Faith
African Mission Leader Reveals What Blood and Sacrifice Really Mean for Asia’s Future
Faith Facts
- African missionary leader Joshua Bogunjoko addressed thousands at the Arise Asia 2026 Congress in Manila, challenging perceptions about Africa’s role in global evangelism
- Bogunjoko emphasized the biblical principle of perseverance through sacrifice, stating Christians always have something to give as long as they have life
- The message centered on Africa’s spiritual legacy and the call for Asian believers to embrace joyful perseverance in spreading the Gospel despite hardship
When Joshua Bogunjoko took the stage at the Arise Asia 2026 Congress in Manila on July 30, he didn’t begin with platitudes or comfortable greetings. Instead, he posed a direct challenge to the thousands gathered before him.
“When you hear the word Africa, what comes to your mind first?” Bogunjoko asked the participants.
The question hung in the air, forcing attendees to confront their preconceptions about a continent often defined by Western media through images of poverty and struggle. But Bogunjoko’s message would turn those assumptions on their head.
The African mission leader came bearing a counter-cultural truth that cuts against modern comfort Christianity. His declaration—”As long as we have blood, we have something to give”—echoed the sacrificial call that has defined faithful witnesses throughout church history.
This wasn’t abstract theology. Bogunjoko spoke from the lived experience of African Christians who understand persecution, deprivation, and the cost of discipleship in ways many Western believers cannot fathom.
The Arise Asia Congress represents a gathering of believers committed to advancing the Great Commission across the Asian continent. In a region where Christianity often exists under threat—from communist governments, radical Islamic persecution, and hostile Hindu nationalism—the call to joyful perseverance isn’t optional.
Bogunjoko’s message challenged Asian Christians to look beyond material resources and embrace the biblical truth that God equips those He calls. The reference to blood wasn’t merely metaphorical—it spoke to the reality that faithful witness may cost everything.
This perspective stands in stark contrast to the prosperity gospel that has infected too many churches worldwide. Instead of promising health and wealth, Bogunjoko called believers to the ancient path: taking up the cross daily, counting the cost, and finding joy in sacrifice for the Kingdom.
Africa’s explosive Christian growth over the past century demonstrates the power of this committed faith. While Europe’s churches empty and American Christianity battles compromise, African believers have multiplied through persecution and poverty, proving that the Gospel thrives when believers embrace sacrifice rather than comfort.
The timing of this message carries particular significance. As Asia becomes the focal point of 21st-century missions—with China’s underground church, India’s persecuted believers, and Southeast Asia’s unreached peoples—the call to perseverance through hardship resonates with urgent relevance.
Bogunjoko’s challenge to Asian Christians draws from deep biblical wells. From the prophets who faced rejection and death, to the apostles who counted suffering as joy, to the martyrs whose blood became the seed of the church—Scripture consistently elevates sacrifice over safety.
This message also carries prophetic weight for American believers comfortable in their freedoms. As cultural hostility toward biblical Christianity increases in the West, the example of African and Asian perseverance offers both warning and inspiration.
The “joy of perseverance” Bogunjoko proclaimed isn’t masochistic suffering—it’s the deep satisfaction of faithfulness, the peace that surpasses understanding, and the crown of life promised to those who endure. It’s the same joy that enabled early Christians to sing hymns in prison and face lions with confidence.
As the Arise Asia Congress continued, Bogunjoko’s words set a tone far removed from comfortable Western Christianity. His call echoed the words of missionary Jim Elliot: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
For Asian believers facing uncertain futures under hostile regimes and cultures, this message provided both challenge and comfort: You have enough. As long as you have life, you have something to give for the Gospel. And that sacrifice brings joy that the world cannot understand or take away.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Faith Facts
- The Assemblies of God is restoring its original publishing name, Gospel Publishing House, after more than a decade under the My Healthy Church brand.
- The move returns the ministry to its historic identity rooted in the denomination’s founding vision and mission.
- Christian publishers continue to serve churches and families by providing resources that strengthen faith and uphold biblical values.
The Assemblies of God has announced that its publishing ministry will once again operate under the name Gospel Publishing House. The decision ends the My Healthy Church branding that was adopted in 2010.
The restoration of the historic name reflects a deliberate return to the ministry’s founding purpose and identity within the denomination.
Leaders emphasized that the change reconnects the publishing arm with its long-standing role in equipping churches and believers across the nation.
Church leaders across the country have welcomed the move, noting that the original name carries deep spiritual meaning and heritage for Assemblies of God congregations.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Faith Facts
- Christians believe every unborn child bears the image of God and deserves protection under law.
- Virginia voters will decide this November whether to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right.
- Scripture teaches believers to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Virginia voters face a pivotal November decision on whether to place abortion in the state constitution. Pastors across the commonwealth are being urged to speak clearly from the pulpit rather than remain silent on the issue.
Christian leaders emphasize that the measure would permanently enshrine abortion as a constitutional right. They argue that such a change would remove protections for unborn children and limit future legislative efforts to safeguard life.
“For Christians who believe the unborn child bears the image of God, silence is not neutrality.”
Many pastors are preparing messages that connect biblical teaching on the sanctity of life with the upcoming ballot question. Churches are also organizing voter education efforts to ensure congregants understand the amendment’s potential consequences.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Faith Facts
- Southern Baptist Convention President Willy Rice has requested the SBC Executive Committee consider adding an article on gender and human sexuality to the Baptist Faith & Message 2000.
- Richard Land, who served on the original drafting committee, affirms that Rice’s proposal aligns with longstanding Baptist tradition.
- The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 serves as the doctrinal statement guiding Southern Baptist churches nationwide.
The Southern Baptist Convention is weighing an important doctrinal update that would clarify its position on gender and human sexuality. President Willy Rice has formally asked the SBC Executive Committee to recommend adding a specific article addressing these issues to the Baptist Faith & Message 2000. This proposal comes as cultural debates over gender identity continue to intensify across American society.
Richard Land, who helped draft the current confession, believes Rice’s request stands firmly within Baptist tradition. Land emphasized that Southern Baptists have historically maintained clear biblical positions on matters of human sexuality and identity. The current statement addresses marriage and sexuality but lacks specific language on gender distinctions.
“The Baptist Faith & Message has always sought to articulate what the Bible teaches about the fundamental issues facing God’s people,” Land noted in his assessment of Rice’s proposal. The timing reflects growing concern among conservative Christians about the rapid cultural shifts regarding gender ideology in schools, sports, and medical settings.
Many Southern Baptist leaders see this potential addition as necessary protection for biblical truth. Churches across the denomination have increasingly faced questions about gender identity from members and the surrounding culture. A clear confessional statement would provide guidance for pastors, parents, and educators navigating these challenging issues.
The proposal will now move through the Executive Committee review process before potentially coming before messengers at a future annual meeting. Southern Baptists have historically amended their confessional statement when cultural challenges demanded clearer biblical articulation. This process ensures that the denomination’s doctrinal commitments remain both faithful to Scripture and relevant to contemporary challenges.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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