Dear Friends and Supporters

IMPORTANT MEETINGS IN GHANA

In the last email update I told you I was participating in two important meetings in Ghana during my September visit. Here are reports on those two meetings. Unfortunately, the news is not good for either meeting. We need your prayers. 

RESTORATION CHRISTIAN CHURCH:

     I ask for your prayers as Ivory Coast Christian Mission and other independent Christian Church mission organizations working in Ghana struggle over the issue of church government with an organization now called the Restoration Christian Church in Ghana. This organization was once a fellowship of independent Christian Churches. The churches who are members of this organization were started through the influence of our missionaries over a period of more than 50 years. 

      The original purpose of this organization was to assist the churches in organizing conventions and evangelistic crusades. Last year, 2014, the organization changed its name from Fellowship of Christian Churches to the Restoration Christian Church. They also adopted a new constitution and by-laws that take away the congregational form of government. The constitution speaks of the organization as if it is the Church. The constitution describes their General Overseer as the spiritual head of the Church.

     Representatives of two other mission organizations and I met with the officers of the Restoration Christian Church on September 4 to discuss the problem to see if a solution can be found. Some of the officers of the organization say they do not want to take away the autonomy (freedom) of the local congregations, but their new constitution and by-laws clearly do so by the very wording of the documents. 

     A committee has been set up to see if the constitution and by-laws can be amended in a way that will insure that the local congregations can retain their autonomy (independence).Members of the committee include some of the officers of the organization plus Enoch Nyador of FAME Ghana and Ghana Christian Mission, Austin Ganyo of Training Tomorrows Leaders and myself representing Ivory Coast Christian Mission and the Christian Leadership Training Institute. Please pray that the organization will see the benefit of amending their documents in a way that will insure autonomy for the local congregations. 

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP TRAINING INSTITUTE:

     The second important meeting was the annual board meeting of the Christian Leadership Training Institute. The thing that made this meeting very important was a problem between the board of directors and the Administrative Director of the Institute. Last year, 2014, the board found three areas where the Administrative Director of the Institute made serious decisions in managing the Institute without consulting with the board. In at least two of these decisions the board would not have agreed if they had been consulted. The decisions were so serious that we put the Administrative Director on probation and asked him to rectify his decisions or resign. 

     During our board meeting this year, we found no reconciliation between the views of the Administrative Director and the board.The financial report that we requested did not convince us that good decisions had been made. A fourth issue that came out was the new constitution and by-laws of the Restoration Christian Church mentioned above. Stephen Ofori, our Administrative Director, is also the General Overseer of the Restoration Christian Church mentioned above. He saw no problem with the wording of the new documents of the organization. It became obvious to the board that we are incompatible on several issues and thus we requested his resignation as Administrative Director of the Institute.

     You need to know that the Christian Leadership Training Institute operates in four countries, Nigeria, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Ghana. Board members come from those four countries plus Ivory Coast Christian Mission. The chairman of the board is Sunday Ude Obeten from Nigeria. Only two of the board members are Americans, Wayne Meece and myself. The Administrative office of the Institute is located in Ghana and thus our Administrative Director has been a Ghanaian. Each country has a Supervisor who oversees the TEE program in his country. The Administrative Director is to oversee the work in all four nations. 

     The work of the Christian Leadership Training Institute is going well in the other three countries. The problem of autonomy for the local congregation is only occurring in Ghana. It is not just Ivory Coast Christian Mission that is concerned about this development. Other mission organizations supported by independent Christian Churches in America and operating in Ghana are very concerned about this development. Pray that the officers of the Restoration Christian Church and their member churches will see the value of following Restoration movement principles, especially the value of congregational autonomy. 

     ALSO pray that the board of Christian Leadership Training Institute can find a new Administrative Director who values Restoration Movement principles and has a heart for the TEE (Three-Step) method of training church leaders.

NIGERIA

youth camp 

     Eight hundred youth attended the annual youth camp held at the Calabar Christian Church on August 5-8. The theme was “Fulfilling God’s Mandate” by reminding the youth of God’s great commission upon their lives to use their God given abilities to build the Lord’s Kingdom. Professionals from various fields of life also imparted their spiritual wisdom on how to use their talents to build the Church.

Virtuous Women Seminar
 

     The annual Virtuous Women Seminar was well attended on August 27-29 at the Ntan Christian Church in Ekori. The theme was “The Role of Mothers in the Family, Church and Society.” The lessons focused on the ministry of women in helping to build a good family, church and society. Women came from Christian Churches in the Cross River and Ebonyi States. 

     We thank God that no life was lost in a vehicle accident with women from the Calabar Church on their way home. The church bus lost control and went off of the road. Some were thrown from the vehicle. Twelve suffered broken bones and bruises. The hand of a toddler, who was the only child of a seven year marriage, was pinned under the vehicle. Rescuers were able to lift the vehicle off of the child’s hand and save him although he suffered a fracture to his hand. 

     A one week evangelistic crusade was held at Akamkpa to encourage the church. Twenty (20) volunteer youth spent the week in open air and indoor meetings, preaching, teaching, fasting and praying. Church members were encouraged and more were converted to follow Christ. 

PRAISE AND PRAYER REQUESTS

1. Thank God for the successful youth camp in Nigeria.

2. Thank God for the successful women seminar in Nigeria and the fact that no one lost their life in the vehicle accident.

3. Thank God for the successful evangelistic crusade at Akamkpa.

4. Ask God to guide the committee that will work on amending the constitution and by-laws of the Restoration Christian Church in Ghana.

5. Ask God to guide the board of directors of the Christian Leadership Training Institute in finding a new Administrative Director.

6. Pray that the leaders of the Christian Churches who are members of the Restoration Christian Church in Ghana will understand and see the value of Restoration Movement principles followed by the independent Christian Churches in America.

7. Pray that God will give courage to Christians in America who respect Biblical authority as they face opposition from their own culture and government. 

web sites: grassrootsld.org and cltigh.org