A few years ago, at our home in Prague, I was having a chat with a lovely new age lass. She was describing how she went to the hospital to “heal” someone and how she slowly erected this contraption beside his bed that would hopefully assist the healing process.
I said to her. “You see that guy in the next room? He is also a healer. But he just tells the sickness to go away. And it does. Immediately!”
I was talking about Chris Daza. If you get a chance, and you live in the San Francisco area, Chris is hosting some teaching sessions this week at the YWAM building. Chris is originally from Malawi and now lives in Switzerland. I first heard of him 8 years ago through Wolfgang Simson who told me about his “African Power” nights in Switzerland which always ended up with some really miraculous results and people pointed to the source of that power – who is Jesus. Since then, our families have become close friends.
Don’t be expecting a stage show. Don’t project what you have experienced with American sensationalism. Go and hear what Chris has to say about the place of the supernatural in evangelism and I know it will surprise you, especially if you have never heard if from an African.
Do 100% of people get healed and if not, what is the explanation for those who don’t?
I’m asking because I feel sad for people who go to healers and then if they aren’t healed they’re told it’s because they didn’t have enough faith. Adding guilt to illness.
I can’t imagine a friend of yours saying something that cruel though. So I’m wondering what he says, or has he not had any experiences where people aren’t healed?
hi helen. chris’s ministry is so different than this that i really cant reply to that.
people dont come to get healed at these African Power nights that i have heard stories of happening in Europe with Chris. the people that come are not Christians – new agers, witches, and others are invited to come and hear about true power. there is often words and people do get healed during the talk and Chris always points to Jesus as the source of this power.
Once there was a 2 year old girl who was critically sick from birth who kept crying through the whole event. Chris called up her healed her, and handed her back to her mother.
but not in a showy hollywood style.
when he is finished, he simply tells everybody to come back the next night and bring their whole coven or healing group or whatever with them and discuss further this power of God that is demonstrated with Jesus and what it means to follow him.
i am not sure if chris is doing this in USA or not this week but i can tell you that when he did this in Switzerland in a town where there had only been a handful of people decide to follow Jesus in the previous one hundred years, about a hundred people decided to follow Jesus in one week.
who knew????
I have had many professors in my time at school tell me that we should visit Africa just to see the type of faith they have their.
One particular professor told me of visiting an African tribe that already had been Christianized and how one man works a full time job and pastors communities all around him and walks miles between each place. It is just so different.
It was also interesting to hear about his coversation with the man. He asked whether or not they believed in one God before they became Christians. And the African answered, “Yes. We have only ever worshipped one God, the God almighty” as he pointed to the sun. Before they were Christians, they had seen God as the sun, and there still some semblances of that left after they had been Christianized. I liked that. It made me think that tribal peoples can still keep their beliefs and learn about Christianity. It doesn’t have to be either/or.
I can’t find much on this guy. Is there anything written about him or a video or anything? Are any of his books available in English? Perhaps there is a more detailed report somewhere? I am really interested.
Thanks for your response Andrew. I see what you’re saying.
sorry david – Chris is a little off the radar, as are many of my best friends
he doesnt do the Christian circuits so you want find him on GodTV . . . and thats another good reason to like him.
He has created some discipleship material with Wolfgang Simpson called Luke 10 but no books that i know of. Maybe something in German.
I know Chris from his early days in Malawi. I also happened to work with him in Europe for a couple of years. I actually took part in some of African Power Nights. (Andrew, if you may remember me, we met at Romanshorn in Switzerland when you came down with Alan Hirsch, and I had come from Martin Robinson in Birmingham, UK).
Chris’ approach to ministry, both healing and prophecy, is unique. His is not the typical showy Pentecostal minister. I could not classify him as Pentecostal, but he does not fit the normative American models of evangelicals, etc. He is a true representative of the African Christian’s faith meeting a self-abandoning belief in a God at work in the world today. His preaching is sound, and the deep faith that God is with him to confirm his word through (healing) miracles and prophecy, are characteristic of what he does.
In this way, I think he has a lot to offer to the Western context where “experiential” Christianity is shunned. Go expecting God to be present and active in the services.
Andrew,
I live near the city, I am trying to find out more details about this meeting. Is there any other information out there. Even YWAM has few details about it.
keith
Thanks Harvey. Yes – Chris is very well respected, especially in Africa. He was the Missions Pastor for a well known church of 80,000 in Malawi and he was a fantastic gift to Europe when they sent him. I dont know if he has ever been to USA or not.
heres the details i was given for the meeting. looks like it starts today:
Dear Friends,
My friends and I are sponsoring a conference in the use of supernatural power in evangelism and church planting. This will be held at the San Francisco YWAM Center. Come for part or all…
PLACE:
Youth With A Mission (YWAM) – San Francisco, CA
357 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
http://www.ywamsanfrancisco.org/index.php
DATES & TIMES, October 21 – 26:
Tue – 9a to 3p
Wed – 9a to 3p
Thu – 9a to 3p
Fri – 9a to 3p, 7 to 11p
Sat – 9a to 7p
Sun – 9a to 7p
Thanks Andrew.
Chris has ministered in the US several times before. But as you said, he goes under he radar, which is one this I admire oh him as well. May be the different thing this time is the emphasis on the supernatural. He has usually traveled around as a teacher and prophet.
And for those looking for his stuff, both Chris and Chipi, his wife, have published several books in German. I am not aware of any translations yet.
You can find some stuff at his website, http://www.eldabar.com/Default.aspx.
wow wish he’d come to Austin… you know this door would be wide open for landing space……
any thoughts on it ….. let me know…
i’m sure the church around the corner here that just hosted Graham Cooke would love it.
Mahesh Chavda is coming next month … he’s an authentic one as well… so tender, so real, and no hype…… just love and miracles.
xo k8
Thanks for posting about him, Andrew.
God got me off of work early (thanks to the American slow economy) and I gate crashed.
The time together with several others (met a few more of your other fans) was a blessing, not just to me, but also to enact God’s blessing in San Francisco.
Cheers!
fantastic! glad you made it.