Dear Friends and Supporters
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP TRAINING INSTITUTE
MOVING FORWARD IN GHANA
Institute board members, Wayne Meece (USA), Solomon Gargar (Liberia), Godfred Mintah (Ghana), Bob Sheffler (USA), Roujee Morris (Ivory Coast). Sunday Ude of Nigeria was not able to attend because of problems with the airlines. He joined us in major decisions via telephone.
The leadership training classes have gone well in Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Liberia. However, the past year has been difficult for the work of the Institute in Ghana. In September 2015 the board of directors of the Institute had to ask its Administrative Director to step down because of disagreements over church government as well as concerns about the misuse of Institute funds. Godfred Mintah, the Supervisor for leadership training (TEE) in Ghana had to take over the director’s responsibilities and try to keep the TEE classes going. The board had a special meeting in January 2016 to deal with legal issues and solve ongoing problems. The 2016 annual board meeting last month developed a positive plan for moving forward.
A new Supervisor for leadership training (TEE) will be appointed for Ghana. He will be stationed in the city of Tamale in northern Ghana where we have the greatest need and the greatest opportunities for leadership development. Other independent Christian Church missions working in Ghana are helping the Institute find a qualified Supervisor because they see the program as a valuable help to their church planters in developing leaders to start more churches.
Start up funds are needed for the new Supervisor who will live in Tamale. The Institute needs to rent a house for his family. Rent is paid a full year in advance. He will need a dependable new or used 4X4 crewcab pickup to travel the rough roads. The Institute also needs to buy a lot on which to construct a house and office for the Supervisor. Tamale is the fastest growing city in Ghana and land prices are increasing fast. A lot costs $3,000, but will be much more if we wait until we have funds for construction. The start up costs for the first year of a new Supervisor in Tamale will be between $30,000 and $50,000 depending on whether we purchase a new or a used pickup. We would prefer to purchase a new pickup.
Board members taking a break during their two day meeting in September.
Wayne Meece took the photo.
The Institute will hire an office assistant for Godfred Mintah. The man must have a good Christian witness and good secretarial skills to assist Godfred in the administrative work so Godfred can devote his attention to encouraging the TEE work in the other countries.
We are thankful that the loan which Ivory Coast Christian Mission took out the first of this year has been paid off due to special donations and the wise use of funds by Godfred Mintah our new Administrative Director. This allows us to focus our financial resources on putting a Supervisor for leadership development classes (TEE) in northern Ghana.
NIGERIA
Annual Men’s Seminar – “Commitment”
Sessions for the seminar included both spiritual and economic lessons. Spiritual lessons covered commitment to discipleship, Biblical facts and the church. Economic lessons covered poultry and fish farming, cooperative farming, budgeting and legal issues. They toured the fish farm of one Elder who lost his teaching job. He sought guidance from God who led him to fish farming to survive. He started with one fish pond and now has a large scale operation.
Correction: In a previous update I stated that Roujee Morris, our supervisor for TEE in Ivory Coast, was suffering from back problems. It is his wife Juliet who has the problem, not Roujee.
PRAISE AND PRAYER REQUESTS:
1. Thank God for the successful Men’s Seminar in Nigeria.
2. Thank God that the loan taken by Ivory Coast Christian Mission the first of this year is now paid off.
3. Thank God for the successful leadership development classes (TEE) in Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Liberia.
4. Thank God for the successful board meeting of the Christian Leadership Training Institute and the way forward.
5. Ask God to provide the funds for establishing a Supervisor of leadership development classes (TEE) in Tamale in northern Ghana.
6. Ask God to enable the Institute to have the best qualified Supervisor for the leadership development classes (TEE) in Ghana.
7. Ask God to enable the best leaders to be chosen during the elections in the U.S.A and in Ghana.
web sites: grassrootsld.org and cltigh.org
