Global Partners

The International Conference of The Wesleyan Church (ICWC) took place in Panama City, Panama, on January 27-29, 2012. It was the first ICWC held at a time separate from the North American General Conference and on international soil (outside of Canada and the United States). A few highlights include:

• 147 leaders throughout the world were in attendance.
• The South Pacific Conference of The Wesleyan Church was formed. It is the first Establish Regional Conference in The Wesleyan Church and is made up of Australia, New Zealand, Bougainville, and the Solomon Islands.
• Conference delegates toured the Panama Canal on a cruise. While aboard the ship, communion was held in five languages.
• Rev. Usman J. Fornah, national superintendent of The Wesleyan Church in Sierra Leone, gave the keynote message

In the following days and weeks, more information and news regarding this ICWC event will be made available on the GP website and in the April-June 2012 issue of the GP WorldView due out in March.

The annual Nicaraguan pastors’ retreat, sponsored by the Wisconsin District, took place January 16-20. It was followed on Sunday by a grand district-wide celebration in which the first-ever graduates from the Nicaragua Bible Institute received their diplomas and four Nicaraguan pastors were ordained for the first time in the history of The Wesleyan Church. General Superintendent Dr. Jo Anne Lyon was with us for the pastors’ retreat and officiated the ordination.

The graduates were filled with a deep sense of pride in their accomplishments. The ordinands felt that sublime mixture of gratitude and humility at the laying on of hands in recognition of God’s call on their lives to serve in pastoral ministry. The Nicaraguan Wesleyan Church sensed that they are a Church in action, diligently pursuing the call of God and joyfully living out the Great Commission in Nicaragua. What a high and holy moment it was!

[Caton’s Island is a summer camp owned and operated by the Atlantic District Wesleyan Church. Dean Stephenson of Lansdowne has been the executive director for 16 years.]

Every once in a while we get to participate in something highly significant—something that transcends self. Running a six-day camp in Haiti for 75 orphans was that significant event for 21 teens and young adults from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Representing Caton’s Island Camp young people followed through on a dream to give these kids a chance to be kids.

Life is hard in Haiti. . . . If you’re a child with no parents you are at the mercy of the human predators. Some orphans are enslaved to do household chores, be involved in the sex trade, or do manual labor. Some are treated little better than animals. Many live on the streets in quasi-organized communities (that’s translated gangs) begging or stealing for daily sustenance, becoming beggars and thieves in the process. The “lucky” ones get to live in an orphanage where at least their basic needs are taken care of, if the resources are available. More than 60 percent of the 9 million people are under the age of 18 with some 500,000 orphans or economically abandoned children. Life in Haiti is hard. Life in Haiti is harder if you are a child without parents or caring adults.

So the opportunity to run a camp program for 75 orphans at The Jesus Home for Children of La Gonavebecame a dream for many of the staff at Caton’s Island. . . . [And in December 2011] the dream came to life. A six-acre Baptist camp at Croix Lily near Montrois in Haiti was rented. The 75 orphanage kids arrived on a boat chartered to bring them from La Gonave Island. This camp allowed the Caton’s staff to give the kids the freedom to run around, swim in the ocean (this was the favorite), play soccer, do crafts, and play games. In short, they experienced a gentler side of life that allowed them to have fun and be kids.

. . . We fell in love with them. And they fell in love with us. Many tears were shed when we parted with them as they climbed in the boat for their return. Speaking of returning, we are already planning for next year. . .

National Superintendent Dr. Kalembo and Rev. Kakungu, both from Zambia, along with missionary Fred Cromer, traveled to Uganda in December to train 40 leaders in The Wesleyan Church of Uganda, which is made up of churches in Uganda and Kenya. They also gave district ministerial licenses to eight pastors and ordained Rev. Lucas Hamirie Okochi, the leader of the Ugandan Church. Currently, there are 52 Wesleyan churches in Uganda and 10 in Kenya. The Church operates a primary school and has a vision to develop a Bible training institute. 

Global Partners has set up a Community Health Evangelism (CHE) project on the island of LaGonave. The goal is to improve community health conditions in each community on the island while sharing the gospel. CHE is now in more than 25 communities. Within the last nine months, CHE has taken seven communities that had less than 10 percent of any type of sanitation and improved them to over 50 percent, with one community to 100 percent. Also, in the two-month period of October–November 2011, 250 people accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior through the CHE project.

At the November 2011 district conference of The Wesleyan Church of Ghana, the following gains made over the past two years were celebrated:

• Five new churches were planted, mainly through the ministry of the JESUS film.
• One candidate was ordained, and 25 candidates were granted district ministerial licenses.
• The district now consists of 44 churches with 3,284 members.

Other highlights included:

• The national church’s name of the Wesleyan Standard Church Ghana was officially changed to Wesleyan Church Ghana.
• A new missionary outreach will begin early in 2012 in Burkina Faso.
• Plans were announced to create a national conference in two years by dividing the current district into two districts.

Albania:  A couple of years ago a woman with a nominal Muslim background enrolled her little girl in the day care housed in the Wesleyan ministry center, and the woman began spending a lot of time with the day care staff. Both this woman and her daughter began learning about Jesus. Even after the daughter moved from day care to school, the woman continued to have contact with the staff. Just recently, the woman gave her heart to Christ! The day care is making a big difference in the lives of the children and their mothers.

Brazil:  In November the Amazon District region (about 15 churches) held a weekend retreat with the sole purpose of inviting non-Christians and Christians who needed a challenge to live more closely to Jesus. It was called The Harvest Retreat. There were 320 people at the Wesleyan campgrounds, filling it to capacity. There was clearly demonic activity, but Jesus was completely victorious! At least 70 (a conservative estimate) made first-time commitments to the Lord. There were 40-50 baptized on the last day of the retreat. What a great victory for the kingdom of God!

Cuba:  The 1st Women's Convention of The Wesleyan Church in Cuba was held on November 4-6. Two hundred women attended, including a large group of ladies who stood nine hours in the back of a truck to get there! There were times of praise and prayer, and the wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit was evident. Praise God!

El Salvador:  The work in El Salvador continues to gain great momentum. Three new church plants have been launched in areas outside the capital city of San Salvador! These are preaching points that are being pastored by six of our 16 ministerial students in El Salvador. Contact has also been made with two existing pastors and churches who wish to join The Wesleyan Church.

Guyana:  On November 24 at the conference of The Wesleyan Church of Guyana, Rev. Ivan Williams was elected the new district superintendent. The past district superintendent, Rev. Anderson, had served with honor and integrity, advancing the cause of Christ in Guyana for the past ten years.

Karis People: God has graciously given our missionary team 29 opportunities to share the gospel over a recent eight-week time period in this Muslim country. Praise the Lord!

Myanmar:  In November the youth choir of The Wesleyan Church in Myanmar won first prize in a music competition in which more than 20 denominations participated. This is the fourth year for the annual music contest, and the second time that the Wesleyan young people have won first prize. Praise the Lord for their witness through music!

Russia:  An older woman who has been coming to the large group meeting of the Grace of Christ church plant in Vladimir repented and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Praise God! 

Zambia:  In October the Pilgrim Wesleyan Church of Zambia sponsored a Gospel Crusade in the Kanyama Township on the edge of the capital city of Lusaka. More than 100 people made decisions to accept Christ as their Savior during the crusade. Three Pilgrim Wesleyan churches were mobilized for the crusade. Praise God for new believers! 

Picture:  District Superintendent Rev. Ivan Williams and his wife, Rev. Marva Williams