BIBLE TRAINING

The Zambesi Evangelical Church is very closely linked to two Bible Colleges in Blantyre both of which receive support from Zambesi Mission.

EBCoM is an interdenominational evangelical Bible School established (as the Likubula Bible Institute) in 1964 by the Zambesi Mission, Africa Evangelical Fellowship (now SIM), Africa Evangelical Church, Zambesi Evangelical Church and the Evangelical Church of Malawi.

The college now serves these and other evangelical Churches in Malawi and Mozambique.

EBCoM, which is accredited by ACTEA (Accrediting Council for Theological Education in Africa), is governed by a Council which has representatives of these bodies and other invited Churches and individuals.

The Courses offered are ~

DIPLOMA IN THEOLOGY (validated by the University of Malawi) CERTIFICATE IN BIBLICAL STUDIES - in English and Chichewa CERTIFICATE IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES - one year STUDENTS'  WIVES COURSE - for wives of final year students EXTENSION PROGRAMME (see Leadership Training)

Mercy Mkwezalamba, leader the Wives Course,
with some of the recent participants

EBCoM is training pastors, evangelists, leaders, teachers and other workers for the evangelical Churches of Malawi. Past graduates are serving in many positions of leadership across the country.

The Campus is an extensive area on the edge of Blantyre. Presently the college can accommodate 80-90 students with plenty of room for expansion. The facilities include a developing library, offices, dormitories, kitchens and dining area, a playing field and staff housing.

A 5 Year Development Scheme for the College includes the provision of further courses, more staff and improved buildings and facilities.

Funding. EBCoM is almost entirely dependent on outside help for it finance. Most students come from families and Churches which can give them little of no financial support and in the last five years only one student has been in a position to find his own fees (and then only for one and a half terms!).

ZM's lecturers at EBCoM are ~

RUTH & ABRAHAM FOLAYAN from Nigeria	LESLEY & ROBBIE BEATON from South Africa via Scotland

EBCoM is grateful for help with ~

Student sponsorship - £698 per annum. ZM seeks to obtain support for as many students as possible. Several sponsors might contribute to the costs of any one student so gifts of any size are appreciated.

Library books - With courses developing all the time, there is a constant need to upgrade the College library. Most books have to be shipped from outside Malawi and can not be obtained without gifts from interested friends.

Student book sets - ZM tries to provide every graduating student with a set of basic study books (a Study Bible, a Bible Dictionary and a Bible Commentary). £25-30 covers such a set, kindly subsidised by the Evangelical Literature Trust (part of Langham Trust)

Refresher Conferences - Since 2003 it has been possible to arrange a number of conferences during which serving pastors and other leaders are able to receive teaching and enjoy fellowship and food together. (Please see Pastors' Book Conferences)

Pastors' bicycles - Most graduates going out to pastorates will be in charge of several Churches usually miles apart and need a cycle as they start their ministries.

Facilities - Larger needs include more staff housing, further development of the married quarters and more classrooms. Do you know of any Christian/educational trust or other body which might be willing to give a grant to the College?

PRAYER !! - More important than all else is prayer support for the college and its work in these important days. The Evangelical Church is growing very quickly in Malawi and well-trained pastors and teachers are urgently needed. The work of EBCoM and similar colleges is vital to the development of the Church.

ZACOM was founded in 1997 with the aim of training evangelists and other leaders for the Zambesi Evangelical Church. It was started and is now run in co-operation with the International Centre for World Mission, based in Bonn, Germany. ICW generously provides much of the finance for the college and supports a number of graduates who have gone out into Church planting work. The college usually has around 30 students.

ZM's support has, up to now, been mainly in providing theological books for the library and supplying teachers on an occasional basis.

Rev Johann Voth,
founder and first principal of
the Zambesi College of Ministry

The Courses offered are ~

CERTIFICATE OF THEOLOGY

The original one-year course was established to provide a good grounding in Biblical studies for those going out into Church planting ministries and positions of leadership in the Churches a large number of which lacked any trained pastoral oversight. This has been so successful that most of ZEC's immediate needs have been met although the course, which is conducted in the national Chichewa language, continues to give students sound Bible training. The course includes twelve weeks of practical experience in the Churches.

Practical sessions - students learning their open-air evangelism skills at the back of the ZACOM building

DIPLOMA IN URBAN MINISTRY

This three-year course is now in its third year with a growing number of students preparing for a diploma which will be of university qualification standard. There is a special emphasis on urban ministry acknowledging the migration to the towns over the last decade. The course is designed to help future leaders to adapt to a complex world of change and equip them for effective ministry in an urban setting.

ZACOM is presently seeking accreditation with ACTEA (Accrediting Council for Theological Education in Africa), the Harare Theological College in Zimbabwe and the University of Malawi. One of the requirements is that the library be upgraded from its present total of around 2000 to 10,000 books!

FURTHER TRAINING

(a) Each student qualifying for a certificate has to complete six months of supervised ministry experience before being considered for pastoral oversight. (b) Church planters, pastors & wives and other who have graduated from ZACOM are expected to attend two full-scale training sessions each of two weeks duration during their first year of ministry.

ZACOM projects and current needs include

1. Library development - very few theological books are available in Malawi but we are able to send subsidised sets from the UK courtesy of agencies like the Langham Trust/Evangelical Literature Trust and Pastors' Training International/Christian Books for Africa.
   
   
2. Buildings - work is underway to provide much needed extra dormitory facilities.
   
   
3. Resources - blankets, computers, musical instruments.

   ......in such a poor country, it is not surprising that all of these and other projects suffer from lack of funding.

YOU can help the vital ministry of ZACOM in a number of ways

• your prayers are crucial and the ZACOM staff asked particularly for people who are willing to receive news and pray for the work;
• your gifts, however 'small', can make a huge difference as a contribution towards books, equipment, food and other much needed items to further the ministries of this young college.

Rev Willard Muwalo, the ZACOM principal,
pictured during his ministry at Ndirande
Zambesi Evangelical Church

We praise God for all He has done in so short a time through the work of ZACOM and the impact the college is already having upon the evangelical Church in Malawi

~ please join us if He is calling you to play a part in the days ahead.