Report: 2009 Global Leadership Conference & Campus Congress

Written by Kip McKean on August 16, 2009 – 12:00 pm -

“Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved!” Mark 16:15-16

Go Into All The World was the theme of this year’s Global Leadership Conference and Campus Congress, as the evangelization of the nations in this generation is the motivating and unique vision of the SoldOut Movement Churches.  The Conference began with the 314 participants from over 20 nations joining the City of Angels Church for Sunday morning worship on August 2, 2009. 

At this three hour service, the singing was electric; the appointment of Michael and Michele Williamson to be Evangelist and Women’s Ministry Leader was moving; the Global Good News Sharing by several international disciples was faith-building; India’s Raja Rajan’s communion was compelling; Chris Broom’s sermon, A Severe Famine In All The World, was creative and deeply convicting; the three baptisms – Tiffany, Miriam and Manny – were so encouraging; the placing of memberships by Josue Soriano of Honduras and Megan Bard of England were inspiring; and the restorations of Jim and Dana Fenton – the original Yugoslavia Mission Team Leaders – were eye-opening!  During the fellowship, after this amazing service, several commented to me, “It’s happening!”

The Conference continued on Sunday evening with “a great banquet!” The Downtown LA Sheraton provided a delicious and seemingly endless buffet.  Then Nick and Denise Bordieri – the Directors of MERCYworldwide – reminded us of the impact on a lost world when every disciple in the movement can be mobilized for a common global effort to help the poor, needy, orphans and widows.  To conclude the evening of the first day, I preached the lesson, Go Into All The World. The essence of this message was to ask why the world has not been evangelized in one generation since the first century.  There are only two variables in this glorious task – God and His people.  Since God has always desired – in each century – for “all men to be saved,” He is not the issue. (1 Timothy 2:1-5)  Though in the last two millennia there have been a few visionaries who dreamt of world evangelism, sadly their “good intentions” have fallen short.  Therefore, the issue is leadership! My main texts were from 2 Samuel 23 and 1 Chronicles 11 on David’s Mighty Men – in Hebrew – “The Mighties.” These men first gathered around David at the cave of Adullam as men “in distress, in debt or discontented,” because of Saul’s unrighteous leadership. (1 Samuel 22:2)  They became “The Mighties” because of their zeal to honor God and their loyalty to David.  “The Mighties” were willing to pay the price of being outcasts, while fighting for and building a righteous Israel.  This same spirit is necessary in the leadership of God’s modern day movement, if “Spiritual Israel” is to spread to all nations!

At the end of the lesson, I presented The Crown of Thorns Project.  Remembering that Jesus said to the faithful Eleven, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” To evangelize the world, we must begin by evangelizing “our Judea,” the United States.  In less than three years of existence, the SoldOut Movement has planted dynamic discipling churches in the four most influential cities of America – New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington DC – as well as in Portland, Honolulu, Hilo, Syracuse, Eugene and Phoenix. (These churches do not include several heroic remnant churches.)  The US congregations will provide the needed resources – disciples and finances – to go “to the ends of the earth.”

Therefore, to build on last year’s Five Year Plan, we must plan to encircle the globe with unified discipling churches on the other five populated continents.  Listed are the 12 targeted international cities that form a redemptive “crown of thorns” around the world: Santiago (Matt & Helen Sullivan), Mexico City (Vic & Aurora Gonzalez), Sao Paulo (Raul & Lynda Moreno), London (Michael & Michele Williamson), Paris (Tim & Lianne Kernan), Cairo (Mike Patterson), Johannesburg (Andrew & Patrique Smellie), Moscow (Sasha & Luiza Kostenko), Chennai or Delhi, India (Raja & Debs Rajan), Hong Kong (DJ & Kacie Comisford), Manila (Kyle & Joan Bartholomew) and Sydney (Joe & Kerry Willis).  It was so exciting that during the Conference, Sasha and Luiza of Moscow, Russia and Joe and Kerry of Brisbane, Australia solidified plans to move to LA for strengthening and further training.  Of note, Sasha and Luiza were the number three and four baptisms when Elena and I planted the original Moscow Church in 1991. (The Moscow Church saw 850 baptisms in its first year!)  In time, Sasha and Luiza married, went into the ministry, and by the year 2001, they led the 11,500 disciples of the 15 nations of the former Soviet Union!  As He promised, our God is gathering a remnant from “the farthest horizons.” (Nehemiah 1:8-9)  It’s happening!

Monday of the Conference, the 120 students of the Campus Congress met separately.  I heard that DJ Comisford and Mike Patterson delivered powerful sermons.  Likewise, the church leaders gathered to hear Andrew Smellie of DC in the morning and Ron Harding of Portland that evening.  Tuesday morning, the Conference continued to gain momentum when the students rejoined us, and the entire group was divided into Men’s and Women’s Programs.  Michael Williamson moved the men’s hearts preaching, Satan Leads The Whole World Astray and Elena inspired the sisters with the lesson, The Light Of The World.

To conclude the seminar Matt Sullivan conveyed in tears (yes, more than DJ) an especially touching sermon, This World Is Not My Home.  Matt was so transparent as he shared about his challenges on the mission field: loneliness, lust, laziness and even a competitive heart towards ministers in other congregations.  This humbled us all.

Thanks to all the speakers and teachers who poured themselves out during their preaching of the Word.  Thanks to Vic Jr. and Lance Underhill for providing rides and “greeting parties” for most of the Conference’s out-of-town participants.  Thanks to Rob Onekea for the design of the brochure and t-shirts, as well as overseeing the video recordings. 

Thanks to Michele Williamson for the excellent administration of the registrations and accommodations.  But most of all, thanks be to God whose Spirit gave all the leaders such an incredible sense of unity – beyond anything I have ever experienced – so much so that we believe absolutely that God will help us “go into all the nations” in this generation.  Yes, it’s happening! And to God be all the glory!

Kip McKean

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