The A2A Story
Africa2Africa Connections Trust (A2A) was birthed out of Africa Inland Mission International (AIM), an organisation with 125 years of cross-cultural experience on the African continent. AIM commissioned A2A to see more Africans mobilised and sent with Kingdom purpose in to the nations. A2A therefore positioned itself on the Cape Flats in Cape Town symbolic of the global shift in mission-sending now coming from the Majority world. A2A began to function informally as the BAM (Business as Mission) Café in 2017.
In 2018 and 2019, A2A hosted the Repurposing Business (REP) 20-week training courses in Cape Town and also went to Madagascar on a Pre-Venture trip in partnership with a Malagasy organisation, MiHarena and The Institute ; the later founded by Brett Johnson, who developed the REP training.
In 2019, A2A together with MiHarena initiated the first REP training in Madagascar and on 27 October 2021 the first group of 8 Malagasy marketplace ministers were commissioned.
A2A began hosting bi-monthly prayer networks in 2020 for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) and for African MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Professionals.
In July 2020, A2A hosted its first Placed with Purpose online gathering attended by these MENA professionals, church leaders and other interested stakeholders.
We also began to provide debriefing services to BAM practitioners.
Furthermore, A2A provided cross-cultural preparation for MENA professionals before they stepped into their new country of work.
God has called us to do more, to bless the nations as He has blessed the African church.
Our Values
- Excellence
- Word of God
- Integration
- Integrity
- Prayer
- Encouragement
- Community
- Partnership
- Empowering
- The expansion of the Kingdom of God
- Sacrifice
Needs & Issues
Africa was always seen as a mission field, today however
Africa is becoming a mission force.
Different missionary sending models more appropriate for the African continent.
African believers to be equipped and prepared for cross cultural marketplace ministry.
More financial resources for African believers in cross-cultural mission.
A support network for believers in the marketplace, especially in the MENA region.
Increased Kingdom impact of African believers in the nations of the world.
Networking and partnership for possible job placements for Kingdom purposes
The A2A Approach
Global move of God
There is a global move of God mobilising believers to be effective witnesses in the marketplace. Our approach is to equip, empower, support, and connect these believers.
Global Marketplace focus
Africans are moving into the global marketplace largely as economic migrants. A2A’s approach is therefore to provide amongst others, cross-cultural and support services to these African believers.
Models appropriate for Africans
A2A wants to use models of sending Africans into the nations appropriate for the African continent.
Collaboration is vital
A2A’s approach is to network and collaborate with other like-minded organisations.
Global move of God
There is a global move of God mobilising believers to be effective witnesses in the marketplace. Our approach is to equip, empower, support, and connect these believers.
Global Marketplace focus
Africans are moving into the global marketplace largely as economic migrants. A2A’s approach is therefore to provide amongst others, cross-cultural and support services to these African believers.
Models appropriate for Africans
A2A wants to use models of sending Africans into the nations appropriate for the African continent.
Collaboration is vital
A2A’s approach is to network and collaborate with other like-minded organisations.
We therefore believe our approach works because...
Through the model of self-supporting marketplace ministers and entrepreneurs, A2A is addressing the huge challenge of traditional financial support of missionaries. Using this model, entrepreneurs, artisans, students and professionals are welcomed into nations.
Our Partners
VISION AND OBJECTIVES
The leadership is committed to the following objectives in the next five years:
LEADERSHIP OF A2A
Governance structure: Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees brings a wide range of marketplace and ministry experience.
Brian J De Smidt
Retired AIM missionary with 40+years of cross-cultural experience.
Cathy Masters
Chartered Accountant, entrepreneur, and founder of CMDS, now ZIYO, and passionate about missions, serving as sender for a lifetime.
Leon Davids
Long term entrepreneur; serves as executive member on the board of Discipling Nations.
Leon and his family are now based in Madagascar serving as missionaries.
Christopher Lawrence
Director of Andrew Murray Centre for Prayer, Revival and Mission in Wellington and minister of St Georges Presbyterian church, Wellington
Peter Oyugi
Originally from Kenya but has lived in the UK for some time. Mission catalyst and mentor within the Movement for African initiatives (MANI) and co-ordinates Diaspora ministry in Europe.
Gerhard Pietersen
Director of AIM Southern Africa (AIM)
Marlene G
Director of A2A.
A2A Director
B.Sc (UCT), HDE(PG) Sec, BA (Hons) (Open University UK).
A pioneer and educator with 25 years of cross cultural experience in South, East and North Africa.
We are totally dependent on God for the resources to deliver our services. As an organisation A2A is committed to seeking and generating sustainable income streams.
We believe that our potential income streams will come from:
Contributing Gifts or Profit -share from their businesses.
Outside the A2A Network.
We are trusting God to do the unexpected and impossible as He can do immeasurably more than we can think, ask, or imagine.
Conclusion
We hope that you are as excited as we are about the potential Kingdom impact of the work of God through A2A and ask you to consider partnering with us in this venture.
We believe with your generous gift and support we can create eternal value across our vast continent and beyond into global markets.
The need for an organisation as A2A, particularly in this time, is vital for the local church and marketplace believers crossing borders on the African continent.
Our desire is to grow the organisation and to be a blessing to our clients, our partners, and the church, but most importantly, A2A feels privileged to be part of what God is doing through His people on the African continent as they move into the nations.
