June 2020 Newsletter

Greetings,

I love this image. You have probably heard the saying, “One beggar showing another beggar where the bread is.” A Methodist pastor from Sri Lanka coined it in the mid-twentieth century. It depicts the humility I long to have as a teacher of God’s Word. You may also have heard of the term “Theological Famine Relief.” This relief is needed all over the world and Cameroon is no different. Ever since living there with my family in 1990-91, I have felt a special burden to do what I can, as small as it may be, to help alleviate the famine in Cameroon. People are starving for simple but profound God-centered gospel teaching from God’s inerrant Word, lived out in human epistles. What joy to be associated with the work of establishing our very humble Bethlehem College & Seminary extension site in Yaoundé and to have the privilege of serving with Dieudonne and Dominique Tamfu. If you don’t know the back story, please poke around in the website that is beginning to take shape.

Please pray for me. I’m still full-time at Bethlehem, but in my spare time I have already begun the support raising process for my transition to Training Leaders International. Many of you are among the growing number who are jumping on board with me in prayer and/or financial support. I cannot thank you enough. I have a month of vacation stored up that I plan to devote full-time for sharing the vision and intensifying the prayer and financial support raising. Some support has come in, but I have a long way to go. If you know of any churches or individuals who may be interested in leadership development in Africa, please connect me with them. Even with all the speaking engagements and personal meetings that have been postponed because of the pandemic, I am still hoping to transition from Bethlehem to Training Leaders International in August. Of course, the timetable is in the Lord’s hands.

Highlights from Cameroon:

1) The first elder was set in at Eglise Baptiste Bethléem, Yaoundé—a historic moment!!

2) The first-year cohort completed their second semester of their MDiv Program, successfully enduring the complications of the COVID-19 restrictions in Yaoundé.

So grateful for your partnership,

Pastor Tom