The Disciple Nations Alliance (DNA) training in biblical worldview and wholistic community development has penetrated cultures in more than 60 countries. Now, a new (and, some would say, exotic) locale has been added to that list: Madagascar.
Chris Ampadu, on staff with Harvest Foundation, is part of the first generation of African trainers who were trained by DNA co-founders Darrow Miller and Bob Moffitt during the early days of DNA’s work. Today, Chris leads the West Africa network of Samaritan Strategy Africa (the network that spreads DNA training on the African continent) where his profile as an effective trainer has steadily grown.
For the past nine years, Chris has been the main speaker for Mercy Ships in each of its leadership conferences in Liberia, Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and the Congo Republic. Usually, there are three or four leadership conferences spread across each country: one each for pastors, community leaders, health professionals and trainers of trainers.
Mercy Ships’ vessel, Africa Mercy, serves the continent’s nations by the invitation and full participation of those nations’ governments. Chris recently received a request to go to Madagascar, the island nation 250 miles off Africa’s southeast coast and almost 6000 miles from Chris’s home in Ghana. Mercy Ships asked him to “come over and help us” with an opportunity they had to impact grass-top leaders on the world’s fourth-largest island.
“Madagascar is a broken nation despite their wealth, and they really need our prayers,” Chris says. “The mayor and regional minister who opened and closed the conference were full of praise since their representatives informed them of the contents of the training and their evaluation was on regional television for all to hear.”
The regional minister even opened the state hall on the last day of the training as an expression of his appreciation.
“This is an exciting opportunity,” says DNA President Scott Allen. “Madagascar has never hosted any DNA event, and Chris was able to share our core training with high-level leaders there.”
What now?
“A new beginning has started in Madagascar,” says Chris. “A team of 21 members from various representatives has been put together by the participants. They have an agenda, a focus to transform their communities and nation and l praise the Lord for their zeal. They need our regular prayers to realize their dreams.”
By design, the DNA is not an institution but a school of thought (see our Core Operating Principles). We offer the global Christian church and the world a set of ideas. Sometimes, we think of ourselves as a virus looking for a host. It is our strategy to avoid erecting buildings or running schools. Rather, we participate in the spread of a set of ideas by partnering with institutions that have existing infrastructures.
Mercy Ships has been a great example of this. Through their wonderful and effective ministry, we are able to share DNA training with leaders in various sectors of society across Africa including law, education, health, economics, the arts, media, and many others. We pray for the messages of God’s truth communicated by Chris to seep deeply into the hearts and minds of all who heard–that they, their families and their nations might be transformed.
