APC History
Though often heralded around the world as a great centre of Christianity, sub-Saharan Africa is overrun with churches preaching a mix of Prosperity Gospel and Traditional African Religion. Such false teaching prompted Pastors Erroll Hulse (since gone to glory) and Irving Steggles to meet in 2005 about the possibility of training conferences for African Pastors.
African Pastors’ Conferences was borne out of a great desire to see churches in Africa undergo reformation, to become more Biblical in their teaching and practice. The initial run of APCs occurred in January of 2006. For the first two years, APC was a January-only phenomenon. In subsequent years, APC continued to add conferences, eventually producing conferences throughout the year. This growth resulted in the necessity of hiring a full-time Conference Manager to coordinate day-to-day operations. APC now conducts around 60 conferences in twelve different African countries.
APC provides training for Pastors in the form of one to two day conferences. Most of these Pastors are unable to attend seminary or undergo any formal training owing to their being engaged in full-time employment in addition to their pastoring duties. The Pastors who attend need only to affirm that the Bible is their sole authority for determining right doctrine and practice.
Thousands of Pastors have been reached through the ministry of APC. By August 2017, 12220 delegates attended APCs. Since its start, over 109000 books have been distributed to Pastors throughout southern Africa. We have also received numerous reports of churches abandoning false theology. There have even been Pastors converted through the ministry of APC!
APC works to make the ministry operate efficiently, through keeping things simple with speakers staying in Pastors’ homes. Though APC strives to operate economically wherever possible, it is inherently an expensive ministry. The cost of buying books and shipping them from the UK or the US coupled with the cost of transporting these books to remote locations means that the ministry needs money to operate. In addition, flight costs to venues which cannot be easily accessed by vehicle are expensive. The cost of a single conference can run up to several thousand pounds. That’s where you can help!
Your church can be directly involved in the training of Pastors in Africa by sponsoring a conference. An individual conference can cost between £500 and £6000.
APC holds as its doctrinal basis the historic Reformed Confessions, including the Westminster Confession and the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689.
African Pastors’ Conferences exists to glorify God through Jesus Christ in enabling Pastors to lead Christ-exalting Biblical churches as Christ-like servant leaders through the faithful ministry of God’s word in preaching and leading Bible-studies.
African Pastors’ Conferences is a ministry accountable to Birchleigh Baptist Church, Kempton Park, Republic of South Africa. The Directors are all Pastors – Conrad Mbewe (Zambia), Irving Steggles (RSA), Thomas Winn (USA) and John Divito (USA).