An Evening with Dr. Stephen Lungo

The Presbyterian Church in Morristown is thrilled to welcome Dr. Stephen Lungu, Team Leader and CEO of Africal Enterprise International.  Dr. Lungu will be speaking at our Parish House (65 South Street) on Friday October 21, 2011 at 6:00 pm about his life and about his book, Out of the Black Shadows, which will soon be made into a movie.

Dr. Lungu's mother abandoned him as a child on the streets of Harare in Southern Rhodesia, Africa.  As a result of this and the inequities he suffered, Dr. Lungu, in his youth, developed an extreme hatred and distrust of God.  In 1960 he became active in terrorism as a Communist against the Government of the then Southern Rhodesia. He learned the dreadful skills of sabotage, bombing and destruction.

On one such mission in 1962, Dr. Lungu and his gang plotted to blow up a bank when they came upon a large tent Gospel meeting with thousands of people. He and his fellow terrorists decided they would throw their bombs into the tent and shoot anyone who tried to escape. However, God had different plans. Dr. Lungu heard the message being preached in the tent and was immediately converted.  He ultimately confessed his terroristic activities to the authorities, including the plot that had led him to the tent meeting.  He was released and given money by the officer to purchase his first Bible.

Dr. Lungu was taught to read by a man who brought him into his home and ultimately pursued higher education.  In 1965, Stephen began to share his amazing testimony and preach the Word of God with the Dorothea Mission throughout Africa. In 1982, Stephen met Michael Cassidy of African Enterprise and was invited to join the AE Team in Zimbabwe.

Today Dr. Lungo serves as the Team Leader and CEO of African Enterprise International, taking over from the Founder, Michael Cassidy. He travels the world preaching to thousands of people about racial reconciliation, forgiveness and God's amazing grace. He lives in Malawi with his wife Rachel and a number of his children and grandchildren.

African Enterprise International is an evangelical Christian organization whose mission is to bring peace to conflicted regions in Africa particularly through the teachings of Jesus Christ.  They are committed to team building enterprises and holistic resolution of social and political conflicts.  Wherever possible, their projects are driven by the local community and the local churches. They also seek to incorporate some form of social action with their evangelistic missions. AE seeks an integrated approach to Christian mission and to change within the cities and regions in which it works. Current projects include AIDS education, home based care for AIDS sufferers, orphan care, pastoral care in hospitals, literacy, primary health care, skills training for prostitutes and street children, and food security projects.

In addition, AE is currently working in Burundi, where a slow genocide has gripped the people of that nation for over a decade. Estimates in the 1990s suggested that more than 100,000 people a year were being killed as a result of ethnic violence. It is also working in Southern Sudan, where countless people are living as refugees as a result of political violence and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where civil war rages while the nation seeks to establish a new and fair form of government.  It also continues with long-term work in the nation of Rwanda, where AE has led the Christian charge for reconciliation with renowned programs for fostering forgiveness in communities where there has been enormous violence and hatred.

We were lucky enough to have Dr. Lungu as a guest preacher four years ago, when he shared his life's story with the congregation.  The October 21st event is open to all members of the public who seek to be inspired by and learn from Dr. Lungu's life and missionary activities.  All are welcome to join us for this inspirational evening.

Please RSVP to the Church at 973-538-1776.  For further details about this event, please visit our webpage at www.pcmorristown.org/lungo.  For more information about African Enterprises, please visit http://aeinternational.org/international/.