Liberia

We are progressing nicely in this our third Liberian classroom. It is an area quite different from Monrovia or Gbarnga. Here near this major port city, the ravages of the civil war are still very visible. Because of the systemic corruption the country continues to live under, everything remains in total disrepair and in poverty.…

The largest graduation class to date happened in Gbarnga, Liberia, this past Friday. We had over seventy-eight graduates in both Evangelism and Level One. Level one is the completion of seven full courses. When we come back in January, we will offer this same group their first level two course: Church Administration. There are several…

We are in the largest classroom ever in Liberia this week.  We began with 75 pastors, and we are now up to 81 on this, our second day of class.  The class is now closed for earning a certificate of completion, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t have more by tomorrow.  This classroom is also…

Bruce is in Liberia again.   Next week, a group of about 70 pastors will complete level one training.   The following week, a group of almost as many new pastors, many of them new church planters, will begin the first course of level one.  There is actually demand now for a third class in the…

It is now just two weeks until our classes begin in Liberia.  And there is something new!  A brand new class!  While the existing class will continue, a new class is starting with an entirely new group of pastors, many of them new church planters!  In just 18 months, we have seen over 100 new…

We are taking a couple of weeks off to celebrate our 41st wedding anniversary which will be this Sunday, June 2!  While we are doing some work (as evidenced by this email), we are trying to rest and gain strength for the very busy teaching season that begins in about five weeks.   We will…

It is difficult to express the emotions in the room in Gbarnga, Liberia, today as 64 pastors earned their certificates for yet another course – Homiletics (sermon building)!  There is, of course, great joy over a task accomplished.  Relief that a very grueling week, with long hours of class in extreme heat, has ended. There…

This is our fifth day in Liberia, and the blessings of training national church leaders just keep rolling in.  On Sunday my church planting partner Greg Dixon spoke at the church at which I spoke last year in September.   This church was started by one of our pastor students just one year ago and…

Greetings from sunny Florida!  After a great few days in New Hampshire with our entire family, we have been hard at work!  Bruce has almost completed his newest book, “Indigenous,” we have the year ahead planned and translations in several languages are underway.  It is going to be a great year!Bruce leaves tomorrow, on his…

Today is the final day of class in Gbarnga, Liberia, and as we close it out I want to share what took place yesterday at the close of the class day.  Pastor Togba showed me a tentative list of those he and others had chosen to be the first Liberian trainers.  The choices of these…