Pastor Ibrahim has been diligently working to train men to be faithful preachers of the Word in three districts of Zambia. The men have completed their initial training and have successfully passed the required written tests. I will review their work and administer an oral exam before certificates are distributed at special services in each district.
The opportunities to assist in spreading the Gospel in Zambia are a wonderful example of how the Lord has worked in ways that we would never have expected.
I'll give you a brief history of the CLC's involvement with this work in Zambia.
Seven years ago Pastor Ibrahim was living in his home nation of Tanzania where he was nearing completion of seminary training at the CLC affiliated St. Peter Seminary in Himo. When the seminary was forced to close, Ibrahim was just one semester away from graduation. With things in temporary turmoil and no congregation to serve, he wasn't sure what the Lord had in mind for him. He had been a public school teacher and head-master, but he was sure that the Lord wanted him to dedicate himself to full-time ministry work. It was at this time that a friend who had moved to Lusaka, Zambia called him and asked him to come to Lusaka and start a church where he and his family could learn the truth of God's word. So he went. He started a congregation with just a few individuals.
In the past seven years the Lord has opened doors of opportunity for Pastor Ibrahim to train pastors in three different areas of Zambia. He is working with men in the Lusaka area and in areas near the Zimbabwe and Tanzania borders.
Eleven men have completed their initial training and are now ready for their oral review when I am there.
Here's a link to a Lutheran Spokesman article that I wrote a couple of years ago with a few more details: https://lutheranspokesman.org/2015/03/04/lusaka-zambia/
Seven years ago Pastor Ibrahim was living in his home nation of Tanzania where he was nearing completion of seminary training at the CLC affiliated St. Peter Seminary in Himo. When the seminary was forced to close, Ibrahim was just one semester away from graduation. With things in temporary turmoil and no congregation to serve, he wasn't sure what the Lord had in mind for him. He had been a public school teacher and head-master, but he was sure that the Lord wanted him to dedicate himself to full-time ministry work. It was at this time that a friend who had moved to Lusaka, Zambia called him and asked him to come to Lusaka and start a church where he and his family could learn the truth of God's word. So he went. He started a congregation with just a few individuals.
In the past seven years the Lord has opened doors of opportunity for Pastor Ibrahim to train pastors in three different areas of Zambia. He is working with men in the Lusaka area and in areas near the Zimbabwe and Tanzania borders.
Eleven men have completed their initial training and are now ready for their oral review when I am there.
Here's a link to a Lutheran Spokesman article that I wrote a couple of years ago with a few more details: https://lutheranspokesman.org/2015/03/04/lusaka-zambia/
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