The Chimala Bible Institute is continuing its work of training preachers. After working with the new and second year students this past month, we are impressed with the dedication and sacrifices these students make in coming to train themselves to be better servants of God. Along with our Tanzanian and Malawian students we admitted five students from the Congo. These young men have been in a refugee camp in Tanzania and all are New Testament Christians with a desire to preach the gospel. Along with the rest of our students we are preparing the future leaders and teachers of the church in east Africa.
We arrived with a dedicated partner in the work, brother Brent Smith. This is his fourth time to come to Chimala making the long and weary trip from Trenton, Tennessee. I am impressed with the many faithful preachers on our staff at the Bear Valley Bible Institute and in area sound churches that wish to be a part of this great work. Brent always brings a level of scholarship and enthusiasm to the work when he comes. This trip he also brought his oldest daughter, Elania. She begins college next year and wanted a taste of doing missions before the life-changing event. She spent time helping Anna in the library and teaching children in the area churches. After returning home, brother Smith reported about the good work the students were doing in his classes. He let us know they all received a passing grade and worked hard in learning the material.
In our first faculty meeting, I was assured by the teachers that they are standing firm in the faith in their training of our students. Their commitment to New Testament Christianity, without addition or subtraction, is heartwarming and inspirational considering some of the challenges they are facing in the area. My chapel sermons were on the role of the Evangelist in preaching the Word and standing firm on the teachings of the scripture. The hearty response by both students and teachers made me even more proud of the training and commitment our staff and students received under the teaching of the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver. Yes, our teachers all sign the BVBID doctrinal statement and we only allow those who visit and speak to do so also. Please continue to pray for the soundness and commitment of New Testament Christianity in our school.
One of the great privileges I also have is collecting material for the library and students from various churches and individuals. We were able to bring back a notebook of material provided by Daniel Cates, the son of our late brother Curtis Cates. The material will be a resource of invaluable information for our students to use in their careers as gospel preachers. Other churches and individuals have generously given Bibles, study materials and supplies to the work at Chimala. One congregation in particular has generously given support, materials such as shirts for the students, candles to use in studying at night and Bible Story coloring books for the children in the village churches. Thanks to the generosity of the Riverbend church in Dalton, Georgia the school is better equipped to do it’s work. Brother Denton Landon, one of our BVBID staff members and the assistant director of the Bear Valley Bible Institute Graduate program, has collected even more books and scholarly materials for the CBI library. Some of the books he and others have collected are arriving over the next few weeks and we will receive more in the next few months. Denton will be returning this fall to begin the second round of graduate classes at Chimala.
The work at CBI is growing, as many other churches show an interest in supporting the work. Brother Jim Dearman, who is a long time missionary, preacher and gospel TV producer, is allowing us to report on the work on his show, Good News Today. Other churches in the Chattanooga area are inviting us to speak this spring and summer to raise support for the work. We are blessed to share with our brethren the good work of the Chimala Bible Institute.
Please continue to pray for us as we work, both in Tanzania and stateside, in directing and raising the necessary support for the students in southern Tanzania. Like most places in the world, radical Islam, paganism and the false teaching needs to be combated. Like the motto of the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver states, using the words of the apostle Paul, we must teach the gospel, “entrusting faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2). Help us in our work of “entrusting faithful men.”
Garry L. Hill
Coordinator/Instructor
Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver
Director: Chimala Bible Institute