On October 29-30, 2025, hundreds of pastors, missionaries, and ministry leaders from across Africa and around the world gathered at Hope Church in Lavington, Nairobi, for the 2025 S4 and S4+ Conferences hosted by Global Surge. This was the fourth S4 Conference overall. The first two were held in Manila, Philippines, along with the first S4 Africa in Nairobi in 2019.
Delegates represented many countries, including Kenya, Uganda, the Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, and the United States. The S4 Conference was designed for pastors and ministry leaders at every level, while S4+ was a special gathering for 100 top-level leaders from across East Africa, focusing on vision, strategy, and regional collaboration.
A Movement Framed by Four Words
The heartbeat of S4 is expressed through four simple yet powerful words: Speak, Sustain, Scale, and Scope. Throughout the sessions, speakers emphasized that leadership is not about status or spotlight but about using one’s voice to speak truth boldly, sustaining influence through faithfulness, scaling ministry through multiplication, and expanding one’s scope to reach beyond familiar borders.
From the opening moments, participants were challenged to think globally, serve faithfully, and lead courageously. Teaching sessions and TED-style talks addressed topics such as finding your divine ideal, sustaining ministry through serving and mentoring, breaking growth barriers, developing consistency, and leading for lasting impact. The sessions were both practical and deeply spiritual, connecting strategic leadership with the transforming power of the gospel.
“The gospel always moves fastest when God’s people think bigger than themselves. S4 was never designed to be just a conference. It was created to be a catalyst. If we can help leaders speak God’s truth clearly, sustain their calling faithfully, scale their ministry intentionally, and expand their scope courageously, then we will see a wave of gospel impact that stretches far beyond any one nation. That is why we’re here, and that is why S4 exists,” said S4 and Global Surge founder Greg Lyons.
Voices from Around the World
The conference featured a lineup of powerful communicators who brought both inspiration and challenge. Keynote messages came from Greg Lyons, founder of Global Surge; David Janney, founder of World Hope; Marcel Sanchez, executive pastor of Global Church in Miami; Marc Buxton, senior vice president and provost of Global Life University; and James Macadangdang, executive pastor of Global Surge Worship Center in Pasig, Philippines. TED-style talks followed, featuring Luke Lyons, international COO of Global Surge; Vincent Vicencio, founder of Toughguys Ministry; Gibson Anduvate, pastor of International Christian Church in Nairobi; Doug Dameron, founding pastor of Orchard Church in Denver; Esther Obasi-Ike, founder and president of Queen Esther’s Generation; and Pep-C Macadangdang, international camp training leader with Global Surge.
Special guests at the event included Randy Harp, director of the BBFI Central Office; Flavia Murugi, YouVersion Hub Partnership Manager for Kenya; and Eloi Dogue, vice president of Our Daily Bread Africa. The Hope Church Worship Team led with passion and excellence, creating an atmosphere of unified praise that many described as a glimpse of heaven, a preview of every tribe and nation worshiping together in glory.
A Vision That Stretches Beyond Borders
Throughout the conference, one vision was repeated often: the call to reach the nations. Specifically, Global Surge founder Greg Lyons shared what he calls the Indian Ocean Initiative with a goal of planting churches in every major city along the shores of the Indian Ocean. Lyons shared that vision with humility and urgency, emphasizing that it is “too big an initiative that could only happen through God.” Dan Brower, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Mesquite, TX, reflected, “To see what God is doing in so many parts of the world was clear evidence that the gates of hell will not stand against God’s plan to bless the world through Jesus Christ.”
Hope Church itself stands as a testimony to that same faith. Built on what was once a dumpsite in one of Nairobi’s largest slum areas, the church now shines as a living picture of redemption and transformation. “It’s proof that God truly can bring beauty from ashes,” Brower said.
Evangelistic Youth Camp Brings a Surge of the Gospel
Following the conference, Global Surge partnered with Hope Church and Vapor Ministries to host an evangelistic youth camp on Saturday, November 1, at the Vapor Ministries Center in Kawangware. More than one thousand young people gathered for a day of worship and soccer.
Heavy rains early in the morning flooded the fields, threatening to cancel the outdoor tournament that was meant to draw students from the community. Yet within forty-five minutes, the leadership team pivoted and reorganized the entire program indoors. “The rains nearly stopped the program, but nothing can stop the Gospel,” one volunteer said. By the end of the day, 588 young people had made salvation decisions.
Volunteers from Kenya, the Philippines, Cambodia, the United States, and Tanzania helped out. The energy and joy were contagious as Kubamba Krew, a Kenyan evangelistic music team that has partnered with Global Surge since 2012, led the crowd in worship. When the rain finally stopped, the soccer fields reopened, and the soccer tournament resumed.
Hope Church leaders called it the largest evangelistic event they have seen in at least five years. “The culmination of all the working elements within this team of missionaries and volunteers, and God’s hand of blessing, allowed us to see a surge of the gospel hit Kenya,” Corey Lyons shared. “To God be all the glory.”
Stories of Transformation
For many, the S4 experience was more than just a conference. Marcel Sanchez, executive pastor of Global Church in Miami, FL, reflected, “The focus on vision and shepherding our people in love was refreshing to hear and experience. As leaders, we’re reminded that we can’t control everything, but we can control how we respond, communicate God’s vision, and lead with love.”
Rich Richards, executive assistant to the president of Louisiana Baptist University, described the gathering as “a truly inspiring and transformative experience. Every session was upheld with excellence and passion.” He said one question in particular stayed with him long after the conference ended, “Do you have vision, or are you just looking around?”
Jill Richards, attending as a volunteer representative of LBU, spoke of the profound spiritual impact she witnessed. “I was amazed to see more than seventy individuals surrender their lives to go as missionaries to the nations of the Indian Ocean,” she said. “It was powerful to see God at work. The kindness and gratitude I experienced in Nairobi will stay with me for a long time.”
A Day to Reflect
Between the conference and the youth event, many participants took a day to rest and reflect on Friday by going on a safari at Nairobi National Park. It was a refreshing pause after days of teaching and worship. It was a reminder of God’s majesty in creation and a fitting close to a week of ministry.
“Every time we gather for S4, I’m reminded that God chooses ordinary people to carry an extraordinary message. None of us can reach the world alone, but together, surrendered to Christ, we become a force the enemy cannot stop. What we’re seeing in Kenya is only the beginning,” Greg Lyons said.
Continuing the Impact
The next S4 Conference is already scheduled to take place in Manila, Philippines, in 2026. As this movement grows, the influence of the Nairobi gathering continues to ripple outward through the lives and ministries of those who attended.
In the coming days, Randy Harp will be posting several insights inspired by messages and conversations from the conference. Each reflection will connect biblical truth with practical leadership, drawing lessons from the four S4 principles. Some of the articles to look for are:
- The Power of Four: Speak, Sustain, Scale, and Scope
- Three Essentials for Growth
- From Buckets to Pipes
- Building a Ministry that Lasts
- When Frustration Meets Passion
