All Nations International helps church planters in Africa and Asia to start and develop businesses as a vehicle to bless their communities and spread the Gospel of Jesus. So far, over 1,000 businesses have been started in 45 countries.
Dutchman Jonathan Fokker, who serves as the international director of All Nations Business For Mission, explains the approach in Joel News:
“First we identify reliable local partners to work with. Then a team of trainers facilitates a five-day consultation called Pioneer Business Planting. This training is focused on extending the reach of the Gospel while creating financial sustainability for church planters and other leaders/believers. The intended outcome is a viable legitimate business that provides a product or service that does not currently exist in the region, in order to serve the local community through meeting physical, social, and spiritual needs.”
“We explain how God can use business to reach the unreached, how to be church in your business, and that He is the owner of our businesses. Participants are equipped how to identify a viable idea, how to write a business plan, and how to begin the process of planting a business.”
An important key to the success of All Nations’ Business For Mission program is that the participants are trained to raise the money for their businesses locally, to increase ownership and avoid dependence on Western funds.
In Malawi in the past two years over 400 businesses have been started or expanded this way. A multiplying movement of around 80 house churches developed among the Yawo, an unreached people group, and in Mangochi. In Uganda in the past four years the All Nations church planters have started around 1,500 new house churches among prostitutes and drug addicts, in ghettos and among unreached Muslim groups. The church planting activities have expanded to eight other African countries: Sudan, South Sudan, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Congo, Kenya, Djibouti and Eritrea.
“Planting businesses and house churches go hand-in-hand,” says Fokker. “This makes church planting self-sustaining and creates a double blessing for the community.”
If you want to hear more stories of how businesses can help accelerate the mission of God, then make sure to sign up for our weekly publication.
Join Our Telegram Group : Salvation & Prosperity
