Among our African class in Greece we have students from many different countries. One particular student is Emanuel from Ghana. He has lived in Athens for many years and has held leadership roles in his local church. He had sensed a call to pastoral ministry and was eager to begin the TLI classes when they started in January of 2012. After taking the first three courses, he went back to his Ghana to visit family. Upon going to his home church, he told his pastor that he was taking theological training classes in Athens. He happened to have his “Biblical Theology” student workbook with him. His pastor was so happy to see the maturity in Emanuel that he invited him to preach the very next Sunday.
Emanuel was nervous as this would be his first opportunity to ever preach and he would be doing so in front of many friends and family members. (In sharing about this occasion, Emanuel pointed to a pulpit and said, “I had never been behind one of those before and I was nervous!”) But the Lord impressed upon him to put together a message based on something which he had learned in the Biblical Theology course. At the close of the message, three people repented of their sins and placed their faith in Jesus Christ! Emanuel shared with us that he had heard later in the year that each of them was baptized, and he gave God the glory to have been able to be used by the Lord. Emanuel exhibits a very strong teaching gift and an eager mind to grow in his theological understanding for the purpose of ministry.
