Dearest Family,
Greetings from Lagos, Nigeria and the 272 that participated in the 2019 African Missions Conference (AMC) – SHINING LIKE STARS! Amazingly, we had delegates from 10 African nations: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, South Africa, Ethiopia, Mozambique and of course Nigeria!
This sign greeted us on the Nigerian highway from the airport to Lagos Island – the site of the “African Missions Conference Party!”
The gorgeous AMC Brochure Cover!
The incredible AMC Hosts – Andrew & Patrique Smellie!
On Wednesday, June 26th, Elena & I arrived in Lagos on the same flight as LouJack & Cathi Martinez of Washington DC and Aaron & Mayne Viscichini of Boston! As well, the Viscichinis were accompanied by their charismatic Boston University Intern – Stephanie Esonwune! We were greeted by 50 enthusiastic Lagos Disciples who literally were “singing in the rain,” “We Love You With The Love Of The Lord!” Then we all walked about a half mile in the down pouring rain – most of us without umbrellas – to get into the vehicles that would take us to our hotel! Without question, I was moved beyond words at this most incredible SoldOut Movement Welcome!
Kip & Elena will never forget their welcome in the down-pouring rain for the 2019 AMC!
Patrique and Elena joyfully shared an umbrella… Their husbands were not as fortunate!
Thursday, June 27th was filled with meetings, the ICCM Commencement Practice, and of course the Nigeria vs. the World Soccer Match, which Nigeria won 6 – 4!
Don’t mess with the Nigerian Football Team!
Awesome remnant disciples from Nigeria’s capital in Abuja, Paul & Bernice Ede lead the Island Region of the Lagos Church!
Thursday evening, we gathered at the Best Western Hotel for the Speakers Dinner! (All of the AMC was held here except the Sunday Worship Service.)
Tamru of Ethiopia enjoyed the Nigerian Kingdom Feast!
After a delicious and overwhelming fare of Nigerian foods, Andrew Smellie – the dynamic Africanus World Sector Leader – preached a tremendous message entitled, SHINING IN THE LAND during which he retold the 2015 faith-building account of Dr. Benedict Atason – a Mainline Church of Christ Preacher – contacting me on Facebook, then traveling from Nigeria to Ivory Coast on a bus that passed through four nations to attend the First African Missions Conference held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast! There, Benedict studied the Five Core Convictions with Blaise Feumba, Andrew and me and “joined God’s New Movement!” After that he headed to Lagos and his son Goodhope formed an eight-person remnant group out of the Mainline Church of Christ! A few months later, Benedict came to LA and persuaded Andrew and me to come to Lagos as our Crown of Thorns Church Planting instead of Johannesburg. So to this day – similar to the “Man of Macedonia” in Acts 16 – Benedict has been known as the “Man of Nigeria!”
Andrew’s dynamic preaching brought Kip and many others to tears!
On Friday morning, June 28th was the Church Builders Workshop! After a rousing Welcome by the Smellies, Elena & I shared GOOD NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, which has become very challenging to do in 30 minutes!
The McKeans are more passionate than ever to complete Jesus’ dream of the “evangelization of the nations in this generation!”
Following came the main speech by Bolaji Akenfenwa – the humble, remnant brother, who was appointed the new Lead Evangelist for the Lagos ICC on Sunday! Bolaji “blew it out” in his lesson, SHINING FOR JERUSALEM’S SAKE! After a short break came short charges from Exodus 18 on Leadership Practicals by Aaron, Amadou Sountoura of Abidjan, LouJack and Micky Ngungu of Kinshasa, DRC!
Amadou & Angele Sountoura – the courageous Abidjan Church Leaders!
At 1:00PM, Elena & I enjoyed lunch with the Man of Nigeria and his awesome wife Felicia!
The McKeans so enjoyed their lunch with Dr. Benedict & Felicia Atason!
Friday night was the FIRST GENERAL SESSION of the AMC! We heard from 11 different disciples for (more) GOOD NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD! Of special note were Jonathan Panossian of LA – who shared about his 18 day fast that lead to his parents’ conversion, and Ezekiel Awira of Kampala (Uganda) – who shared about the now 206 disciples in this fast-growing remnant group! To close the evening, I was honored to preach on THE CHURCH SHINES FOR JESUS!
Micky and Kip – respectively 64 and 65 – are dreaming of many more years serving the Lord in Africa!
On Saturday morning, June 29th, we were split into Men’s and Women’s Programs! Andrew calls the gathering of just the Nigerian Brothers, the Loin’s Den… and to this he welcomed us! For the two programs, LouJack and Elena delivered the opening speech, RADIANT LIVES! LouJack’s lesson was his best ever as he preached, “You cannot evangelize the world, unless you are first evangelizing your neighbors!” He went on to share about how he has formed two book clubs in DC which are his “fishing holes!” He was personal fruitful baptizing a Baptist minister just a couple months ago!
LouJack preached the Word like never before!
Elena preached with her deep Convictions with a “quiet and gentle spirit!”
After more short charges, Micky & Lyly Ngungu preached respectively to the brothers and sisters, LEADING MANY TO RIGHTEOUSNESS, which was followed by Chris Wooden and Patrique preaching on SHINING EVER BRIGHTER!
The McKeans gave the Ngungus a copy of Ron Harding’s history of the SoldOut Movement!
After a terrific lunch with the “future” Tolani & Kate Abiodun, we boarded buses for our MERCY Event, which was held in Okobaba near Makoko – the largest overpopulated, impoverished housing project in the world!
Pray for the Lagos Disciples to penetrate the darkness of poverty and sin in Makoko!
Here the Lagos Church has begun to build the “Signature Project” for MERCY in Africa! It all began on December 15, 2018 when MERCY Lagos reached out to “The Real School” of Okobaba – at that time 50 students. This school was founded by Biodun & Yewande Abodurin – Principal and Headmistress of the school! After the MERCY Event, they started studying and were baptized on March 10, 2019! Yewande was pregnant and went into early labor… the hospital was closed for two days because the generator was down. The disciples prayed and minutes later it opened and an emergency c-section – Yewande had passed out – was performed saving the mother’s and the baby’s lives! Therefore, Biodun & Yewande decided to name their baby – Mercy!
The loving children of The Real School!
At the AMC MERCY Event, (Elena was deathly sick and not there), Tony Adamu was the Emcee! Andrew, Patrique and I (as the Chairman and founder of MERCY) were called forward and we presented the The Real School a check for $150,000 naira ($430 usd) all from the Lagos Church! This was followed by the singing of “You Raise Me Up” by The Real School kids and then dancing in celebration! We closed out arm-in-arm in prayer!
The 150,000 naira check was give by Andrew to The Real School!
Micky & Lyly as usual leading the dancing!
The Smellies and Atason’s lovingly interacted with The Real School children!
Sunday was the “grande finale!” The Groenewalds – the Johannesburg Remnant Group Leaders – shared for Communion! The Osas Atohengbel & Ariel Hazelton – who were dating – did a fantastic job with the Contribution Charge! Then the unexpected occurred – since both are on the Johannesburg Mission Team – Osas got down on his knee to ask her to marry him! She said “YES!”
The second wedding of the Lagos Church will come in October when Osas & Ariel we’d!
After a long break was the First ICCM Commencement on the Continent of Africa, where 14 received their prestigious ICCM BA Degrees!
Kip gave the Staff of Graduation to Dr. Andrew Smellie to complete the first ICCM Commencement in Africa!
The 14 gallant graduates of the Lagos-ICCM!
Then Andrew preached a “sermon for the ages,” the keynote address – SHINNING LIKE STARS! He asked, “Are you following the stars on Twitter or Jesus Christ Superstar with your life? Are you a star of the world or a star of the Word?”
Kip has “no one else like Andrew.” (Philippians 2:20)
Then came the reinstatements of Bolaji & Chinyere Akenfenwa as Evangelist & WML in the Kingdom of God! This is when the Smellies passed on the Lagos Church Leadership to the Akenfenwas! I was so moved in Bolija’s message on Friday when he said, “Andrew – 39 years old – is my big brother even though I am 49 years old!” What humility! What respect!
The moving reinstatement of Bolaji as an Evangelist in the Kingdom of God!
Following came the five baptisms of Freedom, Mary, Simeon, Chinelo and Bello! At that time, the Lagos Church numbered exactly 155 disciples!
The amazing five baptisms of the AMC!
The close of the AMC was the sending out of the Johannesburg Mission Team – led by the Smellies!
The Johannesburg Mission Team and Remnant Group came together for the first time at the AM!
Ostrich eggs with a map of the world were given to each member of the Jo’burg Mission Team!
At 5:00PM was the amazing wedding of Tolani & Kate – which was the first wedding of the Lagos ICC! To end the ceremony, they kissed for the first time!
Kate and the whole Lagos Church were soooooo fired up for Lagos’ first wedding!
The very first kiss!
On Monday, July 1st was our last meal with the Akenfenwa, who gave me a taste of Giant African Snails! Bolaji shared that this will be his last “meat dish” until the Lagos Church reaches 200 disciples!
Fasting from all meat – including his personal favorite of snails, Bolaji is determined to lead the Lago Church to 200 Disciples ASAP!
Earlier that morning, I felt a sadness in my heart.. I tried to understand why since the AMC was so incredible! Then it came to me… I had given Benedict a copy of “The Chronicles of Modern Day Christianity.” In my brief signing of the book, I noted that “his story” was recorded on pages 173-177. When I re-read it, one of the reasons that we changed the Crown of Thorns Target to Lagos from Johannesburg was the 25 (now over 50) Nigerian Disciples in other churches that could return to Lagos to greatly build up the work – with the charge “National go home!” Sadly, not even one Nigerian after the Mission Team came in June 2016 returned to Lagos except those whose visas had expired.
The Man of Nigeria!
I shared my sadness with Bolaji at lunch on Monday, and he said here’s what he did in the former Movement: “We invited all Nigerian Nationals to return to Lagos for a January Campaign! A few even stayed when they saw the need!”
The McKeans spent some fun time before they headed to the airport with their beloved spiritual grandchildren – Naomi & Isaiah Smellie! Isaiah beat Kip in every game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors!” Kip is practicing as he will see Isaiah at the Jo’burg Inaugural Service on September 1st!
Monday night, Elena & I boarded the plane to breath- taking Stockholm! On Tuesday afternoon, McKeans received another heartfelt SoldOut Movement Welcome! And to God be all the glory!
We are family… bold and unashamed,
Kip
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