Daystar Launches Global Church Systems Conference, Expects Over 1,000 Church Leaders in Lagos

Daystar Christian Centre has announced the inaugural Global Church Systems Conference (GCSC), a two-day international summit expected to attract more than 1,000 pastors, church leaders and ministry administrators from across Africa and beyond to Lagos on July 16 and 17, 2026.

In a statement signed by J. Ayo Makinde, Head of Communication, Daystar Christian Centre, the church said the conference is designed to address what it described as one of the most overlooked challenges confronting churches globally, the absence of sustainable organisational systems needed to support long-term growth.

The conference, themed “Building Sustainable, Scalable, Spirit-Led Church Systems,” will be held at Daystar Christian Centre and is expected to bring together senior pastors, general overseers, executive church leaders and ministry operations executives for two days of practical learning and collaboration.

According to the statement, the conference is built on the conviction that churches are more likely to struggle because of weak organisational structures than a lack of vision, and seeks to equip ministry leaders with practical governance, leadership and operational frameworks capable of sustaining growth.

The organisers said the summit draws on more than three decades of organisational systems developed at Daystar Christian Centre and introduces participants to the S.H.E.P.H.E.R.D. Model, an eight-part framework covering governance, leadership development, people management, finance, technology, succession planning and other key aspects of church administration.

Founder and Senior Pastor of Daystar Christian Centre, Pastor Sam Adeyemi, who is also the convener of the conference, said many ministries experience difficulties because they remain overly dependent on the personalities of their founders instead of building enduring systems.

“Growth is a blessing, but unmanaged growth becomes a burden. Too many ministries are still personality-dependent. When the leader is gone, the structure goes with him or her. This conference exists to change that.

“We’re not here to inspire people for two days and send them home. We’re here to help them build something that outlasts them,” Adeyemi said.

Co-Founder of Daystar Christian Centre and a member of the conference faculty, Pastor Nike Adeyemi, said the programme would demonstrate how effective systems can strengthen pastoral care rather than replace it.

“Systems without people are cold, and people without systems are chaos.

“What we’ve learned over thirty years is that the strongest churches are the ones where structure actually protects people. It gives them room to belong, to grow and to be cared for, even as the church gets bigger,” she said.

Unlike many church conferences that focus primarily on inspirational messages, the organisers said GCSC has been designed as a practical working session where participants will actively examine the operational realities of their ministries.

Each session will follow a Teach–Reflect–Discuss–Share format, allowing participants to work in small groups to identify organisational gaps and develop practical solutions for implementation.

The statement noted that every participant will leave the conference with a personalised 90-day implementation plan tailored to the needs of his or her ministry.

Explaining the rationale behind the format, Adeyemi said the organisers deliberately sought to ensure that participants leave with actionable strategies rather than temporary motivation.

“We didn’t want another conference that people forget by the time their flight lands. You leave with a plan, not just a feeling,” he said.

According to the organisers, the first day of the conference will focus on vision, governance and leadership systems, while the second day will feature sessions on finance, staffing, technology, ministry operations and action-planning workshops.

The conference is targeted at senior pastors, general overseers, executive church leaders and ministry operations heads seeking to strengthen the institutional capacity of their ministries and build organisations capable of sustaining long-term growth.

Registration for the conference has commenced, with organisers stating that attendance will be on a first-paid basis due to limited seating.

Scholarship opportunities have also been made available for student pastors to encourage the participation of emerging church leaders.

The statement expressed optimism that the Global Church Systems Conference would provide a platform for churches to adopt practical organisational systems that promote sustainable growth, effective leadership succession and stronger institutional resilience while remaining faithful to their spiritual mission.