I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7 ESV)
We work hard equipping pastors to preach Christ-centered, expositional sermons. But what about the churches they lead? Can expositional pulpits result in expositional churches? When God gives the growth, yes! We recently heard from our Africa Regional Director, Jeff Gage, about one way God is growing expositional ministry across Africa through the local church.
A Seed Takes Root
This month, May 2024, marks five years of WordPartners’ workshops with Midrand Chapel, our partner church in South Africa. The work began from the desire to “reach out to other churches with under-equipped pastors.” In an effort to meet that need, WordPartners’ training planted an expositional-ministry seed that began to grow. In the years since, men have been receiving the necessary experience in our workshops to become trainers within the church. The result has been a growing expositional ministry in discipleship, teaching, and worship leading.
As WordPartners’ Dig & Discover Principles took root within Midrand Chapel, the church began to grow their regional impact for expositional ministry. Pastors from churches across South Africa and Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) began to attend Midrand’s workshops. Many of these pastors have caught the vision for expositional ministry within their own local churches.
Growing Reach
The workshops branched out when other local churches began asking Midrand to come train their pastors and ministry leaders. With 2 Timothy 2:2 guiding the process, Midrand’s trainers equip and coach the other churches to conduct workshops themselves.
Expositional ministry grows in the churches in various ways. Some have organized their small groups to use the Dig and Discover Principles, working through the sermon from Sunday. Others plan their preaching around books of the Bible covered in the workshops so their small groups can use the workbooks. Still others are meeting with their elders or preaching team before the sermon to work on the text together. Pastors committed to discipleship multiplication who were once under-equipped now have the tools to do it more simply and effectively.
We work hard equipping pastors to preach Christ-centered, expositional sermons. But what about the churches they lead? Can expositional pulpits result in expositional churches? When God gives the growth, yes!
Multiplying Fruitfulness
The training that began in Midrand Chapel five years ago has grown into a multitude of fruitfulness across the region. Pastors impacted by these workshops are taking the training wherever they are involved with missions and church planting from Eswatini to Zimbabwe to Asia. As these pastors elevate God’s life-giving Word, they are providing the global church with an example of one way God may grow Christ-centered, expositional ministry in and through the local church.
WordPartners trains pastors because pastors lead churches. We also recognize that churches outlive pastors. Congregations must become expositional, equipping churches for sustainable multiplication into the generations to come. God has entrusted us with such in South Africa. But we can’t do this work alone.
We invite you to partner with us to see expositional churches continue to grow and flourish across Africa and beyond. Your donation will help more churches the joy of Christ-centered, expositional ministry. Thank you for considering a gift today.
