By Ashley B. Grant l March 17, 2024

Missions is the responsibility of every country,” says Brad Walz, chairman of the Missions Commission for the World Assemblies of God Fellowship since 2009.

In October of 2024, the World Assemblies of God Fellowship will host the 7th World Missions Congress.

The World Assemblies of God Fellowship, founded in 1989, was created to accelerate worldwide evangelism and to provide relief and aid services and theological training to men and women desiring to fulfill a call to ministry.

This year, the event will be held in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city. The strategic location is the first World Assemblies of God Fellowship missions event to be hosted on the continent of Africa.

“Kenya tends to attract a lot of tourism and there is a real appeal with Africa’s culture,” Walz states, speaking to the reason for the location. Additionally, lodging and airline flights are widely available, making it not only an exciting tourist destination but also convenient for international travelers.

The World Mission Congress first gathered in 2007 in Buenos Aires and has since been hosted in Manilla, Cancun, Bangkok, Madrid, and Medellin.

Walz states that the congress has experienced growth each year and anticipates seeing 100 countries represented at this year’s event with 2,000 individuals in attendance. This will be an increase of more than 500 from the 2023 gathering in Medellin, Columbia.

Key collaborations this year include co-sponsorship by the Pentecostal World Fellowship Missions Commission and the Africa Pentecostal Mission, according to the event’s website.

Walz states that the event is intended for a global audience with a goal of getting many countries involved in missions.

“There are missions directors and pastors who have a vision for being involved in a world event like this and we would love to extend an invitation to anyone interested,” he says.

In addition to services and plenary sessions, five breakout sessions will be offered: Church Planting Vision and Practice, Relief and Development Network, Prayer and Intercession for Missions, Religious Liberties Commission: Responding to the Persecuted Church, and Mobilization: Recruitment, Training Programs, and Missionary Care.

Along with the breakout sessions, a special session will focus on mobilizing the next generation to be involved in missions.

“God is calling the next generation,” Walz states, “and we need to help churches to prepare them and put missions on their radar.”

Walz will encourage pastors, ministry leaders, and lay persons to go back to their home churches and challenge the younger generations to be the catalyst that revives the missions fire across the globe.

“God is raising up a missions movement and we need to create paths and pipelines for them to fulfill what God is calling them to,” he says.

The event will host a diverse group of 12 featured speakers including U.S. AG’s General Superintendent Doug Clay who was elected vice president of the World AG Fellowship in 2023.

Clay states that he is thankful for the work of the World AG Fellowship and the work that has gone into the planning of the Kenya Congress.

“As General Superintendent, I have a list of top priorities that I want to see our movement excel in. Certainly, growing missions is at the top of that list,” he says.

He goes on to say that missions isn’t just something we need to be talking about, it is something we need to be practicing.

“Having a burden for missions is inadequate, we need to be sending, giving, and participating.”

In line with Clay’s challenge, Walz prayerfully desires that AG churches and constituents worldwide will continue to grow more and more aware of what God is doing across the globe.

Walz states that he and his team trust this congress will make history and bring the body of Christ one step closer to fulfilling the Great Commission.