Dear Colleague,
1. AFM GENERAL BUSINESS MEETING (GBM) & NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2018
The 2018 AFM General Business Meeting (GBM) is scheduled for 10-13 September 2018, at Woord-en-Lewe in Boksburg (Gauteng). The National Conference, however, will commence on Sunday evening, 9 September 2018 and conclude on Wednesday evening, 12 September 2018.
We want to encourage all pastors to pre-register and pay well in advance to avoid unnecessary administration at the GBM. Avoid the long queues and ensure that your registration experience is efficient. All information needed to pre-register can be found on the AFM website from the following link:
http://afm-ags.org/category/events/
Also note that registrations can now be done online:
http://afm.easychurch.co.za/?page_id=253
There are important constitutional amendments that will be discussed for adoption by the 2018 GBM. These amendments will have significant bearing on the election of Office Bearers in 2020. They deal with the experience required for those elected to lead the church at regional and national level, transitional mechanisms post elections, orientation of newly elected Office Bearers and their core responsibilities. Your attendance and participation would contribute to these discussions and decisions to be taken.
We will have a special service on Sunday evening (9.09.2018) to celebrate the 110th Anniversary of the AFM of SA. Special Guests from other church organisations have been invited to attend this specific service. You cannot afford to miss it! Further we have PCD sessions which will be beneficial to both pastors and members of the church.
I am urging all pastors, assembly leaders and members of the church to attend this important event. I am looking forward to meeting you at the 2018 GBM in Boksburg!
2. MARRIAGE OFFICERS: STUDY SUPPORT
We have noted that a huge number of our pastors wishing to be appointed as a Marriage Officer fail the Home Affairs test. To lend assistance to these applicants, the church’s Education and Training Department drew up a ‘mock’ test which can be taken as part of every applicant’s preparation. We advise our pastors to take this test well in advance before they write the actual Home Affairs test. In this regard Dr. Paul La Poorta can be contacted for more information:
lapoorta@vodamail.co.za
078 487 4922
3. AN ACHIEVEMENT OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: PROF. MARIUS NEL
The recent National Leadership Forum (NLF) noted with appreciation the report that Prof Marius Nel was nominated by the NWU Faculty of Theology as their most productive researcher for 2017. Prof Nel is responsible for 16 Masters’ students and 5 Doctorate students, most of them coming from a Pentecostal background and subsequently doing research in the field of Pentecostal theology.
The Executive Dean also involves him in discussions with the Faculty’s partners. In terms of his own research, he published a book at the German publisher, LIT Verlag, about a Pentecostal narratological analysis of Daniel 1 and 2 in 2018, and in 2018 a book at the British Publisher Routledge about Pentecostals and pacifism.
Let us join the NLF in congratulating Prof Marius Nel for this academic performance!
Blessings!
MG Mahlobo