Dear Friends and Supporters
NIGERIA
Cars burning in the Ugep area
I just received sad news from Sunday Obeten that there are violent conflicts in the area of Cross River State where we have most of our churches – Ugep, Mkpani, Nko, Eyima and Oyodama. Innocent Christians are suffering because of the conflicts. Churches are closed. Food is scarce. One member has been killed. People are hiding in their houses when they need to be planting their farms. The preachers and some of the members have managed to flee from the area with their families, but because of limited financial resources, they are also suffering. Sunday is requesting prayers, spiritual guidance and financial help for the innocent victims of this conflict.
A four-day preacher’s wives retreat was held in Calabar on April 14-17 for training and encouragement. Four hundred people attended a two-week skill acquisition training program. Training was given in skills to alleviate poverty. This was an outreach program that also used the occasion to preach the gospel to those who attended. Sunday Obeten asks for prayers for the preacher’s wives, for Nigeria and for funds to buy sewing machines for preacher’s wives.
GHANA
Beatrice Ofori and Victoria Surugu held four Women Enrichment Seminars in May at Koforidua, Porpornya, Akim-Manso and Bortianor. The seminar at Koforidua was part of their Mothers’ Day celebration so both men and women attended. A topic that was welcomed and well discussed was How to Avoid Teenage Pregnancy. Plans were made on how to bring the topic before the community for action. All seminars were well attended.
Beatrice and Victoria are scheduled to hold seventeen (17) Women Enrichment Seminars from June 3 through July 12 in the northern part of Ghana. This will be a grueling six weeks as they travel from location to location before returning home. I am sure they will appreciate your prayers for this valuable and important work of the Christian Leadership Training Institute.
SAD NEWS ABOUT RCC GHANA
It is with sadness that I bring you this report on the efforts of three missions to work with the Executive Committee of the Restoration Christian Church (RCC) in Ghana to amend their new constitution and by-laws in a way that would protect the autonomy of the churches. Formally, this organization was a fellowship of Christian Churches in Ghana. However, in July 2014 they promulgated a new constitution and by-laws which took away the autonomy of local congregations.
Representatives of three missions met with three representatives of the Executive Committee of the organization in January and came up with amendments that we understood would satisfy both them and us. However, in a special National Council meeting held on April 29, the National Council rejected our proposals. Here are some quotes from their letter to the three missions that have been partnering with them.
(1)”The constitution can only be amended after the end of eight years of its promulgation.”
(2) “Concerning the amendment of the National Council to be recognized as an organization instead of a church, the national council unanimously agreed that a church is also an organization or a society. The council is therefore comfortable to be referred to and known as church.”
(3) “On article 10 which talks about Property, the national council unanimously agreed that the properties of the local churches should be the common property of the RCC.”
Although the word unanimous is used in this letter, we know that some leaders who attended this meeting do not agree with these decisions. The three missions, which includes Ivory Coast Christian Mission, are now consulting on how to respond to this disappointing response to our efforts.
PRAISE AND PRAYER REQUESTS:
1. Thank God for the successful preachers’ wives retreat in Nigeria .
2. Thank God for the successful Women Enrichment Seminars in Ghana.
3. Pray that the violent conflicts in the Cross River State of Nigeria will stop.
4. Pray for Sunday and his team as they try to bring relief to innocent Christians who are suffering because of the conflict.
5. Pray for Beatrice Ofori and Victoria Surugu as they travel in northern Ghana from June 2 until July 12 to hold seventeen Women Enrichment Seminars.
6. Pray for the Christian Churches in Ghana as they go through a possible split due to this new constitution and by-laws of the RCC organization.
7. Pray for funds for Ivory Coast Christian Mission to pay off their loan. We thank God that it has been reduced from $17,000 to $12,000 this past month due to the generous donations of supporters.
web sites: grassrootsld.org and cltigh.org
