Dear Friends:

Here is a brief initial report on the Fiel Conference which ended ten days ago. 

Our Fiel Conference two weeks ago...

The conference was attended by 545 persons, about 100 less than we had expected based on registration trends over the past years. Still, that was 65 more than our previous highest attendance. Participants came from all of Mozambique’s ten provinces, and over 230 people were hosted from out of town.

...had record attendance from around the country, though less than we anticipated.

Gifted pastor Samuel Quimputo from Angola

preaching one of the early sessions

Our theme was “The God of the Gospel” as described by the Apostle Paul as he concluded his teaching on the gospel in Romans 9-11. At one point, Paul Washer had chosen “The Gospel of God” as the topic he most wanted to cover in his nine messages, so that was the second half of our theme.

Our themes were "The God of the Gospel" and "The Gospel of God".

Regarding the teaching program, the prayers of Paul’s intercessors and ours were surely heard! I much appreciated the messages of all the speakers, and a quick review of our conference evaluations indicate this was nearly everyone else’s opinion. But I thought Paul Washer's nine messages were fantastic. However, I already agree with what Paul teaches. This is not true of all our participants, and not surprisingly, a minority of them were made uncomfortable by Paul’s direct and powerful preaching because he confronted so many of the errors in the African church (errors which are present in Western churches too). This discomfort was reflected in their review of the content being presented in the messages. But it is exactly that preaching which hits straight at the heart that produces change in the lives of so many who hear Paul's preaching! This has happened elsewhere, and it is what we were praying would happen here in Nampula!

Paul Washer preached directly to the heart of what the Mozambican church leaders needed to hear.

Until Paul stepped into the pulpit, I was concerned that he would arrive with so much discomfort after the long flights that he might be unable to preach at all. But his first message confirmed that was clearly not the case!  The flight to Nampula was the longest he had undertaken since before his heart attack eight years ago. Nevertheless, at one point he said he felt even better during the conference than he does at home. He also slept more comfortably here than at home, thanks to the extra-hard mattresses some older friends had previously bought for their own benefit during a long stay in our guest bedroom. Without prying into Paul’s personal health too much, or revealing more than I know, I am aware that since his heart attack Paul has had to deal with neuropathic pain which can be debilitating at times, particularly when he must travel. So we all ascribe his paradoxical good health after such a long trip flying to the far side of the world to the grace of God and the prayers of many saints! If you were praying with us about this, thank you!! Those prayers were answered!

I was concerned that the long trip might impair Paul's ability to preach, due to his health conditions, but in God's mercy he felt even better here than he normally does at home.

Paul Washer, left, with Editora Fiel's excellent translator

sent from Brazil, Vinney Musselman

Our other speakers were Pastor Samuel Quimputo, an Angolan pastor ministering in Portugal, Pastor Mauricio Andrade representing Editora Fiel out of Brazil, and Pastor Joe Sahl from Fort Worth, Texas, an expert on the book of Romans whose teachings have been most helpful to me. All these men handled themes from Romans 9-11. 

Samuel Quimputo, Mauricio Andrade, and Joe Sahl were our other preachers.

I also brought three messages. The first one was on the “Christocentric Christianity” showcased in Paul’s ministry and in the way he presents his gospel in the book of Romans. The last one was on “The Divine Love of God”, which dealt with how God’s incommunicable attributes (attributes humans cannot manifest or share) make His love so radically different from our love. Some of those incommunicable attributes are His sovereignty, His eternality, and His immutability, which also result in a faithful and unconditional love that we men never come close to displaying, try as we might. We also focused on the exclusiveness of the very special and paternal “great love” (Ephesians 2:4) that God reserves for those former servants of Satan, dead in sin, who He chooses to quicken and then draw to Christ for salvation by grace.

I taught on Christocentric Christianity and on God's Divine Love as influenced by His incommunicable attributes.

Three meal lines for serving 650 persons three times daily

Though I only wanted Paul Washer to preach in Nampula and hoped for nothing beyond that, I did organize three sessions with ten different men each night who God has been using in special ways to advance the work of the gospel in Mozambique. Most of these men were selected because they have been especially blessed by Paul Washer’s ministry over the Internet. I knew they longed to meet him personally. But the happy and unanticipated result of those discussions is that HeartCry Missionary Society is now planning to advance their work into Mozambique with Grace Missions serving as the hub for that outreach.

In the evenings, Paul Washer met with Mozambicans who have been influenced by his online sermons.

Though the final result must await their decisions upon returning home, I am glad that HeartCry is eager to help the Reformed Seminary that has been established here in Nampula through Mozambican associates we have promoted and supported through the years; the widespread reading groups for hundreds of men who are growing in the gospel of grace through our conferences, seminars, and literature programs; assisting pastors to obtain good study Bibles they cannot afford on their own; and even giving financial relief to a few deserving brothers so that they can cease being bi-vocational pastors and give their full attention to prayer, the word, and teaching the church in Mozambique.

HeartCry is keen to assist Mozambique's Reformed Seminary, reading groups, and faithful pastors.

Paul also stated his interest in returning soon to Nampula to teach on the next theme in our line-up, which is the family. His Africa director quickly cautioned me that because of so many demands, wanting to return does not imply being able to return. But if that hope materializes, I am certain we would be able to reach even more Mozambican church leaders next year thanks to Paul’s ministry this trip!

Paul Washer is interested in returning next year, though his schedule may not permit this.

By God's kindness and through the prayers of His people,

my fears that Paul would be too disabled to preach

proved to be entirely unnecessary!

For those who made a special point to pray, I want to thank you for those prayers. And I also thank the God who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. Unto Him be glory in the Mozambican church by Christ Jesus!

Charles Woodrow

Thank you for praying. To God be the glory!