The Free Methodist Church in
Africa
FMWM IN AFRICA
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FMWM West Africa Area Fellowship 2022
Pray for God’s Visitation
It was a true joy to me as we began receiving requests from pastoral leaders to read from Nigeria: “Pray for God’s visitation to all African leaders and their families.” What a wonderful request for prayer! And one to which I want to be added! As I pondered this request, I was sobered by remembering Jesus’ words about “visitation.” These words were spoken during His approach to Jerusalem in what we know as His Triumphal Entry. Everyone was celebrating Him, and yet He wept. I suppose people thought these were tears of joy. But His words lament that Jerusalem did not recognize the day God visited them. So, pray along with us. Pray for our African leaders and me that God will indeed visit all of us – the entirety of the Free Methodist Church (FMC) in Africa. Pray we will have eyes to see and hearts to recognize the day of His visitation.
The Africa FMC continues to expand across the continent. Please be encouraged by the new groups of disciples being made and formed into churches. Give thanks to the Lord for our Free Methodist bishops, superintendents and mission district leaders who are leading their people in deep piety. With this deep piety as a fountain in the church, they are crafting ministries to families, ministries to children (in the form of all kinds of schools), ministries to the sick, ministries to those in prison and ministries to the destitute. All these ministries spring from the love of Christ. Rejoice with us for new missionaries being called into service, both from North America and the African church.
We have much for which to praise God! Thank you for your faithful prayer support. Thank you for joining us in bringing before our Father the Free Methodist missionaries and Free Methodist ministries across the continent of Africa.
May the Lord be praised!
Mike Reynen, Africa Area Director
Countries
Africa Area Director
Mike Reynen
Area Director Newsletters
Missionaries
Scott & Natasha Edinger
Scott and Natasha Edinger provide pastoral care for FM missionaries in Africa. This role includes encouragement and spiritual nurture via emails, phone calls and field visits; special care in emergencies or times of crisis; and organization of prayer support.
Glenn Lorenz
Glenn Lorenz began serving as the Africa Area Associate Director in October 2022. His work will focus on recruiting, onboarding, training, and coaching missionary teams to live in Africa and support the national church leaders. This revitalized focus will strengthen the connection between the U.S. church and FM ministries throughout Africa.
Glenn and his wife, Wendy, began serving as FMWM missionaries on the Latin America team in 2017. Glenn had experience working with missionary teams and developing healthy leaders in Latin America. Before his missionary service, Glenn chaired the Ministry and Theology Department at Central Christian College of Kansas, planted a church in Arizona, and served a church in the Sierra Pacific Conference.
Glenn’s wife, Wendy, continues working for the Latin America Area, caring for Third Culture Kids (TCKs) in Latin America and providing direction to the Free Methodist TCK Global team.
Emmanuel & Rachel Nzungize
Emmanuel and Rachel met in Kibogora, Rwanda, in 2015 while Rachel was volunteering as nurse at Kibogora Hospital. Emmanuel, a Rwandan, was her translator. Their friendship developed and they were married in 2018. After a few years in the United States, they feel God is calling them back to Kibogora. Both Emmanuel and Rachel are nurses and are excited to care for patients and provide education for other nurses and nursing students. Rachel recently completed her master’s degree in global health and hopes to assist hospital staff with quality improvements as needed. The Nzungizes also look forward to welcoming short-term volunteers and serving as a bridge within the community. They have two young children, Noella and Matayo.
Mike & Vickie Reynen
Mike Reynen works on the formation of churches in Africa by collaborating with African leaders to develop the various aspects of well-rounded church life. Church planting and ministerial education are vital. Mike and Vickie both encourage the missionary team in empowering national leaders. Vickie puts much of her energy into Tumaini Women Kenya, a discipleship-oriented micro-savings and loan ministry, and Thrive (also Kenya), a young women’s ministry discipling and advocating against gender-based violence and sex trafficking.
Hendrik & Kaylene Smidderks
As FMWM missionaries, Hendrik will lead a team supporting church leaders and mission districts in West Africa and assisting in pastoral training and formation. Kaylene will serve the work of the international missionary team to West Africa, focusing on financial administration and communication.
Moisés & Jacione Souza
Sent by the Free Methodist Church in Portugal, Moisés and Jacione Souza serve as international missionaries to the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe off the west coast of Africa. They launched the first Free Methodist church in São Tomé in January 2019 and now work consistently through various discipleship ministries for children, youth and adults. Many believers are growing in their faith. The couple’s next goal is to identify and train leaders for pastoral ministry. Both Moisés and Jacione were ordained as elders at the 2020 annual meeting of the Free Methodist Church of Portugal. Because the church in Portugal is the sending church, this mission district is under the European area.
Children: Filipa, Giovanna
Dosseh Takpale
Dosseh Takpale is the superintendent of the Togo Provisional Annual Conference. As an international missionary, he now assists in supervising four other countries: Guinea, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau and Mali. In addition, Dosseh serves as the regional administrative assistant for the area director and the director of the Wesley Missionary Institute.
HEARTBEAT
Big Steps in Malawi
The Free Methodist Church (FMC) in Malawi is taking active steps toward achieving general conference status. Under the leadership of Bishop Matt...
Mbare, Zimbabwe: New Church, New Generation
The Free Methodist Church in Zimbabwe is actively engaged in planting new churches and reaching people for Christ. Pastor Tsitsi Majoko is a church...
African Leaders Converge
Leaders from 12 African countries came together in Togo in February 2023 for a week of fellowship, training and planning. They came from Cameroon,...
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Africa VISA Voyagers: Resident Teachers for Ministerial Education
Potential locations for assignment include Great Commission Bible School, Malawi, Wesley Missionary Institute, Togo, or Liberia in its pastoral education program. Individuals would commit to a year or longer service. There are great opportunities to help individuals develop in ministry. Malawi and Liberia systems are modular, Togo is residential. Interested teachers will discuss with field leadership to discern a best place of service.
Africa VISA Team: Church Construction/School Repairs
This is for teams who wish to participate in the project of constructing a church or repairing school buildings. In most cases this would include working under the direction of local builders. It could include cement block laying, cement work, basic woodworking. Often the projects are in hot environments. Good health is a necessity. Team size could be between four and ten members.