Dave Guiles, executive director of Grace Brethren International Missions (left) and Dr. Francois Ngoumape (right), who directs all the Bible colleges and seminary in the Central African Republic, spent more than an hour sharing with the pastors attending the East Focus Retreat the vision for a doctoral-level program in Bangui, along with expanded plans to train more pastors, evangelists, and youth leaders for African churches.
Currently there are about 2,400 Grace Brethren churches in the C.A.R., but only 900 trained pastors. Several opportunities were presented for American churches to get involved either in sending their pastors to teach short-term courses, or to adopt African pastoral-training candidates and their families through their seminary and Bible school years.