program. It is from an attendee from Kenya. “Ever since I interacted with you at Africa Arise I knew something changed within me, youchallenged my thinking, you inspired and encouraged me. Am so grateful to God for the divineconnection.“By listening to you I could tell you are committed to excellence, determined and focused. How Idesired to interact with you just to see if I can get some clarity in terms of my purpose. It was myfirst time to come to Africa Arise as well and my mission was to hear God about my purpose inlife…“I know am passionate about social transformation because I have tried a few short termprojects which gives me such satisfaction…Deep within me I feel limited and I am aware I need to be empowered and equipped for theassignment and that’s the reason I would like to plug into your programs in order to tap into yourwealth of wisdom and vast experience, lest I start giving my own “monkey solutions” as statedon one of your postcards.“Dr. Pipim am feeling a bit stuck, I need some guidance and direction what do you have to say?My heart desire and my prayer is to find and pursue my God given purpose, be productive,fruitful and to impact generations.“On coming back to Kenya from Addis, I searched EAGLESonline and have been listening toyour messages. Have been talking to people about you as well as, sharing the postcardnuggets on WhatsApp.“The day before yesterday I wrote to […EAGLESonline] to find out how I can get your booksbecause to me you are my teacher I want to be mentored by the best and I know through myinteraction with your resources and materials, I know am halfway there, but I still need yourmentorship.Looking forward to hearing from you in anticipation.”5. Requests for our Resources & Invitations to other countries. When like minds get together and are blessed by the kind of presentations we had at AfricaArise, new plans are bound to be formed! For eyes are opened, spiritual interests areawakened, and decisions are made. One does not remain the same. There’s a yearning formore.Thus, following EAGLESonline’s participation at the Africa Arise conference, requests areliterally pouring in for our training and resource materials—including our audio-visual andpublished works and the Spirit of Prophecy books. Sensing a kingship of spirit, some veryinfluential and capable individuals have committed themselves to be distributors of our works ina very big way. Additionally, many organizations—businesses, government entities, and churches—arerequesting that we come and share our Bible-based and life-transforming messages with them.

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God Has Done Great Things--"Africa Arise" Conference Report

For example, already our EAGLESonline team has received an invitation from one of thepresenters, Rev. Dr. Banda of Zambia, for a series of speaking engagements in March duringtheir national Youth Day—to speak not only to the youth of his churches, but also to conduct apublic lecture series for the entire nation. Similar offers have come from Dr. Oginde of Kenya, with arrangements being made not only tospeak to the youth and members of his churches, but also at an Africa Arise conference sometime in April/May this year for the entire nation of Kenya. These are just a two of the many invitations that have come our way to come share theeverlasting Gospel. God is opening new doors for the proclamation of the everlasting Gospel onthe continent of Africa. It’s why I title this report “Good News from Africa.” Africa is truly rising!Oh, there’s so much more to share. Subsequent reports will highlight other aspects of the trip toEthiopia—namely, (i) the African Heads of State Prayer Breakfast at the AU headquarters, (ii)the visit with the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church & to some historical and religioussites in Ethiopia, and (iii) our interaction with one of the most active Christian youth & youngadult groups in Africa—and perhaps the world. The fields are ripe. The laborers are few. Time is short. The urgency of our times compels us toclose ranks and do God’s works. In the words of E.G. White (Testimonies volume 9, pages 27 & 221),“Time is short, and our forces must be organized to do a larger work. Laborers are needed whocomprehend the greatness of the work and who will engage in it, not for the wages they receive,but from a realization of the nearness of the end. The time demands greater efficiency anddeeper consecration. Oh, I am so full of this subject that I cry to God: "Raise up and send forthmessengers filled with a sense of their responsibility, messengers in whose hearts self-idolatry,which lies at the foundation of all sin, has been crucified." “If Christians were to act in concert, moving forward as one, under the direction of one Power,for the accomplishment of one purpose, they would move the world.” May the Lord help us to understand the signs of the times, and what we ought to do.--Samuel Koranteng-Pipim, PhDwww.EAGLESonline.orgFebruary 5, 2016

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