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World Bible Institute
Inside this issue
Inside Story ................................. 2
Inside Story ................................. 2
Inside Story ................................. 3
Inside Story ................................. 3
Inside Story ................................. 4
Inside Story ................................. 4
Inside Story ................................. 4
Special points of interest
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New WBI Extension School in Ivano-Frankivsk is Off to a Great Start A lack of funding did not stop students from attending the first class of the Western Ukraine WBI extension. The school began quickly because so many students eagerly anticipated starting their studies. Howell Ferguson and I traveled to Ukraine in October of 2016 to explore the need for a school, and we quickly realized just how useful this school could be. In most cases, we need a year of preparation before the first class even meets, but these brethren were so eager that they wanted to begin in January 2017. We have so many opportunities to see new congregations planted in Western Ukraine, but the lack of preachers who speak Ukrainian has hindered us.
In the above photo, you can see three men and three women who have enrolled in the
Ivano-Frankivsk school to prepare themselves for work in God’s kingdom. Andrew,
setting in the front with a blue sweater, is a licensed attorney. He was baptized in 2009,
and he his wife desire to establish a congregation in the neighboring city of Yaremche.
Yaremche, a city of over 10,000, was established in the 18th century and is less than an
hour from the school. The city’s hospital has donated a building and land to the church of
Christ. The hospital’s generosity stems from generous gifts to the hospital from American
congregations (including gifts of x-ray machines and furniture). No congregation currently
meets in Yarmenche, but Andrew hopes to change that with the help of the Ivano-
Frankivsk congregation. Pat McIntosh, Howell Ferguson and I will all be teaching in the
school in February.
—Dr David Hamrick, WBI President
February 2017
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the direction of the eldership
of the McDonough church of
Christ in McDonough,
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country, it is second in wealth economically with a GDP of $12,900 and is politically peaceful.
Interestingly, I made use of my first “Uber” transportation experience, and I stayed in the same facility used by the
earlier campaigners, a place called the International Conference on Arts, Education and Social Science (ICAES).
The accommodations were very simple but clean and adequate for short stays and very affordable.
With Rafael translating, we began our meeting by
introducing ourselves. I outlined the objectives of
a WBI extension school, what a typical school
looks like, and how a school operates. In return,
the preachers explained the religious and political
climate in Costa Rica. Rafael explained the issues
within the approximately 55 churches of Christ in
the country; many congregations have problems
with Pentecostalism and error on marriage,
divorce, and remarriage affects a much smaller
number.
A highly positive quality of Costa Rican churches
is their financial ability to do much for
themselves. WBI’s purpose in establishing
extension schools is to create self-supporting, self-
leading, and self-propagating schools; the sooner
schools can depend upon themselves (not
independent from God), the more permanent and
effective these schools will become in teaching and promoting the gospel of Christ. As an example, the Coronado
church of Christ not only has bought and paid for their land, but they also are currently making mortgage
payments on their building which is currently being expanded with new classrooms
“WBI’s purpose in establishing extension schools is to create self-supporting, self-leading, and self-propagating schools.”
Howell Ferguson Report
After months of careful planning, I
was able to visit Costa Rica. Rafael
Barrantes of the North Jackson
church had met on many occasions to
talk about the need for a new
preacher-training school in his native
country. More than 10 years ago,
Rafael, Katia, and their children
began a Hispanic ministry at North
Jackson. Rafael has also led
campaigns and served as a translator
for English-speaking preachers for
North Jackson in Spanish-speaking
countries. In early January, he led a
campaign to Costa Rica. As a
convenience to Rafael, I scheduled a
four-day visit beginning the day the
campaigners were leaving.
The next day, Rafael and I met with
three preachers from the San José
area. We met in the San José suburb
of Coronado, in the building where
Eduardo Rodriguez Compos
preaches. Two other preachers,
Geovanoy Astorga Castro of the
Pavas church and Ricardo Salas Mata
of the Rivcon de Salas congregation,
also attended.
About four million people, most of
whom are Catholic, call Costa Rica
home. As a Central American
2
A New Congregation Rises
A new congregation
now stands in Grants,
New Mexico. Welcome
Metro Grants church of
Christ. We are meeting
every Lord’s day at
3PM at #840 Lubbock
Ave. Unit 15, Grants,
New Mexico 87020.
Evangelism is now
going in our city. We
are reaching out to
people and preaching
the gospel through
“Rescue Evenings, the
Podcast” every night
from 9PM to 11PM.
You can login to
mixlr.com/
rescuebroadcast.
Meanwhile, inactive
members from a
congregation that
turned liberal are being
visited to let them
know that we have
established the Lord’s
church in Grants.
Much more research will have to be conducted before we attempt to move
forward with such a program. But all indications are that a new WBI extension
school would attract a full regiment of students with a handful of experienced
preachers willing to increase their educational qualification and make
themselves ready to teach. Your prayers, interest and support will help in a
large and vital way for the future planning of such a training program.
3
The church building in Coronado
Ivano-Frankivsk Report from Howell
Ferguson
WBI-IF director Ivan Skoleba treports hat WBI-IF classes started on schedule January
16th, and that the classes are well underway. Eight students are presently enrolled, and
that’s about what we expected. Our first (and only) meeting in Ivano-Frankivsk took
place in September of 2016 and the first day of class took place on January 16; this is a
very short time to envision, discuss and begin a new extension program. So far, so
good! We thank God for directing our steps (cf. Prov. 16:9). And we pray His hand will
continually be with us.
David Hamrick will be teaching the first short course, “The Church,” during the week
of February 13 – 17. Pat McIntosh will be traveling with David to teach a masters level
course on the book of Daniel. The purpose of offering masters classes is to qualify the
instructors to be able to teach undergraduate level courses. The long-term purpose, of
course, is ultimately to turn WBI-IF into a self-taught and self-propagating program.
After David completes his class, I will be traveling to Ivano-Frankivsk February 20-24
to teach the second undergraduate course, “Life of Christ.”
Inside Story Headline
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David Hamrick,
Howell Ferguson and I
recently attended the
Freed-Hardeman
Lectures to promote
WBI and recruit
graduate students.
My travels will take
me to Ghana at the
end of April to begin a
WBI graduate school.
Many students around
the world wish to
further their education
with graduate degrees.
I continue to research
accreditation and seek the best way for WBI to receive appropriate academic
standing.
Research also continues on the best way to implement an online counseling
degree program.
Naturally it will take time for WBI-
IF to grow and develop itself to full
potential. With only two instructors,
Ivan Skoleba and Volodya Didukh,
there is a great need for American
short course teachers to fill the gap.
That is one of my many goals for the
year. As time and opportunity avail
themselves, and as interested
students graduate, we will be able to
add new talent to the teaching pool.
Accordingly, we also ask that you
please pray for, encourage, and
support this new extension school as
it moves past its infancy to becoming
a haven from confusing man-made
religions and an effective resource of
true biblical teaching. May its effects
be far-reaching to the saving of many
souls!
The photo below shows the graves of
soldiers killed in the Ukrainian
conflict, a reminder of the necessity
of winning souls.
4
Dr. Pat McIntosh Report
“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15)
Right now, when you donate to World Bible Institute,
your donation will be DOUBLED up to $35,000 by
generous supporters of the cause of Christ. Donate
today, see your blessing doubled, and play a role in
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could change the population of heaven!
Visit: donatenow.worldbibleinstitute.com to make your
tax-deductible donation.
I made it to Surrey church of Christ in Canada! We
have been planning this for a long, long while but now
it is history!
The Empowered Heart Series lectureship hits Surrey
church of Christ last July of 2016. Two weeks of
encouragements for the brethren of Surrey church,
leaving them with a great challenge to open a Bible
School and do evangelism through internet
broadcasting.
The best part of this trip is the fellowship I had with
this congregation which is now my home in Canada.
Thank you to the elders of Surrey for the very warm
welcome. Special thanks goes to the house-hold of bro
Joey Bautista for serving as my gracious host. Let me
thank also my family in Canada. Thank you brother Vince Genabe and Sister Shiela Genabe. It was a great
reunion seeing your family. Thanks to my niece Pearl and her husband Daniel and Quino too!
The members of Surrey church are really awesome! You deserve to have your own Bible School which you can
pass on to the next generations of Christians in Canada.
The Empowered Heart Lesson Series left with three baptisms and huge challenge to continue serving God with a
BIG HEART for evangelism. See you again sometime!
5
Double Your Blessing
Empowered Hearts Seminar in Canada — Edwin Bacani
WBI will soon have a series of Bible class curriculum appropriate for early
teens to adults. Each 13-lesson series, written by a member of the WBI
staff, will expound on God’s truth in an easy-to-read and practical manner.
We pray that this effort will richly bless the Lord’s people. For my own
part, I am writing series of lessons tentatively titled The Badge of Love, a
look at what Scripture says about whom and how we should love.
As the Director of Technology for World Bible Institute, I want to see much
accomplished in this new year. I anticipate enlarging our social media
presence by launching into different platforms. As we increase our visibility
across a spectrum of media, I earnestly pray that we will take the expertise
of the WBI staff and make that knowledge readily available in down-to-
earth, practical ways. We, after all, long to see the borders of the kingdom
increase, and we constantly seek new ways of doing so.
Justin Imel Report World Bible Institute
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