January 2021 Update

January 2021 Update

Since my last update a lot has happened. I arrived safely back in Minneapolis for Julie’s birthday and a Covid Christmas. I have spent much time in January preparing for the coming semester. I am teaching three courses, one at our Mpls campus and two zooming into our Yaoundé campus. I’m teaching Greek Exegesis of Ephesians both in Minneapolis (10am Mpls time) and in Cameroon (3am Minneapolis time!!!). I’m also teaching a course called “M*ssions and the Local Ch*rch” to our students in Yaoundé (6am Minneapolis time). Though I prefer face-to-face-in-the-classroom teaching, there are some advantages to the students for a zoom class. My objectives in the m*ssions class are to help our students:

• pray with insight and passion for the advance of God’s Kingdom among the unreached and less reached peoples of the world, especially Cameroon and the surrounding countries in west and central Africa.

• understand and articulate the biblical foundation of m*ssions

• understand and articulate the outworking of God’s purpose in m*ssions history and the task remaining

• learn from and be inspired by m*ssionary biographies

• understand the role of a pastor in stimulating and leading his flock in the cause of cross-cultural m*ssions

To accomplish these objectives we have guest lecturers from the western world and national leaders from around the world who will join our zoom classes from time to time. (If you want to see the syllabus I would be glad to send one to you.)

Another big highlight that happened in January is that our church plant, Eglise Baptiste Bethléem, now about 4 months old, has begun their first membership class. Lord willing, there will be 50 charter members joining soon. Many more are attending. 

Lord willing, I plan to return to Cameroon this summer to participate in a Simeon Trust preaching workshop, teach a summer intensive to our MDiv students which we hope to open up to other pastors and Christian leaders in Yaoundé, and then accompany Dieudonné to Togo for a pastors conference. Togo is two countries west of Cameroon. Everything is a bit unpredictable with COVID still on the loose. I am so grateful for God helping me to get the 10 year residency permit which permits me to return to Africa without a visa even if the borders remain closed.

I have been asked how our support is coming in. We are officially at 92% of our monthly support. This is due to God causing all of you to pray and leading so many of you to give. If God is leading any of you to help bring us up to 100% we will continue to be stunned at his amazing provision. To support us, simply click here.

Please pray for:

1. God’s help for the students and for me and the three other professors teaching this semester—pray especially that I will be alert and ready for the 3am and 6am teaching.

2. Our monthly support to reach 100%.

3. The new members of Eglise Baptiste Bethléem to wholeheartedly enter into and embrace the membership covenant.

I am so grateful for each of you as you partner with us in this work in Cameroon. If you have any questions, suggestions, and personal prayer requests, please don’t hesitate to contact me at tom.steller@trainingleadersinternational.org.

For more info on the big picture: tomsteller.com