Category: News

Michael Akotia I have known Michael for about twenty years. I first met him at the turn of the century when he was a leader in training in Ghana shortly before Simon Pettit and John Kpikpi laid hands on him commissioning him to plant a church in Ho. I was immediately impacted by his gentle spirit and grace-filled walk with God. Over the years I have watched him develop his leadership gift and ministry, and so enjoyed meeting him recently after a five year gap. He now leads a network of 14 churches in Ghana and works in relationship with Jeremy Simpkins who leads the Christ Central apostolic sphere, one of over twenty who are now relating together in the Newfrontiers family worldwide. Michael was attending the Devoted Bible Weekend…

Many Newfrontiers churches, and others, have a deep love for and interest in Africa. The Rift will challenge your perspectives and may give insights you have not previously experienced. Much has changed in Africa since I first visited 30 years ago. Politically there have been huge upheavals through the many conflicts such as the Sierra Leonean civil war, the genocides in Rwanda and Burundi, the division of Sudan and the Somali conflict, each often being fuelled by corruption and despotic dictatorships such as former president Mugabe in Zimbabwe. Then there has been the rise of the Islamic groups and the various factions along the Sahel, such as Boko Haram in northern Nigeria. But in this time there have also been many signs of hope as African nations have been liberated…

From the start my purpose in writing this blog has been to inform, equip and challenge. This one comes in the last category. Simon Guillebaud will be known to many in the Newfrontiers family as he has spoken in several churches and also at the young people's festival, Newday. Personally, I don't think I have ever met anyone as outrageously passionate and risk-taking for God as Simon, though I do know a few contenders! Biographies can be a great provocation - let this one provoke you! Here is an edited version of an email he has just circulated: Hundreds of thousands come to faith After just two months shy of twenty years, I've stopped living in Burundi, as of last night. My beloved nation has blessed me beyond imagining - and I…

Return to Stoneleigh The recent end of May Bank Holiday Monday saw me returning to Stoneleigh, the site of eleven Newfrontiers Bible Weeks 1991-2001. It was a déjà vu experience but exciting to realise that in 2001 there were about 225 Newfrontiers churches worldwide and now there are probably in excess of 1500. We closed the Bible Week in 2001 with the prophetic word ‘Go’ ringing in our ears. The growth since that time seems to confirm the rightness of that decision. Why was I visiting? One of the Newfrontiers apostolic spheres, Catalyst, were holding their biennial Festival on the site with about 5,000 attending and this included some of my West African friends: Momoh Sesay who leads a church in Sierra Leone and Nicolas Thebault who leads one in…