World Impact Ministries / Peter Youngren

Our campaign is in full swing, and every day has been filled from morning until evening. First we held a press conference to get word out through the media. I particularly stressed that we have peaceful intentions towards the large muslim population. My mission is to reveal Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, and now the Living Savior. Beyond this I don’t discuss religions - Jesus is our message.

Later on the first day we held a dinner meeting with many of the pastors, politicians and sheiks (muslim priests) present. The chief of sheiks was also present. Tanzania is about half and half, muslim and Christian. It is a country at a crossroad of religious influences. Here in the capital, Dar es Salaam, the muslims are in majority. I preached to the guests about Jesus as the Lamb of God who has taken the world’s sins. Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation reported extensively on this event, as well as newspapers.

In my last blog, Nathan Thurber shared one of the many heart-gripping testimonies of God’s grace that we have seen, and in my next blog I will share some more. But let me highlight one other aspect, the Pastors’ seminar.

All across Africa, the Christian religion is full of legalism, especially among pentecostals. The preaching commonly heard is about our efforts, prayers, fasting, and consecrations to defeat the devil, bring revival, and save the nation. Christians are engaged in an endless battle with the devil. Mary Felde, who is the Director of WIM’s Bible college in Nairobi, and Pastor Mike Walker from Idaho shared with me in teaching the 1400 pastors who had registered. We all spoke as one united voice about the finished work of Jesus Christ, and how to walk in the truths of the New Covenant. Well, session by session, you could literally see how the heavy chains of self-effort religion were falling off. Joy, peace and rest in Jesus was restored. Pastors discovered that they are not called to enumerate the sins of Tanzania, but like Paul, Peter and Philip in the book of Acts they are to preach HIM, who has remitted the world’s sins.

The long-range effects of these seminars are amazing. On the last day, we enroll the pastors in the Global Grace News monthly teaching forum for ongoing training. Check it out at globalgracenews.org.

Thank you partners. You make it possible. More from Tanzania in a couple of days. -Peter