Sponsoring Worship Leaders in Africa: How It Started

Sponsoring Worship Leaders in Africa: How It Started

by Dwayne Moore

“I’m just one guy, Lord. How can I help these leaders? I don’t have the time or money to make umpteen trips to Africa to lead conferences and work with worship leaders. I know they need help; I know they need resources and teaching, but, really, what can I do? I’m just one guy!“

Those words kept going through my head over and over for much of my return flights from Zambia this past summer.We had just finished training 400 leaders in 4 regions of that country. Yet, I couldn’t shake the burden I now felt for the worship leaders I’d met. They love the Lord and are very talented, but they need training and resources. There is not even a school of worship in Zambia. At the conferences we led, worship leaders, worship teams and pastors alike packed into every venue. Clearly, they were hungry to learn and grow.

 

The Birthing of a Dream

The simple idea that came to me on the plane was to connect US worship leaders with African worship leaders. Imagine US leaders sponsoring leaders, providing them with resources and building friendships with them over time.

[pullquote]Who am I to think I have to help all these people alone, like I’m the only one who can help them?[/pullquote]

The thought of leaders helping leaders immediately arrested me. That’s a biblical idea! Even Jesus didn’t try to teach every person himself; he poured into a few reliable men who then trained many others. Paul did the same thing in his ministry. In fact, he told Timothy, “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others” (2 Timothy 2:2 NLT, italics added).

I was so exhilarated by the idea of US/African sponsorships that I typed out almost the entire plan of how to go about it before I got off the plane! When I got home, I immediately emailed my trusted friend in Zambia, Donald Kutala, to ask him what he thought of the sponsorship idea. Donald is a tremendous worship leader whom I’ve had the privilege to coach and mentor over the past couple of years. Donald loved the idea and began to help us move this God-sized dream forward. Donald took on the responsibility to direct the program from the Zambian side, while our office directs the US leaders and overall program.

 

From Dream to Reality

On the 13th of November, 2015, we launched our worship leader sponsorship program with 10 trusted US sponsors paired with 10 eager Zambian leaders! Already we are getting great feedback of the personal friendships that are being made!

The Zambian leaders just received their “Care Package” of training resources. The resources include books like Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin, Spiritual Leadership by Oswald Sanders and Pure Praise by yours truly. Some US leaders have started on the resources with their sponsored leader, advising and encouraging the Zambian leaders as they walk through the resources together.

Each sponsor and his or her sponsored leader must sign a covenant committing to 6 months of quality interaction with each other. We can see how the Lord is already using this sponsorship approach to raise up strong, grounded leaders in Africa. It’s also helping to build community among the US sponsors and among the sponsored Zambian leaders. What a great God we serve! All glory to Him!

 

Live in Africa and interested in being sponsored? Click here.

Live in the US and interested in being a sponsor? Click here.