New Unit of Daybreak and Discovery

A new unit of the Daybreak and Discovery Bible study series will be released for the fall quarter of 2019, covering the Books of Luke, Acts, James, Galatians, and Romans. This is the ninth unit to be completed of the twelve-part series. Each unit is comprised of ninety-one daily Daybreak lessons that offer detailed contextual background information and practical life applications, as well as thirteen weekly Discovery lessons, which address broader themes from the text.

Superintendent General Darrel Lee emphasized the importance of the study series to ministers at a meeting last spring. He stated, “The lessons provide helpful historical and contextual information, and by the end of the unit, students will have a better grasp of these books of the Bible. Unlike other study resources available on the market, these are unique because they are rooted in holiness rather than Calvinist theology.” He encouraged everyone to use the materials.

Lessons can be accessed through the church app or website (in the Curriculum section of the Library), and will be available in html, PDF, and audio versions. Daybreak will also be posted as the daily devotional this fall, and readers can sign up on the Daily Devotional page of our website for a free subscription to have the lessons sent to their inboxes each day.

Eastern Africa District Superintendent Appointed

On June 9, Reverend Boniface Banda was installed and ordained as the District Superintendent of Eastern Africa and the pastor of the Zambia headquarters church in Lusaka, following the sudden passing of Reverend Timothy Kaibula. Reverend Kaibula had been the Lusaka pastor since 1992 and Eastern Africa District Superintendent since 2000.

During his years of service, Reverend Kaibula was a source of encouragement to both old and young, leading an exemplary life of consistency in Gospel work and total submission to the sovereign will of God. He was described as “a gallant soldier of the Cross, full of faith and fearless.” His loss is felt deeply by his family, the Lusaka congregation, and all the members of the Eastern Africa work.

Reverend Banda had been serving as the pastor of a small church in Chongwe, thirty miles from Lusaka, where he lived with his wife and their three children. The news of his appointment was enthusiastically received by the Eastern Africa leaders and the Lusaka congregation. 

 13 Baptized with the Holy Spirit in Romania

Harlan Lee of Roseburg, Oregon, and Wayne Butler of Port Angeles, Washington, visited Romania February 13-26, where they attended the annual ministers’ conference in Zadareni and also visited many of our churches in the western and southern regions of the country.

The ministers’ conference was attended by delegates from thirteen church locations within Romania. During one session, Pavel Balanoiu, who leads the southern Romania work, shared news of the recent efforts in Craiova where he is the pastor. He said the congregation had been gathering for “prevailing prayer” as several have a hunger for the baptism of the Holy Ghost. This hunger had spread to other locations, and several had received the blessing.

Following the conference, the team visited churches in the western and southern regions of Romania. They went to an evening service in Craiova where the “prevailing prayer” meetings were continuing, and were told that visitors had been attending from other churches which do not have altar services. Reverend Balanoiu gave the first message, taking his text from Acts 1:4-8. This was the same Scripture Harlan Lee had been inspired to use, and as he gave the second message, the people realized how the Holy Spirit was leading and many began to rejoice and weep. A great prayer meeting followed. When it was time for the team to leave, no one wanted the service to end, though it had already continued for three hours.

The next day, the team travelled on to Capu Dealului for a service, and then back to Bucharest. After arriving in the evening, they received a phone call from Reverend Balanoiu saying that since their visit, thirteen in Craiova had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit! Everyone rejoiced in God’s faithfulness and the work He is doing among the Romania saints.

Open Air Revival in Kadidi, Malawi

Outreach efforts in the Blantyre District of Malawi started in May of 2016, and in February of 2019, a team held the first service in the Kadidi station of the Lunzu neighborhood. Local residents responded wonderfully with many coming to welcome the team. The message was based on 2 Corinthians 5:17 and declared, “There is no Christianity without change,” stressing the need for repentance.

Following that successful first meeting, it was decided to hold ten days of open-air revival meetings in the area from March 8 to 17. Throughout the week, residents from surrounding villages also attended, with new faces appearing daily. At one of the meetings, attendance was counted at forty-one. Many sick people were prayed for and received healing, and this resulted in two invitations to visit homes to pray for the sick. One man who was healed came to the Sunday service with his entire family to thank God for his healing, and then began to pray for salvation. Though he had not prayed through by the end of the special meetings, a few others had.

The workers in Blantyre have scheduled more open air meetings for 2019, praying and trusting for God to enlarge the church there. They reported, “We have to work for the night is coming. We are looking forward to a great spiritual year ahead by God’s grace.” They also requested prayer for their region which was affected by Cyclone Idai, one of the worst tropical cyclones on record in southeast Africa that devastated parts of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi this past March.

Church Dedication in Columbus, GA

The Apostolic Faith Church in Columbus, Georgia, recently changed locations and on Sunday, February 17, a dedication service was held at the new facility. The seventy-two attendees included visitors from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia.

Reverend Edward Dixon has pastored the Columbus church since 1996, and his wife, Lessie, shared a brief history of the work there. In the early 1930s, Lucille Glenn became the leader of a small group of women in Columbus who gathered to worship. While visiting a neighbor who was sick, she met a woman who gave her an Apostolic Faith paper. She eventually made contact with Reverend Florence Crawford, the leader of the work in Portland at that time, and in 1934 she traveled by train to meet Reverend Crawford and learn more about the organization. After returning, Charlie and Annie Wheeler opened their home for services, and in the early 1940s, the group was able to build a church. In 1974 a new church was built, but eventually the neighborhood where it was located became unsafe for the congregation, and they began holding services in a home. As they fasted and prayed, the Lord led them to a storefront that was for lease. Reverend Dixon and the church members renovated the space, transforming it into a place of worship.

The dedication message was given by Nathaniel Segres, the pastor in Atlanta, Georgia. He brought out that the church is not made of wood and ceiling tiles, but it is made up of God’s people and the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. Eugene Segres, District Superintendent of the Southern and Eastern Churches, gave the dedication prayer. The Spirit of God could truly be felt throughout the church, and their prayer is that many will be drawn to hear the Gospel message and be saved in this place of worship.