Students and Staff in Taraba State, Nigeria, Anticipate Graduation

I extend greetings to you from Taraba, Nigeria, trusting that this message finds you growing daily in faith and in the work of our Master. My heart is filled with joy as I prepare to share with you a special report. I term it special because it will be the final report for this year, with the next one following our inaugural graduation exercise. 

Academy activities: During the period under review, our classes have continued to be held on Fridays and Saturdays, with the following courses being taught by Brother Bala Egbwakote and Brother David Ayuba: The Book of Revelation, Mission Methodology, and Islamic Religion. 

Evangelism: Our students and instructors have engaged in various evangelistic activities, including workshops, morning cry, open-air, and door-to-door evangelism. These efforts have resulted in the planting of one new congregation, eight baptisms, and two restorations. Our students and instructors continue to teach and preach in various congregations every week, gradually healing the divisions that had threatened the churches in the Jalingo metropolitan area. By the grace of God, we anticipate that next year, all congregations in Jalingo will have a trained preacher, as some of our students will be graduating. 

The graduation exercise is scheduled as follows: 

1. Friday, 23rd, 5 pm: Lectureship 

2. Saturday, 24th, 9 am: Certification 

3. Saturday, 24th, 5 pm: Commissioning of WBS office and media center. 

Brethren, I must confess that the school has been a transformative blessing to the churches in Taraba State in recent times. Our pulpits are now being handled by capable teachers of the Word, and the school boasts the best public address system in the state, utilized during workshops, lectureships, and evangelism. 

We remain deeply grateful and pray that the Lord will continue to bless and increase you. 

When we commenced in January 2022, we had students from all over the state. However, in 2023, following the government's withdrawal of the fuel subsidy, the cost of living became unbearable, and the prices of goods and services skyrocketed. As a result, many students were unable to continue their studies and returned home. Nevertheless, those in the southern part of the states, where most of the Lord's church meets, recognizing the importance of the school and the knowledge they had acquired, organized themselves and continued to invite us to teach them. Others also began to show interest, and currently, we have seventeen men and one sister enrolled. Some of these students hail from nearby villages in the Republic of Cameroon. 

The work is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. We continue to solicit your prayers and moral support to sustain the work.

Yours in the vineyard,

Madaki I. Elkanah