A Strategic plan for the empowerment of the Laity in the Beira Seventh-day Adventist Church District, Mozambique

Abstract

The Beira, Mozambique pastoral district has not been adequately growing in membership and finances. The district did not have a pastor for a long time. Elders, who had no training, led the churches. Beginning in the year 2000, a pastor came to the district. But the training of members was not considered. So the churches became pastor-dependent. There was a need for a strategy to train the members of the district, based on 2 Tim 2:2, where Paul commands pastor Timothy to equip the members so that, in turn, they can teach others. This was also the practice of the early Adventist Church. In mid-2006, two churches of the Beira Seventh-day Adventist Church district were selected to implement this project. The churches were divided into small groups of ten people each. The division was done according to each member’s residential area. The training sessions took place on Sabbath afternoon and on Sunday. Throughout the week, the members practiced what they had learned. Each church member understood what God expected of him or her. The congregations enjoyed fellowship in small groups, and started to practice stewardship and implement outreach programs. There was a change in Sabbath observance. One could find people in small relational groups having Bible studies on Sabbath afternoon. The participation in the Lord’s Supper increased from ten to more than one hundred members. The church finances also improved. Beginning with the year 2006, Field level administrators started keeping records of finances and organizing the membership statistics of each church. This strategy not only helps the Field administrators to attain their membership and financial goals. It also helps the district pastors to learn how to equip the members for service, without making them pastor-dependent.