What Does It Take to Run a Nationwide Evangelistic Effort?

When an unassuming cloud suddenly covered the spring sun, the gentle breeze from the ocean brought some unwelcome chill to the group of Seventh-day Adventist women that kept singing and waiting outside Maputo International Airport May 21.

“Hosanna! Hosanna!” women kept singing even as their arms got goosebumps from the sudden gust. “Hosanna! Hosanna!”

Outside the arrival door, two boys took turns holding a generous flower garland that, they hoped, soon would hang from the neck of General Conference (GC) president Erton Köhler. But even as a delay extended the wait more than everyone had first imagined, they stood there singing and laughing as they waited.

Committed to God

Köhler eventually arrived, after an approximately 30-hour trip following meetings in Loma Linda, California. Nine time zones later in Maputo, he was welcomed with the garland, more songs, a band, and protocol greetings. He then greeted his “brothers and sisters,” many of whom he was seeing for the first time. He encouraged them. He prayed.

A few hours later Köhler took the baton left by Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division (SID) president Harrington Akombwa at evangelistic meetings in the Joaquim Chissano International Conference Center, to call his audience to commit to God’s Word. Dozens responded.

Before the altar call, the service, livestreamed by a dedicated SID Media team to the whole region and beyond, included (as it did every evening) a health talk by a professional and musical worship featuring local and regional groups. In a nod to inclusion, on one side of the hall stage, a woman signed the messages for the Deaf and hard of hearing.

A Customized Effort

Throughout the series health talks were adapted to the needs and interests of people living in the region: What is AIDS? What about youth depression and suicide? Why is oral hygiene important? People listened attentively, as their hearts were warmed for the spiritual reflection to follow.

Beyond the natural excitement stemming from the GC president’s visit to Mozambique, the meetings where Köhler preached represented only one of more than 660 sites across the nation. Many SID leaders and pastors spent two weeks confirming those who had been studying the Bible and leading them to commit to Jesus.

On the other side of town in the western suburb of Matola, Odailson Fonseca, communication coordinator for GC Presidential, led meetings in a hall that drew hundreds to listen to God’s Word. In the populous city of Beira in the central region, numerous sites also shared Bible teachings led by dozens of speakers, including SID executive secretary Gideon Reyneke. Others traveled even farther north to Quelimane, Nampula, and Pemba.

A Spiritual Celebration

When Sabbath arrived, thousands of church members traveled northwest outside Maputo to the Zimpeto National Stadium for an all-member and baptismal candidate gathering. Once again, Bible study, song, and preaching of the Word crowned the nationwide evangelistic effort. A multitudinous baptism followed, as did the commitment of every member to use their social media channels to share hope with others.

As part of the afternoon program, Köhler introduced regional church leaders and members to OneVoice27, an initiative of the world church to engage every member and leader to share Jesus through 2027 and beyond. The initiative will culminate in September 2027 in commemoration of 2,000 years since Jesus’ baptism and the beginning of His ministry on this earth.

“In September 2027 every church member, every pastor, every leader, every media outlet—everyone together, in their own way—will speak about the Jesus who already came and the Jesus who will come back,” Köhler said.

God’s Word in Local Languages

During the program three young members of a local Adventurers Club presented Köhler with three special Bibles—each of them in one of the regional languages spoken in the area.

One of them is in the Xitswa (or Tshwa) language, a Bantu language spoken by about 1.2 million people in southern Mozambique, regional church leaders reported. The second one is in the Emakhuwa (or Makhuwa) language, a major Bantu language spoken by nearly 6 million people, mostly in the northern part of the country, they shared. According to them, the third one is in the Ndau (or Chindau) language, from the Xona family, spoken by about 2 million people in the central region of Mozambique.

“As Seventh-day Adventists, we are grounded in the Bible,” Köhler said as he accepted the gift. “We want the Bible to be our name brand, our watchword.”

Everyone Integrated for Mission

A synergistic way of working together with one mission goal is key to the integrated approach Köhler has advocated for since he became GC president. More than once he has described integration “not as an administrative strategy but as a spiritual necessity for the twenty-first-century church.”

In recent presentations he has explained that leaders that foster integration “prioritize unity over personal territory and function more like conductors than soloists.” In that sense, Köhler has emphasized, “people will help accomplish what they help plan,” something that he was happy to report was present in Mozambique for Christ.

As he often says, integration “is easy to talk about but difficult to accomplish.” With God, however, that miracle can become a reality.

“Integration is unity,” he said. “And united, we are stronger, we can go further, and we can arrive faster, as we open the door for the Holy Spirit to work in us.”