The Lord was obviously answering prayers while teaching over the two weeks in Rwanda. Thank you for praying. These top Christian leaders of Rwanda are displaying certificates from ELI certifying them to go and teach others.
Ephesians addressed many aspects of the Gospel and of the restoration of brokenness in relationships. The African model of the family is not built on a biblical foundation. Indeed husbands and wives love each other, but men struggle with how to love their wives. As I was teaching and applying Ephesians 5 to the pastors, Dave Forbes told me later, "You should have seen the body language of the pastors!" He said they were looking at each other with various reactions indicating their new awareness that God had a different plan for their marriages than they had experienced.
Ephesians says much about the unity of the Church In Christ. While in Kigali we exhorted the pastors to strengthen their mutual accountability and relationships across all the churches.
As I indicated in the first report, I am in conversations this spring with sources concerning the development of a school. The pastors have no options. They are required to get a theological degree within five years.
BIBLES, BIBLES, AND MORE BIBLES
Look at their faces!
We have passed the 375 Bible mark! Imagine the impact of placing Kinyerwandan Study Bibles (includes NIV Kinyerwandan Study Bible notes) into the hands of pastors to preach, teach, and train their peers and congregations throughout the entire region of Rwanda and the DR Congo. God has gracously raised up brothers and sisters in the USA to make this vision a reality.
We had some extra Bibles in the final week. Not only did these pastors at the conference receive Bibles, but news began to spread. Others traveled to plead for a Bible. There were young workers who came. Then a pastor from Burundi came (his country is experiencing major civil and political unrest right now). Then more came who were from the DRC. Each time, the team was consulted by Theophile and we encouraged their distribution to the Glory of God. As long as pastors in attendance were given God's Word, how could we keep any extras? It is His Word and the more the Bibles as spread abroad, the stronger the evangelism and church growth will progress.
They Connected the Biblical and Theological Dots...
I have been coming here for at least 9 years with teams. Each conference has been uniquely blessed of God. What happened this time was a cumulative effect of many prayers and many workers teaching God's Word over time. They had changed. As each taught before us, we heard with our own ears the clear grasp of deep biblical truth that had formed in their thinking.
Rich Goswiller asked, (knowing they understood the truths), "Do you believe this?" The answer was immediate. They roared back "Yes!"
I"m still smiling over God's grace in the conferences. Now I can only imagine where it must go from here. Pray that this will result in a revival of Biblical truth that will transform a formerly broken people who have lived through incredible war and conflict.
Joel McCall - Equipping Leaders International