21 Nations Participate in Africa Recruiting and Training Conference – Five New Ministries to Launch
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Men from 21 African nations participated in the recent Capitol Ministries Cape Town Recruiting and Training Conference and five new ministries are posed to launch after newly recruited ministry leaders learned how to teach the Bible to the political leaders in their nations.
Pastor Steve Flandorp, who helped organize the conference, said, “Our African leaders were equipped, engaged, and commissioned to do the work of an evangelist and pastor in the political arena.”
“We are looking forward with great expectation to the fruit of this significant training conference, being fully aware that it will take time – since it is a marathon and not a sprint!”
Ralph Drollinger, president and founder of Capitol Ministries, said the conference was successful, achieved objectives, and that the ministry is well on its way to accomplishing its goals in Africa.
“Capitol Ministries has set our sights on establishing national, regional, and local ministries to political leaders in 41 of Africa’s 54 nations,” he said. “With the new ministry leaders who were approved in Cape Town, we now have ministries in 21 of those 41 nations. We are grateful to God for His leading and for raising up such accomplished, capable, and godly men.”
The Bible-teaching evangelists successfully completed the required training Oct 19-23 and were commissioned to establish ministries to national leaders in their nations. They are:
Steve Flandorp, Cape Town, Republic of South Africa
Samuel Telliano, Conakry, Guinée, West Africa
Gideon Phiri, Mbabane, Eswatini, Southern Africa
Dr. Deogratias Ngoma, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa
Mel Lasm, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, West Africa
Many existing ministry leaders also participated in the conference which focused heavily on teaching CapMin’s proven techniques for creating and sustaining a Bible-study based ministries to national political leaders that have been fire-tested over more than 25 years of ministry.
Ralph said additional expansion efforts could be soon realized by recruiting and vetting additional ministry leaders in Africa prior to CapMin’s worldwide conference planned for Washington, D.C. in the fall of 2023.
Ralph also lauded the efforts of Jon Cassel, Africa global director, and Pastor Flandorp, now the official ministry leader for the Republic of South Africa, who organized the conference.
“God has given us a great leadership team with multi-talents and giftedness,” Ralph said. “All I really had to do was teach.”
Many men were from French speaking nations, so on-site translators were provided for conference speakers and attendees.
A committed networker, Jon is known for efforts that have resulted in successful recruiting and subsequent ministry launches. The opportunity for men across Africa to meet and learn from each other was one of the conference’s best provisions, he said.
“There is something about getting everyone together that helps them realize that they are not islands,” Jon said. “We were strengthened by praying for one another and benefitted from learning about the successes and the failures of each other.
“That time for fellowship, from that high level of communication to see we all have that passion to reach political leaders will only serve to help the ministry grow so that more and more Bible studies are established in capitols, provinces, and cities, wherever the Lord wants us to go.”
Pastor Steve described the meeting as a “very profound gathering” of new and existing ministry leaders.
He extolled the teaching of Ralph, Pastor Brian Hanson, and Pastor Matt Goodsell, saying they were “outstanding in presenting the ministry objectives, the preferred teaching and ministry method, and the sound biblical foundation for the ministry to be in every nation.”
Instruction was given on how to launch and sustain discipleship Bible studies to political leaders, biblical teaching methods, the value of discipleship and relationship building, the priority of evangelism, the importance of leading public servants toward maturity in Christ, and why CapMin does not engage in political activism and lobbying.
The men also learned about CapMin’s biblical mandate and the Bible’s top-down missions strategy and priority to reach political leaders with the Word of God: First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-4).
“First of all” is translated from the Greek word, protos, which translates to first in priority. This strategy is found in many books of the Bible from the Old Testament to the New and is the most efficient way of fulfilling the Great Commission.
Pastor Brian Hanson, International global leader who taught some of the sessions, said the lessons resonated deeply with the men, some of whom participated with their ministry partner wives.
“The joy we saw on their faces as we provided them deep theological truths was so moving,” Pastor Brian said. “And they wanted more. Several times I asked if they desired a break and their resounding answer was, ‘keep going… we need this!’”
Pastor Brian also said he was touched to learn of hostile circumstances some established ministry leaders had faced.
“What some of these men have to do to carry out our mission is overwhelming, and yet they are doing it with great success,” Pastor Brian said. “God has given us such quality men to carry out the vision.”
Cape Town was the first international conference for Pastor Matt Goodsell, Missouri ministry leader who was recently appointed assistant North American global director.
At the conference, Pastor Matt demonstrated how ministry leaders may download Bible studies from CapMin’s website CapMin.org and create studies in their own language on a provided template. The demonstration was so well-received that Ralph directed it be expanded upon and taught at subsequent trainings.
Sharing how some of CapMin’s resources could be used in ministry was a privilege, Pastor Matt said.
“With Capitol Ministries’ ample Bible study resources, these ministry leaders have the opportunity to change their countries, set the stage for a spiritual revival and redirect the culture towards the truth of God in Christ,” he said.
Pastor Matt said the conference was an “eye opening” experience.
“What stimulated my mind and stirred my heart was the passion these men exhibited in sharing their hunger to serve God in the political arena.
“It is crystal clear that Christ is calling men to active duty from all over the world to reach their leaders and that joining a reputable and successful worldwide ministry is the paramount means to achieve this goal.”
“Getting to know these men on a more personal level through deeper conversations outside of training sessions stimulated my conviction that we must continue to engage all nations on earth with a protein-rich diet of the Word of God.”
The Cape Town conference follows on the heels of the Latin America Training Conference in Panama at which four new ministries were launched.
The Capitol Ministries Board of Directors and leadership sends their thanks to our prayer partners and supporters for praying for God’s leading, safe travels, for open doors and hearts, and that ministry leaders would be faithful to carry out the mandate of the Great Commission to the leaders of the world.
Capitol Ministries’ long-term goal is to establish 200 ministries to national leaders in 200 nations.
