25,000 Books for 25,000 Pastors and Leaders at Historic Event in Togo

The vision was simple: 

25,000 copies of Everyone’s a Theologian by R.C. Sproul, ready for pastors and church leaders gathering for a historic event in Togo’s national stadium.

But getting there was anything but simple.

A Stadium Full of Vision

The books were headed to ACHIEVE Togo 2026, a two-day gathering in Togo’s national soccer stadium that would bring together 25,000 pastors, evangelists, church planters, and ministry leaders. The event was organized by The Timothy Initiative and Coalition of the Willing, alongside local churches across Togo.

The gathering marked a shared commitment among Togolese church leaders to see a healthy, multiplying church established in every village across the country by the end of 2027. 

It was a goal no single church or ministry could reach alone, which is why the event drew leaders and partners from across denominations and organizations, all working toward the same vision.

Global Christian Book Fund (GCBF)’s role was to make sure that vision came paired with theological depth. Planting churches is one part of the task. Equipping the pastors who will lead them with sound theological resources is another.

Printed in Nigeria, Bound for West Africa

Rather than print the books overseas and ship them, GCBF partnered with a local printer in Nigeria. It meant supporting African publishing capacity instead of routing everything through outside suppliers—and it meant the books could move by land into West Africa.

None of it would have been possible without the team at Ligonier Ministries, who allowed the books to be printed without royalties. Partnerships like this allow GCBF to keep costs low and put donor funds directly toward reaching more leaders.

By Bus to Benin, and a Race to the Morning

From the printer, the books traveled by bus into Benin, then on toward Togo. Moving 25,000 books across borders by road is not fast or predictable, and the timeline stayed tight until the very end. The final shipment arrived the morning of the event, just hours before the stadium doors opened.

A team of 400 volunteers moved quickly to place all 25,000 books on stadium seats, finishing just ahead of the leaders who had traveled to receive them.

Every Region, One Room

What made the moment remarkable wasn’t only the number of books. It was who received them.

Pastors and church leaders had come from every region of Togo and Benin, along with leaders from Burkina Faso and other neighbouring countries. Many had traveled long distances on buses to be there. For a number of them, this was the first theological resource they had ever owned.

These are leaders GCBF could not have reached on its own. Through this partnership, we did.

Reading Before They Left Their Seats

The most telling detail wasn’t the participation or the logistics. It was watching people open the books where they sat. Before the sessions had even started, leaders were already reading, some working through the first pages right there in the stadium.

For pastors with little formal theological training, a resource like this is not incidental. It is often the difference between teaching from memory and teaching with depth.

As Daniel Henderson, GCBF’s Global Expansion Manager, shared, “Sound doctrine matters just as much as vision. We want them to have both.”

A Reach Beyond What One Organization Could Do Alone

Twenty-five thousand books, printed in Nigeria, carried by bus across borders, arriving with hours to spare, placed in the hands of leaders from four countries….

It is a picture of what becomes possible when partners work together toward a shared goal. Global Christian Book Fund is grateful to have played a part in it, and grateful to The Timothy Initiative and Coalition of the Willing for allowing us to participate in this historic event.