Greetings from the Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies!
On Saturday, February 9th, the Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies (TIBS) saw four years of work come to fruition as we moved into our new home. The building includes expanded classroom space, twice as much dormitory space, a larger office and library, and an expanded literature room from which we can distribute Bibles, tracts, World Video Bible correspondence courses and other evangelistic literature throughout Northern Ghana, Northern Togo and Southern Burkina Faso. The facility is the result of years of prayer and selfless giving by many congregations and individuals. We thank you for all for your desire to see the Word of God spread throughout West Africa!
Students are in the final week of classes for Term 9, which will be followed by a week of campaigns before the students get a three week break to return home to their families. Unlike many schools which operate on a four quarter per year, TIBS has five terms per year which are scheduled around the planting and harvest seasons of northern Ghana. Although the terms are only six weeks in length, by having an extra term each year, and attending classes eight hours per day, students are able to get the required number of classroom hours to earn their certificates. This class will be returning in March for their final term. It will be exciting to see the work these men will do for the kingdom!
After their final class on Friday we will be loading up the truck for two campaigns, one in Kulugugu and the other in Bimbila. I will be leading a team of four students on the Kulugugu campaign, working with TIBS graduate Avoca John and four members from his congregation. Kulugugu sits on the Burkina Faso border in the Upper East Region of Ghana, and there currently is no church in the village. The plan for this campaign is to show evangelistic movies on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights to draw attention, do public preaching each evening, and follow up on Monday through Thursday with house to house evangelism. The goal is to establish a new congregation in the village, which will then be assisted by teachers and preaching from Avoca John’s congregation which is about 20 miles south (which is a long way by bicycle, Avoca John’s primary means of travel)!
Our second campaign had originally been planned to go to Walewale to help the local congregation there with house to house evangelism, but they cancelled due to a conflict with the local school schedule (most of the congregation are students). While we held a campaign in Bimbila in October they had asked us to return in order to do house to house evangelism in parts of the town we were unable to reach at that time, and this cancellation gives us the opportunity to do so. I will be bringing the movie equipment to Bimbila on Tuesday afternoon so this team can show the evangelistic movies and do public preaching on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. TIBS staff member Yeboah Jacob will be leading this team of seven students and will be working with the congregation which was planted in October. It should be an exciting week of spreading the gospel!
Once the campaigns have concluded I will be joining the students in heading home as I will return to the US for six weeks in order to attend the Bear Valley Bible Institute’s masters in mission blitz week and visit with congregations who are interested in the work we are doing in Northern Ghana. If your congregation would like to hear move about the work here you can e-mail me at anthonyjohnson2010@gmail.com. Please keep us all in your prayers for both the work and the travel involved as we continue to think souls.
In His service,
Tony Johnson