Our reconciliation ministry grows out of the need for humans to
be reconciled with God and God's call for our lives to be reconciled to
each other. In many parts of the African continent there have been
longstanding situations of conflict. Unless true forgiveness can be
achieved there will not be healing in these situations.
Our
reconciliation work is targeted at church and political leaders and
also at the grassroots levels. It involves training, healing seminars
and mediation work. Our work with churches is designed to equip them to
be a prophetic voice and a model of reconciliation in their own
contexts. At present this work is focused on nations such as Rwanda,
South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.
|
|
AE Malawi Spearheads National Prayer Breakfast |
|
AE Malawi sponsored a National Prayer
Breakfast at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre on Friday morning, May 8, 2009.
Dr. Bingu Wa Mutharika, the president of Malawi, was present, along
with most of his cabinet, and more than 120 prominent church leaders,
parachurch organizations and NGO representatives, traditional
authorities, civil servants and media personnel.
Church leaders then spent over
half an hour leading the gathering in prayer for peace and security,
free and fair general elections, unity and co-existence, the proper
conduct of political parties during campaigns, the HIV and AIDS
pandemic, the judiciary and legal practitioners, the Malawi Electoral
Commission, sustenance of democracy and national development, food
security, unity and the prophetic role of the church, bribery and
corruption. They set a shining example for unity amongst a diverse
group as many different denominations and persuasions were amongst the
organizers.
 Presidential
candidates were then asked to comment on their commitment to a free,
fair and peaceful election which they all unhesitatingly did. Then
President Mutharika and the other presidential candidates were invited
to stand together in front of the high table whilst the officiating
clergy gathered around them. Led by Senyonyi, all prayed for God’s
blessing on the candidates. During the prayer President Mutharika put
his arms around the two candidates standing, heads bowed, next to him.
It was a special moment when leaders raised by God were united by a
common goal which was more important than party lines or squabbles. As
the prayer ended, I heard a man behind me say, “This is beautiful!”
After this, President Mutharika said that it was very clear that the
Holy Spirit had been present during the event, and asked that the
blessing which had been pronounced on the attending presidential
candidates also be extended to the absent candidates.
|
|
|
National Initiative for Reformation in South Africa |
|
Moral decay, sky rocketing rates of violent crime, rampant sexual
promiscuity and ridiculously high HIV infection rates. These are some
of the key issues that prompted Michael Cassidy, AE’s founder, to call
together the Christian leadership from every sector of South African
society to birth the National Initiative for the Reformation of South
Africa in April. AE’s mandate has always included bringing the church
together to seek change in society.
Michael
believed that God wanted him to do this and that the need for the
church to reclaim its prophetic voice and moral authority in society
was urgent. With the help of other leaders he issued the call and with
only 3 weeks notice, 450 of the nation’s key Christian leaders from
church, business, academia and politics cleared their schedules so that
they could be part of this vital process.
At the end of the 2 day gathering they drafted a declaration of intent regarding the church’s response to decay in the nation.
Download the declaration
|
|
|
