Mandate eNewsletter, 2008 - Issue No. 2

Chalmers Facilitates Training of Churches in West Africa
by Dr. Brian Fikkert

“It is an eye opener. We [have] read the scriptures but did not know one could apply them the way we learned in this Institute.” 

“…It’s a good and life-transforming program.”

“I live in a community where there are different groups of churches, about 16 congregations. So I’m going to ‘sell’ [the concepts of the Institute] to them. Because poverty is very high in my region, this will help to improve our members’ lives and the churches will grow definitely.”

“The program has offered me a lot more than I even expected.”

These are just a sample of the comments from the 77 participants of the Chalmers Center’s Christian Economic Development Institute (CEDI) that took place in Ghana, West Africa from June 9—14, 2008. This was truly an international event, with delegates coming from Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Congo, Togo, Benin, Zambia, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Burundi, Senegal, Canada, and the United States.

CEDIs are week-long training events designed to equip participants to implement church-centered, holistic economic development strategies in their communities. After examining the biblical and theological foundations for holistic ministry on the first day, the remainder of the CEDI helps participants to apply those principles to the design of various microenterprise development and microfinance ministries. The goal is for participants to leave equipped with the models and tools to enable their churches to implement empowering, word and deed ministries among poor people in their communities.

God brought together a team of partner organizations to make this event happen. The CEDI was hosted by African Leadership Ghana (www.africanleadership.org/mission/8/Pastor_Training.htm), while a number of other organizations helped with marketing the event to strategic members of their networks including: Equipping Pastors International (www.equippingpastors.com), Five Talents International (www.fivetalents.org), Global Church Advancement (www.gca.cc), and Mission to the World (www.mtw.org). The training was facilitated by a combination of Chalmers staff and four African members of Chalmers’ Global Fellowship of Trainers, a network of practitioner/trainers from around the world that are committed to helping Chalmers to increase the quality and quantity of its impact.

How does a CEDI reflect a participatory approach to poverty alleviation? First, the very fact that Chalmers is, by design, a research and training center rather than an implementing organization is reflective of a participatory approach. Many of the CEDI participants were from very poor churches that are struggling to meet the economic and spiritual needs of their members and communities. Chalmers believes that these poor churches in West Africa have the capacity to conduct ministry on their own without the Chalmers Center doing it for them. If Chalmers were to implement programs directly, it could undermine these churches’ own capacity for ministry. Second, the CEDI uses participatory training methods. The role of the instructor is to “facilitate” learning, rather than to just lecture, in an attempt to engage learners in an active process of both reflection and application to their own life and ministry contexts. This process necessarily includes participation and a fundamental respect for all learners and the knowledge, experience, and skills that they already bring to the learning event. Finally, the participants are themselves equipped with participatory methods to communicate their newfound knowledge, skills, and tools when they return home to initiate ministries in their churches and communities.

Does it work? Only time will tell what God will do with our humble efforts at this CEDI; however, the initial reports are very encouraging. Participant evaluations were overwhelmingly positive, with 100% of participants saying they would recommend this training to others. More importantly, word is trickling in that some of the attendees are already using the training they received! For example, almost from the minute he returned to his home, one participant from the Ivory Coast has been teaching the CEDI content to dozens of churches and indigenous missionaries, some of whom are already using his training to minister to the poor in their churches and communities! We praise God for what He is doing through the ministry of His church around the world!

For more information about the Chalmers Center, visit us at www.chalmers.org.

8/11/08