Wilkinson Abandons His Plans for Africa - Leaves Africa in a Huff

Dec 21, 2005: According to a Wall Street Journal article written by WSJ reporter Michael Phillips on December 19th, 2005, Bruce Wilkinson "resigned in a huff from the African charity he founded." Wilkinson, author of Prayer of Jabez, moved to Africa with his family in 2002 with the hopes of rescuing one million orphans.

The article states: "Mr. Wilkinson won church loads of followers in Swaziland but left them bereft and confused ... his departure left critics convinced he was just another in a long parade of outsiders who have come to Africa making big promises and quit the continent when local people didn’t bend to their will."

BACKGROUND:
In October of 2003, Bruce Wilkinson spoke at Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral and said, "I want to talk about dreams. Of all places in the world to talk about dreams this is the place ... because I think Dr. Schuller is the patriarch, in the work about living your dream." Wilkinson's book, The Dream Giver, had come out just one month earlier and he gave his message at the Crystal Cathedral based on the book. One week later, Wilkinson spoke at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church and shared a similar message.

Bruce Wilkinson's message about "God's Dream" led to the formation of Dream for Africa, an organization founded by Wilkinson. Wilkinson had planned to build a large orphanage in Swaziland, Africa, one which according to the Wall Street Journal article would have a bed-and-breakfast, game reserve, bible college, industrial park and Disneyesque tourist destination." Wilkinson who has taught that believers can receive blessings from God by reciting Jabez's 33 word prayer had felt confident that his dream for Africa would become a reality.

Rick Warren, who considers Wilkinson a very close friend, told his congregation in 2003 that Wilkinson’s dream should be their dream too. And in fact, Warren announced his Global P.E.A.C.E. Plan the following week at Saddleback, when he told his congregation: "You've heard me say many times that the greatest thing you can do with your life is tell somebody about Jesus ... if you help somebody secure their eternal destiny, that they spend the rest of their life in Heaven not Hell ... And I've always said that that was the greatest thing you can do with your life. I was wrong. There is one thing you can do greater than share Jesus Christ with somebody, and it is to help start a church."

COMMENTARY:
Part of Rick Warren's plans include turning Rwanda into the first "Purpose Driven" nation. In light of what has just happened in Africa regarding Bruce Wilkinson, the question must be asked, "Is Rick Warren's Peace plan for Africa really the best thing for the African people and nations? Or will it too be another man-made idea with man-made methods?