Annual Report of the Executive Secretary-Treasurer Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley

Transcription

1 Building A Better World Through Christian Missions! Annual Report of the Executive Secretary-Treasurer Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley International Office 8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 1245 Landover, Maryland, USA Phone: Fax: LottCarey@lottcarey.org Web:

2 Annual Report of the Executive Secretary-Treasurer Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Society International Office 8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 1245 Landover, Maryland, USA Phone: Fax: Web: Facebook: Lott Carey YouTube: LottCareyTV 119 th Annual Session Convening in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Host Pastor: Pastor Alyn E. Waller Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

3 Rev. Lott Carey II

4 CONTENTS ANNUAL REPORT Convention Officers and Staff... 2 Executive Secretary-Treasurer... 3 Dr. David Emmanuel L. Goatley Lott Carey Mission Schools, Liberia Rev. Emile D. E. Sam-Peal Lott Carey Baptist Mission, New Delhi, India Mr. Thomas T. Roy Lott Carey Baptist Mission, Uyo, Nigeria Rev. Kenneth C. Ebong Guyana Missionary Baptist Church Lott Carey, Georgetown, Guyana Rev. Brenda K. Harewood Lott Carey Baptist Ministries of Kenya and Sudan Rev. Hezron K. Cheruiyot Trinity Evangelical Ministries Rev. Karl B. Johnson Baptist Convention of South Africa Rev. Tebogo Mulaudzi Zimbabwe Theological Seminary Dr. Henry Mugabe Strategic Union of Baptist Churches in Haiti Rev. Marc Pierre-Louis African AIDS Initiative International Ms. Elleni Gebreamlak West Director of Missional Programs Rev. Dawn M. Sanders Disaster Services Network Ms. Kathi L. Reed Leading Contributors to Christian Missions Roll Call of Contributors to Christian Missions

5 CONVENTION OFFICERS Dr. Alyn E. Waller President Dr. John M. Alexander, Jr. Chairman, Board of Directors Mrs. Debra G. Garner Women In Service Everywhere President Mr. Laurence F. Campbell Men On Mission Team Leader Rev. Robert James International Youth Development Team Leader UNITED STATES STAFF Mrs. Tonga R. Peterson Operations Manager Rev. Dawn M. Sanders Director, Missional Programs Ms. Kathi L. Reid Project Manager, Disaster Services Network Mrs. Barbara T. Crump Program Coordinator 2 Rev. Evans L. Spagner Program Coordinator

6 Annual Report of the Executive Secretary-Treasurer Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention Rev. David Emmanuel Goatley, Ph.D. To the Lott Carey Global Christian Missional Community gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Your sisters and brothers of the Lott Carey network around the world love God, follow Christ, and are empowered by the Spirit, and extend our warmest greetings for our 119th Annual Session. We are thankful to belong to a family of serving and sharing. Our collective witness helps to bring light and salt in a world where so many live fearfully and with fragility. In the words of the old proverb I learned years ago on the African continent: To the world you may only make the difference of one person. But to one person, you may make all the difference in the world. Our work and witness together does make all the difference in the world to many, and we rejoice in the help and hope that comes from God, to people around the world, through our hands and hearts. Our Mission The Lott Carey Global Christian Missional Community helps churches to extend the Christian witness throughout the world. Through prayer partnership, financial support, and technical assistance, we come alongside indigenous communities engaged in ministries of evangelism, compassion, empowerment, and advocacy. Together, we are touching lives with transforming love. We continue to implement our strategic direction that calls for the Lott Carey network: 1. To be a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, ecumenical community engaged in the Christian witness around the world. 2. To mobilize churches, families, and individuals for effective global missional engagement globally 3. To utilize technology for informing, inspiring, investing, and engaging 3

7 4. To nurture new generations of Christian leaders for the world 5. To activate churches and individuals for advocacy on behalf of vulnerable and victimized people 6. To promote economic empowerment for sustainable families and communities 7. To help vulnerable communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from large scale disasters 8. To strengthen our institutional capacity to resource our global partner network more effectively While partners around the world offer glimpses of the value of our partnerships in the reports that follow, I offer a few highlights of my own for which we can pray and offer praise. Effective missional work in the 21st century requires partnerships. The model of implementing projects in isolation and going it alone is outdated, ineffective, and unsustainable. Our approach is to pursue partnerships where we can lean on, learn from, and leverage resources of each other in the service of the Lord. We continue to seek friends who are ready and willing to place Christian labor above individual labels. Trusted Partner for Ebola Response Collaboration Lott Carey continues to be a trusted partner for collaboration with congregations and with other networks. We are thankful to collaborate with the National Baptist Convention of America (NBCA), the National Baptist Convention USA (NBCUSA), and the Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC) in responding to the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa. In addition to grants that we made directly to sustain families connected with the Lott Carey Mission Schools in Liberia, we served as the coordinating partner for the African-American Baptist Mission Collaboration (AABMC) that invested in responses in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Together, the AABMC provided: Food and clothing for newly formed/merged multi-family households Training to new heads of households Psycho-social training for church and community leaders to assist Ebola survivors overcome stigma, shame and stress Psychological, social, educational and psycho trauma care for Ebolaaffected orphans 4

8 Coordinating this scope of work for the AABMC builds on our successful partnership responding to the historic 2010 earthquake in Haiti where we were trusted to coordinate a strategy of collective engagement to provide housing in response to the disaster. We rejoice in the confidence of our sibling networks to trust our leadership and stewardship. We hope to continue to build on these successes for more cooperation in the years ahead. Trusted Partner for Disaster Responses We expanded our several regional partnerships with the American Red Cross to a national partnership that includes Lott Carey, National Baptist Convention of America, and the American Red Cross. Lott Carey is the leading partner with Red Cross in recruiting volunteers into their network. The expansion of collaboration with the NBCA will broaden our collective capacities to help vulnerable communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. We anticipate expanding nodes of cooperating congregations across the entire country within a few years. Trusted Partner for Mission Outreach We thank God for the confidence that so many churches place in us as a partner for expanding their missional reach. We support congregations in planning and implementing short-term missions assignments that contribute to discipleship formation and personal transformation. We execute financial transfers for a number of global projects supported by churches. We support strategic planning and implementation of global programs for congregations. We also rejoice in partnerships with the NBCA for mobilizing missions teams in Haiti and with the PNBC Eastern Region with whom we shared support for a skills training project in Jamaica and a poultry project in Haiti. We continue to engage in South Carolina in the aftermath of last year s tragic flooding in partnership with the PNBC and are working on new grant applications to leverage our existing collaboration. Trusted Partner for Pastoral Health The 2015 observations of the 10 year anniversary of hurricane Katrina stirred up significant pain in the lives of pastors who served in the Gulf Coast prior to, during, and in the decade following Katrina. Building on capacities that we developed during our nine-year Pastoral Excellence Program with generous funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc., we have a team of six pastoral leaders working with a network of pastors in New Orleans to help build Pastoral Peer Support Groups to support the 5

9 positive mental health of pastors. This project is partially supported by a grant from the Christian Theological Seminary Pastoral Excellence Network. During a six month period, we are helping pastors to experience the power of peer groups and facilitating their exploration of whether sustaining these peer groups will help address stress and trauma that were set aside for the sake of their pastoral ministry. We have learned that healthy pastors can nurture healthy congregations, and health congregations can nurture health communities. Trusted Partner for Leadership Formation Lott Carey and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University launched a Doctor of Ministry in Global Leadership program last year. The Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree is the terminal degree for ministry practitioners. This innovative program is designed nurture gifted leaders with research global contexts. Key thematic areas are liberation theologies, contemporary missiologies, and leadership strategies. Using this framework, scholars in this program will explore contemporary leadership capacities in various global contexts, discover anticipated needs, and propose formation strategies to help global leaders to lean in to the future. The pilot program has eight scholars with international assignments scheduled for Canada, India, Haiti, and Zimbabwe. Trusted Partner for Justice We convened a conversation around race and violence during our 118th Annual Session that met in Greensboro, North Carolina last year. With the assistance of pastors and state Supreme Court jurists, we listened to the insight of various voices and crafted a statement on violence. We had no idea how relevant that exercise and statement would prove to be, and we continue to offer it as a contribution for conversation in congregations and communities. It does not seek to say everything that can be said about the complex and critical issue. It does, however, provide one contribution for dialogue and discernment. We encourage members of the Lott Carey network to continue the conversation and seek to be agents of liberation and reconciliation. 6

10 * * * A Statement Concerning Race and Violence in the United States Lott Carey Global Christian Missional Community The following statement was born from conversation in community about race and violence during the 118th Lott Carey Annual Session that convened 12 August 2015 in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. We offer this statement as a resource for contemplation, conversation, and a call to engagement. The notion of race is among the most destructive ideas in history. It prevents living harmoniously and sustainably. Rather than contributing to our capacities to generate ideas, create beauty, analyze problems, and produce solutions, the contemptible notion of race, having no science to support this approach to differentiating human beings, constructs barriers that separate and segregate people. It hinders us from engaging in relationships that strengthen and sustain. The construct of race is manipulative and malevolent. Human beings are created in the image of God. This gift grants us amazing capabilities for creativity and community. We achieve our highest possibilities when we support and share with one another. Communities of collaboration and compassion enable us to live fully and productively. Working together, we help each other to become more of what God made us to be. Tragically, however, we frequently fail to live as we are intended. We regularly retreat behind boundaries of race a product of human imagination gone horribly wrong. Our notions of race can cause us to sin before God and to injure one another. Racial injustice has plagued people in the United States from its beginning. Exploitation, manipulation, and oppression have been inflicted upon so-called racial minorities on this continent from the time of its earliest European migration. Displacements and massacres of Indigenous Nations, the enslavement and murders of Africans, and the dislocation and internment of Asian Americans are horrific examples of racial injustice enabled by religion, government, and customs established to privilege people of European heritage. Violence has characterized racial injustice in the United States. Physical, psychological, and sexual violence have been used to terrorize and dehumanize people of color. The conscious or unconscious perception of racial supremacy by people of European heritage is accompanied by the privilege affiliated with this erroneous assumption. Erroneous 7

11 beliefs of racial supremacy and white privilege are advanced through economic, political, educational, religious, and media systems to project these worldviews as normative. This toxic mixture of wrong beliefs and manipulative power has contributed to increasing occurrences of violence against people of color, particularly African-American males, by law enforcement. These hideous abuses and fatalities, with rare accountability, are repulsive to and destabilizing of civilized society. How can people support institutions that threaten, abuse, and murder them? The Lott Carey global Christian missional community calls for an immediate end to violence against people of color by law enforcement. Further, Lott Carey calls for accountability from law enforcement, the criminal justice system, US communities, and communities of color. Concerning Law Enforcement The privilege of wearing a uniform and carrying a weapon imposes the duty on police officers to use good judgment. Officers who fail to exercise judgment that seeks to defuse potentially volatile circumstances, but who, instead, react violently toward unarmed citizens of color must be held accountable. Police departments, law enforcement fraternities, governmental oversight structures, and the communities they serve must ensure that the law enforcement personnel who serve them receive appropriate cultural training to counteract pervasive racial prejudices in this country. Further, these entities must ensure that policing personnel receive the skills training necessary to ensure that they can function effectively in high stress situations. This training will help officers avoid erroneous decision-making that may cause danger and even death to members of the public at large and especially those within the minority community. Concerning the Criminal Justice System Data shows that people of color are arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced at a much higher rate than white people in the United States. Incarceration disadvantages convicted persons when pursuing employment opportunities, limits civil engagement like voting, destabilizes families, and contributes to financial fragility and poverty. United States criminal justice systems must remove the profitability of incarceration, and we must provide sufficient financial resources to invest in quality education, job creation, and community viability which will benefit the whole of society rather than enriching a few through criminalizing people of color. 8

12 Concerning the Impact of Racial Injustice Throughout the history of the United States, racial injustice, blatant or subtle, has helped to create environments in communities of color where crime, drugs and violence flourish. Guns are not manufactured in communities of color. Drugs are not grown in communities of color. Communities of color do not redirect economic development and community investment funds away from their neighborhoods. Corporate and government entities collude to limit investment in schools, neighborhoods, and public amenities which leave vacuums that become filled with destructive activities and enterprises. Fiscal and governmental leaders must fairly restructure their approaches to investing in communities that are most vulnerable. These investments will create income, generate wealth, and contribute to safe, stable, and strong communities, cities, counties, and commonwealths. Concerning Communities of Color Communities of color, though traumatized by centuries of racial injustice and various forms of violence used to oppress them, cannot use bigotry and inequity as excuses for failing to create strength among themselves. They must organize to promote engaged citizenship, community strength, societal uplift, and neighborhood vitality. They must exercise good judgment in spending their money with businesses that will reinvest in their interests. They must cast their votes for people who will be accountable for responsible governance in relationship to their needs. They must teach young men how to defuse rather than incite potentially volatile situations when engaged by a police officer with a badge and a weapon and who is clothed with government authority. An ill-treated citizen cannot win a confrontation with law enforcement in the moment. We must train young people to use discernment, discretion, discipline, and documentation so that they can live long enough to win in court or through arbitration. Racial injustice is unfair and injurious, but people of color have survived and thrived despite slavery, segregation, and oppression. They can and they must do so in the 21st century. The Lott Carey global Christian missional community is committed to making peace and ensuring justice. We oppose violence based upon race, gender, religion, nationality, and vulnerability. We support life nurturing, flourishing, thriving, and affirming life. We are committed to life because we are committed disciples of Our Lord Jesus Christ who was crucified but raised to life eternal. We work for and long for the day when all people will know the love, hope, and joy that is offered from God and 9

13 in the power of the Holy Spirit. We call upon people of faith and people for life to join us in this journey to end violence and ensure the wellbeing of all the human family. Authored by the Discernment Team of the Conversation on Race and Violence: Dr. Alyn E. Waller Pastor, Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania President, Lott Carey Dr. Gina M. Stewart Pastor, Christ Missionary Baptist Church, Memphis, Tennessee Second Vice President, Lott Carey Justice Cynthia A. Baldwin (ret.) Pennsylvania Supreme Court Associate Justice Cheri Beasley Supreme Court of North Carolina Dr. Arlee Griffin, Jr. Pastor, Berean Baptist Church, Brooklyn, New York and Raleigh, North Carolina Dr. Anthony L. Trufant Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Brooklyn, New York Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Lott Carey, Landover, Maryland Lott Carey is a global Christian missional community organized in 1897 to help churches extend the Christian witness throughout the world. Through prayer partnership, financial support, and technical assistance, we come alongside indigenous communities engaged in ministries of evangelism, compassion, empowerment, and advocacy. Together, we are touching lives with transforming love. 10

14 * * * Conclusion Many people contribute to the work and witness of the Lott Carey network throughout the year. We rejoice in the creative leadership of President Alyn E. Waller who is completing his first term as we gather in the city where he resides and serves as pastor this year. His considerable gifts continue to open new vistas of opportunities for us. Sister Debra Garner completes her tenure as President for Lott Carey Women in Service Everywhere. She has helped us to enlarge our missional deployments of women around the world and challenged us to engage more intentionally in prayer for women s empowerment globally. Brother Laurence Campbell continues to urge our Men on Mission to reach for higher heights. He faithfully challenges men to engage personally in serving and sharing. Rev. Robert James completes his first year as our International Youth Development Team Leader. His capacity to imaginative and innovative strategies for nurturing new generation of leaders is helping us to discern afresh what God has in store for us. Mrs. Tonga Peterson, Rev. Dawn Sanders, and Ms. Kathi Reid serve with distinction and dedication throughout the year. They embrace the new opportunities that come our way with agility and ability. They are overworked and underpaid. Our small staff has to go get straw and then make brick. I am thankful for a gifted team that finds a way to get the job done. Our volunteers some who give so many hours that they are almost full time enrich the team in marvelous ways. For our underpaid and unpaid staff, I am grateful. I am blessed beyond description by the love and support of my wife, Pamela, and our son, Atiba Emmanuel. More times than one can imagine, they absorb large parts of my workload and tolerate my distractions because of this work. They have never complained about my commitment to this calling, and their cooperation makes my service a greater joy. My colleagues and I offer this Annual Report with hope that you will let its contents inform your prayers and inspire your gifts. My you rejoice in what we have done. May you hear what the Lord is calling us to do. Touching Lives with Transforming Love 11

15 Touching Lives with Transforming Love 12

16 Annual Report Lott Carey Baptist Mission Schools Brewerville, Liberia Rev. Emile D. E. Sam-Peal, Superintendent/Principal To the President, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Board of Directors and to all the saints of the Lott Carey Global Family gathered at this historic 119th Annual Session, greetings to you in the name of our One Lord Jesus Christ in whose vineyard we are all co-workers, and from your Lott Carey family in Liberia, West Africa. The Work We Do The mission of Lott Carey Mission School, for over 100 years (since 1908), is to provide the best quality education in a nurturing, caring, and learning environment. We value our heritage as a Christian institution of learning. We value our emphasis on academic excellence. We value our commitment on creating and sustaining a learning community where administrators, teachers, staff and students grow together. Scholarship, character and industry are our watchwords, our motto. Education is a key component for the security and wellbeing of a community and a country, especially so with our post-civil war context. Preparing the minds and hearts of new generations of Liberians for leadership and contribution is our goal. Our commitment to education for girls and boys, as well as special literacy programs for adults, who have not had the opportunity for quality formal education, further extends our reach and influence. Our commitment over the past century is a testament to the fact that LCM is positioned to ensuring the rebuilding of this country by investing in the human resource for a sustained and prosperous nation Liberia. For the many, many, many countless blessings; for a wonderful school year, eager students, dedicated and sacrificial administrators, teachers and staff who purpose to make each day exciting, and fun and 13

17 teachable moments, we offer praises and thanks to God. Hopefully on July 20, 2016, 39 students will be graduating from High School. We are thankful to the Lord for another good and successful school year so far. From the two campuses that we operate we present the following statistics: LCM Bopolu Campus, Gbarpolu County 198 students enrolled from K through 9th grade; LCM Campus in Brewerville, Montserrado County 378 students enrolled grades 1 through 12. We employ 108 persons serving both campuses in various capacities administration, academics, admissions, health services, and maintenance. The foundation of this school was built on and through the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This remains front and center even as we work to affect the whole person spiritually, academically and socially. The spiritual emphasis is through daily devotions, vespers, Bible clubs, Bible teaching, being examples for the students to see and other activities and programs which help to steer and influence their person. We provide education with a Christian emphasis. This is especially important in our pluralistic culture. We have a unique opportunity to offer the best quality education and to present our faith. We have many Muslims and persons of other faith persuasions within our context who come to our institution seeking quality education. We have a 45% youthful population as a nation with about 1.5 million school aged children. In the communities where our schools are located, we directly and indirectly touch and impact the lives of about 100,000 persons easily. The educational system in Liberia has many challenges because of a post conflict context resulting in the draining of human and other resources. Our government is trying to prioritize education, health and basic infrastructure as a means of jumpstarting a rebirth of our nation. This is a long and hard road, and all hands on deck are needed from the public and private sectors to move our nation forward. Our core work as a primary and secondary educational institution essential now. We advance the work of the kingdom by touching lives with transforming love through nurturing and molding young minds through a robust and sustained quality education in Liberia. At Lott Carey, we emphasize scholarship at the highest level and character formation which are essential for a vibrant, productive and wholesome 14

18 society. We do education with a Christian emphasis. We have a proliferation of sub-standard schools in our country whose main objective is to operate a profitable business. Our commitment to maintain high academic standards is critical for the good of our students and the country. We boast of having the best qualified, trained and committed teachers in Liberia who are dedicated to teaching and guiding students to think creatively and critically, and we help students to relate what they learn to how it applies in real life situations. Scholarship, industry and character are forged together to produce the very best persons with knowledge, skills and gait to succeed and be worthy world citizens. LCM is in the vanguard of institutions to provide the very best educational opportunities. Our school is among a few schools selected to sit the pilot national exams, West Africa Senior High School Certificate Exams (WASSCE), which will be mandatory of all 12th graders as of 2018 academic school year. In this light we have committed ourselves to providing the facilities needed to enhance education by working continuously to improve and equip our science labs and staff to adequately prepare our students for the exams. The students are now beginning to do practical work and laboratory experiments. Our students are utilizing our school s library for research and reading assignments. Each class has mandatory library hours during the week. We have also initiated a reading program in the elementary division encouraging our students to check out books to read at home with their parents. We need to work on providing internet and computer access to students, which we hope to improve as resources become available to obtain and maintain this service. Lott Carey distinguishes herself as one of the very best secondary educational institutions in our country. We were recently recognized and commended by the Cummings Africa Foundation, and the West African Examination Council for maintaining a percent passing average on the National Exams for the past 5 consecutive years. Each year there are scores of students hoping to get enrolled in our school. We intentionally limit and control our enrollment so as not to shortchange our educational program. Our emphasis is on quality and not quantity. We make every effort to maintain our class sizes in keeping with international acceptable standards. This engenders a better learning environment with more time for teacher-student interaction. 15

19 The country is still trying to recover from the economic and social fallout as a result of the Ebola virus disease outbreak. In this context, our commitment is to provide ministry and service to our community. In contrast, many other institutions operate purely on a business platform to make a profit. The funding our institution receives enables us to continue providing this valuable and much needed ministry service for very minuscule fees. During this academic year we are providing 100 students with either partial or full tuition scholarship/financial aid, including books, uniforms and school supplies. We also provided to about 179 elementary school students copybooks, pens/pencils and other supplies. These students and their families beam with gratitude for this gesture offered them. Other students received a work grant to enable them stay in school. This happens on both campuses in Bopolu and Brewerville. Even with our challenging financial situation as an institution, we have made it a priority as an administration to provide this much support to families in need. We have a sense of fulfillment that we can extend a hand and help lift up fallen humanity in very meaningful and tangible ways. On a personal level, most of our administrators and employees also help students in many and various ways through moral, financial and spiritual help. This institution is an oasis where we strive to create a loving, nurturing, safe and caring community for students and their families. We are the voice and advocate in the community for disadvantaged children. We believe in, support and protect the rights of all children. Community Outreach Recently, through a very generous contribution received through the Lott Carey Network, in collaboration with the African American Baptist Collaboration, we were able to provide funding to the ELWA Hospital that provides care and other services to Ebola survivors, as well as Ebola orphans (children whose parents died as a result of the Ebola outbreak). Over 500 persons are directly or indirectly affected or benefiting from this program. For the third consecutive year, LCM partnered with the Rotary Club of Monrovia to host a Sports day/outing for the children at the Blind School (65 school aged children) and 25 residents from the Antoinette Tubman Cheshire Home (a home for children and adults with varied degrees of disabilities). Many residents of these institutions are either wheelchair bound or bed ridden. 16

20 We enjoyed a day of fun, fellowship, play, learning and eating. 11th grade students from LCM participated in this very important program as a service-learning opportunity. The students interacted with our very special guests by playing games, singing songs, blowing balloons and burbles, pushing wheelchairs, and feeding those who could not feed themselves. Our students learned some very valuable lessons like being appreciative of their situation, being willing and available to help others, and having empathy for and becoming advocates for the disabled, handicapped and persons who are physically challenged. Your Financial Partnership at Work The funding we receive enables us ensure that we recruit and retain the very best teachers, administrative and support staff that fully ascribe to our core values and commitment to providing the best quality education in Liberia. Increasing funding will also enable us to maintain adequate and functional educational and academic spaces suitable and conducive to learning as per international acceptable standards. The requested funding also provides some of the necessary tools and resources needed that engenders and fosters a good learning environment. The direct beneficiaries are the students and their families who will receive the best quality education at our institution, also the community and nation at large also benefits from having a well-educated and trained citizenry. With well over a century of stellar service to humanity in Liberia, LCM has always prided itself in the quality of its workforce. We rejoice that our administration and staff is comprised of men and women with the requisite qualification, years of experience, passion and dedication to molding the minds and mentoring young people preparing them for life. Cumulatively, the administrative team has over 50 years of work experience. The teaching staff is also of the highest quality, many having earned a college degree, while others are in process to earn their degrees. As is imbedded in our strategic plan, by 2017, all of our teaching and academic staff must hold a minimum of a bachelor s degree in the field of education. Conclusion Our proud history and heritage speaks to our commitment and determination to accomplish our mission year after year with excellent results, even with limited resources. There is so much more we could do with the availability of resources to add value to our existing program, 17

21 such as the restoring of our agricultural and home economics program, as well as the introduction of computer technology as part of our extracurricular activities. As we gradually approach general and presidential elections in our country Liberia next year in 2017, we covet your prayers for peaceful elections and leadership change. Please pray for the economic recovery of our nation. Please pray that our leaders be endowed with wisdom, knowledge and understanding, and that the Lord will continue to guide and guard our nation. We give thanks to Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley and the dedicated administrative staff. Thank you for your support, for your care and concern, for your prayers and for your love towards us, and through us to the countless persons whom we serve. Indeed we are laborers together with God. We give thanks to all of you our global family for your commitment to missions and for you sustained prayerful support over the years. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you Phil 1:3 Touching Lives with Transforming Love 18

22 Annual Report Lott Carey Baptist Mission, New Delhi, India Mr. Thomas T. Roy, Superintendent When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. Isaiah 41:17-18 Greetings, dear brothers and sisters, in the Precious Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. These verses from Isaiah are of special significance today because many parts of India are reeling under one of the severest of droughts in its history. Farmers, unable to pay back loans taken from loan sharks, are committing suicide in large numbers. Families are migrating to cities or other areas to escape from the drought, leaving behind their villages and all their meager worldly belongings. We request your prayers for our country and its people, where out of 1.2 billion, only 2.5% are Christians and for the thousands of villages where the Gospel is yet to reach the people. India offers a remarkable challenge for the Christian witness. Thousands of people are benefitted through the Lott Carey Baptist Mission in India, and their lives changed for the better with help and support from the Mission. The testimony of Mr. Solomon David, whose life was completely changed for the better with the help of Lott Carey Baptist Mission, is an example of the impact of our witness. 19

23 Testimony of Mr. Solomon David, Skin Smear Technician of Lott Carey Baptist Mission Hospital in Karnal. I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up... (Psalm 30-1) Imagine being born about 55 years ago as a child of leprosy patients when there was no cure for leprosy. There was a loathing towards this dreadful disease like it was in biblical times. Even your family members disowned you and threw you out on the street. This was what my parents faced even though they were from good families. My father passed away shortly after my birth. I was sent to a Government run hostel for boys at the tender age of 3 years old. Fortunately, my uncle was an employee of the Lott Carey Baptist Mission in Delhi. He pleaded with Dr. (Mrs.) Ivy F. Nelson, who was our doctor and the wife of the then Superintendent of the Mission, Dr. Abner F. Nelson, to take care of me. She took me from the Government run hostel and put me in the Methodist Mission School Hostel, Sonipat, Haryana where I stayed and studied up to the 10th standard. I passed the final examination with a good grade, and Dr. (Mrs.) Nelson sent me to Purulia in West Bengal State for training in Physiotherapy so that I could be of service in the rehabilitation of the cured leprosy patients. From then onwards, I have been serving the Lott Carey Baptist Mission in India. Later Dr. C. O. Das, the then Superintendent of the Mission, sent me to Schieffelin Institute of Health - Research and Leprosy Centre, at Karigiri, Tamil Nadu, South India, for a Skin Smear Technician s course. This course really helped me to serve the leprosy patients better and to diagnose their conditions accurately. All the expenses for my education have been borne by the Lott Carey Baptist Mission. After completion of my course as Skin Smear Technician, I was appointed by the Mission in our Karnal Leprosy Hospital in the state of Haryana where I have worked faithfully. I got married in 1985, and the Good Lord has given me two sons and one daughter. Both my sons are married, and the younger son is in charge of the Transport Department of Somerville School at Sector 22, NOIDA, one of the four public schools run by the Lott Carey Baptist Mission in India. I am thankful to Mr. Thomas T Roy, the present Superintendent of the Mission, for all his support and help, as well as for giving employment to my son. I am proud of working for the Lott Carey Baptist Mission in India which changed my life for the better. I pray for the Mission and the people in the United States who support the Mission. The Lott Carey Baptist Mission continues to support many people like me and makes a difference in their lives. God bless the Mission. 20

24 Glory be to God. Solomon David Skin Smear Technician, Lott Carey Baptist Mission Hospital Indra Chakraborty Gram, Hapur Road, Karnal, Haryana, India * * * Our Mission in India reaches out to the masses by focusing on the following areas: Preaching, Teaching, and Healing Ministries. Thousands of lives have been touched and changed for the better due to the influence and hard work of Lott Carey Baptist Mission in India. We say thank you to all of our brothers and sisters in the Lord who have donated generously for mission work among poor and needy in India. Ministry of Preaching Looking at India, one is reminded of the Lord s Words The harvest is truly plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest We are truly short of labourers. However, the ones we have are blessed, and the Good Lord has been gracious to let us open one more church this year. The Mount Olivet Baptist Church, at Gharounda, is about 115 kms from Delhi. There are presently about 10 families attending the new church. Rev. Sanjay Matthew Dilawar is the pastor of the new Church. The future of this church is very promising. The place is going to be thickly populated in the time to come. This year we are fortunate to have two Pastors, Pastor Sanjay Matthew Dilawar and Pastor Vikas Singh, ordained on 18th October Pastor Vikas Singh is a newly converted Christian and is very zealous in his work. The first church of the Mission, Abner Nelson Memorial First Baptist Church at Anandgram Leprosy Colony in Shahdra Delhi is doing extremely well by the Grace of God. Rev. C V Valson is the pastor of this beautiful three storied Church. The ground floor and balcony of this church is exclusively used for worship services. About 80 families regularly attend the worship service every Sunday, and many other activities, such as the Vacation Bible School for children, and the yearly General Convention etc., are regularly held by the Parish. Our Union Church, established in 1968, is going strong, with more than 500 members. Rev. Wilson Marks, our dedicated Pastor for more 21

25 than 40 years of service, is at the helm of the church. Regular Sunday worship services, Gospel Conventions, and other Christian programmes are regularly held in this Church. This church is inside the Mission Headquarters compound at Daryaganj, New Delhi. The Lott Carey Baptist Mission Church in Karnal Leprosy Colony, about 130 kms from Delhi, was established in 1970 by the late Rev. Dr. Abner and Ivy Frey Nelson. There are 60 members in this congregation, and it is served by Pastor Samson Sagar. We have a small hospital attached to the church which caters to the inmates of the colony as well as outsiders. The Bethany Baptist Church of our Mission in Gannaur, about 80 Kms from Delhi, was dedicated to the Glory of the Lord in May About 60 families attend the regular Sunday Worship Service. Evangelist Lazar Masih leads the worship service in the absence of Pastor C V Valson. Besides these five churches, there are active prayer groups at: 1. Bharat Mata Kusht Ashram (Leprosy Colony) Faridabad, Haryana. Pastor Vikas Singh caters to the spiritual needs of the 40 to 50 strong congregation. 2. Malikpur village, near Gannaur, Sonepat, Haryana. Nearly people attend this prayer group conducted by Pastor C. V. Valson. 3. Sirsad, at Panipat, Haryana, where 20 people attend the prayer group services. An elderly Christian evangelist, Mr. Arjun Singh, conducts the prayer meetings at this place. 4. Bapoli, at Panipat, Haryana, where people attend the prayer group. This group is also led by Evangelist Arjun Singh. 5. There is a prayer group near the railway station at Panipat, Haryana where Mr. Ghulab Singh, Lay Leader, conducts the Sunday evening prayer meetings. 6. The prayer group at Pati Kalyana in Sonepat, Haryana is led by Evangelist Lazar Masih on Saturday evenings. 7. Our prayer group at Sadabad, in Hathras, near the Expressway, Uttar Pradesh, was formed last year. It has a prayer service on every Sunday conducted by Evangelist Mukesh Lal who caters to the spiritual needs of 40 believers. In the years to come it is our fervent hope and prayer that these prayer groups become full-fledged churches. Please pray for us. God willing we shall soon have another church in Panipat, a city about 90 kms from Delhi. Talks are on for the purchase of a piece of land 22

26 for the purpose of building the church. Please pray for us, since many of these new believers face severe persecution from their families as well as from the local people. Ministry of Teaching The Mission has 3 Non Formal Education centres for the poor and needy children. They are at Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Faridabad in Haryana and Anandgram Leprosy Colony in Delhi. 1. Lott Carey Baptist Mission School in Meerut. This is the oldest school of the Mission, established in There are about 160 students and 7 teachers. The classes are held in the open, as well as in three old garages. Miss Dolly Lal is the Headmistress, and in spite of the disadvantages, the school enjoys a good reputation among the people of the locality. 2. Somerville Non Formal Education Project- Amar Nagar, Faridabad, Haryana This project is exclusively for the children of stone quarry workers, who live in slums in the nearby area. There are about 35 students ably taught by one teacher Miss. Anima Kandulna. The students are admitted to the local government run schools after initial training in this project. 3. Somerville Non-Formal School- Anandgram Leprosy Colony, Shahdra, Delhi The first floor of the Abner Nelson Memorial First Baptist Church parish hosts a Non Formal Education Project, catering to nearly 80 students from the economically weaker sections of the society. Two teachers are employed by the Mission to teach these young ones. The students are 3-4 year olds studying in the Nursery and Kindergarten. After attending this school, they are admitted to Government schools in the vicinity. 4. Scholarships and Financial Aid to Poor and Needy. The Mission gives scholarships to more than 200 students for their education and hostel expenses. 20 students are being trained by the Mission to be Nurses, so that they can not only hope for a bright future but also serve the sick and the needy. These children are from very poor families, and their parents find it difficult even to feed them. 23

27 The Mission also gives financial aid to many poor and needy brothers and sisters for their treatment or setting up small scale business ventures so that they can feed their families. Public Schools of the Mission Our four public schools have nearly 9000 students who are getting the best education using the latest technologies. Our Somerville schools are well known for their academic excellence and discipline and for instilling the right values in the young minds. 1. Somerville School, Vasundhara Enclave, Delhi ( Student strength: 2966 Teaching staff strength: 127 Admin staff: 93 The school started in 1975 with 400 students in a building near Connaught Place i the heart of Delhi. We shifted the school to East Delhi to our own property following a dispute about the property. The school has flourished there. It is one of the best known schools in that area. Miss Esther Mani is the Principal of the school. 2. Somerville School, NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh ( Student strength: 3390 Teaching staff strength: 149 Admin staff: 79 We started this school in It is one of the best schools in NOIDA, a city in Uttar Pradesh, bordering Delhi. The school gets good results in public examinations and is well known for its discipline and cleanliness. The students participate in many extracurricular activities, and they bring laurels to the school. The Principal of the School is Mrs. Margarita Nalini Arulraj. 3. Somerville School, Greater NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh. ( 24

28 Student strength: 2080 Teaching staff strength: 97 Admin staff: 94 This school was established in 1998 when the whole area was practically a barren land. Now it is a buzzing city, and we have the distinction of being the first school to operate in Greater NOIDA. The school is well known for its discipline and Academics. The students have won many prizes for the school in singing and other extra-curricular activities. Dr. Mary Thomas is the Principal of the School. 4. Somerville International School, Sector 132, NOIDA, UP ( Student strength: students registered for the next academic year. Teaching staff strength: 25 Admin staff: 43 This school was inaugurated by Dr. Gregory K Moss Sr., President of Lott Carey, and blessed by Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention, USA in The school formally started in April 2013 with 80 students. The school now goes up to 8th grade, and we are thankful to the Lord for giving it the much needed affiliation to the Central Board of Secondary Education of India without which our students cannot appear in public examinations. Mrs. Aparna Magee is the Head of the Institution. The children of our public schools collect gifts for the children of our Non-Formal Education Projects and distribute them during the Christmas Season. The students of Somerville School-Vasundhara Enclave collect and give monthly rations to the family members of the HIV/AIDS affected persons. Thus early in their life, they get a chance to do community welfare work, which will give them an aspiration to serve the poor and needy of the society. 25

29 Healing Ministry 1. HIV/AIDS awareness project Due to the ill health of the Doctor J. C. Dash, the Clinic, and Care and Support Home for HIV/AIDS patients was closed, and now the Mission is only carrying out an Awareness Programme. Street plays and Magic Shows are conducted every week, and the local people, who are generally poor and uneducated, eagerly attend these shows. In this way, we impart the knowledge of the dangers of HIV/AIDS and the means to avoid it and teach people not to socially ostracize the victims of this terrible disease. 2. Leprosy Clinics administered by the Mission a. Lott Carey Baptist Mission Hospital, Indira Chakraborthy Gram, Karnal, Haryana. b. Dr Ivy Nelson Memorial Leprosy Clinic, Bharat Mata Kusht Ashram, Gandhi Colony, Faridabad, Haryana. c. Lott Carey Baptist Mission Clinic at Navjeevan Leprosy Colony, Vaikunt Dham, Panipat, Haryana. d. Lott Carey Baptist Mission Clinic, Navjyoti Leprosy Association, Udyog Nagar, Mangolpuri, Delhi. e. Gandhi Kush Ashram, Hissar Road, Rohtak, Haryana f. Lott Carey Baptist Mission Clinic, Bethany Leprosy Colony, Gannaur, Haryana. g. Clinic at Anandgram Leprosy Colony, Shahdra, Delhi. Leprosy is still raising its ugly head here and there in India, though we know that it is no more an epidemic. Fresh cases are reported regularly. Though our doctors try to treat them with the latest medicines, unless they are inmates of a colony, it is difficult to treat them since they just leave their workplace without any intimation because of the stigma of the disease. This year we donated a brand new ambulance to the leprosy colony at Karnal. They did not have any transport to take a patient to hospital in case of an emergency. Our Doctors in these colonies are Dr. P. K. Tyagi, Dr. Virender Atreja, and Dr. (Mrs.) C. P. Das. These doctors are wonderful and really take care of the negative and positive cases of leprosy as well as treat general diseases. 3. Mobile Clinics Where the patients cannot go to the clinics or hospitals, due to distance or debilitation, our Mission s mobile clinics are a boon. The mobile clinics reach their habitation on a regular basis, 26

30 and treatment is given free of cost. Countless adults and children are benefitted through this project. Our Doctor P. K. Tyagi attends to these patients, be it scorching summer or biting winter patients were attended to by the doctor during the report year. 4. Campbell Home for Boys, Anandgram, Shahdra, Delhi. Total children: 11 No. of Staff: 7 No. of children studying in our Public School: 9 The second floor of the Abner Nelson Memorial First Baptist Church, Anandgram houses the Campbell Home for Boys. It is a hostel for orphans and semi-orphans from the slums of Delhi. Here they are given excellent accommodation, food, and other amenities. Further, when they are three years old, they are sent to our own school, Somerville School, in Vasundhara Enclave, where they receive an excellent education. We praise the Lord, that these children who were facing a dark future have now been guided in the right direction, so that they may become assets to the society and worthy citizens of our country. The boys take an active part in church worship, and it is a pleasure to see them singing hymns and participating in biblical skits and plays. We pray to the Lord that one day these young ones blossom into valuable citizens of India and be a help and support to many others like them. This is one of the best projects of the Mission in India. Please keep them in your prayers. Dr. P K Tyagi does the medical check-up of these boys on every third Saturday of the month. We could not have done what we have highlighted in this report without the teamwork and motivation from our President, Mrs. Mary George and our Chairperson/Director, Somerville Schools, Mrs. D. A. Tressler. I take this opportunity to thank them for their valuable cooperation and suggestions for the betterment of the Mission. A special thanks to the principals of the schools, doctors of the Leprosy Colonies, and my colleagues and staff, without whose help, the Mission could not have made such a steady progress in various fields. I am grateful to Rev. Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley, Executive Secretary- Treasurer of Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention, USA, and his colleagues for their help, support and guidance. My special thanks to Sis. Tonga. R. Peterson, Operations Manager, Sis. Kathi L. Reid, Program Manager, Rev. Dawn M. Sanders Director of Missional 27

31 Programs, and other brothers and sisters of Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention in USA. All glory be to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. May God continue to bless us as He has done in the past. Touching Lives with Transforming Love 28

32 Annual Report Lott Carey Baptist Mission Uyo, Nigeria By Rev. Kenneth C. Ebong, Superintendent Greetings in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen. You Lott Carey family in Nigeria pray that the glory of God will rest heavily on our 119th Annual Session held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania this year. May God s name alone be praised. Introduction We give God the glory for what God has done in Nigeria this year. During May, we celebrated the first anniversary of His Excellency, Mohammadu Buhari s regime. He is a Fulani tribesman from the northern part of Nigeria. Because of his political pedigree, we believe that his presence will usher in the political will to fight the scourge of corruption and militancy in the North (Boko Haram), the Southeast (Biafran) and the Delta region that are crippling the economy this country. Even though the conventional warfare with Boko Haram has subsided, their new tactics of suicide bombings is on the rise. More recently, another prong of terror has sprung up. It is the Fulani herdsmen who forcefully graze their cattle on people s farms lands. If there is any objection by the land owners, they will be dealt with by mayhem of nocturnal slaughter. Recently, there have been some northern states that want to legislate the prohibition of public evangelism by religious groups. All of this is occurring in conjunction with an economic downturn due to the drop in crude oil. An unprecedented high rate of inflation 29

33 has weakened the purchasing power of the Nigerian naira which now exchanges for N330 per dollar. All this is said to sincerely solicit your relentless prayers for Nigeria. Despite this seemingly bleak situation, we still hope that better days are coming for Nigeria if the government of the day remains focused and resolute. God is still sovereign and God s plan for us is still to prosper his children. So please keep Nigeria in your daily prayers. Our Engagement When the late Rev. Charles Ebong started this Baptist movement in the late 1950s, his contemporaries and colleagues urged him to settle in the administrative town of Ikot Ekpene. He, however, was resolute to establish his vision in his village, Afaha Obio Eno in the then Eyong Division of Eastern Nigeria, a village whose outlet to the world was a pedestrian path. He focused on an area where development was needed the most. Since then, 90% of our engagement has been rural based, with localities in the Southern states of Cross River, Rivers States, Abia State and the present Akwa Ibom State as our headquarters base. Description of our Engagement The mission of Lott Carey in Nigeria has been, and still is, to bring people to Jesus Christ. We seek to share with them the knowledge and power of the word of God to set them on a path of emancipation from traditional mind-sets which keep them in bondage of limitation. We do this primarily though our evangelistic efforts of church planting and other outreach programmes. Over the years were have been graced to establish 81 churches which are administered by over 60 ministers. Secondly, we engage in capacity building through both secular and Christian education. Over the years we have been able to establish six schools. They are: 1. Lott Carey Baptist Secondary School, Afaha Obio Eno, Ibiono Ibom LGA (established 1964) 700 pupils and 30 teachers 2. Lott Carey Baptist Secondary Commercial School (now name Etuk Uruk Eshiet Community School), Etuk Uruk Eshiet, Etim Ekpo LGA, (established 1975) 3. Lott Carey Baptist Secondary Commercial School, Ikot Efre Itak, Ikono LGA. (established 1987) 240 pupils and 15 teachers 4. Lott Carey Baptist Nursery Primary School, Ikot Ebom Itam, Itu LGA (established 1988) 5. Lott Carey Baptist Nursery/Primary School, Uwanse, Calabar, 30

34 Cross River States (established 1998) 240 pupils and 13 teachers 6. Lott Carey Baptist Nursery School, Orida, Biase LGA, Cross River State, (established 2015) 35 pupils and 3 teachers.after planting a church here, the people asked us to open a school where their children could attend. By God s grace after consultation and prayers we in partnership with the mother church in Calabar were able to purchase a 4,592 meter plot of land for the school. Orida is located in the northern middle belt of Cross River State, some 2? hours drive from the costal and capital city of Calabar in Cross River State. Lott Carey Baptist Academy: We are preparing to also add on a Junior High School section to our existing Nursery/Primary School at IKot Ebom Itam. The classes will commence this upcoming academic session 2016/2017. However, the name of the school will be change to the Lott Carey Baptist Academy. Impact of our Engagement A good example of our impact is the establishment of our newest school. Orida is an agricultural settlement where people from different parts of the South-South come to lease land for commercial agro-related businesses, especially farming, mini-fruit plantation and vegetable farms. The entire settlement had no formal educational institution for their children before now. The children were left with relatives back home, but now they can stay with their parents on the farm settlement because there is a school to attend. Additionally, over the years we have been able to assist over 500 persons with either partial or full scholarships through their nursery, primary, secondary or even tertiary education. Earlier this year, a young lady walked up to me and introduced herself by informing me that she is a former secondary school student who received the full 6-year scholarship. She is now an assistant bank manager. Most of our churches have become centres for the communal and interpersonal conflict resolutions. The villagers trust the pastors more than their village councils (due to their partiality). Also most of our churches conduct self-help leadership training, skills acquisition, and other youth focused programs. They also provide moral based teachings in the church to assist in the well-being of these communities. These help to cut down on the different probable communal vices especially the unemployed and restless youth. 31

35 Challenges of our Engagement One of the foremost challenges we face is the fact that our services are focused in rural, economically deprived areas, where even basic government infrastructural amenities like electricity and water are practically non-existing. This negatively affects our schools as well as the welfare of our pastors. The mission heavily subsidizes every venture it is engaged in from people fees, teacher salaries to even pastor stipends. Hence serving in this setting is capital intensive. The last of our 2 vans broke down last year. In September 2000, we acquired a 30-seater coaster Toyota bus. We decided to buy 2 smaller vans instead of one big bus. For us, this was more effective and beneficial for our operation here. At least when one broke down we still had another to use. We were able to keep those van running and road worthy for good 25 years. This academic year (2015/2016) we lost 50% of our pupils because these 5 year olds to 9 year olds were not able to walk the distance to school. This has adversely affected our financials too. Most of our classroom blocks need a face-lift (i.e. repainting, roofing replacement). Most of our roofing materials are cheaply made and cannot last. Opportunities for Special Support We are still appealing for help to assist us complete the only Lott Carey Baptist Church building in the state capital city of Uyo. The members of the church are predominately students and Lott Careyans who have migrated to the city in search for a better life. Families are constantly in need of help for ensuring that their children can go to school. We have many opportunities for people to help sponsor a child s school uniform, books, or school fees. Additionally, we have opportunities for support of staff and pastors. Teacher support, classroom renovation, pastoral support, women s agrobusiness projects, or church building construction are diverse opportunities for partnership that will yield benefits for generations to come. Appreciation We will forever remain grateful to God for choosing us to be colabourers God s vineyard. We also extend our appreciation to the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention for partnering with us to fulfill His commission here in Nigeria. We must commend and appreciate Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley, his administrative office staff, Board of Directors, and the entire Lott Carey family for your steadfastness towards the calling of Christ. Once again, we say thank you, and may the glory of God rain down on our annual gathering in Jesus Name. 32

36 Annual Report Guyana Missionary Baptist Church Lott Carey Georgetown, Guyana Rev. Brenda K. Harewood, M.Div., Th.M., Superintendent Pastor Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. John 20:21 Salutation The Guyana Missionary Baptist Church- Lott Carey (GMBC) extends warmest greetings and heartiest wishes President Alyn E. Waller, Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley and to the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention (Lott Carey) on Lott Carey s 119th Annual Session. As members of the Lott Carey global family, it is a singular pleasure and a privilege for GMBC to send a message of support and best wishes to participants of the 119th Annual Session in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and to wish you much success as you collectively engage the theme Missions Matters for Justice. We think this theme is most appropriate as it illuminates some of the large-scale global problems of poverty, hunger, disease, human trafficking, conflict, social injustice, and environmental degradation. GMBC sincerely wishes and hopes that the 119th session achieves a measure of success in helping to create a movement that awakens the Lott Carey global family to embrace more fully our role and responsibility as participants in the Mission of God. Vision of Ministry GMBC s vision is to develop a community of Kingdom citizens who will co-labour with God to transform the world. We are, therefore, committed to utilizing our resources, time, and gifts to equip and 33

37 empower the leaders and members of our congregations and our various outreach ministries to nurture Kingdom-minded, Kingdom-focused, and Kingdom-driven citizens who are committed to communicating God s message of grace to all humanity by our word and deed. Key Metrics For 55 years, GMBC has rendered continued Christian witness to the people of Guyana. We have been committed to forming and sending forth Christian disciples who seek to fulfill God s commission through worship, evangelism, Christian formation, Christian Stewardship, and mission outreach. The GMBC Ministry comprises: Six (6) congregations; The A. Carlyle Miller Health Centre and Cottage Hospital; The Lonnie Simon Retreat Centre; Camp Somerville; Food distributions centers; and A Low Carbon Emission Economic Development Project. In Memoriam On November 14, 2014 the Reverend Ermeline (Erma) Miller- Williams, co-founder of GMBC answered God s call from labour to rewards. Her funeral service took place at the Union Baptist Church (UBC) in Durham North Carolina. The GMBC and the larger Guyanese community celebrated her life at a memorial Service held at the Mt Zion Baptist church in Georgetown Guyana. We give God thanks for her many years of dedicated service to GMBC, Guyana s ecumenical community, and Lott Carey global family. We pray that God will grant her soul eternal rest and that her legacy will live on through Guyana Missionary Baptist Church. We also mourn the death of Deacon Carla Williams Young, from the Abrams Creek Baptist church who answered God s call to eternal rest on April 26, Deacon Young was a prayer warrior, a gifted singer, and an excellent praise and worship leader. She was a faithful servant leader who was always willing and ready to serve. One of her favorite ministry assignments was serving as chaperon and camp counselors at GMBC biennial camps. We give God thanks for her life and ministry amongst us and pray that her soul will rest in peace. 34

38 Ministry Impact We are thankful to God for the opportunity to be witnesses to Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit in Guyana. Our report offers highlights in the areas of leadership development, Christian formation, evangelism, outreach and the like. Leadership Development GMBC understands that organizational stability and growth requires intentional leadership development. Investing in leadership development helps us prepare for leadership succession and inspire current leaders to be faithful stewards of their time, talents, and treasurers. Hence, during this reporting period we invested time and resources in the following leadership development opportunities: Scholarships - GMBC established the Erma Miller Scholarship Fund in 2012 to help fund tertiary education for potential leaders in the GMBC community. Since its establishment this fund has provided supplemental support for the following GMBC students: Shineeta Garraway and Felecia Steward, medical students at Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina (ELAM) in Venezuela; Shusheila Persaud, medical student, at the University of Guyana; Denzel Melville, student in Mechanics at the Guyana Technical Institute; Winston Reid, Noel Mendonca, Olson Abrams and Oniqueca Grenado - ministerial students at the Guyana Bible College. Winston Garner, a ministerial student at the United Theological College (UTC) in Kingston, Jamaica. We are proud to extend congratulations to Ministers Winston Reid and Noel Mendonca who completed their diploma in Biblical Studies from the Guyana Bible College (June 2015). On May 18, 2016, Minister Winston Garner graduated with distinctions from the UTC Master of Divinity program. He is the recipient of five student awards one of which was the student of the year award. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the A. Russell Awkard/New Zion Baptist Church International Scholarship Fund, the Jamaica Baptist Union, and Lott Carey for jointly supporting Minister Garner at the UTC over the past three years. We give God thanks for the opportunity to invest in the development of these leaders. 35

39 This year GMBC hosted the following leadership development training opportunities for clergy and lay leaders: Evangelism Conference (October 2015) - Minister Olson Abrams and the GMBC Evangelism Committee planned and hosted an Evangelism Conference with the theme Unashamed of Jesus the Christ. We are appreciative to Rev. Kevin L. Washington, pastor of the Concord Baptist Church, Houston Texas, for serving as the Key presenter at this conference that approximately 60 persons attended. This training has emboldened many GMBC pastors and leaders to strengthen the evangelism ministries in their local churches. Youth Leaders Retreat (January 2016) - Our Youth Council hosted a youth leaders retreat for all GMBC youth leaders with the theme Youth Ignited and Ready for Greater Understanding. Approximately 40 youth leaders attended this event. We are grateful to Minister Oniqueca Grenado and the GMBC Youth Council for planning and leading this retreat. This event has invigorated and empowered our youth leaders to become more actively involved in the youth ministries of their local churches. Hence, we are experiencing numerical and spiritual growth in our youth ministries. Stewardship Conference (May 2016) The Reverend Conrad Duncan and the Stewardship Committee hosted a Stewardship conference with the theme Ignited and Ready to Trust in God s Promises. We extend gratitude to our Superintendent-Pastor, the Reverend Brenda K. Harewood, for serving as the key presenter at this conference that approximately 50 people attended. Sessions at this event were very interactive and participants pledged to become better stewards in God s Kingdom and to incorporate the teachings into their various ministries. Christian Formation GMBC embraces a holistic approach to Christian formation. We seek to develop the individual believer by developing programs that facilitate and encourage them to develop personal relationship with God. We also strive to enhance the faith formation of our members collectively and develop beloved communities in our congregations. We develop and implement Christian formation programs that also aim to mirror the Trinitarian relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This year Pastor Colleen Anthony, minister of Christian formation, and the GMBC 36

40 Christian Formation Committee provided leadership for the GMBC events. GMBC 14th Biennial Convention (Sept 2015) - Under the leadership of pastor Conrad Duncan, the Calvary and Long Creek Baptist churches hosted our 14th Biennial Convention and 55th Anniversary under the theme Ignited and Ready Equipped for a Season of Victory. This three-day event comprised of mission service projects, a Sacred Arts Concert, affinity group Bible studies, divine worship service, and business sessions. We were delighted that a Lott Carey delegation led by President Alyn E. Waller joined us for this milestone. Dr Waller was the Convention Keynote Preacher while Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley and Dr. Ellyn Jo Waller served as Bible Study leaders. This convention educated, encouraged, and electrified the GMBC community for faithful Christian service. GMBC 2nd Annual Day of Sports and Family Fun (Nov 2015) - This event offered opportunity for inter-house athletic competition while providing wholesome fun and fellowship for the whole family. The GMBC Men Ministries coordinated these athletic activities. Attendance at our day of sports was outstanding and the Moses House emerged as the overall winner at this year activities. All proceeds from this event were donated to the Erma Miller Scholarship Fund. GMBC Annual Joint Communion Service (Dec 2015) We celebrated our annual Joint Communion Service on the second Sunday in December. We were delighted to have Rev. Melton Johnson, pastor of the First Baptist Church, Salem Virginia, as the Keynote Preacher. Pastor Johnson was joined by Pastor Lee E. Skinner, Senior Pastor of The Good Shepherd Missionary Baptist Church, in Houston Texas. During this service Ministers Winston Reid and Noel Mendonca were commissioned as probationary pastors who will serve in the Yarrowkabra and M.L. Wilson Baptist churches respectively. Additionally, GMBC senior pastors were inducted to their respective pastoral assignments for the biennial. Evangelism We continue to teach the gospel with the aim to persuade persons to accept Jesus as Lord and savior. The GMBC evangelism committee has been working with local pastors to host revivals and crusades in their local communities. This year Long Creek, Calvary and the M.L. Wilson 37

41 Yarrowkabra Baptist Churches hosted open air crusades while all GMBC congregations hosted Advent (Dec 2015) and Holy Week revivals (March 2016). These events contribute to the spiritual and numerical growth in our congregations. Campus Ministry In 2014, Pastor Erline Melville and the Abrams Creek Baptist Church started a Campus Ministry outreach program for students at the Charity Secondary School. This ministry takes place once a month and has been growing steadily. Approximately 75 students participate in this ministry. Members of the GMBC youth council have been partnering with Pastor Melville to assist with this ministry. We pray God s continued blessing upon this evangelistic endeavors. Stewardship We understand that biblical stewardship challenges Christians to recognize that God s resources are to be deployed through God s people to accomplish God s mission. Pastor Duncan, Minister of Stewardship, and the stewardship committee hosted some fund development projects to aid the Erma Miller Scholarship Fund. These events included an Excursion (August 2014); Easter Concert (April 2015); and a take-away Lunch (April 2016). We are grateful to the Stewardship committee for their hard work. Camp Somerville Our camping facility continues to meet our various needs and serve as rental property when not in use by the GMBC community. However, our limited source of electricity continues to be a challenge. Providing solar power for these buildings would greatly increase the marketability. Furthermore, access to safe potable water is another grave need for the Camp Somerville and people at Long Creek. We are therefore extremely grateful to Pastor Joseph Fleming and the Third Baptist Church of Portsmouth Virginia who have provided us with a generous gift to dig a well in this community. We are sorry to say that this project has suffered some delays, but we hope it will be completed by the end of this year. We also express thanks to Pastor Melton Johnson of the First Baptist Church, Salem Virginia and Pastor Lee E. Skinner and the Good Shepherd Missionary Baptist Church, in Houston Texas for providing us with funds to complete a number of projects (May 2016). The funding helped us to carry out much-needed repairs and remodeling of the kitchen and dining facility; and to repair the roof and replace the ceiling at our Long Creek Church. 38

42 Charcoals Project GMBC launched a pilot Charcoal project designed to increase our revenue stream while providing economic empowerment for families in the Long Creek community. We have entered into a partnership with a Long Creek family to produce and market charcoals. GMBC provided the capital (wood and needed equipment) and the family would provide the labour. Proceeds from the project would be divided equally amongst GMBC and the partnering family. It is projected that the family would earn more than the average civil servant in Guyana. If this pilot project is successful we hope to partner with additional families. So far the project is doing well but in recent months the local market for charcoals has been slow. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Reverend Kevin Washington and Adaugeo Inc., of Houston Texas for providing us with the needed resources to purchased two kilns, and a chainsaw to launch this pilot project. Mission Outreach Pastor Erline Melville, GMBC Minister for Mission Outreach, and the GMBC Mission Committee continue to help GMBC to affirm that the Church is missionary and is called to carry out the Trinitarian mission of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit which is to proclaim the Gospel message by words and deeds to humanity, so that all, by God s grace, can become true children of God. The A. Carlyle Miller Clinic and Cottage Hospital This medical mission continues to provide valuable service to people of Long Creek and its environs. We are delighted to report that God has answered our prayers and the Ministry of Public Health has appointed a full time attending physician to this clinic. Dr. Cassindra Alonzo is a committed physician with a passion for improving community health. Since her appointment she has been working tirelessly to improve the health of the community. Even though her assignment has been recent she is already well-known and well-respected in the community, because of the numerous house-calls she makes to follow up on her chronic patients. Dr. Alonzo is operating under very challenging circumstances since most of the equipment in the clinic is outdated and or inoperable. We pray that God will continue to strengthen her and her staff as they serve God and humanity. GMBC is preparing to host a medical mission September 8-17, An advance planning team visited Guyana (April 2016) to facilitate preparation. This team met with clinic staff; members of GMBC mission 39

43 outreach committee; and Dr. Karen Cumming, the Junior Minister of Public health, and some of her key leaders to determine how this medical outreach can support the Ministry of Public Health long term Health Care vision for the people of Long Creek and its environs. We ask for your prayers for this upcoming medical mission. Suicide and Domestic violence prevention Training Guyana has been identified as the country with the highest suicide rate in the world. Additionally, our communities are plagued with high incidents of domestic violence. As a church community we are concerned about these social ills and would like to empower our leaders and congregants to address these issues. Hence, we hope to partner with the ministry Social Protection to provide suicide and domestic violence prevention training for our pastors and congregants. We hope to launch a series of trainings sessions in September Strategic Outlook The strategic outlook is to develop GMBC to become a viable, selfsustaining denomination in the next two decades through: Developing the leadership capacity among clergy and laity by seeking and developing well-managed high quality training opportunities that are need-based, results-oriented, and financially viable. Working to ensure the continued integration of GMBC within the larger Guyanese community through its various ministries. Develop and encourage faithful stewardship and entrepreneurship in our various ministries to promote self-sufficiency and empower communities. Conclusion We pray that God will continue to empower us to be faithful witnesses to the Missio Dei (Mission of God). We also extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to Lott Carey for its ongoing partnership and financial support. We pray that God will continue to bless our partnership as we labour with God to build a better world through Christian missions. Touching Lives with Transforming Love 40

44 Annual Report Lott Carey Baptist Ministries of Kenya and Sudan Kericho, Kenya By Rev. Hezron K. Cheruiyot, Superintendent To the sisters and brothers of the Lott Carey family, kindly receive our report from Kenya and Southern Sudan for the year We send our heartfelt greetings and goodwill to you and the entire Lott Carey family in the USA. We are once again grateful to God for leading us to this year. We particularly thank Him for bringing you to us late last year and the fruitful time we had together. We rejoice to join you personally during this year s convention in Philadelphia. Short History of Lott Carey Baptist Ministries in Kenya Lott Carey Baptist Ministries was introduced to Kenya in 1986 by Rev. Hezron K. Cheruiyot. He was commissioned by the late Dr. Wendell C. Somerville and has since established churches, a clinic and women s programs. Lott Carey took over an existing secondary school in Londiani and managed it until 1992 when it was discontinued due to political interference at the time. The organization changed its thrust in It embarked on evangelism and church planting. The first church was planted in October 1992 at Kaborok, in Kunyak location. Initially there were five members. The church continued to grow in numbers. Today we can report that God has been faithful. We have closed to 3200 members in four counties. We have about 20 pastors serving the congregations in the various locations. During the last 24 years we have established three sanctuaries. The rest are worshiping in schools or under trees. Also through special support designated by churches, organizations and individual friends in the USA, we have established a clinic and widow s center. The construction of the facility to train the women is almost complete. 41

45 Objectives The objectives of the organization are derived from Matthew 28:8-20 as follows: To promote the kingdom of God through evangelism, teaching and observing all God s instructions for life. To promote and enhance human development, provision of medicines, economic empowerment, water and relief as in I Thessalonians 4:1-2 To create development models in education and community work through Christian teaching. Acts 19:9-10 To attempt, whenever possible to assist our brothers and sisters to achieve food sufficiency in agriculture. To be a voice to the voiceless by promoting social justice and gender equality. Justification As I stated at the beginning, Lott Carey Baptist Ministries earlier embarked on education and evangelism. We later included health care and women s empowerment. We also have a coffee plantation in Kaborok. This is indeed the uniqueness of our ministry. As far as I can remember, Lott Carey Ministry in Kenya is the only one of its kind. It is a ministry that encompasses all aspects of human development. Most foreign funded organizations only dwell on one thing. Most do church, HIV/AIDS or water singularly. Lott Carey does all these, and we are proud to be a useful organization in this regards. From our perspective, this justifies our presence. Impact It is difficult to quantify in any one way the impact of our work. In general terms, we have witnessed changes in the lives our people over the years spiritually, socially, educationally, and economically. Spiritually The numerical increase in our various congregations is a testimony to the vibrancy of our ministry. We take pride in the fact that our evangelism and church planting efforts have born tremendous spiritual fruit. The best way to gauge the spiritual impact of the Lott Carey work is in the dedication of the people on the things of God and their willingness to serve. Socially Just like anywhere else in Africa, Kenya has a lot of tribal animosities which have resulted in tribal wars in the past. Over the year, 42

46 our ministry has arbitrated on sensitive matters of tribalism amongst various ethnic groups in Kenya. Our pastors, elders and youth have rendered valuable service in reconciling communities. We thank God for their service. Educationally The Somerville Scholarship that was advanced to us 8 years ago enabled one of our youth, Zablon Marusoi, to graduate with a degree in nursing from Baraton University. Though we don t yet run a school ourselves, we have contributed monies to many children from poor families to support their children s educational progress. Our coffee plantation has been particularly impactful in these areas. We have used the proceeds to fund scholarships, support widows and orphans, and provide financial support for a church that we planted in South Sudan. Conclusion We have been in a forward march in this ministry. We have come too far to fail. We are in our 25th year, and we feel that we have nothing else to fear. We desire to increase in strength and quality in all of these projects. Our limitation is resources. But we have learned that God makes provisions in God s own way. We look forward to the new possibilities and partnerships that God will open for us. Touching Lives with Transforming Love 43

47 Touching Lives with Transforming Love 44

48 Annual Report Trinity Evangelical Ministry, St. Mary, Jamaica By Rev. Karl B. Johnson, Chairman Greetings The Trinity Evangelical Ministry (TEM) greets the Lott Carey Foreign Mission family during your 119th Annual Session. We extend warm greetings to your President, the Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Waller and the Executive Secretary-Treasurer, the Rev. Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley. Our prayers are with you for a meaningful gathering and with the wider United States of America in the aftermath of one the deadliest cases of mass shooting in the country s history. Be assured of our prayers also for your national elections in November. We trust that God s will shall be done. The Project and Its Context A brainchild of its now deceased visionary founder, the Rev. George Coore, TEM was intended to be a centre of empowerment, capacity building and development of God s special gift the human resource. To this end, TEM established an early childhood institution to provide a sound foundation for children between the ages of 2-6 years and a Skills Training Centre to give at-risk young adults another chance at life. The ministry takes place in a small rural community in Jamaica known as Retreat, in the parish of St. Mary. The community lacks certain infrastructural amenities, suffers from the absence of economic opportunities and is populated by persons who are often on the margins of life and society. With the unemployment rate in Jamaica at 13.5 percent (30 percent among young people), TEM is doing its best to meet the need that exists for skills and entrepreneurship training, especially among the young people to facilitate employment in Jamaica s growth industries: construction, hospitality/tourism and other service industries, as well as, for self-employment. Therefore, we provide education and training opportunities for poverty alleviation, employment creation and to address health issues among poor and marginalized youths and adults. 45

49 We deliver accredited Skills Training Programs through a partnership with the Human Employment and Resource Training Trust, the National Training Agency of the Government of Jamaica (HEART Trust/NTA). The current skills training program includes Food & Beverage Services, Front Office Agent and Villa Services with a planned enrolment of twenty (20) per skill area. The training lasts for nine (9) months and two (2) cycles of sixty (60) each can be enrolled in a calendar year. Training activities are the responsibility of a project coordinator and instructional staff (technical and soft skills). The hiring of instructional staff and monitoring of the training program is the responsibility of a Community Management Committee (CMC) with oversight given by TEM s Managing Director who provides status reports to the Board. Additionally, a Community Based Training (CBT) Manager employed to HEART monitors the project on behalf of that organization. Challenges / Opportunities The centre encounters a number of challenges largely because of socio economic realities of the eligible and prospective trainees. There is a high rate of student dropouts as a result of financial issues. The centre could benefit from support as follows: 1. The introduction of a sustainable income generating project, to generate income for the school. The current thinking is canned pickled vegetable (spices etc.), a cottage kitchen, or replanting and supplying palms plants. 2. Scholarships to assist with bus fare & lunch welfare. Most trainees dropout because they cannot afford lunch or bus fare. Any support to bridge this gap will positively contribute to a reduction of drop out and absenteeism. 3. The addition of more class furniture for seating and furniture for training. The centre has a well-built kitchen; however there is a lack of adequate kitchen appliances and equipment. The lack of furniture according to facility standards, has caused training and demonstrations to be limited. This adversely impacts training. Basic School Trinity Evangelical Ministries is desirous of embracing an early childhood institution. Some physical infrastructure in terms of a building and some furnishing are already in place. TEM is not in a position to operate the school, however, due to the requisite financial resources needed to support the project on a daily and ongoing basis. 46

50 Medical Mission & Vacation Bible School Vacation Bible School was conducted by a team of more than 30 Lott Carey Young Adults in July 2015 with an average of 200 children and adults in attendance. Their presence made a significant impact on the community and ministry of TEM. The effort was a great experience, and we thank Lott Carey and the various churches and young adults for partnering with us in this highly valued ministry. TEM and the community were deeply appreciative of this witness. A team of nineteen medical personnel from the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Charlotte, North Carolina conducted a medical outreach during the week October 19 to 23, The team comprised of general practitioners, opticians, dentists, dental hygienist, and nurses. At least one thousand, three hundred (1,300) cases were treated. A number of persons were given reading glasses. The effort was a huge success, and we thank Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and Lott Carey for partnering with us in delivering this well needed service. TEM and the community were deeply appreciative of the services offered. Special Project TEM is pleased to report that the opening and dedication of its newly constructed building to accommodate some aspects of its training took place on April 21, A debt of gratitude is owed to Lott Carey and its partners; Discovery Service Projects and the Progressive National Convention Eastern Region for making this project a reality. Dr. L. B. Jones, II, Pastor of the Pilgrim Baptist Church, Washington, DC, led a delegation that shared in a day of missions service and attended the April graduation and dedication of the new facility. Funding The ministries of TEM are largely dependent on funding support from Lott Carey for administrative management, support services and maintenance support (property, including buildings). Included are funds for statutory obligations/taxes, payment for consultancy services and fees for auditors; salary/stipend for the Managing Director, Accountant and caretaker, as well as travelling subsidy for Instructional staff. Impact The mission of the Trinity Evangelical Ministries is to transform lives, families and communities. The impacts of its ministries include improved employment opportunities, poverty alleviation, youth 47

51 empowerment and community uplift. The projects/ministries of the organization result in highly skilled, globally competitive individuals who can be employed, not only in Jamaica, but the global marketplace. Others establish their own businesses as entrepreneurs. Over the years, persons have been trained in the following skills: cosmetology, housekeeping, general office administration, food & beverage services, front office agent, villa services and early childhood education. Current skill offerings are food & beverage services, front office agent and villa services. Up to 120 persons can be impacted annually. The Trinity Evangelical Ministries continues to be grateful to Lott Carey for its partnership and financial support. We look forward to continuing and pursuing new ways of serving and transforming lives in this much needed part of Jamaica. Touching Lives with Transforming Love 48

52 Annual Report Baptist Convention of South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa By Rev. Tebogo Mulaudzi, President Your sisters and brothers of South Africa rejoice to extend our warmest greetings as you gather for the 119th Lott Carey Annual Session. Who We Are The estimated membership for the Baptist Convention of South Africa is 28,000. The BCSA programmes benefit different categories that are divided into Ministers and Spouses (MINSPO), Departments of Men, Women, Youth and Children and HIV&AIDS projects. The BCSA has churches in each of 12 regions distributed in the whole country. Some of the regions are located in provinces that are economically poor with high unemployment rates. This requires the BCSA to support them both financially and to physically provide technical support. BCSA supporting agencies are: a) Lott Carey Baptist Mission is our primary donor and enables the BCSA to ensure administrative and governance issues. The funds cover much of the infrastructure needed to ensure that the denomination is able to serve our churches. b) The European Baptist Mission supports the BCSA with several missionaries allocated in local churches to support specific projects such as Early Childhood Development, Centre for Abused Women called Ndawo Yakho, and HIV/AIDS projects. c) Bread for the World, a Protestant relief and development agency based in Germany, has funded the HIV/AIDS Desk for several years. The grant has now ended, and the BCSA is finalising the realignment of the BCSA objectives with the revised South African HIV/AIDS Strategic direction. 49

53 The Lott Carey funds ensure that the BCSA office functions optimally to be able to support the 12 regions, over 200 pastors and over 180 churches located across the 9 provinces of South Africa. Our Direction The Baptist Convention of South Africa (BCSA), at its 2015 Annual Assembly, adopted a Strategic plan The implementation process has commenced. Each of the Strategic objectives has been allocated expert functionaries to drive the implementation. Our Vision: Impacting Lives Our Mission: To impact lives in the power of the Holy Spirit by mobilising resources for proactive, effective and sustainable missions and leadership development working alongside organizations that share the same vision. Strategic Objectives 1. Enhancing Missions & Church growth 2. Leadership Development 3. Financial mobilization & sustainability 4. Strengthen Theological Education 5. Improve Branding, Communication & Marketing 6. Improve Internal Administrative management A Moment of Celebration We rejoiced to help host the Baptist World Congress in July 2015 along with our sister Baptist denominations in South Africa. This was a momentous occasion in which many of our Lott Carey sisters and brothers shared. This was the first time that the Baptist World Congress had met on the African continent. Its first meeting was in England in We further rejoiced in witnessing the induction of Rev. Ngwedla Paul Msiza as the President of the Baptist World Alliance. Rev. Msiza is the first African to serve as President of BWA since Rev. William Tolbert from Liberia ( ). Rev. Msiza also served as the founding Principal of the Baptist Convention College of South Africa and as General Secretary of BCSA for a decade. We are thankful for his gifted leadership in South Africa and the world. 50

54 A New Way Forward The total staff component of the BCSA paid staff is 12. The BCSA Head Office has a total number of staff 6. The Baptist Convention College has 3 staff members and the Thusong Training Centre has 3 staff members. The BCSA has since requested a missionary from EBM to assist the College with day to day financial administration. The missionary will also transfer skills to the current BCC staff. We are at the threshold of a significant move in the life of our Convention. The generosity of Pastor J. Michael Sanders and the Fountain Baptist Church, Summit, New Jersey, provided us with a spacious headquarters building over 15 years ago. Fountain Baptist House has been a wonderful home for us across the years and has contributed to our capacity to serve churches, the community, and our country well. In addition to the administrative and organization functions of the Convention, we have hosted training programs and community outreach programs in partnership with innovative and committed partners across the years. Changes in the community, economic distress in South Africa, and a realignment of our work has led us to conclude that we need to relocate to another location and consolidate more of our functions on a campus. We are grateful for the support of Fountain Baptist Church as we work to relocate the office to the campus of Thusong Training Centre where our Baptist College relocated in recent years. This will enable us to align more closely the support of churches with the development of leaders for our churches. We solicit your prayers as we work to undertake, with the technical assistance of Lott Carey leaders, this significant move to strengthen our work. Gratitude We are grateful to have received Dr. John M. Alexander, Jr., Lott Carey s Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Executive Secretary- Treasurer, Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley for a technical assistance visit last November. Since my election as President, we have been working to adapt our programming, funding, and staffing to be more faithful and effective. We look forward to the ongoing companionship of Lott Carey. You have been our anchor partner for 20 years, and we look forward to the new ways of collaboration in the years to come. 51

55 Touching Lives with Transforming Love 52

56 Annual Report Zimbabwe Theological Seminary Gweru, Zimbabwe By Dr. Henry Mugabe, Consultant and Dr. Chimeri, Dudzirai, Principal Summary Statement Zimbabwe Theological Seminary (ZTS) was born out of a serious concern for sound Theological Education in Zimbabwe and beyond. The opening of Zimbabwe Theological Seminary was aimed at making theological education accessible to all persons male and female, rich and poor who are called to the various ministries of the church and the society at large. Currently, Zimbabwe Theological Seminary is renting a two story building that was formerly a housing and construction company offices. Due to economic hardships in our country, Zimbabwe Theological Seminary is facing challenges in paying monthly bills which include rental fees, water charges, electricity, and salaries of our lecturers and staff. We believe that these monthly costs would be avoided if the institution can get assistance in building its own premises. The majority of students who study with our institution come from disadvantaged families. Therefore, ZTS is seeking scholarships to assist such students to acquire sound theological education. Part of our uniqueness is that students who cannot afford education in expensive institutions are accepted at ZTS. We groom them, and at the end they serve in churches and other institutions of higher learning. One of our distinctions is that we take care of the poorest of the poor. The foundation should provide funds because it supports the cause of ZTS. Mission Statement Zimbabwe Theological Seminary is a Christian institution shaped by Baptist tradition and piety, ecumenical openness, and social concern. Our mission is to glorify God by providing quality theological and religious education to prepare pastors, teachers, scholars and leaders 53

57 for empowering churches and societal transformation in Zimbabwe and beyond. The Seminary seeks to achieve this by developing students with, spiritually, intellectually and practically skilled hands for empowering churches and society in general. Vision Our vision is to make theological education accessible to all persons who are called to the various ministries of the church and societal-needs. Core Values 1. Intellectual Integrity (tough minds) 2. Spiritual formation (tender hearts) 3. Practical Ministry (trained hands) 4. Love 5. Justice 6. Respect 7. Excellence 8. Cooperation 9. Stewardship Our Context of Service Zimbabwe Theological Seminary is currently renting a two story building at 2154 Hull Road, Heavy Industrial Site, Bristol Road, Gweru. At this premise are offices, library and lecture rooms. Zimbabwe Theological Seminary is facing challenges in paying up monthly bills which include; rental fees; water charges, electricity, salaries of our lecturers and staff every month. The money that is being used for rentals could have been used for salaries and recurring expenses if we could source funds for building our own premises. The current economic situation in Zimbabwe is characterized by most people living below the total consumption poverty line (TCPL). Unemployment rates that followed the closure of most industries have serious adverse effects to the generality of Zimbabweans. Many people are struggling to sustain their lives. This trend has affected the education of the poor. Only the rich can afford to send their children to tertiary institutions and universities. Most of our students come from backgrounds that have suffered the vice of economic upheavals. As a result such students cannot pay for their fees. This makes us request for scholarships or grants to help in the education of the underprivileged students. 54

58 A major need that we face is that of owning our own facility. Without using resources for rental, we could apply funds for student support and staff compensation. This would strengthen our institution and enable us to focus on larger strategic priorities rather than our constant preoccupation with monthly fees and expenses. Securing a sustainable future would make substantial contributions to the life of ZTS. 1. Male and Female Students would benefit more. Zimbabwe Theological Seminary does not discriminate based on gender. Female students are not easily accepted by other theological institutions, and they are given equal opportunity with male students. Women and men who graduate from our Seminary will serve as pastors in local churches of different denominations, minister as chaplains in the police, military and prison services, and the majority and have gone to teach in primary and high schools. 2. The Marginalized/Disadvantaged would benefit more. Zimbabwe Theological Seminary does not discriminate based on socio-economic class basis. Students who come from disadvantaged families and who cannot afford tertiary education are accepted at the seminary. This theological education for all socio-economic classes will transform their lives, and these once dependent students will become bread winners in their families. 3. Churches and other organizations would benefit more. Besides training pastors who are making great developments in their churches, we have a number of our students who are called to serve in different fields. Examples of the diversity of ministries our graduates engage include: HIV/AIDS ministries, non-violence conflict transformation, and counselling programs and services. 4. The whole Zimbabwean community would benefit more. Our seminar supplies different ministries with service providers. Some graduates are appointed through the national Ministry of Education to serve as primary and secondary school teachers. Some serve through the Ministry of Higher Learning and Tertiary Education as lecturers. Others work as chaplains in ministries of home affairs, defense, and health. Former students also work in social and child welfare and non-governmental organizations. 5. Other Christian Communions would benefit more. ZTS does not train Baptist ministry leaders only. Many churches are also benefiting from our ministry. For instance, Anglican priests are trained at our institution as well as students from African Initiated Churches. 55

59 Responsible Personnel for Carrying Out the Project The responsibility of carrying out the project is rested on the shoulders of the Board of Trustees and the Seminary Faculty and Staff members. Board of Trustees Members Chairperson: Mrs. M. N. Tswana; Vice: Rev. D. Mkandatsama; Secretary: Rev. M. Chirovamavi; Vice Secretary: Dean A. July; (the Dean of the Anglican Cathedral) Mr. P. Katsuro; (Chairman of the Busines Department, Bindura University) George Kabvure; (Accountant) Mrs. W. Nyambudzi (President of Deborah Ministries) Ms. D. Shirichena (Lawyer) Seminary Staff Dr. Chimeri, Dudzirai, Rev. Mgovo, Henerieta, Rev. Mususa, Jotaly: Magara, Gracious; Rev. Mudzidzi, Phillip, Rev. Tariro Zhou Impact The quality of education that we give has impacted persons positively and changed the lives of many of our students and their families and the community at large. We have personal testaments of students who were idle in the community but who now add value and are respected in their communities. This theological education has transformed their lives, and these once dependent students are now bread winners in their families. We are grateful to the support of the Lott Carey family for the ministry that we share in Zimbabwe. Economic, public, and religious challenges impact the environment in which we serve. There is still much work to be done, and we are confident that the Lord will help us to continue to nurture young men and women who are responding to God s call of ministry as vocation. We look forward to how our partnership will continue to touch and bless students, their families, their places of ministries, the communities where they live, the country and beyond. 56

60 Annual Report L Union Strategique des Eglises Baptistes D Haiti (Strategic Union of Baptist Churches in Haiti) St. Marc, Haiti By Rev. Marc Pierre-Louis, President We greet the administration, members, and friends on the occasion of the 119th Annual Session of the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention. We have enjoyed a renewed partnership between Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention Baptist and L Union Strategique des Eglises Baptistes D Haiti (Strategic Union Mission Baptist Church USEBH) in Haiti for the past 15 years. We have a long history that goes back to the early 1900s, but the relationship was interrupted because of the national political difficulties of the last quarter of the 20th century. Through this partnership, Christian family members of Lott Carey in the US provides economic support to the Christian family of Lott Carey of Haiti that contributes to the development of evangelical and social work. This partnership is a source not only for Christians. It is also for Haitians without distinctions who receive a share of aid for the education of their children and also to meet their medical needs. Haiti is suffering from the effects of global warming. We are receiving almost no rain. Haiti is a mountainous country where farmers rely heavily on the fallen rain for their crops. Everyone is expected to survive from the harvest of food. But when there is no rain, there is not harvest. This is the case in several departments. Things are various serious for the people of Haiti. We ask that all of you to think of us in prayer or otherwise. This will make it better for us. The working field of the Strategic Union of Baptist Churches of Haiti spans three counties where 24 churches, 51 pastors and preachers are responsible through this partnership in: 1. The Department of Artibonite, which is almost in the center of the country 2. The Department of Nippes, which is south of Haiti 57

61 3. The Department of Sud Est which neighbors the Dominican Republic Our priorities are: 1. To preach the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ; 2. To plant churches to bring souls to Christ; 3. To open schools and help families send their children to school; and 4. To help families to send their sick children to the hospital. Four of our churches sponsor schools. 1. Pastor Jacques Joash is responsible for the school in the Nippes department in Southern Haiti. 2. Pastor Aniel Jovin is responsible for the school at Siloam Baptist Church, Plato Monneron in the mountains of Southern Haiti. 3. Pastor Pierre Louitan is responsible for the school at Saul Baptiste Baril in Nippes Department. 4. Pastor Daniel Duclair is responsible for the school in Beraca Baptist Church in Sud-Est department. Partnership health We minister to a health center in Saint-Marc, Artibonite, which is almost in the center of Haiti. Lott Carey s support has helped us to better combat several diseases such as: 1. Cholera is still in the country as 2. 2 Tuberculosis, 3. HIV / AIDS 4. Chikungunya 5. Zika 6. Parkinson There is a great need for the installation of latrines in the area near our headquarters. Neighbors do not have enough means to meet this need by building toilets. As a result, there are increasing rates of risk of cholera. Partnership of Aid There are many needs for benevolent assistance that we meet with this partnership. We helped with the funeral of one of our pastors, the funeral of one pastor s mother, and the funeral of another pastor s father. One of our pastors was kidnapped which required our help. We have had to assist with surgery for one of our members, by helping one of our pastors who had a fire at his home, and helped scores of children and adults with food assistance. We have provided assistance for students to attend traditional schools from eight families. 58

62 About The Annual Program of the Mission USEBH Dr. Joel Dorsinville has been a good liaison for us. He was the speaker during the General Assembly of During this time we consecrated four pastors. Dr. Dorsinville gave the exhortation for the brothers. Pastor Dorsinville is a good and hones man. Theological Education We hold seminars for theological education for our USEBH works. The seminars contribute to the progress of the spiritual work for each church. As our pastors and preachers grow in knowledge, they will help members of the churches in their spiritual development. We look forward to Dr. Dorsinville helping us to grow in the area of spiritual progress in the churches through theological education. We receive annually pastors and preachers for the seminar. Recently, we have also had others to join. They are pleased to have the privilege of studying the word of God and growing in knowledge of the Bible. Partnership USEBH Reconstruction Field Six years ago, the devastating earthquake causing deaths, injuries, and a lot destructions of houses and churches. Since that time: 1. Union Baptist Church Miragoane in southern Haiti is reconstructed. They now have a wonderful temple. When to USEBH thanks to LCBIMC could offer its assistance micro Reverend Pasteur Jacques Joash 2. Siloam Baptist Church led by the Reverend Pastor Anniel Jovin Plato Moneron in the mountains of the small Rivière de Nippes in the south of the country has also been rebuilt. Headquarters Construction USEBH / LCBFMC have collaborated to build a headquarters of Strategic Union Mission Baptist Churches of Haiti. The new headquarters serves as the office for the mission, place for a cook, and space for a chapel that hosts meetings of the pastors, seminars, and training for people to evangelize people wherever they find themselves. Partnership for a USEBH Field Birthday White Rock Baptist Church was built in the 1040s under the leadership of the executive secretary-treasurer, Dr. Wendell Clay Somerville. The church was funded by African-American Christians in the United States. Land was provided by White Rock Baptist Church, Durham, NC. The Church turned 70 years old. 59

63 I spoke during the program and traced the history of the Lott Carey, who was born a slave, was converted, bought his freedom, and served in Africa to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the land of his ancestors. This building was built under the supervision of Rev. Dr. Boaz Harris, missionary and pastor of the church at the time. Departures for the blessed eternity 1- Reverend Felix Boucher of Macedonia Baptist Church in Little River Nippes in southern Haiti, he was aged Reverend Christian Airey aged 75, formerly of the connection between Lott Carey Baptist Foreign assignment agreement of Little River Nippes in southern Haiti 3- Rev. Lebert Laporte of Lalor Baptist church in the mountains of the Little River Nippes in southern Haiti, he was age Anne Dieudonne Pierre Louis, Mrs. Marc Antoine Pierre Louis Mission President of Strategic Union of Baptist Churches of Haiti, she was age 82. Beneficiary Of Another Term I was born in I became President of the Strategic Union in 1988 when I was 63 years old. In an election held in my absence, I was elected to another term as president of the mission. I was elected unanimously, although I was not present at the time of the election. The following is the new committee: Rev. Pierre Louis Marc Antoine, Président Reverend Arthur Saint Marc Cyr, Vice President Reverend Jordonne Wilfris Treasurer Reverend Louis Elange, Secretary Reverend Joseph Sob, Member Reverend Boucher Edner member Reverend Jacques Joash member Finally, all the Christians of the USEBH thank all of the Christian family members of the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention that regularly share their daily bread with us. The Strategic Union of Baptist Churches in Haiti say thank you. May God bless continually the Lott Carey Family. Pray for our churches and pastors White Rock Baptist Church Kadye Church St. Marc St. Marc 60

64 Bethlehem Baptist Church Bethel Baptist Church Bethany Baptist Church Bethack Baptist Church New Jerusalem Baptist Church Salem Baptist Church Salem Baptist Church Beraca Baptist Church Union Baptist Church Macedonia Baptist Church Bethlehem Baptist Church Redemption Baptist Church Union Baptist Church Saut de Baril Baptist Church Baptist Church Lalor Baptist Church Fond des Liane Baptist Church Javel Baptist Church Macedonia Baptist Church Pelerin Baptist Church Lott Carey Baptist Church Jn Denis Villard Ch des Cloches St. Marc Desdunes Grand Berard Dulcas Thiotte Miragoane Petite Riv. Nippes Paillen, Miragoane Fod des Negres Miragoane Petite Riv. Nippes Platon Moneron Petite Riv. Nippes Petite Riv. Nippes Petite Riv. Nippes Petite Riv. Nippes Jn Denis Leogane Grace Plus! Touching Lives with Transforming Love 61

65 Touching Lives with Transforming Love 62

66 Annual Report African AIDS Initiative International Addis Ababa, Ethiopia By Elleni Gebreamlak West, President Needs We Address An estimated 793,700 people were living with HIV in This includes 200,300 children. There were approximately 45,200 AIDS related deaths in 2013 and about 898,400 AIDS orphans in the same year. The prevalence varies according to age, sex, gender and geographical location. According to the 2011 Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey (DHS) adult prevalence was almost twice as high among females compared to males at 1.9% versus 1.0% respectively. The distribution of HIV prevalence also varies by age, peaking earlier in females in the years age group compared to years in males. Looking at the younger age groups it can be seen that young women have a two to six fold higher HIV prevalence than young men (ranging from years: 0% males vs. 0.2% females to years: 0.1% males vs. 0.6% females). Marked variation in urban rural prevalence is also reported in the 2011 DHS with urban areas showing a seven fold higher HIV prevalence compared to rural areas (4.2% versus 0.6%). Ethiopia has some of the highest rates of violence against women in the world. Violence against women has its roots with gender disparities where women play a subordinate role in decision making at household and community level. Among other negative consequences, violence against women inevitably compromises their ability to negotiate safer sex. The most common and universally occurring form of gender-based violence is that perpetrated by a husband or other intimate partners. Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey (DHS)in 2011 documented that 61.6% of the women had experienced at least one incident of sexual violence in their lifetime and 55.0%, had done so at least once in the past 12 months. It also documented that 68.4% of women believe that a husband is justified in beating his wife for least one specified reason. Vulnerability of women and girls to HIV infection results from biological, social, cultural, economic, legal and other factors that 63