Celebrating 100 Years in Central Africa

Today in Central Africa a movement is flourishing in seven countries. Nine Bible Institutes and two Graduate Schools are preparing a new generation of leaders. Local and regional church planters are training both in the classroom and on the field. Over 140 of them are now planting new churches. Forty-three elementary schools are focused on educating orphans. A hospital, two surgical centers, and 40 dispensaries are providing essential medical care. Leaders in government and education are learning to apply Christian ethics in the workplace. Tens of thousands of children are being discipled in hundreds of Sunday Schools. And in 3,500 churches, men, women, and children are worshipping God in spirit and in truth. This movement of God continues to gain momentum because 100 years ago, a few courageous men and women said YES to God.

Listen to Mike Jentes share a little of the story of the pioneer mission to Africa 100 years ago on our website

View the digital flipbook “Opening Oubangui-Chari,” a visual retrospective about James Gribble and the pioneer missionaries of central Africa.

EncompassWorldPartners.org/docs/book/

100 Years of Sacrifice which led to the Glorious Fruit

As Encompass celebrated the 100-Year Anniversary of our pioneer team beginning work in central Africa, Executive Director Dave Guiles shared the story of how it all started with attendees of the ACCESS2018 National Conference of the Charis Fellowship, USA, on July 25, 2018, at Grace Community Church in Fremont, Ohio.

In the words of pioneer James Gribble himself. “[God] has been pleased to put us in the very forefront of advance work of missions in Africa today. It is truly significant that so small a mission as ours should occupy such a center of missionary influence. It all comes from God and to Him be all the glory!”

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” -Phil 3:8–10