Beloved in Christ Jesus.
All glory and honor are due to the Almighty God for His Grace and for preserving our lives through out the first quarter of year 2023 and for the success of this year 21st Annual Leadership Seminar.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all our supporters both home and abroad. May the Lord continue to bless our work together in Jesus Christ name, amen.
To whom much is given, much is expected. It is on this note that I am offering my solemn gratitude to Bro. Chad Wagner (The SWSE-Patron and International Director of BVBIN ) ,Bro. Larry and Sister Patty Goodin (The International Director of WBSTC), Bro. Steven Ashcraft( Director of BVBI- West Africa Region), Bro. Keith Kasarjian (President of BVBID Extension Schools), Bro . & Sister Bill Pennell, Bro. Zachary and Sister Kim Van Tassel, Sister Cherry Llord and family, Bro. & Sister Doug Wheeler and associate, Bro. Dorman & Sister Donna Lough, Bro. Jerry Bates and World Evangelism crew, Bro. Richard Renfro and the Mission Printing International and you all our well wishers and supporters. Thanks for being there always. Here is the summary of our activities for the month of March 2023.
OVERVIEW
i- WEEKEND EVANGELISM/ OUTREACH
ii- 21ST ANNUAL LEADERSHIP SEMINAR
iii-END OF 3RD SEMESTER CLASSES
iv- WORK COMMENCE ON OUR CAPITAL PROJECT FOR YEAR 2023
v- THREE PACKAGES OF WBS CORRESPONDENCE REC
vi- TWO WEEKS DEGREE PROGRAM
vi- NIGERIA BANKS RATION OLD NAIRA NOTES AS NAIRA CRISES BITES HARDER
WEEKEND EVANGELISM :
The staff and students of BVBIN & SWSE-IBADAN continued actively in the weekend outreach in eleven different centers for the first two weekends in the month of March in spite of the tension caused as the result of fuel scarcity and cashless transaction introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria. And now that the students and in holiday/ vocational training and practicum, the weekend outreach will continue as usual.
Our joint effort in this month of March 2023 was blessed with five converts.To God be the glory and honor.
21ST ANNUAL LEADERSHIP SEMINAR 2023:
This year Annual Leadership Seminar of March 7 through 9 was graced by over 120 brethren from Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Lagos,Ondo, Kwara, Edo, Rivers and Abuja- The Federal Capital Territory.
The seminar centered on " The Ministers of God: Life and Works which featured 13 able speakers from the noon of Tuesday till Thursday evening.
All the participants went home with two copies of VOTI Vol.114 & 115, a box of Mission Printing International Materials and two WBS Bibles.
At the end of the three days program, five out the twelve first batch of our Degree Students (2020-2023) were awarded with SWSE- certificate to appreciate their sacrifice for the two and half years program.
END OF THE 3RD SEMESTER CLASSES:
As scheduled, all classes, projects and tests for this semester came to an end on March 15 with special chapel service at Doug Wheeler Event Hall in Butubutu Village, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Our twenty-two year-1- Students are now in a vocational training beginning from March 20 through April 30, 2023 while the six year-2- Students embarked on practicum (preaching trip) to be supervised by some of the Instructors.
WORK COMMENCE ON OUR CAPITAL PROJECT FOR YEAR 2023:
All is now set to commence work on the school capital project for the year 2023 which is the construction of an open hall of 50 by 90 feets for some of the school events that may come up during the hot weather while the students of BVBIN & SWSE-IBADAN continue making use of Doug Wheeler Events Hall for their classes, morning and evening devotion, Wednesday Chapel and other events during the raining season.
In other for us to commence work as planned, I apply for the loan amount to the sum of 2.5 million Naira on March 17 that was approved on March 24,2023.
THREE PACKAGES OF WBS INTRODUCTION COURSES ARRIVED:
In accordance with our goal as a school of Evangelism and Biblical Studies, we requested for WBS Introduction courses from Bro. Ron Pottberg and WBS Office in Texas early this year and thank be unto God that Bro. Ron ordered the WBS Office in Surulere, Lagos to get 16,000 copies of WBS introduction courses for our use in Western states of Nigeria.
And presently, we have about 800 introduction lessons to be posted to Bro. Larry and Sister Patty Goodin of WBSTC.
TWO WEEKS DEGREE PROGRAM:
The second batch of our Degree program continued their two years studies on March 6 through 17 with Congregational Development-2 and Interpretation of the Scriptures-2 by Bro. Ayobami Akanji (an elder serving in Isheri-Osun congregation, Lagos State as well as the principal of our Degree program) and Bro. Isaac Olaniyan respectively for the period of two weeks.
Next class now slated for August 2023 with myself- Bro. Makinde Ebens who will handle Advanced Homiletics-2 while Bro. Chad Wagner will continue his Greek lectures via the Internet for the next one year with the students.
NIGERIA BANKS RATION OLD NAIRA NOTES AS NAIRA CRISES BITES HARDER:
With the Naira scarcity still rocking the nation, Commercial Banks have begun to ration the disbursements of old N500 and N1,000 notes to their customers amid uncertainty over whether the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will release the old currencies in its custody.
However, despite the CBN announcing the legal status of the old N500 and N1,000 currencies exactly ten days after the Supreme Court judgement mandated the use of old N500 and N1,000 currencies as legal tender till December 31, 2023 the naira scarcity still persists across the country, Nigeria.
According to findings, most of the banks were paying only N5,000 to each customers over the counters , while a few banks paid N10,000 only and only few banks loaded their ATMs and most of them were disbursing only N5,000.
Those of us that can't be on queue as early as 5:00am were forced to buy money from POS centers.
ABOUT A STUDENT:
Bro. James Isah is one of our year-1- students. Admitted in year 2020 to our ministerial department. Born to Malam Isah family of Samolaka Village in Niger State in year 2000. He became the member of the Lord's family in year 2020. Happily married and blessed with a kid.
His mission after his diploma certificate is planting of the Lord's Church in his village.
ACCOMPLISHMENT:
With the help of the Almighty God coupled with the financial support of $1,500 from Bro. Bill Pennell and family, we were able to host over 120 brethren in the just concluded 21st Annual Leadership Seminar of March 7-9,2023 at the permanent site of BVBIN & SWSE-IBADAN.
The school succeeded in feeding all the participants three times a day and providing transportation fare to our guest speakers and some brethren including the women who helped in the kichen.
COMING EVENTS:
We(the instructors and our year-2- students) shall be working with the Lord's Church in Idanre ,Ondo State from March 31 through April 2 in three days house-to- house Evangelism and open-air Bible Lectureship. Also, we shall be working with the Church of Christ, Ijebu-Ode , Ogun State from April 6 through 9 in church planting at Erinle- Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State where one of our graduates, Bro. Gospel Opeyemi will be ministering.
CONCLUSION:
We are very grateful unto the Lord for His mercies and providence. And to you all for your partnership and great contributions toward the growth of the Lord's Church in Africa most especially in Nigeria. May the Lord continue to bless our work together in Jesus Christ name, amen.
Sincerely yours in His Grace as a servant,
Makinde Ebens (The Chief servant of BVBIN & SWSE-Ibadan And WBSFUW)