Founder, Wellington Boone Ministries
Founding Pastor, The Father’s House Church, an international church, Norcross, GA
Board of Trustees member for Regent University
Nationally recognized platform speaker for Promise Keepers, Focus on the Family, etc.
Founder of the Black American Christian Embassy (BACE)
GUEST
Wellington Boone: Dare to Hope
CBN.com
– OUTREACH TO THE ANGLICAN CHURCH
In January, Boone, chief prelate of the Fellowship of International Churches, traveled to Kenya for private meetings with Anglican leaders in Africa at the invitation of the Anglican Archbishop of Kenya to speak to the Anglican bishops of Kenya. While he was there he was invited to lead devotions in a private retreat with the Anglican Archbishops of six nations. The first meeting included the 38 bishops of Kenya who are overseen by Archbishop Wabukala. The second meeting included the Anglican archbishops who oversee several East African nations. Although these are powerful men in their own right, they received his words.
Several years ago when the American Episcopal Church reversed centuries of biblical orthodoxy on subjects like homosexuality and denied the counsel of their own leaders who adhered to the Bible, Anglican archbishops from Africa and South America welcomed many of the predominantly white orthodox clergy and congregations and a few bishops into their fold. Archbishops of several African nations turned to Boone as a Black American to bring a message of conflict resolution to the African leaders who have to deal with terrorism and tribal warfare.
Boone is being encouraged by a multiracial group of American bishops, pastors, and Christian leaders who understand the historical significance of a Black American clergyman pursuing the incredible opportunities represented by these invitations. As he reaches out to African Christians and leaders Boone says, “My goal is to serve these nations—not just with benevolence but also with kingdom reality that can be lived out in their countries. As Jesus said in Luke 11, ‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.’ Here is an opportunity for me to demonstrate on the world stage that Black Americans can be resource-based and not need-based.”
RESULTS
Archbishops of Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda were present when Boone preached at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi. Bishop Bill Atwood, who is general secretary of Ekklesia, a network of Anglican leaders around the world, is the one who coordinated Boone’s trip. Atwood says the impact of Boone’s message was tremendous. The Anglican Church (the Episcopal and Anglican churches are one worldwide denomination under different names) in Kenya has members in leadership in the government, in business, and through virtually every aspect of the society. When Boone preached on Sunday he asked the Archbishop which television network was the best one in Kenya and how to get in touch with them. The archbishop replied, “You were preaching to the General Manager of the network at the 11:00 am service.” That is a poignant reminder of the depth of the involvement of the Anglican Church in Africa. The Anglicans account for about 25% of the Christian population in Africa.
As a result of Boone’s visit and ministry some great strides were made to rebuild unity among the archbishops. Archbishops prayed, confessed sins and reached out to those from other tribes. There was a commitment from the leaders of those nations to work together to recapture the roots of the East African Revival that shaped the church in that region over the last seventy five years. It was characterized by repentance, joy, and church planting.
Atwood says, “I don't think it is possible to overstate the importance of the impact Boone has on people’s lives—especially leaders. This outreach to Africa has nation-changing possibilities and is worthy of full support with earnest prayer and resources.” Boone’s outreach to Africa overrides racial exploitation from the past in North America. He has been invited back by Archbishop Peter Orombi as a keynote speaker at the All African Bishops Meeting in August 2010. The last meeting was held five years ago.
Boone mentioned that when he went to these meetings he did two things – First he repented for not coming over sooner. According to his research, only 500 of the 36 million Black Americans in the U.S are involved in some form of full time mission work outside the U.S. He says one of the reasons for this is that Black Americans do not understand the value of their people group. Secondly, he told the leaders that he forgave them for selling his people into slavery many years ago.
DARE TO HOPE
Boone has published a new book of daily devotions called Dare to Hope: A 30-Day Journey to Hope. The book calls Christians to return to God with humility and a sacrificial lifestyle to rebuild and restore hope to individuals, families, and nations. In Lamentations 3:21, Jeremiah was troubled but he said, "Yet I still dare to hope." Dare to Hope features vignettes from the lives of Christians who dared to hope they could overcome adversity and change their generation.
BISHOP WELLINGTON BOONE
Boone was ordained into ministry in 1973, the same year that he married his childhood sweetheart, Katheryn, whom he met in Germany during his high school years. He incorporated Living Word Evangelistic Association in 1979, and later changed the name to Wellington Boone Ministries with the encouragement of his leaders. His first church Manna Christian Fellowship of Richmond, Virginia was incorporated in 1985. The Fellowship of International Churches was started in 1994 when the founding pastors conferred on Pastor Boone the title of Bishop. Boone is now the senior pastor of the Father's House in Norcross, Georgia.
For over thirty years, Boone has been developing strong leaders in ministry and the marketplace with programs such as Global Outreach Campus Ministries, Network of Politically Active Christians, and Goshen Learning Centers in South Africa. In his latest outreach to Africa, Bishop Boone has formed the Black American Christian Embassy (BACE) which carries out an extensive mission serving the leaders of African nations. Boone is a minister of reconciliation and a spiritual father to leaders. “Peace making is my heart,” says Boone.
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