My Last Moment in My 40 Year Pastorate at Bethlehem
This has been a roller-coaster season as I have wrapped up my “staff” pastoral role and move into my role as Director of Theological Education—Cameroon with Training Leaders International. I will miss my normal pastoral responsibilities at Bethlehem (though I will continue as an elder at the church and a professor at Bethlehem College and Seminary), but I welcome the freedom to focus the lion’s share of my time on helping Dr. Dieudonne Tamfu and his wife, Dominique, establish Bethlehem’s MDIV program in Yaounde. We want to go as deep as we can into God’s Word in the original languages with a small number of highly motivated students while also serving as a hub for multiple efforts to do theological and pastoral training in Cameroon and beyond.
As you can expect COVID has impacted the missions world in ways too numerous to recount. But I recently received an email from the Cameroonian Embassy that gladdened my heart.:
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cameroon to the United States of America, H.E. ETOUNDI ESSOMBA, hereby informs the general public that the Embassy will resume the issuance of entry visas to Cameroon as of Monday June, 22nd, 2020.
I hope I can meet the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Cameroon some day!
I will begin teaching “Intermediate Greek Grammar” on August 24 through zoom and then, Lord willing, I am hoping to spend a month face to face with the students in November. Please pray that:
1) God will keep this door open and I will be able to travel to Cameroon in November;
2) Dr. Tamfu, Dr. Ndzi and I will be filled with God’s Spirit as we teach the 1st and 2nd year seminarians who will be studying with us this academic year;
3) God will continue to touch individuals’ and churches’ hearts to partner with me in prayer and monthly support. Praise God with me that about 50% of my monthly support is pledged. Bethlehem has kindly chosen to help me transition for several months until my full support is pledged and then continue to support me as one of the church’s global partners.
For more information, please visit my website.
Thank you for your interest, your partnership and your prayers!
Together with you in the Greatest Cause,
Tom and Julie Steller