Our Journey

Darren & Lori Warning

In 2007, Darren was given the opportunity to travel to Africa on a 3-week missions trip. At the time, he had just finished his first year at Central Bible College at the age of 37.  Married with two small children under the age of 8 and working full-time outside of class just to make ends meet, he said “Yes”.  He was able to quickly raise the necessary funds and began a journey that neither he nor his wife, Lori, ever imagined.

When Darren returned, he began to share with Lori all that God had done on the trip and his desire to return.  Fast forward more than 12 years later.  In 2019 through a series of God moments, Darren and Lori were introduced to Africa Tabernacle Evangelism (ATE), a ministry through the Assemblies of God World Missions department that partners with US churches and building teams to provide tabernacles for congregations throughout Africa. Once again they said “Yes” to God’s plan for their life.

In January of 2020, Darren and Lori were approved as Missionary Associates and began raising funds for a 2-year term to begin serving with ATE.  Lori continued serving in a leadership role at the Assemblies of God National Office in Springfield, MO so once their necessary support was raised, they would remain in the area (their hometown).

In March of 2022, they had raised their funds and Darren began serving full time with ATE.  But the journey continued . . .

Just a few weeks after Darren began serving full time with ATE, Lori had the opportunity to travel to Africa for the first time and God began to speak to her heart about their future.  At the same time, Darren was having conversations with leadership for Africa and the opportunity was presented for Darren and Lori to consider a full-time career appointment to serve ATE in Africa.

After much prayer and consideration, the answer was simple.  Darren and Lori said “Yes”.

In March of 2023, Darren and Lori will be confirmed as career missionaries serving in Africa. Darren will continue serving with Africa Tabernacle Evangelism and Lori will be working in partnership with Africa Oasis.  Once their funds are raised, Darren and Lori plan to move to Cameroon Africa in the summer of 2024.

Giving God their “Yes” has taught them to trust the hand of God in all areas of their life as they continue to serve Him.

AFRICA TABERNACLE EVANGELISM

Africa Tabernacle Evangelism (ATE) is a ministry created to provide African churches with their own building structure, establishing church members with a place of worship and a center for ministry within their community.

ATE began in 1991, during a time of great anticipated growth of the Africa church.  With church expansion there would be a great need of church buildings in which congregations could meet. The desire was not only that more individuals would come to know Christ, but that they would have a permanent place where they could continue to grow in their new relationship with Him. So, the solution to this need came in the form of few, quite heavy, steel pieces.

Or what we like to call . . . a tabernacle.

With these free-standing structures, an African church is provided with a home and permanency in a continent that continually experiences change.

Building the church in Africa.

  • A tabernacle is a set of steel trusses and a roof system that can easily be shipped to Africa and set up within a matter of a few hours. Recently, tabernacle factories have been established in Africa making the construction process much easier. A standard tabernacle is 36’ x 48’. The tabernacle can increase in width and additional trusses can give the structure longer dimensions. A standard tabernacle will easily seat 250 people.

  • The US based church provides funding to purchase the tabernacle and the people to help build the structure. Then, ATE takes care of coordinating all the details for the construction of the tabernacle and transporting the people. Once the steel structure arrives on site, the local church people will help build and complete the tabernacle.

  • A standard tabernacle will cost approximately $8,500.

  • A tabernacle does more than just provide something material for a church. Much of the time a congregation will have a service the night that the tabernacle is built to dedicate the building, and may even have services a few nights consecutively, in which many people will come to know Christ.
    Often church attendance will increase dramatically; even doubling within the first week.

    When a large structure is built in an African community (especially by several white men with strange accents) people will want to come and see what is going on. This is the perfect opportunity to invite them to come see what it looks like when it’s completed… and to hear God’s Word.

    They see a building that is permanent. They know that the people who need and use that building must mean business.