As moral degradation continues to erode societal values, the Church faces an urgent call to prioritize reaching the unreached and underserved with the transformative power of the gospel. In an exclusive conversation with The Nation’s ADEOLA OGUNLADE, Rev. Toyin Kehinde, Convener of the Global Mandate Conference 2025, shares his vision for the upcoming event. He emphasizes the need for the Church to focus on the timeless essence of God’s Word while addressing the growing challenges in mission work and fostering a renewed commitment to spreading the gospel in areas of critical need
RE we losing our Christian youths to the world?
Yes, I believe we are. The gospel that the previous generation grew up with or heard is very different from what the current generation is being taught. This younger generation lacks an understanding of foundational Christian principles like sacrifice, patience, and bearing one’s cross—values that are heavily emphasized in the gospel. They also don’t experience persecution the way early Christians did, especially during the early days of evangelism in Nigeria when conversion was often met with significant personal and social challenges. Persecution built endurance and a deep faith in Christ.
Unfortunately, this generation doesn’t know the struggles that come with following Christ. It’s concerning that while we see radical groups, like suicide bombers, committing themselves to causes they believe in, our Christian youth often lack that same level of commitment. How many of them are truly ready to die for Christ? How many would risk everything to go to places where being a Christian could mean facing death?
Often, the gospel we present today focuses on making life better which includes finding a good job, a good spouse, and a comfortable life. While these things are not inherently wrong, they should not be the core of our message. If we ask young people to go into difficult areas and preach the gospel where the comforts of life aren’t guaranteed, many are unwilling to take that step.
I think part of the issue is that we may not be intentional enough in how we present the gospel to this generation. We fail to recognize that each generation needs a different approach to truly engage with the gospel. The gospel itself never changes, but our methods must evolve. Unfortunately, many of us continue to rely on outdated approaches that no longer resonate with the youth.
Moreover, some have intentionally diluted the message, creating a space where sound doctrine is suppressed in favor of teachings that simply tell people what they want to hear. This is dangerous, as it leads to a generation that is unprepared to embrace the fullness of the gospel. This is why I believe it is crucial that we make sound doctrine a priority, not just a theoretical concept, but a guiding principle in our teaching.
The Global Mandate Conference which is scheduled to hold on the 20-23, February 2025 will address these issues, challenging us to return to the essence of the gospel and to find ways to communicate its truth effectively to this generation
Why is mission important?
Missions embody the essence of the Church’s purpose. As Rev. Toyin Kehinde explains, Jesus’s command in Acts 1:8 remains the foundation for Christian outreach. You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. Jesus’s instruction challenges believers not to limit their focus to one location. If the early disciples had waited to finish their work in Jerusalem before reaching out to Judea, Samaria, or beyond, the gospel might never have left the region. The same principle applies today—missions must span local, regional, and global efforts concurrently. No single individual or church can reach everywhere, but through partnership, the gospel can go to places otherwise unreachable. There are places I cannot go, and missionaries I will never meet, but others are already there. By supporting and collaborating with them, I become part of the mission. Such cooperation allows churches, pastors, and missionaries to link efforts, resources, and strategies, ensuring that every corner of the earth hears the message of Christ. We need to gather together, collaborate, and ensure that the mission continues locally, regionally, and globally.
Is the church too focused on buildings and numbers over mission?
The Church has a biblical mandate to disciple people, not just to build cathedrals or boast about attendance numbers. Buildings serve as tools, as they shield us from the elements, provide a gathering place, and facilitate worship. Similarly, resources like cars, equipment, and technology are means to an end, not the essence of our mission. Jesus’s focus was always on people, not projects.
When we stand before God, it won’t be about how many churches we built or how large they were; it will be about the lives we touched and the souls we reached. Even the Bible reminds us that this earth and its treasures are reserved for fire. They are temporary. Why invest heavily in things that will not last when we could focus on eternal impact?
Prioritizing Missions over Comfort
When we get to heaven, it won’t be about the size of our cathedrals or the numbers we gathered. It will be about the lives we touched and the souls we discipled. The essence of the gospel lies in its outreach. Yet, we often prioritize keeping members comfortable over equipping them to go out and reach the unreached. Jesus’s command was to “go into all the world,” yet many churches have reduced this to creating larger congregations that sit and consume, rather than being sent out to serve. The true strength of a church is not in its seating capacity but in its sending capacity. How many people have we trained and sent to share the gospel with those who have never heard of Jesus? Sadly, we focus on growing numbers in the pews rather than commissioning workers for the mission field.
What is the essence of the Global Mandate Conference, February 2025?
The essence of the conference is to emphasize the timeless truth of God’s Word, which must continually be reinforced to ensure it is not forgotten. In a world where falsehood is constantly repeated, the truth needs to be shared, re-emphasized, and lived out. While God’s Word remains unchanging, the world around us is evolving rapidly. This creates a challenge in how we reach different generations and people across various contexts.
Today, we live in a digital age where traditional methods of bringing God’s Word to people such as physical Bibles, hymn books, and prayer books have been replaced by phones, tablets, and digital platforms. The way we experience church has changed. Many individuals no longer come to church with physical copies of the Bible; instead, they use their phones or devices. The world is evolving, and so must the way we spread the gospel.
The challenge is how to bring the gospel to those who still have limited access to it. In urban centers like Lagos, Abuja, and Port-Harcourt, the gospel is widely available through various media. People are constantly exposed to the message of Jesus, whether directly or indirectly. However, there are still remote areas where people are completely isolated from the gospel, with no access to Christian teachings, media, or even Christians themselves.
The core focus of the Global Mandate Conference is to address this gap. While much of the gospel reaches people in major cities, there are communities in rural areas and even parts of the world where people have never heard the message of Christ. Our aim is to challenge the church: Before we focus all our resources on reaching those who already have access to the gospel, let us prioritize those who have never heard about Jesus.
We also face challenges in reaching people in restricted regions where the gospel is not allowed. By collaborating with missionaries and pastors who work in such areas, as well as with expatriates in Nigeria from countries where the gospel is banned, we aim to bring the message of Christ to those who are often forgotten.
Additionally, the younger generation, especially Gen Z, presents unique challenges. They think and live differently than previous generations, and we must find ways to make the gospel relevant to them. While we may have grown up with certain understandings of prayer and church practices, it is crucial to communicate the unchanging Word of God in ways that resonate with their worldviews.
Ultimately, the Global Mandate Conference is about reaching the unreached, embracing the changing world, and ensuring that God’s Word remains central in every generation and every corner of the world.
Encouraging a new generation of missionaries
Sure. You see, it’s turning out at the same time. Because a lot of missionaries, practically what we have seen is that if you look at the age of the present missionaries, they are people who should be retired now.
We don’t have a younger workforce that is coming. How do you encourage young people to come here? Yeah. Number one, inform and educate young people need to be exposed to missions through teachings, testimonies, and practical information about the opportunities and needs in the field.
Pastoral Support: Pastors play a key role in mobilizing their congregations. By creating platforms to share about missions, pastors can inspire a new generation to answer the call.
Collaboration: Churches, mission agencies, and missionaries must work together to create opportunities for young people to participate in missions, whether through short-term trips, partnerships, or mentoring. Prayer and Trust in God: Ultimately, only God can touch hearts and call individuals to the mission field. The Church’s role is to faithfully provide the resources and information needed for those whom God calls.
