“By the grace of God, since its beginning on October 31,1985, the Assembly of God Bible School has produced fruit that will never perish! During the 26 years that it has existed, the School has graduated around 1,300 students all over the country from the Extension School program, 586 students from the Ministerial program (Diploma in Theology), and 54 from the Bachelors program. Last year – 2010 – saw the first graduation of the Masters program, with 18 graduates.”

Sunday the 13th of November, the closing service for the annual, national Pastors Conference was held in that same church. That large building, including the balcony, was jammed, with many people standing. The General Superintendent of the Conference, Pastor Tiago Manhiça, was in the first graduating class of the Bible School, 25 years ago. His assistant, Pastor Pedro Muianga, who is also the National Director of the Bible School, graduated at the same time, as did the Assistant General Secretary. The General Secretary graduated a few years later. In the service that morning, 64 Pastors, along with their wives, were ordained to the Ministry. For all of this and more, we praise the Lord. Thanks for your part in it all.

I wish you a great new year, filled with God’s richest blessings as you continue to minister to many at home and overseas.

With you in His service,

Bill Mercer

THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE WONDERFUL WEEKENDS TO REMEMBER

On board I met Faith, a young Zimbabwean lady who works in the media industry in Tanzania. She was heading to a funeral and was expecting to become the instant mom to the 3 children 11 and under.  It was her fiancé’s father who had died and he had been raising the children alone since they were orphaned of their parents. She told me that as a believer, she had decided that she would make any and every sacrifice on behalf of the children – even uproot her life and profession in Tanzania – Praise God for people like Faith!

Landing at Harare International Airport was uneventful, although much busier than a year ago – the economy is bouncing back after some almost fatal episodes in recent history. As I was waiting for my bags to come off the carousel, the mechanism broke and bags tumbled everywhere–eventually they cleared the mess and my bags appeared (thankfully).

Dr. Paul Kohls and his wife Lynn were on the same plane and outside Gerry Jeske was waiting to meet us. Yes, this is the same Gerry that had quintuple bypass surgery a few months ago – now renewed and in great health! He had his wife, Susan have been serving at PACC Harare for the past 2 years and have added so much value to the ministry of leadership development that flows from there. Nostalgically, this was their last weekend before heading back to the frozen north of Calgary, Alberta, where Gerry will become the interim pastor at Beddington Pentecostal Church.

After a quick lunch (thank you Susan), Gerry and I headed to a meeting with PAOZ’s National Executive Committee that was concluding 3 days of strategic planning. How wonderful to renew fellowship with Bishop Trevor Manhanga and his team – men and women who have served the Lord enthusiastically through the struggles of life in Zim!

Saturday was Pan Africa Christian College’s 37 graduation. A deliberate mistake on the graduation programme (inserting a blank line into the graduation list) boosted the number of graduates from 36 to 37 (nice touch I thought!). The programme was conducted without a hitch (even if the tent had blown down the night before and provoked a change of venue!). Rev. Lynn Kohls brought the graduation message on the healing of the paralytic who was brought to Jesus by his friends (or was it he that brought his friends to Jesus?). The content of her message was so rich and the delivery so perfect that when she finished she received a standing ovation! Bishop Manhanga, always ready to boast about Zimbabwe reminded the enthusiastic crowd that Lynn was born in Zimbabwe and that the reason she could preach like that was because she was Zimbabwean!!! (Lynn’s parents, the Butlers, were missionaries in Zaire, now DRC).

PACC 37 GRADUATION VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

With the mixed emotions of those who have lost a leader, a friend and a brother but know he is now in a better place, we communicate the passing of Dr. Birch into the presence of the Lord on Wednesday November 10, 2011. Please remember Shirley and the family in prayer.

Steve & Heather

• MA in Leadership                                                        -           38
• BA – Bible and Theology                                             -           26
• BA – Counseling                                                          -           13
• BA – Business Leadership                                           -             7
• Frontier Youth Discipleship Program (FYDP)              -           12
• Diploma in Transformational Church Leadership      -           120     

Prof. James Ole Kiyiapi, Permanent Secretary for Science and Technology will be the Guest of Honour. Prof. Kiyiapi is a notable believer and preacher and serves the Lord in the Ministry of Higher Education.

This is a great time for us to give thanks to all of you who have invested in our ministry of leadership training at PAN Africa Christian University. We couldn’t have achieved what we have without you! 

Friday March 25, 2011 was a day of great excitement and great achievement at Pentecostal Bible College in Nyang’ori, Kenya. An estimated crowd of 3,500 peoplegathered on our spacious grounds to witness PBC’s 56th graduation ceremony! Two hundred and eighteen (218) students graduated. Of these graduates, 113 were from our Residential Program and 105 were from our Extension Program. These diligent grads either received a three year diploma (108) or a two year certificate (110).

Our special guest speaker was Rev. David Hazzard, Assistant General Superintendent of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. David’s ministry was greatly appreciated. PAOC global workers in attendance for this incredibly joyous occasion were: Deborah Sirjoosingh, Dr. Freda Myco, and Felix and Cecelia Chiriseri. Rev. Angela Lynch, of Focus on the World Ministries, was also in attendance. Angela had effectively ministered to the wives of ourgraduating students for three days earlier that week.

What a great day of excitement and achievement for Gabriel Musungu. Gabriel is 41 years old. He graduated with distinction. He pastors a local Pentecostal Assemblies of God church! Now he is able to return home and help his wife raise their seven children, the ages of which are 15, 13, 9, 7 (son), 5, 3 (son), and 1. The Musungus named their last child Moriah-Gabriella after our twin daughters. That was so nice! But there is more to this story.

The Musungus are not wealthy people as this world measures wealth–nowhere near being wealthy. But they are people of compassion and people of faith. They have taken into their modest home five “aids orphans”–four girls, the ages of which are 13, 13, 5 and 9 as well as a nine year old boy. In faith they have purchased a piece of property on which they plan to build an orphanage in order to take in more children without parents. What an amazing story!

One of the great things about the Church in Africa is that it practices the apprenticeship model. This means that believers are mentored to serve the Lord. As they discover and dedicate their talents and spiritual gifts their ministry opportunities develop. Formal Ministry, Bible  and Theological Education comes later. This distinguishes African students from the majority of those in Canada. Most Canadian students enter Bible College without a developed ministry because they have never been mentored in the local church.

The World Evangelical Alliance is grieving the loss of Pakistan’s Minister for Minority Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti, who was assassinated today in Islamabad. The WEA condemns in the strongest terms this senseless act of violence and urges the government of Pakistan to bring to justice those who committed this crime.

Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe, WEA Secretary General stated, “Not only have I lost a dear personal friend, but the world has lost a great champion for religious liberty, human rights and the protection of human dignity for all people.”

The WEA commends Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari for creating the Ministry for Minority Affairs, for appointing a minister from a religious minority community, and for forcefully condemning the assassination of Minister Bhatti. The WEA urges the Government of Pakistan to honour the pioneering work of Minister Bhatti and his memory by ensuring the swift appointment of another strong advocate for minorities to build upon all that he accomplished.

Minister Bhatti was an outspoken critic of Pakistan’s blasphemy law and had been calling for its abolition. Pamphlets left by the assassins labeled him an “infidel Christian” and cited his opposition to the blasphemy law as the reason for his assassination.

The killing of Minister Bhatti underscores the peril religious minorities in Pakistan are facing as a result of the blasphemy law and the culture of animosity this law continues to foster within the country.

Dr. Tunnicliffe met Minister Bhatti just recently to discuss the situation in Pakistan and plan a high level visit to Islamabad by WEA leaders.

Ten days ago Shahbaz Bhatti was re-inducted into the cabinet of the government of Pakistan. According to Minister Bhatti his induction “had sent a wave of joy and encouragement among the religious minorities across the country, especially the Christian community”.

Yesterday, a day before his assassination, Minister Bhatti wrote in a communication with Dr. Tunnicliffe, Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance:

“I personally believe that it is Jesus Christ who has once again bestowed unto me this responsibility and position with a special purpose and mission to serve the suffering humanity and I am determined to carry on defending the principles of religious freedom, human equality, social justice and the rights of minorities.”

Writing to Geoff Tunnicliffe yesterday, in what was one of his last communications, Bhatti called Christians around the world to prayer for Pakistan saying, “It is time to stand in solidarity.”

The WEA will continue to champion the work of heroes of the faith, like Minister Bhatti, and speak out for marginalized and persecuted people in all societies.

Letter from Minister Bhatti to Geoff Tunnicliffe:

March 1, 2011

Shahbaz Bhatti

Time has told… 

Last week I ended my blog with these words…”Can all of the above be accomplished?  Time will tell”.

How ironic that one day after writing these words, time almost stood still. “Time will tell” has turned into “time has told”, as on Tuesday February 22, 2011 at about 3 p.m. (Zambian time), Rob Hall, a fellow global worker, lost his life on the third floor of the prayer tower at TTC.  Man (Mann) may try to take time into his own hands, but God’s timing will ultimately prevail.

Rob, his beautiful wife Kate and their three children, Kathryn, Simeon and Cameron, came to TTC in October of last year.  He came with a vision to teach the vulnerable and poor of Zambia how to use agriculture as a means of sustainability.

Recently, over a cappuccino, Rob and I exchanged visions and began to discuss how our visions could compliment one another’s work.  He volunteered his framing skills to help me do some structural work on the roof of the prayer tower.  Last Tuesday, at noon, he made his way to the third floor to begin the work and there ended his mission on Zambian soil, as the result of a freak construction accident.

I was driving back from a Pastor’s meeting, in Kabwe, when my cell phone rang and I received the news of Rob’s death.  My first thought was “Oh God, please may his death have not happened on the third floor”!  Psalm 73:20 uses the words “As a dream when one awakes” except this was no dream.  The reality was that Rob lost his life while volunteering to help RTC prepare for its inaugural seminar on March 3^rd.

My pain ran deep for Kate and her three beautiful children and my pain ran deep that this had happened on my watch.  If only Rob had died in the fields, where his heart was, but why on the third floor of the future leadership centre???

Although a person will never have all the answers to these questions, some healing came to me last Thursday as the student body and members of the community that had been enriched by Rob’s life, packed out the college chapel for a memorial service.  Speaker after speaker said the same thing, that Rob’s life would not go wasted.  The death of his seed would bear much fruit.

In the middle of the night, just hours before the memorial service, I was awakened with thoughts so vivid that I had to write them down.  I had the privilege of sharing those thoughts at the memorial service.

“Rob Hall planted seed in the soil here on the grounds at TTC, and he also planted hope in the hearts of men and women for a preferred future…Suddenly, he has been uprooted from amongst us…His short time with us will have a long lasting impact!!!!”

Then I thought of March 31, 2010, when I was on the third floor, the same place where Rob died.  It was at that time that a vision was planted in my heart from John 1.  Phillip invited Nathanael to come and follow Jesus of Nazareth as a disciple.  Nathanael responded:  “Nazareth, can anything good come from there?”  Phillip responded:  “Come and see”.  That day in 2010, my heart was gripped with those words and I asked myself, “can anything good come out of Kitwe”.  The compelling response that came to my heart from that question was “come and see”!!!

So I ask myself today, “Can anything good come out of this tragedy”?  Rob’s blood literally flowed down the walls of the prayer tower from that third floor, and I choose to believe that the impact of his shed blood will reach far beyond the walls of TTC, impacting the Continent of Africa, perhaps even the world. 

You may also recall me saying this in my blog last week: “My prayer would be that from the highest point of the TTC campus, RTC would have the privilege of influencing the church to the farthest points of the Continent of Africa”!!!!  Little did I know the impact that those words would have 24 hours later.

I close with this Zambian proverb that was shared with me the morning of the memorial service – “people die…people remain”.  It is the passionate prayer of my heart that as Rob Hall died doing what he loved most and being where he wanted to be (on African soil), that those of us who remain will determine to see that what he started  will live on and have incredible Kingdom impact.

Construction has been postponed momentarily, but the seminars will continue as planned starting this Thursday.  It is my prayer that people will come and see that indeed something good, something very good will come out of Kitwe!!!

A website has been set up in honour of Rob by his brother-in-law, Todd Cantelon.  Please take time to visit it at www.danielroberthall.net

Until next Monday…

Don

Still taking risks for Kingdom impact!!!!!!!

From Africa in the last week

Please pray for Rob’s wife Kate and their 3 young children  2, 3 and 6. and all immediate families. Also, pray that the Lord leads every one to make all necessary arrangements to get the family to Canada asap. 

Lynn Kohl