A Devotional Reflection from the Week of Spiritual Emphasis at the Northern Zambia Union Conference by Dr Pardon Mwansa, based on Nehemiah 3.
Our Theme: The Team, The Power of Numbers
Our topic this morning is simple, yet profound: the power of numbers.
Our devotional text comes from the book of Nehemiah 3. In chapter 2, Nehemiah meets opposition, yet he declares with confidence:
“The God of heaven will give us success.”
Before any rebuilding begins, Nehemiah surveys the broken walls of Jerusalem. He identifies what is missing—the Sheep Gate, the Fish Gate, the Jeshanah Gate, the Valley Gate, the Dung Gate, the Fountain Gate, and the Horse Gate. He understands something essential:
If you want to accomplish great things, you must first know what is broken and what is missing.
When he returns, he does not work alone. He assigns sections of responsibility. Some repair gates; others repair walls between the gates. Each person works on a portion. Each family takes responsibility.
And what happens?
In only fifty-two days, the wall is rebuilt.
This is the lesson: the greatest strength of God’s church is not found in a single leader—it is found in the collective commitment of God’s people.
Ministry Is Not the Work of a Few
It is not the president alone.
It is not the executive secretary alone.
It is not the department directors alone.
It is every member doing their part.
The success of God’s mission rests in the mobilisation of His people.
A Lesson from Jamaica — When Numbers Unite
Years ago, while attending a stewardship meeting in Jamaica, a conference treasurer shared something that permanently changed my thinking.
He told me there was a bank that would open for him at any hour—even midnight. I asked why. He explained that many retired ministers had small savings spread across different banks, earning modest interest. He gathered them together and proposed something bold:
“Combine your resources. Pool your funds.”
When they united their deposits, the total reached millions. The bank could no longer ignore them. Interest rates increased dramatically—because their collective strength created negotiating power.
That treasurer told me:
“If we withdraw our money, the bank suffers. That is the power of numbers.”
And I began to understand—what is true financially is also true spiritually. When God’s people unite, influence multiplies.
When Members Preach Without a Pulpit
In 2011, I conducted something extraordinary—a crusade without a preacher.
We had prepared everything, but three days before the meetings, permission was withdrawn due to political sensitivity. The gathering was cancelled.
Three hundred trained church members approached me and said:
“If you cannot preach, we will.”
They had already been distributing Bible lessons door to door. They met daily for prayer and then went out to teach. No central sermon. No public crusade. Just believers sharing truth personally.
One woman, trembling with fear, went to teach a single Bible student. When she arrived, eleven more people were waiting. She relied entirely on the Holy Spirit.
Questions were asked—answers came from Scripture. One passage after another provided clarity. At the end, decisions were made for Christ.
Many were baptized—not because one preacher spoke, but because many believers witnessed.
That is the power of numbers.
But There Is Also Power in One
Never forget this: while numbers are powerful, one person can also change everything.
I was not born in the faith. My journey began after an accident at school. As we mourned lost friends, a few students stood and sang. Their music touched my heart deeply.
One of them later gave me a copy of The Great Controversy. That single encounter led me to Bible study—and eventually to faith.
One voice.
One witness.
One moment.
God uses individuals to begin movements.
The Hidden Potential in the Church
I have seen ordinary church members accomplish extraordinary things. I have watched individuals coordinate national-level logistics with precision. I have seen lay members perform tasks that committees believed impossible.
What does this teach us?
Many of the greatest gifts in the church are sitting quietly in the pews—unknown, unused, unrecognised.
If leaders would identify, mobilise, and empower members, the work of God would advance beyond imagination.
Nehemiah’s Model Still Stands
Nehemiah rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls not because he worked alone, but because everyone worked together.
Each person repaired a section.
Each accepted responsibility.
Each contributed to the whole.
And God gave success.
A Call to the Church Today
How I wish ministers would identify the hidden capacities within their congregations.
How I wish leaders would recognise the untapped potential among believers.
If we truly mobilise God’s people—if we train, empower, and send them—there will not be enough time to baptise all who respond to the gospel.
The church’s greatest asset is not buildings, budgets, or programs.
It is the people of God.