Volume: 3 • Issue 3 • March 2003                          

CCBI: Who We Are & What We Do

Caribbean College of the Bible International (CCBI) is called to provide a high quality Christian education by correspondence to Christian leaders in English-speaking areas of the Caribbean and East Africa whose circumstances prevent them from obtaining traditional higher education. CCBI’s recent affiliation with S A Theological School (SATS) also extends opportunities for accredited programs from Certificate through Masters level.

Although Trinidad and Kenya divisions have vied for the greatest number of active students, other areas continue to develop also.

Belize: CCBI’s birthplace has an active National Director who is also a good student. One of his teachers wrote that Manuel Cowo grasped his subject “like a duck on a June-bug”!

Grenada: Mrs. Carole Antoine, who is assisting her husband as National Director, wrote recently, “ There are a number of persons showing interest in CCBI and we want to be able to give them the very best and most efficient service. So please let us hear something from you so we can encourage our students and prospective students. We believe that CCBI can be very useful in filling a need for our people to study the Word of God, especially now that you are looking to have the program more recognized and possibly accredited. We do look forward to hearing from you very soon. God bless and keep you in His love.”

Suriname: The National Director Major Kervin Harry (Salvation Army) has thankfully recovered from a serious illness and has been catching up with a backlog of CCBI details. The work there has also been hampered by a severe postal strike, difficulty in money exchange, problems with e-mail service, and shortage of library materials. Major Harry is enrolling in the SATS Masters program.

St. Lucia: Pastor Nicholas Philbert is determined to revive the St. Lucia division and to pursue his Masters degree with SATS as he receives encouragement from new enrollees and from Dr. Rose.

St. Vincent: ND Marsden Sam is keeping in touch with the Springfield office but needs much encouragement.

Kenya: ND Peter Nyagrowa recently sent an urgent request for prayer as the Governing Council for CCBKenya meets concerning administrative developments. CCBK plans are still tentative for two U.S. teachers to teach seminars and officiate an April graduation.

Trinidad: Dr. Kathleen James and her assistants continue to faithfully serve more than thirty active students. She maintains good communication with U.S. offices and with her students, being careful to convey student concerns, to relay information and to operate an efficient division.

Uganda and Zambia (Africa): Independent students from these countries who have no National Directors are completing their undergraduate studies with CCBI.

Missions to India

Lance and Angella Even have been called to participate in an exciting two-week revival ministry in India with Ed Hensel, an experienced evangelist from Covenant Life Church. Lance explains, “ We had raised $4,000 to do a national evangelistic campaign in Suriname but as the date drew near the pastors needed more time and did not seem to be in unity, so we put it on hold. Meanwhile a pastor from India invited Ed to bring us and come back to India. So after much prayer we decided to take the $4,000 and go to India. Ed’s last campaign in India cost $6,000 and 1,553 accepted Christ.”

“We will be ministering in East Madurai on March 17, 18 and in South Madurai on March 19 and 20. On the 23rd we will be conducting an all day Youth Fest with question and answer sessions after each teaching session. Sunday night will be an open air Crusade in Kovilpatti reaching over 25 villages. On Monday Angella and Ed’s wife Venessa will be teaching a women’s conference and on Tuesday Ed and I will be conducting a leadership seminar. We will also be ministering in a Hindu Hospital, an Interdenominational Prayer Fellowship, Christian staff of another hospital, and to a Christian school. During the days I will also be teaching courses on how to start an effective discipleship-training program, using material from CCBI’s #302 Applied Discipling. It is an aggressive program but with airline tickets costing over $1,480 each we want to get the most ministry for our money.”

Lance and Angella have made a huge step of faith in this commitment, and would appreciate both prayer and financial support in preparation for CCBI’s first venture into India, home of her ancestors.

Ministry Projects

Mrs. Hannah Demming, CCBI teacher/student in Trinidad, has been assertively tutoring a girl from a dysfunctional family with the result that the girl was boosted up two grade levels over the summer. In addition she gives much spiritual leadership, provides healthful meals and distributes help from her church to the girl’s family. For Mrs. Demmings’ next project she is committed to helping the child’s mother to know the Lord and to become a responsible parent. How Jesus must smile to see his disadvantaged little ones being led into the Kingdom and out of their cycle of misery!

Fall Conference Possibilities

Two suggestions have been submitted for Fall Conference venue so far; one is in Overton County near Livingston and the other is in Goodlettsville near Nashville at the Aldersgate Renewal Ministry center. Preliminary information on the latter seems favorable for first or second weekend in October. Sleeping accommodations would be in three cottages or at the nearby Baymont Inn and Suites. The number of people the ARM center can actually sleep in the cottages depends somewhat on how cozy the group wants to get, but there are beds enough for our group. Two of the cottages have two complete bathrooms, the third only has one. They also offer a $52/night rate at the Baymont which includes breakfast, for those that might prefer this type of accommodations. The conference committee welcomes
comments or other suggestions
through margaretridley@charter.net.