by Willard & Yvonne Wagner<\/p>\n
Every Easter Yvonne and I go to Togo, West Africa for their annual convention.\u00a0 There are eleven districts; each has their meeting under their own tents with 10,000 chairs rented for this celebration. (Attendance is limited to 10,000 to meet the government regulations for public gatherings). Services start on Friday evening and conclude on Easter Sunday Morning.\u00a0 Collectively they minister to more than 110,000 worshippers for this very sacred weekend. In my 60 years of ministry, our forty-four years together on the mission field, and 58 years of marriage, there is nothing more awesome than to see so many Christians fervently worshipping the Lord in one place, at one time, and in one accord. (The total membership for the Eglise de Pentecote du Togo, our partnership Church, is now 135,000.)<\/p>\n
Our hopes were dashed when we got up Tuesday morning to hear that the airport in Brussels had just been bombed a few hours ago. We had to praise the Lord for His protection, as had we have flown to Togo as formerly scheduled; our flight would have taken us through Brussels and we would have been there at the very center of this destruction. We thank the Lord we are safe, but so missed the blessing of the Eglise de Pentecote du Togo\u2019s Easter Convention. The College Biblique du Togo had also asked me to give the address in their fifth graduation from this relatively new Bible College of just fifteen years. (This college operates differently than most, as they accept students only from our denomination \u2013 who are either presently pastoring a church or most definitely want to enter the ministry full-time.) By blocking out a chosen number, the qualified professors teach them for three months, let them return to their churches for three months, and bring them back to the college for another session, etc. They then have graduation every three years and this serves them well as they must keep the students in ministry and further train them at the same time.\u00a0 This group has many young men to equip for their own pastors as they now have more than 950 churches, and many of these call upon their elders and deacons to give care to the members in the absence of a pastor. The President, past President, Secretary General, and Treasurer of Eglise de Pentecote du Togo are all graduates of the Bible College, and some of these are also pastoring thriving and successful congregations.<\/p>\n
When we asked them to give us the secrets of success in church planting at a West Africa Conference for our leaders in 2010, they said, \u201cWe are committed to the fulfillment of the great commission of planting new churches.\u00a0 Evangelism is a must in our ministry.\u201d\u00a0 That year each pastor pledged to plant one new church within a quadrennial.\u00a0 Hence, their incredible growth from a starter church some 30 years ago to what they have today. How often does a church, or a whole denomination,\u00a0 get \u201chigh centered\u201d in their ministry and do nothing but spin their wheels for years, or even generations. It was said by the leaders of Togo that when they came under the umbrella of IPHC in 1992, we gave them the impetus and thrust to evangelize and plant churches. Even though we do not claim credit for this phenomenal growth, we do like to think that the Pentecostal Holiness Church had a part in stimulating such progress. This was indeed the work of the Holy Spirit and the evangelistic fervor of the people of Togo that brought about this mighty church planting and growth. This success story could be repeated by churches in other countries if they would just catch the vision and the passion.<\/p>\n
Our return to Togo will be Easter of 2017, at which time Bishop Talmadge Gardner, Rev. Ernest Turner, Yvonne Wagner, and I will be there to dedicate their first new building on the recently purchased (by the Togolese) beautiful acreage for the furtherance of the Eglise de Pentecote du Togo, and all of the Francophone Countries in West Africa.\u00a0 In the mean time we have scheduled trips to Turkey in April; School of Missions in Oklahoma in June; Liberia and Sierra Leone in July; Ghana and The Ivory Coast in September; Nigeria and The Republic of Benin in November. We do look forward to being with our people in these seven countries and just thank the Lord that He has given us excellent leadership and brilliant strategy for our ever increasing ministry in West Africa. We never get tired of the work, but at times get tired in the work, as both of us are approaching our blessed prime-time years. Please pray for a qualified, mature couple that will serve as missionaries in West Africa. Even though a great many of our churches are indigenous and autonomous, it would be helpful to have another missionary come along and assist us in this thriving part of the world.<\/p>\n
Photo credit: Willard & Yvonne Wagner<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Willard & Yvonne Wagner Every Easter Yvonne and I go to Togo, West Africa for their annual convention.\u00a0 There are eleven districts; each has their meeting under their own…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":1015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,4],"tags":[116,35,31,162,123],"class_list":{"0":"post-1011","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-missionary-newsletters","8":"category-world-missions","9":"tag-116","10":"tag-africa","11":"tag-missionary-newsletter","12":"tag-togo","13":"tag-wagner","14":"entry"},"title_es":"Wagner Newsletter: April el a\u00f1o 2016","content_es":"por Willard & Yvonne Yvonne Wagner Cada Pascua y voy a Togo, \u00c1frica Occidental para su convenci\u00f3n anual. Hay once distritos; cada uno tiene su reuni\u00f3n en virtud de sus propias tiendas de campa\u00f1a con 10.000 sillas alquiladas para esta celebraci\u00f3n. (Asistencia est\u00e1 limitada a 10.000 para cumplir con las regulaciones gubernamentales para las reuniones p\u00fablicas). Los servicios se inician el viernes por la noche y llegan a la conclusi\u00f3n de Pascua domingo por la ma\u00f1ana. Colectivamente ministran a m\u00e1s de 110.000 fieles para este fin de semana muy sagrado. En mis 60 a\u00f1os de ministerio, nuestros cuarenta y cuatro a\u00f1os juntos en el campo de la misi\u00f3n, y 58 a\u00f1os de matrimonio, no hay nada m\u00e1s impresionante que ver a tantos cristianos fervientemente adorando al Se\u00f1or en un solo lugar, a la vez, y en uno acuerdo. (El n\u00famero total de miembros de la Eglise de Pentecote de Togo, nuestra Iglesia asociaci\u00f3n, es ahora 135.000.) Nuestras esperanzas se desvanecieron cuando nos levantamos martes por la ma\u00f1ana al escuchar que el aeropuerto de Bruselas, a poco hab\u00eda sido bombardeada hace unas horas. Tuvimos que alabar al Se\u00f1or por su protecci\u00f3n, al igual que hemos volado a Togo como en otro tiempo programado; nuestro vuelo habr\u00eda tomado nosotros a trav\u00e9s de Bruselas y nos hubiera estado all\u00ed en el centro mismo de esta destrucci\u00f3n. Damos gracias al Se\u00f1or estamos seguros, pero tambi\u00e9n lo perdimos la bendici\u00f3n de la Convenci\u00f3n de Pascua Eglise de Pentecote du Togo. El Colegio B\u00edblica de Togo tambi\u00e9n me hab\u00eda pedido que dar la direcci\u00f3n en su quinta graduaci\u00f3n de esta relativamente nueva Bible College de s\u00f3lo quince a\u00f1os. (Este colegio funciona de forma diferente que la mayor\u00eda, y cuando acepten los estudiantes s\u00f3lo de nuestra denominaci\u00f3n -. Que est\u00e1n pastoreando ya sea actualmente una iglesia o definitivamente quieren entrar en el ministerio de tiempo completo) Al bloquear un n\u00famero elegido, los profesores cualificados que ense\u00f1an por tres meses, vamos a regresar a sus iglesias durante tres meses, y traerlos de vuelta a la universidad para otra sesi\u00f3n, etc. a continuaci\u00f3n, tienen la graduaci\u00f3n cada tres a\u00f1os y esto les sirve bien, ya que deben mantener a los estudiantes en el ministerio y a\u00fan m\u00e1s entrenarlos al mismo tiempo. Este grupo tiene muchos hombres j\u00f3venes para equipar a sus propios pastores ya que ahora tienen m\u00e1s de 950 iglesias, y muchos de ellos piden a sus ancianos y di\u00e1conos para prestar asistencia a los miembros en ausencia de un pastor. El Presidente, m\u00e1s all\u00e1 de Presidente, Secretario General y Tesorero de Eglise de Pentecote de Togo son todos los graduados de la universidad de la biblia, y algunos de ellos tambi\u00e9n est\u00e1n pastoreando congregaciones pujantes y exitosas. Cuando les preguntamos a darnos los secretos del \u00e9xito en la plantaci\u00f3n de iglesias en una Conferencia de \u00c1frica Occidental para nuestros l\u00edderes en el 2010, dijeron, "Estamos comprometidos con el cumplimiento de la gran comisi\u00f3n de la plantaci\u00f3n de nuevas iglesias. La evangelizaci\u00f3n es una necesidad en nuestro ministerio. "Ese a\u00f1o cada pastor se comprometi\u00f3 a plantar una nueva iglesia dentro de una cada cuatro a\u00f1os. Por lo tanto, su incre\u00edble crecimiento de una iglesia de arranque hace unos 30 a\u00f1os para lo que tienen hoy. \u00bfCon qu\u00e9 frecuencia hace una iglesia, o toda una denominaci\u00f3n, para conseguir la "alta centrada" en su ministerio y no hacen m\u00e1s que girar sus ruedas durante a\u00f1os, o incluso generaciones. Se ha dicho por los l\u00edderes de Togo que cuando llegaron bajo el paraguas de la IISP en 1992, les dio el impulso y el empuje para evangelizar y plantar iglesias. A pesar de que no pretendemos m\u00e9rito de este crecimiento fenomenal, nos gusta pensar que la Iglesia Pentecostal de Santidad tuvo un papel en la estimulaci\u00f3n de tales avances. Este fue de hecho la obra del Esp\u00edritu Santo y el fervor evangel\u00edstico de la poblaci\u00f3n de Togo que llevaron a esta poderosa plantaci\u00f3n de iglesias y el crecimiento. Esta historia de \u00e9xito podr\u00eda repetirse por las iglesias en otros pa\u00edses si s\u00f3lo captar la visi\u00f3n y la pasi\u00f3n. Nuestro regreso a Togo ser\u00e1 Pascua de 2017, momento en el cual el obispo Talmadge Gardner, Rev. Ernest Turner, Yvonne Wagner, y estar\u00e1n all\u00ed para dedicar su primer nuevo edificio en el recientemente adquirido (por las Togo) hermosa superficie de cultivo para el fomento de la Eglise de Pentecote de Togo, y todos los pa\u00edses de habla francesa en \u00c1frica Occidental. Por el momento se han programado viajes a Turqu\u00eda en abril; Escuela de Misiones en Oklahoma en junio; Liberia y Sierra Leona en julio; Ghana y Costa de Marfil en septiembre; Nigeria y la Rep\u00fablica de Benin en noviembre. Nosotros esperamos estar con nuestro pueblo en estos siete pa\u00edses y acaba de dar gracias al Se\u00f1or que \u00c9l nos ha dado un excelente liderazgo y estrategia brillante para nuestro creciente ministerio en \u00c1frica occidental. Nunca nos cansamos de la obra, pero a veces se cansa en el trabajo, ya que ambos se est\u00e1n acercando a nuestros a\u00f1os de prime-time benditos. Por favor oren por un par calificado, madura que va a servir como misioneros en \u00c1frica Occidental. A pesar de que una gran parte de nuestras iglesias son ind\u00edgenas y aut\u00f3nomo, ser\u00eda \u00fatil tener otro misionero venga y nos ayude en esta parte pr\u00f3spera del mundo. Apoyar su ministerio aqu\u00ed!<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/h4> Cr\u00e9dito de la imagen: Willard & Yvonne Wagner<\/em>","author_name":"","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/Wagner-1.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pb62Ar-gj","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1011\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}