(NOTE: The Beasnaels work and teach at the only Christian institute of higher learning serving French-speaking Central Africa. He teaches with the Thompson Study Bible because it provides the pastors both a Bible of their own and excellent study aids.)
The Thompson Bible Institute President, Dr. John Jauchen might have received a special revelation on the way pastors in the World are hungry for the Word of God, and especially the one printed in the Thompson Bible. Otherwise, he could not have launched the Thompson Bible Institute.
Pastor Chuck Ballard, the President of African Pastoral Training Ministries (APT Ministries) has been touched by the Holy Spirit to rush to Africa even though the tools are still being gathered for the Mission.
Happy is the man who listens to the Holy Spirit.
When late Pastor Nicolas and myself finished the Thompson Study Bible training in Brazzaville (Congo), the need for both Thompson Bible and more training seminars was raised to a higher degree.
The call for more workshops in French speaking Africa is overwhelmingly great. Everywhere we went we were faced with requests to bring the workshop to yet another location.
After the last time training, we have more than 12 solid requests for the workshop, here in Chad alone. The workshops are limited to 120 pastors and church workers.
That means that right now, without any more invitations, we can have an impact on more than 1200 pastors and church leaders.
How can we quench such ongoing thirst for more Bibles ?
However, the need in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in general and in Kinshasa the capital city in particular are frightening.
After the first day of training, the leaders of the Church of Christ in Congo (CCC) asked us to study the ways and means to come back to Kinshasa within the year. They then carry on with the following frightening tales.
Last year, one Swiss Missionary came to Kinshasa (DRC) with 800 Bibles to give out to Pastors for their use. The day he got out at the church to distribute those Thompson Bibles, 5.000 pastors showed up, invading all the surroundings of the Church. Some came from the heart of the city, others from its outskirts and also from the rural areas and the other parts of country.
When the first 800 pastors got all the Bibles, the disappointed 4,200 pastors fell on the fellow Swiss Missionary and wanted to have a soothing explanation for the lack of the Bible. His hosting pastors rushed at his cries for help, to protect him and hastily pushed him in the car and took him back to his residence.
Thompson Bibles cost US $80.00 in DRC. But when the Bible alliance noticed that growing need, it reduced the cost to US $60.00 per Bible. Yet there is no Bible to have.
The Pastors coming from the rural areas explained that having just a Bible to work with is a luxury that is not available to anybody. Some of them they say took one Bible and torn it up and shared the books within that Bible; thus some take the gospel of John, others take Luke, and others take Matthew.
Those who have no Bible use the Devotional books to preach their message with it on Sundays. Those who cannot get anything travelled to their colleagues in the neighboring villages to copy parts of the scripture on which they want to preach on.
One Pastor told us that he went to the Bible Alliance to purchase two Boxes of twenty Bibles each, but he was told that the Alliance could not afford to lose both boxes at the same time, so the pastor was allowed to buy one box only because of the scarcity of the needed Bibles.
Often, after the first day training, people who have heard about the training going on continue to come as we left the place. In such situation, one cannot afford to come late. But some Pastors came late to the training, so we replaced them with those who were waiting at the back seats. When the late comers arrived, they were returned their financial contribution. Their dissatisfaction could not be described. The hunger for the Thompson Bible goes beyond expectation.
Some of the Participants asked us to open a Thompson Bible Institute in Kinshasa with a permanent representation on the spot. I provided them with President Chuck’s address and asked them to get in touch with him for necessary action. In fact, people who took part in the training are by far very happy. They seem to be the luckier ones when one considers how hungry the country is for Thompson Bible.
When we asked them to tell us why the Thompson Bible and not any other Bible? The reply is immediate. The Thompson Bible is not just another Bible. It is a comprehensive tool made for rural pastors and the city ones who cannot afford to travel abroad.
Kindly pray for Chad, the two Congos as they are crying for more Bibles and especially for Thompson Bible.
Sem & Eunice Beasnael
_______
Here's the link for Sem and Eunice's Global Outreach page. (There's a link to help provide Bibles for the pastors in Chad. You can also send them a message or word of encouragement) BEASANEL'S
______
______
Please like and share to extend our digital reach.
If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Jordan, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841
Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.
No comments:
Post a Comment