By Jenifer Jones.
The *Africa Expository Bible Preaching Summit 2026 (AEBPS 2026)* has concluded with a call for a new generation of African preachers to root their ministry in Scripture, as participants warned that Africa’s fastest-growing Church faces its most urgent challenge in the depth of biblical teaching.
The 5-day continental gathering, convened by *Langham Preaching Nigeria* under the Langham Expository Bible Preaching Initiative, was held from *12–16 August 2026* at *First Baptist Church, Area 11, Garki, Abuja*, under the theme _“God’s Word, God’s Work”_ drawn from Nehemiah 2:18.
*332 Leaders Gather Across Africa*
A total of *332 participants* took part in the summit — *179 onsite* and *153 online*. This included *73 registered participants from 21 African countries* who joined via Zoom, YouTube and Facebook.
The gathering brought together pastors, theological educators, seminary leaders, church planters, public servants, lawyers, business people, artisans and lay leaders from across Nigeria and the continent.
In a communiqué released at the end of the summit, participants said the summit was not merely a conference but _“a doorway and a workshop”_ — a doorway for new entrants to expository preaching and a workshop for those already committed to it.
*“The Work of God Begins With The Word of God”*
Sitting under the book of Nehemiah, speakers taught that the work of God begins when the Word of God is _“received, carried and believed.”_ From Nehemiah 5, participants were reminded that _“a ruler who fears God will refuse what he is lawfully entitled to when the people cannot bear it.”_
Three tracks ran during the summit: *The Church and the Work of God*, *The Pulpit, Politics and Governance*, and *The Seminary and the Work of God*. Workshops also covered Old Testament narrative from the book of Judges, with emphasis on _“crossing the bridge from the world of the text to the world of the hearer without leaving the passage behind.”_
*Africa’s Growth, Africa’s Challenge*
In his welcome address, *Dr. Hankuri Tawus Gaya, Preaching Movement Coordinator, Langham Preaching Nigeria*, noted that Africa is now home to more Christians than any other continent, with close to *700 million believers*. Nigeria, he said, has the largest Christian population in Africa and is at the centre of this growth.
“Within one generation, the majority of the world’s Christians will be African. What is preached from African pulpits will shape what the global Church believes. That is not a boast. It is a weight,”_ Dr. Gaya said.
However, the communiqué lamented the gap between church growth and public life. _“Africa has the most Christians and some of the least Christian public life. It is not a shortage of preaching that troubles Africa. It is a shortage of the Word of God faithfully expounded and faithfully obeyed,”_ it stated.
The summit also acknowledged the current season of hardship, including insecurity, displacement in the North and Middle Belt, economic pressure on households, and thin public trust in institutions.
*Key Convictions and Commitments*
The participants reaffirmed their confidence in “the sufficiency of the Scriptures”_ and entered into commitments centered on three pillars:
1. *Biblical Authority and Truth* – Promoting preaching that lets the biblical text determine the content of the message.
2. *Christ-Centred Interpretation* – Preaching Christ as the Bible’s main character, following Jesus’ example on the Emmaus road.
3. *Movement Sustainability* – Building lasting transformation through systematic training pathways and ongoing _Ushirika_ networks of mentors, facilitators and cohorts across regions.
In his charge, *Rt. Rev. Dr. Jwan Ntwar Zhumbes, Chairman, Langham Preaching Nigeria*, urged participants to let the Word first _“rebuild the broken walls within us before it sends us to rebuild the broken walls around us.”
“May this Summit produce preachers whose lives preach before their lips speak, churches whose ministries mirror the priorities of heaven, and a continent increasingly transformed by the faithful exposition of Holy Scripture,” he said.
*A Launching Point, Not An End*
Organizers said AEBPS 2026 was designed as _“a launching point.”_ New participants were introduced to expository preaching, while graduates were recruited as Ushirika members, mentors and facilitators to establish new training cohorts in their regions.
Dr. Gaya has invited pastors, denominational leaders, theological educators and ministry leaders across Africa to study the communiqué and _“stimulate conversations and action toward healthier pulpits and stronger churches.”
“Our desire is not simply that this document be read, but that its convictions help stimulate conversations and action,”_ he said.
The Africa Expository Bible Preaching Summit remains the flagship continental gathering of Langham Preaching Africa, with the vision _“To see Africa filled with preachers who faithfully proclaim Christ as the Bible’s main character, transforming communities through the power of God’s Word.”
