The Indian Ocean island of Mauritius is known for its white-sand beaches, turquoise waters, and postcard visions of paradise. Soon it will add Purpose Driven to its list of credits after several pastors felt called to bring the movement to their island nation.
In late February, Pastor Denis Leonce and two associates traveled from Mauritius to Kigali, Rwanda for the All-Africa Pastors’ Gathering. They were among the 101 African delegates who attended from 14 different countries, representing 28 churches—all seeking PD training for their own countries.
Along with International Partnering Churches (IPCs) from the U.S and Brazil, these pastors were trained on how to equip the local church to build healthy churches and communities. Pastor Denis could not have imagined the impact the conference would have on him.
“This gathering was much more than a blessing for me,” says Denis. “In fact my life has been been transformed by Pastor Rick Warren’s message, and by the stories shared by other leaders in Kigali.”
Shortly after returning home to Mauritius, the motivated pastor started reading the two books, Purpose Driven Life and Purpose Driven Church. The latter gave him insight on church health based on balancing the five biblical purposes of the church.
The core message of the Purpose Driven Church is about shifting the focus away from church buildings, and concentrating on the people-building process. That single idea alone has encouraged Pastor Denis to take the next step in sharing the Purpose Driven strategy.
“Purpose Driven is a must for every church leader in this generation,” explains Denis. “I have already started teaching this principle with a small group of people and want to extend the training with church leaders.”
This first commitment to the Purpose Driven Church has the potential to transform an entire nation, just as other African nations have been transformed. While this is still in the infancy stage, Pastor Denis is eager to host a gathering where leaders can learn about the movement.
“We would love to have Pastor Rick Warren come to our country for a leaders’ seminar, as there is an urgency to move from growing churches to healthy churches,” says Denis. “In Kigali, I felt a synergy between African leaders, and have no doubt that this is a cross-border vision which will seize continents other than Africa.”
To learn how to build a Purpose Driven Church, visit pd.church/start.
