From the very beginning of his ministry, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills has carried one of the most Christ-like burdens a man can carry—the burden for souls. It is not a burden of depression or despair. It is a beautiful burden. One that brings tears and urgency. One that keeps him awake in prayer, drives him across nations, and keeps his hands to the plough, year after year.
This burden is not something he puts on like a jacket. It is part of who he is. It lives in him. It flows through his preaching, his teaching, his books, his crusades, and the churches he has planted. Everything he does is rooted in this: that no soul should perish without hearing about Jesus.
He teaches that soul-winning is not a department—it is the heart of the Church. It is the reason Jesus came. It is the reason the Holy Spirit was given. And it must be the reason the Church continues to exist.
Preaching With Eternity in Mind
Every message Bishop Dag preaches has a sense of urgency. Not because he is dramatic, but because he is eternal in his perspective. He knows that time is short and eternity is real. Heaven is real, and so is hell. And what happens to a soul after death is the most important issue on earth.
This belief shapes his preaching. He does not waste words. He does not preach to entertain or to impress. He preaches to save. To warn. To plead. To call men and women to repentance. Whether he is speaking in a cathedral or on a dusty crusade ground, the cry is the same: “Come to Jesus.”
He reminds the Church that we are not just dealing with members—we are dealing with souls. Souls that will live forever. And how we minister to them today will impact where they spend eternity.
Laboring for Souls Without Ceasing
Bishop Dag has been laboring for souls for decades, but the fire has never dimmed. He still travels, still preaches, still calls sinners to the altar, and still plants churches in places where there are none. He sees souls everywhere. In the market, on the street, in the village, in the city, in the crowd.
He does not wait for people to come—he goes. He sends teams. He equips missionaries. He trains evangelists. And he challenges every Christian to become a soul winner, because the work is too big for a few. He believes every believer is called to bear fruit, and that fruit must remain.
This labor is not always easy. It involves tears, rejection, expense, and exhaustion. But he calls it a beautiful burden, because it reflects the heart of Jesus. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. And those who carry His Spirit will do the same.
A Ministry Measured by Souls
At the end of the day, Bishop Dag does not measure his ministry by buildings, budgets, or recognition. He measures it by souls. How many heard the gospel? How many were saved? How many are still following Jesus today?
This is what drives him. This is what he wakes up thinking about. And this is what he will continue doing until his very last breath.
Through his life and leadership, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills is reminding the Church that souls still matter. That eternity is still real. And that the most beautiful burden a minister can carry is the burden for the lost.