Arlie Whitlow

One of the cool mission opportunities that has come our way is the Global Leadership Institute in Bo, Sierra Leone. We are now making the final plans for year two to be held October 4th to October 15th. The same cohort of 25 pastors that were trained last year are coming back for another two week intensive. Before we arrive the first year group will be training a new group of 25 pastors. After the third year our plan is to hand the institute over to the Sierra Leonian pastors for ongoing yearly pastoral training. Our vision is that many new churches will be planted in a nation that is over 80% Muslim.

Through our involvement with the GLI our church will also have an opportunity to sponsor a new, hand dug well located next to a church in Kenema, Sierra Leone. Drinkable water is a big need. Many in the community will then come to the church daily for water. This will open a door for many to come to salvation. I’m thankful for the work of Dr. John Thompson (http://www.allnationsfellowship.org/) and Pastor Gregory Bangura (http://rabboniworshipcentesierraleone.blogspot.com) for being the visionaries for the GLI.

We are fortunate in America.  If we’re thirsty we can reach for another 12 oz bottle of water and enjoy.  This isn’t the case for those in Sierra Leone.  Clean drinking water is a huge need.  Many die from water born diseases from unclean water supplies.

I remember at the beginning of 2009 thinking, “Wouldn’t it be awesome if God would open up a door for Victory’s Crossing to drill a well in Africa.”  I thought about it.  Talked with my wife about it.  Prayed about it.  Little did I know that through my friend John Thompson, I would meet Pastor Gregory Bangura from the Ivory Coast this year.

Pastor Gregory was with us this weekend as our special speaker.  He stayed in our home.  We toured the White House and had much time to talk and dream.  The short of it is he has contacts that drill wells.  He’s going to help us sponsor a well to be dug in October of 2010.  We’ll dig this well next to a church.  This is a great way not only to help a community with a tangible need.  It is a way to bring salvation in Jesus name as the church shows love.

Love opens all kinds of doors for the gospel. This well will be the first of many.  These will be wells of salvation!

On Septemeber 30th I’ll be leaving for a 17 day trip to Sierra Leone to teach on the first year of the Global Leadership Institute.  I’m excited about this opportunity to spend 2 weeks training 25 pastors from surrounding towns and villages.  I’ll be working with John Thompson, pastor of All Nations Fellowship in Tulsa, OK, Brian Main, pastor of Walnut Creek Community Church in Warren, Ohio, and Gregory Bangura, our host and missionary living in the country.

Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, was originally founded in 1787 as a home for freed salves.  It later became a British colony.  The slaves in Freetown were a captive audience for the European missionary societies, and many ex-slaves were converted to the faith.[1]

It received its independence from Britain in 1961.  Then in 1990 the Liberian Civil War caused a collapse in the government.[2] For the next 10 years civil war ravaged the country, destroying its infrastructure and terrorizing all.  The mayhem and destruction was caused by an internal war over Sierra Leone’s valuable diamond fields.

In an effort to bring terror and control, the rebels in the country ruthlessly maimed thousands.  It is reported that over 250,000 people had their arms or legs hacked off.  Over 70% of the women and little girls who fell into the hands of the rebel soldiers were brutally raped.  It is estimated that 6,000 children were kidnapped and forced to become soldiers, killing others, even forced to kill family members.[1] Since the end of the war a string of peaceful years has led to some hope, but it is fragile.

What so exciting about the Global Leadership institute is that we are filling a need.  It is estimated that 70% of the pastors in the county have no formal Bible training.  Many of the seminaries were destroyed or abandoned during the civil war.  Today, what was once a Christian stronghold is now only 12% Christian.

[2] Ibid.

In October of this year I’ll be going with three other pastors to Sierra Leone to participate in the Global Leadership Institute.  Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world.  It is 60% Muslim.  It was devastated by a ten-year civil war.  Many of the best and brightest fled the country during that time.  Those who stayed behind saw their world crumble.  Many were slaughtered, others had limbs hacked off. The infrastructure of the nation was destroyed.

The nation now has had a string of peaceful years, but the people still suffer.  Most lack clean drinking water causing many to suffer from all kinds of water born diseases.  The average age is just 40.

Pastors in developing countries rarely have time for formal Bible training. It is the goal of the Global Leadership Institute to bring the training to them.  The institute will provide a three-year certificate program, with pastors coming together in cohorts of 25 at a time for two weeks out of the year.  In a culture with education so hard to come by, a certificate of study from the Global Leadership Institute will be an honor.

One of the highlights of the trip will be the two days spent in the capital, Freetown.  There we will have the opportunity to meet with government leaders.  We want to dialogue about how the church in America could work with the government of Sierra Leone and the churches of Sierra Leone to help overcome some of the great obstacles holding the country and its people down – problems like illiteracy, lack of clean drinking water, and the lack of money for investing in small businesses so that hard working citizens can become self reliant.

Please keep this trip in your prayers!