Africa Is Done Waiting: 100 Church Leaders From 33 Nations Declare the Continent Ready to Send Missionaries to the World
One hundred African church leaders from 33 nations gathered in Johannesburg to declare Africa ready to become the worlds next great missionary sending force.
African Church Leaders Unite in Johannesburg to Launch a New Era of Global Missionary Sending
One hundred mission focused church leaders from 33 African nations gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa on February 16, 2026, for the "Together: Africa to the Nations" conference organized by the International Mission Board (IMB).
The conference marked a historic shift in the global missions landscape, positioning Africa not as a mission field but as a sending force for the gospel. The gathering brought together African missionaries, convention presidents, mission strategists, pastors, and pastors' wives to discuss how the continent can lead the next wave of international evangelism.
God is doing some things in Africa. God has resourced us. He has equipped us. If we have these numbers, then we can't be selfish. It is time for us to go.
Ezekiel Ajibade, Rector of Baptist College of Theology in Lagos, Nigeria, told the assembly.
Sub Saharan Africa now has more professing Christians than anywhere else in the world, according to a 2018 study. Nigeria's Global Mission Board alone has deployed 400 missionaries. Yet over 400 unreached people groups remain across sub Saharan Africa, and roughly 3,000 unreached groups exist worldwide.
Faly Ravoahangy, a pastor and missions leader from Madagascar, reminded the crowd that the Great Commission belongs to everyone.
It is not a mandate given to some people with a certain color of skin.
Conference organizer Ben Sprankle, IMB Globalization Strategist for sub Saharan Africa, captured the energy of the room.
We're done talking. We're ready to do it.
Workshops addressed practical challenges including fundraising in African contexts, strategy coordination between churches and mission agencies, and culturally relevant training development. Leaders also explored how African diaspora communities across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia provide organic opportunities for gospel sharing through existing relationships and networks.
100 Leaders From 33 Nations Commit to Making Africa the World's Next Great Missionary Sending Force
Daren Davis, IMB's global engagement leader for sub Saharan Africa, highlighted the unique strengths African missionaries bring to the mission field.
Africans are joyful; they are resilient; they can go to many countries.
Conrad Mbewe, a pastor and theologian from Zambia, challenged the gathering with a forward looking question: "What more can we do together?" Participants committed to developing sustainable support systems, building partnerships, and investing in the next generation of African missionaries.
Organizers framed the conference as the beginning of a longer journey. One attendee named Femi, who works in missions administration with a focus on Muslim outreach, summed up the spirit of the gathering.
Together, we will win the world for Jesus Christ.
The Crusader's Opinion
This is exactly what the global Church needs right now. While Western Christianity wrings its hands over declining attendance and cultural capitulation, the African Church is stepping up with fire in its bones and the Great Commission on its lips. One hundred leaders from 33 nations did not fly to Johannesburg to talk about relevance or rebrand the gospel. They came to send missionaries. The future of Christianity is being forged in Lagos, Lusaka, and Antananarivo, and the rest of the Body of Christ should be paying attention and partnering with everything they have.
Take Action
- Learn about unreached people groups in Africa and worldwide at www.imb.org and commit to praying for specific groups daily.
- Support African missionaries financially through the International Mission Board's giving page.
- Donate to organizations equipping persecuted and under resourced believers at www.TheShepherdsShield.org.
- Give to Open Doors USA to support the persecuted Church across Africa and beyond.
- Share this article with your pastor and small group to start a conversation about how your church can partner with African mission organizations.
