January
2007
Dear Ministry
Partners,
I just returned from a recent ministry
trip to Cameroon,
Africa, to help ordain 200 new ministers of the gospel. I would
like to share photos and highlights with you this month. Cameroon
is on the west coast of Africa just above the equator, and is
a country moving towards revival. Africa as a whole has had some
areas of a real move of God in recent years. The ministerial association
that I hold ordination credentials with, World
Ministry Fellowship (WMF), began organizing WMF of Africa
in 1999. WMF there has grown to have members in 16 African countries
now. They have had African national conventions the last 4 years.
They only ordained 9 ministers 4 years ago, about 50 new ministers
last year, but now about 200 ministers this year from 10 African
nations.

I did teachings on various leadership
topics during the day sessions to these 200 ministers waiting
for ordination. Charles Rogers also taught on various topics related
to the Holy
Spirit. Charles is the International Director for WMF and
has been organizing and developing WMF membership in the major
world continents. Charles has been in ministry almost 50 years,
and hired Kenneth
Copeland when he was an unknown young man to sing in the evangelistic
meetings which Charles was conducting. Charles later ordained
Kenneth into the ministry.
Cameroon was under German and French influence
during the last 150 years, and only in recent decades won full
independence from the colonial powers. The French background,
as well as the Muslim influence (35% of the population) and native
tribal witchcraft kept Cameroon fairly closed to the true gospel
over the years.
Some key men of God have paid a great price
in their work to spread the gospel in Cameroon. Their labor has
been instrumental in seeing growth in the Kingdom of God. I would
like to highlight a couple of men as examples to inspire you to
greater commitment for the Lord.
Jean Assala was 18 years old in 1961 when
he got saved in the capitol city of Yaounde. (He is fourth to
my right in the ordination photograph.) About 3 months later,
Jesus appeared to him. Jesus told Jean to stand up for Him and
begin pastoring the 15 other believers in Yaounde, which today
has a population of over 1 million people. Jean began boldly witnessing
for Jesus and riding a bike with scriptures painted on it as a
witness. He saw many miracles such as blind eyes opened and deaf
ears healed. Jean was arrested for the gospel more times than
he can remember, once receiving 50 lashes, once 150 lashes, and
once 300 lashes. Nothing could stop him in his service for the
Lord. He has established 17 churches and currently oversees a
group of 10 pastors. He bought the land for each of the churches
with his own personal funds and donated the parcels to each congregation.
He is now widely recognized as an apostle and is greatly respected
for his life and ministry. He has started a small Christian school
and has been wanting to create Christian medical clinics in rural
areas.
When I was meeting with Apostle Assala, the
Lord spoke to me to raise the funds to print a book about his
life. At age 63, he deserves recognition for his work for the
Lord, and his testimony of commitment will inspire many Christians
in Cameroon and greater Africa. I am inviting believers to contribute
so we can have the book written in the native French language
of Cameroon and print an initial 1,000 copies to have distributed
around the region.
Another key leader in Africa is Bishop
Floribert Mawit in Cameroon. (He is third to my right in the ordination
photograph.) He came as a "missionary" from his native
Congo
to start a church in Douala, Cameroon, in 1993. His family had
to stay behind due to the large expense of moving, and he has
only been able to travel back to see his family about once every
3 months due to the cost involved. He has built an independent
Spirit-filled church of about 400 members in Douala (which is
large for Cameroon). He is the WMF Director for all of Africa.
He is now 52 years old and believing God for the funds to move
his family to Cameroon to live with him. If any one with the means
feels led by the Spirit, they can contact me for more information
about re-uniting Bishop Mawit's family with him in Douala.
Cameroon is a poor third-world country filled
with gracious people. They just don't have much money. Jesus died
for these people like everyone else, and ministry there is just
as important as any other nation. With the African work of WMF
centered there in Cameroon, revival can spread in Africa as we
help fan the flames by doing our part. Judi and I have needs too,
but we wanted to focus this month on helping others in a strategic
way. Anything extra you can do financially at year-end will be
appreciated, and put to work for the gospel.
Ministering for Jesus,
Dale & Judi Leander
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