Bishop John Fonzer began his international ministry in 2002 after he received an invitation from Rev. William Yeboah of Lome Togo, West Africa. He intended to turn the request down, but as God would have it, fresh from a time of personal consecration, he accepted.
Just before going, Bishop Fonzer received an incredibly accurate word from a Scottish prophet he had never met. It was about the trip and the subsequent years in African ministry. The prophecy was so accurate that his knees weakened.
The initial trip to Togo was nothing short of amazing. In 3 nights, Bishop Fonzer (then Elder Fonzer) preached to an estimated 5000 people. Daily, there was pastoral instruction, a pastor’s dinner, and numerous services in local churches.
In just a couple of years, the Elijah Institute of Ministry was born. Professor Samuel Kpauvouvou was the first director. It branched out after many changes and a relocation to Ghana, eventually establishing several satellite locations in Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo, and offering correspondence courses. To date, EIM has graduated and ordained hundreds of ministers. Bishop Christian Tay now oversees the African ministries, and he established the Soul Purpose Ministerial Fellowship.
Soul Purpose Ministries International serves as the umbrella organization for the ministerial fellowship, the Elijah Institute of Ministries (our accredited Bible college), and the Liberty Mission School for children. Directly and indirectly, nearly 50 churches are under SPMI, directly and indirectly. Our graduates operate in the fivefold ministry gifts. Some of them oversee ministries. As well, they are successful businesspeople. Others are acquiring professional skills to serve the Lord in the marketplace.