In June we reported the presence of the Chadians, Pastor Felix and Lay Minister Benjamin, in the launch of the next stage of the work in Rwanda. They held a training event in Chad recently, just as they had hoped and planned, and we caught up with Felix.
Felix, can you give some brief background to the Anglican Mission in Chad? It comes under the diocese of North Africa, correct, so is more of a missionary focus, is that right?
The Anglican Church in Chad was born in 2007, thanks to Nigerian traders living in Chad, specifically in the city of Moundou, who decided to gather to pray with the Anglican liturgy. In 2011, a second church was created in N’Djamena. Originally placed under the Anglican Church of Nigeria, the Church of Chad has long struggled to have missionary momentum and local impact. With the creation of the Province of Alexandria, Chad has come under the diocese of North Africa together with Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritania and Libya. Under the leadership of Bishop Anthony, the Church of Chad is really gaining missionary momentum.
How did you come across BUILD and why did you think it might be helpful for your work in Chad?
We have long expressed the need for the training of the clergy of Chad. With the current momentum in mission, it is imperative to find a training curriculum that would take into account our socio-cultural, political and economic realities. This is when Bishop Anthony offered us BUILD training, which corresponds exactly to what is needed for the training of clergy and missionaries.
Your situation is very different to many of the situations BUILD has been used in – with fewer and more scattered leaders – how have you adapted the approach to training and what have you done so far to get going?
The situation of the training of the clergy of Chad is very complex. The deacon and priests ordained in Nigeria have not received any pastoral training, nor have our missionaries for the most part. Added to this, we have around ten new churches that are led by lay people who also need training. The level of study these servants of God have achieved is also very variable. We have therefore decided to consider all these parameters, but also by defining the establishments of the new churches in the coming year to select our students.
How many of you gathered together for the first training event, from what groups of people and areas, and for how long? Can you describe the gathering?
During the first training we retained a list of 25 people including 5 women and 3 students from Cameroon. We also received 3 free auditors. The students came from several regions and different ethnic groups. The training took place in N’Djamena and lasted 2 weeks. All students were housed together at SIL. The courses were taught in French.
And you had done that French translation work, Felix, impressive. How did people respond to the training? What encouragements and challenges can you report?
All participants expressed their total satisfaction with the training. For the clergy seeking training, BUILD is an answer to their prayer. For new missionaries and lay people, it is a tool that allows them to improve their work. The delegation from Cameroon is totally satisfied and hopes that this training will be used at home to help other clergy because for them BUILD is the solution to meet the many challenges facing the church in Cameroon.
You mention Cameroonians in the mix – who are they and from what churches?
The delegation from the Anglican Diocese of Cameroon was composed of a priest, a deacon and a lay person. All three lead churches. We also had a free auditor from the evangelical church.
Finally, were there any particular skills and topics and truths that were particularly relevant and important to people?
Participation and enthusiasm were the same for all themes. However, students at the end of the training expressed their satisfaction with the quality of the exercises in the documents. This BUILD session also allowed us to work on the Anglican liturgy during morning prayers and evening services.
Thank you Felix and many prayers as you move forward with translation and training by faith.
