To the delight of the organizers of the Pentecostal World Conference - the largest annual gathering of Pentecostal Christians in the world, registration to the Sept. 4-17 event has been at more than twice what it was at the same time last year.
On April 2, the registration was up at 2,800. Last year, with less than half that number of registrations by April, the event still drew together some 31,000 to Washington D. C. for the 2 week event. This year, the event will be held at The Dome in Raundburg, Gauteng, South Africa.
According to the Assemblies of God superintended Thomas E. Trask, who is also chairs for the Pentecostal World Federation, said the success to date is due to the diligence and strategy of the South African organizational team.
"I've never worked with a more professional team than I've worked with in South Africa," Trask says. "They've covered every base, every detail, thoroughly."
This year, the organizational team lined up a stellar list of keynote speakers, including: Isak Burger, Colin La Foy, Jack Hayford, Reinhard Bonnke, Kenneth Ulmer, Brian Houston, Hlengiwe Mkhize, Frank Chikane, Francisco Jimenez, Elijah Mahlangu and Lamar Vest.
According to Pastor Harold W. Sallee, one of the U.S. coordinators for the event, the conference is destined to succeed this year, because it marks the 10th anniversary of the fall of Apartheid in South Africa.
"What some people don't realize is that the Church played a huge role in holding the nation together during that time," said Salee. "This conference will, at least in part, be a celebration of that landmark event as well as further the healing and reconciliation now in progress. I believe God is going to make Himself known in unexpected and miraculous ways throughout the conference."
Christian P. Lodewyk, the conference director, urged Pentecostals in America to take part in the monumental event. Lodewyk explained the ease of traveling to South Africa, saying that no visas or shots are required to enter and there is no language barrier.
"Some people take malaria tablets," Lodewyk says, "but the conference is nowhere near malaria areas."
For more information about this convenience, send an e-mail to info@cpm.za.org or in the U.S., call 011-27-21-55-66-718 for more information.
