Our very dear AE friends,

When I first started AE, as a student at Fuller Seminary in California, Charles Fuller, the seminary’s founder, called me into his office one day. He admonished me, "Michael, in the home-stretch of your life, you must start a training institution!" It was a memorable moment and, though it was nearly a half-century ago, I have sought to be obedient to what I believe was the Lord’s leading through Charles Fuller.

As the fulfillment of that leading, we launched the African Enterprise Leadership Training Center (AELTC), based at our AE South Africa headquarters in Pietermaritzburg, just over three years ago. And already we are having a transforming impact on Christian leaders and lay people not only in South Africa, but around the continent.

We have targeted three major groups of people who desperately need the sort of holistic, biblical instruction that we in AE have developed over our 48-year history. First, there are countless pastors who cannot afford much time – because of their family and congregational demands – or the money to get the extra training and help they need to effectively carry out their Gospel work in Africa. We have seen these pastors mightily helped through a mix of brief face-to-face intensive courses as well as distance learning  programs which we are either developing ourselves or making available through other training institutions.  Xoliseka Matara (right), a South African church leader, said:  "Urban mission and transformation - the AELTC teaches us how to do this effectively.  The AELTC's vision tells me that there is still hope for Africa."                                                                                                                                                                          

The second group of people we are seeking to impact is Christians who are leaders in the secular marketplace – that is, people of influence who need help and training with making their influence and witness really count in their jobs, whether in business, academia, politics, civics or other professions. Many of these need to be better equipped to be the front-line troops of witness in secular society.  And I find this a supremely exciting challenge with the potential to profoundly impact Africa for Christ.   

Zanele Hlatshwayo (above), mayor of Pietermaritzburg, said, “The City Leaders Workshop was wonderful and very motivating for leaders with a well-structured program. I would highly recommend the AELTC and its rograms to any municipal leader.”   

The third group of people we are aiming our training at is Africa's young people, the majority of whom are morally and spiritually at sea, and yet who remain a key constituency of enormous potential and influence. We are therefore developing here as part of the AELTC an Adventure Youth Camp, which we will connect quite closely with our Foxfire youth evangelist program.   Youth leaders at an AELTC workshop (left).  Ayanda Mabaso, a student and youth leader, said, "African Enterprise gave me as a youth leader, the skills and training that is relevant and which I need to pass on to others, thus making disciples of all nations."

Beyond this, following my research trip to India last year, we are spearheading an Indian Master Trainer program, whereby significant instruction is given to select Master Trainers who in their turn train Trainers who in their turn train Harvesters, thus triggering a monitored and very intentional chain reaction of evangelism, discipleship and church-planting. This model has produced extraordinary church growth in India from 15 million to 75 million Christians in 12 to 15 years. One amazing aspect of the Indian model is that it is consistently producing mature, effective Christian leaders and lay witnesses. Because of the intentional discipleship component, it discourages the spawning of ineffective, nominal Christians who have little impact upon the surrounding culture and society. Thus it is our vision to see this program launch forth the sort of transformational church growth in Africa that India has seen over the last decade or so.  Bongani Dlomo, Michael Cassidy & Melisachew Mesfin welcomed by the Mission India leaders Chiri and Kamela Chiranjeevi in Hyderabad (above).

My dear friends, the financial challenges of all this are considerable, especially when you realize how many of these pastors and leaders who come to us need financial assistance with travel or course costs or both. So I’m asking you with all my heart to consider investing into the AELTC, a project which has such enormous long-term positive potential for this continent and which constitutes my end-game and legacy for this season of my life. I know Charles Fuller would beam down from heaven if he could see what is getting under way and would surely know what enormous potential is locked up in this AELTC venture.

We look forward to receiving your response, along with the assurance of your prayers

Yours in the love, grace, grip and gratitude of Christ,

Michael Cassidy

My very dear friends,                                                                                     July, 2009           

Few people around the world would be unaware of the tragedy that has befallen Zimbabwe in recent years.

Poor Leadership has resulted in massive problems for the suffering people with almost non existent medical facilities and food shortages resulting in death by starvation for some.

Our team in the country has shared in the suffering.  As we have looked on from the outside we have wanted to help but have struggled to find a way that would be effective in delivering much needed aid to the people without a large proportion of the resources going to those who should not be receiving it.

I have personally been anguished as I look at the country of my birth and want to provide help and comfort while at the same time exercising good stewardship of the gifts entrusted to us by our faithful supporters.

NOW THE RIGHT TIME HAS COME.  Because of the changing political climate and because of the great linkages that African Enterprise has with across the spectrum of churches within the country, we has established a coalition of churches that can deliver much needed aid right to the heart of where it is needed; to the poor and marginalized people who have little access to food in an environment of shortages combined with hyperinflation.  We will provide maize, cooking oil for many thousands.

The changing political scene with power sharing between the opposition and government has already enabled us to bring in some much needed food and medical supplies to those who need it most.  Now we want to bring in a significant quantity of these urgent supplies and the network of churches are ready and willing to undertake this in a professional and God honouring manner.

So dear friends, I am now appealing to you to help save Zimbabwe.  It is a matter of life and death for many and so I am asking if you can give sacrificially as the Lord enables you, for the sake of those who have suffered so much in recent years.

My colleague Orpheus Hove who leads the Zimbabwe team has stood firm in his desire to preach the gospel faithfully throughout these difficult years.  Even to the extent that he and his team suffered near starvation when on mission because there was no food where they went.  Part of Orpheus' own home was demolished by Government bulldozers.  Now is the time to bless hem, not by giving him gifts, but by giving him and the team resources so that they can be a blessing to others by sharing the "good news" and giving practical help.  I thank all of you who have stood with us as we seek to help save Zimbabwe.  Warmly in the peerless name of our Lord and Saviour.

Stephen Lungu,
International Team Leader

CHRISTIAN STUDENTS’ DISCIPLESHIP PROGRAM

ETHIOPIA

African Enterprise is passionately pursuing the objective of preparing the heart of the next generation for the Lord and building “Tomorrow’s Church”.

The churches in Ethiopia bring the gospel to many children through big evangelistic efforts. Yet, as in the physical world many are not properly taken care of (not discipled). AEE is determined to stand in the gap.

The nationwide biblical training program that started in 2003 has two major components: discipleship and leadership development. The program’s key goal is to reach out to and disciple all Christian students in each city throughout Ethiopia over a duration of five years.

The discipleship program is done in partnership with the church. The students are taught in classes (on church premises) with the aid of well written text books. It is an age graded, curriculum based and well structured biblical discipleship and spiritual empowerment program. The courses range from understanding basic Christianity to evangelism, Christian ethics and
transformational servant leadership. It primarily focuses on the next-generation, Christian students of grade 5 and upwards to high school and university. The training is conducted by pastors and ministers in each locality.

In 2008 alone some 13,780 students were discipled in 188 cities. The testimony of church leaders and students affirm the biblical soundness of the program. A female high school student said, “I never thought of abortion as unbiblical. I have watched many films where it happens and considered it a proper and modern way of living. But now I have learnt through the discipleship program that abortion is not God honouring”.

My Dear and Valued  Friends,                       May 2009

According to the apostle Paul, David “served the purpose of God in his own generation” (Acts 13:36). Think about that. God had certain aims in mind during David’s lifetime, such as securing Israel’s borders and preparing the Temple for construction, a project that was only fully realized by his son Solomon. But David was faithful in carrying out the Lord’s plans.

Africa of course faces more than its fair share of challenges, but in the African Enterprise Leadership Training Centre (AELTC), we’ve witnessed the Lord enabling us to make significant inroads in bringing his purposes about in our generation on our continent. While the AELTC seeks to provide cutting-edge practical and theological training to lay people and clergy on a number of topics, there are two specific arenas in which we are impacting our continent: Our investment in the youth and future leaders of Africa, and our growing access to the African Independent Churches, which often incorporate disturbing elements of traditional religions. Let me tell you about these.

Equipping the Youth

The more youth we can win for Christ the better we can realize an Africa led by those of integrity and a servant heart. The challenge in this realm is great. Schools are not coping effectively and a large percentage of families are so fractured by the effects of HIV and AIDS that many young people are growing up without parents. Many teachers and principals are at their wits’ end. Indeed, Ina Cronje, our provincial minister of education, said recently at AE that “we are at a loss on how to deal with the stress our teachers are forced to contend with . . . and will greatly appreciate any intervention that will help them.”

Our AELTC Youth Adventure Camp is one of our responses to this crisis. Our 66-acre property recently added an adventure ropes course and accommodation facilities. During their stay with us, students learn from a Christian perspective to overcome fears and develop new skills. They are challenged to work on relational skills through teamwork exercises. Through this process, students attain a new measure of what is called Emotional Intelligence, or EQ, which is the ability to exercise self-control in the development of maturity. While many young people are plainly not lacking in IQ, the absence of good parenting, combined with stressed and overwhelmed teachers, has resulted in a gross lack of discipline and young people whose many gifts will never be cultivated and applied.

It has been our profound delight to see troubled young people from even the most problem-plagued schools transformed after only a few days at our Camp. We saw this in the case of a school viewed as out of control from a disciplinary perspective. After 104 of the students came to our Camp, the principal remarked with obvious satisfaction and relief, “Our children have become calmer and the behavior and discipline standards have improved dramatically.”

What better way to present the Gospel to these young people in an environment where they are enabled to listen to and hear the Good News of Jesus Christ? So we see scores of our future leaders finding their Savior and Guide as they grow up to become agents of godly reformation in our land!

Reforming the Church

Alongside our effective and growing Adventure Camp, the AELTC has gained astonishing access into the previously isolated African Independent Churches (AICs). Many in North America might never have heard of AIC’s, as they were launched not by missionaries but by Africans themselves. This phenomenon is of course welcome in and of itself, but the problem has been that many AIC’s have integrated beliefs and practices from traditional religions that are in direct conflict with biblical Christianity, such as ancestor worship or the consulting of witch doctors. This is not a problem that affects a small number of people: the largest Christian denomination in South Africa is the Zion Christian Church, an AIC with two million members and 5,000 congregations. Experts believe that 40% of southern Africa belongs to AIC’s, with these Churches growing faster than any others.

The blessed good news in all of this is that we are seeing increasing numbers of AIC pastors, Bishops and Archbishops coming to our training courses. Some courses are made up of 90% AIC leaders! They receive biblical instruction that enables them to embrace the liberating truth of the Gospel. This liberates millions around the continent from bondage to occultic beliefs and practices. This can only serve to bring about the reformation of Africa that we are seeking in our generation.

Now, how can you be a part of what God is doing in Africa through the AELTC? We have two great financial needs I want to put before you:

• We need to construct 3 additional 40-bed facilities to expand our ability to house young people at our Adventure Youth Camp. The total cost of the 3 facilities is $75,000. Could you give $50, $150, $500, or even $5,000 or more to enable this vital ministry to go forward?
• The vast majority of AIC pastors are abjectly poor and we must provide subsidies to enable them to attend the courses that bring them to an understanding of biblical truth. Could you contribute $60 to enable one AIC pastor to attend a three-day course, or $600 for ten pastors, or even $6,000 to underwrite an entire course? 1 Canadian dollar = 7+ SA Rands.

Good friends, I am thankful beyond measure at the progress we’re seeing. I hope you’ll join with us as we work together to carry out the Lord’s purposes in our generation in Africa. Thank you for your prayers and partnership!

Yours for the Gospel in Africa,

Michael Cassidy

Founder, African Enterprise, Chairman AELTC