AFTER RUNNING VIRTUAL and reaching audiences only via digital platforms for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Overflow Africa Worship conference is returning to the physical stage this year.
The annual conference which was established by Heavenly Melodies Africa, a group made up of worship leaders and pastors from various churches throughout Africa, will run from October 28 to October 30 under the theme The Heart of Worship at Christian life assembly (CLA) in Nyarutarama, Kigali.
This year, the conference will connect local and global audiences through a hybrid of live performances, morning workshops, contemporary dance performances and other artistic showcases.
Speaking to The New Times, Fabrice Nzeyimana, founder of Heavenly Melodies and organiser of the conference, said that the main goal of this annual event is to create a platform that promotes worship on the African continent.
He said, in every church, worship music takes up almost 50 per cent of the service time and those who visit churches, saved or not, meet the worship team before the pastor minister which is why worship should be uplifted everywhere.
"The worship team feeds the audience songs with good or bad theology, and these songs will remain in their minds. The theology we preach and the one we sing might even be different without realising because the music creates emotions that create a bond between you and the song. Have you found yourself defending a song just because it sounds nice and yet the words are off, that’s the power of music and with this conference, we want to promote worship that changes lives” Nzeyimana said.
Nzeyimana further indicated that Overflow Africa’s mission is to create relationships and bonds among solo artistes and worshipers that matter as well as strive for excellence in the worship ministry for the benefit of the larger body of Christ and the local church.
"Overflow is also an opportunity to network as Christian artists. We get to know each other and connect. So many projects were born from this conference. Overflow is a platform that promotes worship in Africa!” he added.
Artistes to perform at this year’s Overflow include Gaby Kamanzi, Papi Clever and Dorcas, Maya and Fabrice as hosts together with Heavenly Melodies Rwanda.
The line-up also features international acts such as Pompi and his wife Esther from Zambia, Rebekah Dawn from Kenya, Mussie Fisseha from Ethiopia who is coming with his senior pastor Zerubbabel Mengistu, a prominent leader of the Beza international church in Addis who is also the co-founder of the Africa arise movement, and Apostle Apollinaire Habonimana from Burundi.
The conference will be held in two sections, morning workshops that will be attended by worship team members, artists and pastors, and evening worship events that are open to everyone at no cost.
This annual conference was established by Fabrice Nzeyimana and his wife Maya Nzeyimana who are also the brains behind Heavenly Melodies Africa, a group made up of worship leaders and pastors from various churches throughout Africa. The idea behind the Overflow Africa Worship conference is to provide a time and place for worshipers to convene from every walk of life and style and sharpen one another’s gifts.