Since 2018, Harvesters has been equipping pastors to establish churches through evangelism in Ivory Coast. With thirteen Streams (church planting movements) successfully established and more on the horizon in the coming months, your prayers play a crucial role in helping pastors maintain this momentum and overcome challenges. Join us in praying for Ivory Coast using the provided prayer points below.
The Successful Impact of Harvesters’ Training
Over the last year, five new Streams have been launched in the eastern side of Ivory Coast where training has proved to be a resounding success. Harvesters recently travelled to the towns of Bondoukou, Agnibilékrou and Abengourou to present Phase A of the curriculum, and to Bouna and Tanda to conduct Kick Off launches of the programme.
Pastor Fabrice from Bondoukou, who is overseeing the church planting efforts in the east, was delighted to share how much momentum he is now seeing in his region. Pastors who have been ministering in one church for 10 or 20 years have been mobilised to become church-planters and to reach the lost with the Gospel.
In addition to establishing these new eastern Streams, we also visited Abidjan in the south for the graduation ceremony of 70 pastors who have successfully completed the programme. It was uplifting to see the same enthusiasm for God’s mission amongst the graduates as we experienced with those in the east embarking on their church-planting journeys. The impactful testimony of Ps Adieque, who has planted 22 churches since joining Harvesters in 2018, serves as a testament to the profound influence of the training.
Dealing with False Ministers
Ps Fabrice went on to explain some of the challenges they face in Ivory Coast. Firstly, he highlighted an issue of charlatan pastors who are not interested in reaching the lost for Christ or discipling believers. Instead, they are pursuing power, position, even fame.
These deceptive spiritual leaders, who are concerned with money and control, often preach a false prosperity gospel or promise mystical performances. Sadly, it tarnishes the reputation of all pastors and affects the ministry of those who are doing the Lord’s work. Our prayers are needed to fortify them against these challenges.
Thankfully, the Lord is already bringing together a group of genuine and reliable leaders. As the word of Harvesters is spreading, more and more pastors are coming to be trained, drawing pastors back to the biblical mission of making Jesus known.
Surrounded by Islam
Bondoukou is known as the town of a thousand mosques. “That means we have to go further in establishing churches,” says Fabrice, although he admits that’s not easy because the average person you encounter as you evangelise is likely a Muslim.
However, with the Lord’s help evangelism will always be fruitful, even in the most difficult of circumstances. Pastors in Tanda realised this when they were challenged to go and share the Gospel. They reported that the visual tool provided by Harvesters was impactful, because if they had gone out with a Bible in their hands, no one would have given them any attention.
Twelve pastors went out and presented to 66 people… and 31 accepted Christ as their Saviour! What a miraculous outcome, proving the field is ripe for harvest.
Urgent Prayer for Ivory Coast
- Pray for fruitfulness. As pastors evangelise and minister, pray that the message of the true Gospel will be heard and accepted.
- Pray for the salvation of the lost, including the false priests and the Muslims in the eastern region and throughout Ivory Coast.
- Pray for the new believers who have come to faith in Christ. Pray over their discipleship journeys in the new churches that will be planted and pray that more will be added to their number.
- Let’s join pastors like Fabrice in their vision to see ‘the town of a thousand mosques’ become saturated with churches, breaking down strongholds and bringing forth transformation.
- Praise the Lord for the pastors who have committed to planting churches. Pray for all the Student Pastors as they study, minister and reach the unreached.
