The EBCoM Extension Course which was launched last year is now flourishing with the participants meeting for lectures on two Saturdays each month – with several home assignments to complete in between! The content and standard of the course is the same as the regular standard of the College with candidates studying for the Certificate in Biblical Studies. From January 2008 the Diploma in Theology and Christian Ministry is expected to begin. The College library and its other facilities are open to all the students.

Earlier this year they enjoyed a special residential weekend which brought real encouragement to everyone involved. Simon Chikwana, one of the students, remarked after the door-to-door visiting which formed part of the weekend, “There is a great need out there and this is what the Church should be doing! We need many more Christians to be equipped in this way to go out and meet the people where they are”.

ZM’s Abraham Folayan teaching one of the sessions

The present course members include several pastors, as well as business people who are in key leadership positions in their Churches. They come from a variety of Church groups in Malawi.

Already some of the participants have started classes of their own and are passing on some of the teaching they have themselves received using the same resource material which is produced by African Leadership Malawi.

Abraham Folayan, who co-ordinates the course, comments, “We want to extend this course to other areas of the country and it is gratifying to find the principle of 2 Tim 2:2 already in operation! We believe it is of great importance to train leaders for the growing Church in Malawi where elders and others play a vital role in Bible teaching and discipleship at the grass root level. This will be a real asset to pastors who often have a number of Churches under their pastoral care.”