Pastor Rick Warren has delivered a heartfelt message to African Christian leaders, urging the continent’s churches to take their rightful place at the forefront of global missions.
Speaking during the General Assembly of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA) via livestream, the founder of Saddleback Church and best-selling author of The Purpose Driven Life described Africa as the “most Christian continent on Earth” and a vital force in the global Church.
“Africa is no longer just rising. Africa is here. The Church in Africa must now lead the rest of us,” Warren declared passionately from California.
With over 430 million believers, Warren said Africa isn’t just growing—it’s already shaping the future of Christianity. He recalled a moving moment from a visit to a remote South African village two decades ago, where he met a church rich in compassion, though lacking basic infrastructure like electricity and beds.
“That experience broke me,” Warren shared. “I had trained so many leaders, yet I had not truly wept for those who suffer.”
He was especially touched by a young local pastor who walked two hours weekly just to download Warren’s sermons, telling him, “You’re the only training I’ve ever had.”
That encounter gave birth to the P.E.A.C.E. Plan, a global mission strategy built around five key areas: Proclaiming the Gospel, Equipping leaders, Assisting the poor, Caring for the sick, and Educating the next generation.
Warren noted that of the 700 historical plans designed to fulfill the Great Commission, none had succeeded—and none involved the entire Body of Christ. “But this is a new day,” he said.
Addressing African Christian leaders directly, he declared: “You are not just the future of the Church—you are the now. The time to step up is today. The world is watching, and Africa is ready.”
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