The room was stifling – the air conditioning wasn’t working and it was about to rain. Perspiration seemed to be dripping from my elbows, my shirt was soaked, and it was difficult to pay attention. And it was only 10:00 am! Looking around at the other 30 participants in this session, I could see that I was not the only one struggling. So, we opened the windows, and as the wind whipped the curtains and the raindrops spattered, we pressed on in our discussion of small business principles. With the rain came a measure of cooling, and the break time brought coffee and a meat pie (heavy pie dough with “mystery meat” inside), and we were able to refocus.
It’s the beginning of the rainy season in Ghana – a time when you’re thankful for AC as much for the humidity as for the heat. I arrived here last Sunday night after a long trip from Israel. It was good to see Sam Oppong waiting for me outside the airport and, 23 hours after I left Jerusalem, it was good to see a bed too! The conference was held in Accra, so we drove 15 minutes to the hotel and I was able to crash. Thank the Lord for a safe trip and thank you for your prayers.
This week I was a student instead of the teacher - attending the very first Christian Economic Development Institute (CEDI) to be held in West Africa. The conference ran from Monday morning through Saturday morning and we were busy all day, every day. CEDI is the brainchild of the Chalmers Institute for Economic Development, based in the Chattanooga area, and provides training for Christians who want to minister to the needs of the poor. Those who attended this CEDI learned about Microfinancing and Microenterprise Development as ways to assist churches to extend the Kingdom of Christ by ministering to the poor in their communities. Of the 120 participants, there were representatives from 14 nations – most from West Africa, but also from Uganda, Malawi and Rwanda in East Africa. Add the teachers (“facilitators” as they are called here) from the U.S. and Kenya and the representatives of the five cooperating/sponsoring agencies and it was quite an international gathering. All the meetings were in English (difficult for our brethren from Ivory Coast and Senegal), but the accents varied as widely as our countries of origin. What a fascinating experience!
By God’s grace, and at the request of our national leaders here, EPI helped make the initial contacts that lead to this conference. And seeing the results that came from it, I’m very thankful we did. This CEDI not only provided practical training in how to minister to the poor, but also grounded that training on a Biblical understanding of the root causes of poverty. So, rather than just throwing money at the problem, believers will know how to create self-sustaining economic development while sharing the gospel and bringing about reconciliation. We western Christians often have a tendency to think our responsibility to our brethren in the developing world extends only to teaching them to understand the Bible. That view bypasses significant portions of Scripture that require us to minister to the whole person, just as Christ did. Churches in Africa and other poor areas of the world are often hindered by their overwhelming poverty from becoming self-sustaining and from carrying out the Great Commission. This conference provided the kind of training that our African leaders have been asking for. They see very clearly that the African church must minister holistically (i.e. to the whole person) if it is to have any deep and sustained impact on African culture. Theology without practical application does not change lives or transform cultures.
Thanks to all of you who prayed for this conference. The feedback on the CEDI was very positive. I believe that its effects will be profound and long-lasting. The leaders here are already planning for another one in Ghana next year, along with one for French speakers as soon as the curriculum can be translated. Because of your generosity, we also were able to provide scholarships so that three of our key Nigerian leaders could attend. They returned home intending to teach their own CEDI in Nigeria in the fall. God is working in Africa and this is all part of the process. Praise God for the privilege of being involved in this event!
This coming week, I will head to Sunyani to teach a conference to the leaders of the Agape Evangelical Church. They have asked me to give them some Biblical instruction on the gifts of the Spirit and how they are to be used in the church. I hope to do this in the context of finishing the instruction on Romans that the EPI team began in February. Please continue to pray for safety and for God’s wisdom as I teach.
Grace and peace,
Dan.
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