All around us, we hear the message to look to the new, the bigger, the better. But sometimes, the Lord asks us a similar question that He asked of Moses in Exodus 4:2: "What is that in your hand?" Why? While we are looking for something new, He is reminding us of something we already have access to, something within our grasp. That is how it is with our work in Africa. Utilizing both established methodologies and new technologies, we are seeing doors open wide to Derek Prince’s teaching all around the continent.
The Role of Radio
According to the BBC World Service, “the earliest recording of a radio broadcast [in Africa] was made in 1923 in South Africa”. For the past 100 years, the medium of radio has continued—and expanded—its effectiveness in reaching African nations with news, education, and the Gospel.
Recalling the changes that God brought about following his marriage to Ruth in October 1978, Derek said:
“In February 1979, just four months after we were married, my daily radio broadcast ‘Today with Derek Prince’ went on the air on eight stations in the United States. The word God gave me was: ‘Proclaim! Short, simple messages, easily understood, declaring basic scriptural truths.’”
Derek’s mandate from the Lord has certainly been true for Africa. Through the years, radio has consistently been a vital means to disseminate his teaching. We are investing more and more in this medium to reach unreached people who have strong oral traditions but not necessarily good literacy.
Hearing Local Voices
Our DPM-Africa staff member in Madagascar recently felt led of the Lord to focus more on radio broadcasts. He sensed the Lord saying that if he would start broadcasting Derek’s teaching, many more people would be touched than he could ever reach in person. So, this year we have been broadcasting Derek’s teaching in the Malagasy language on seven stations in Madagascar.
Even though there has been a concurrent increase in access to the internet, radio is still seen as one of the most effective ways to reach Africans. Radio allows local people to reach their fellow Africans in their local language. In the coming year, our radio plan is to increase the number of African languages and dialects in which Derek’s teaching can be heard.
Developing Devotionals
Another priority in Africa is to encourage discipleship. This requires a person to receive regular exposure to the Bible and solid Bible teaching under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit. In early 2024, we will begin to translate some of the daily devotional teachings, and then distribute them through social media. Our international digital team has built helpful systems which speed up the process of translation, editing, and proofreading these devotional teachings. Also, we have already developed the ability, as each series is completed, to make them available on language-specific websites, with plans as well to voice them for radio and online streaming.
This project will start by translating Declaring God’s Word, a 365-Day devotional, into Hausa (Northern Nigeria and Niger), Swahili (Kenya, Tanzania and Eastern DRC), and Amharic (Ethiopia). In English, this book by Derek Prince is over 400 pages. So, we estimate that translating Declaring God’s Word will cost around $4,200 in each region. Added to the translation process will be the digital work, the voicing, and the broadcasting costs, which will be around $16,000 per language.
For most of us, such amounts are far beyond what we are capable of giving. May we suggest, however, that perhaps you might make it your aim to pay for a day (about $28) or a week (about $340)?
Making Bibles Available
In The Beast or the Lamb, Derek reveals one of the reasons why the Bible is so important in the life of a believer:
“‘By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth’ (Psalm 33:6). Where the English translation says ‘breath,’ the Hebrew says ‘spirit’ (ruach). So, it is by the Word and by the Spirit of the Lord that the universe was brought into being. The combined force behind all creation is God’s Word and God’s Spirit.”
What Derek stated is absolutely true, and it has become the conviction which motivates us to make Bibles available as the essential companion to Derek’s teaching. In our work throughout the continent, we have been shocked at how few people, even pastors, have access to a Bible. One of our greatest privileges over the last few years has been to partner with Bible publishers in Africa to make the Scriptures available to people in their own language. In the past nine years, we have provided over 66,000 Bibles in various languages.
A Pressing Need for Bible Schools
Another ongoing story of God’s faithfulness and encouragement is the work taking place through our Bible Schools. Every day throughout Africa, students are being transformed by the Word and by the Spirit of God. The study materials they are utilizing include books by Derek Prince (along with the essential Bible we supply for each student).
As the demand increases, our Bible stock is rapidly diminishing. With this growing need, we must order more Bibles. Typically, a Bible in a local language costs around $13 to $15, and the cost of an English study edition averages around $42. Would you please consider helping to make God’s Word available to students, prisoners, soldiers, police officers, and other people who are requesting Bibles from us?
Thank You for Your Help
The Lord is providing increased opportunities for us to reach more and more Africans. We can connect with them through established means like radio broadcasts, Bibles, and books, as well as new approaches, such as digital technology.
The wonderful partnership you have extended through your prayers and financial gifts is a huge blessing to our Derek Prince Ministries Africa team. Will you please assist us as we increase the impact of Derek’s teaching across the entire continent of Africa? We send our thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
