Chalmers Center Equips Churches in West Africa
“It is an eye opener. We [have] read the Scriptures but did not know one could apply them the way we learned in this Institute.”
This is just one comment from the 77 participants of the Chalmers Center’s Christian Economic Development Institute (CEDI) that took place in Ghana, West Africa, in June. Delegates came from all over the globe, traveling from Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Congo, Togo, Benin, Zambia, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Burundi, Senegal, Canada, and the United States.
Chalmers’ CEDIs are weeklong training events that equip participants to implement church-centered, holistic economic development strategies in their communities.
“The goal is for them to leave equipped with the models and tools to enable their churches to implement empowering word and deed ministries among poor people in their communities,” said Brian Fikkert, executive director of the Chalmers Center.
Participant evaluations from the June event were overwhelmingly positive, with 100 percent saying they would recommend the training to others. One participant from the Ivory Coast has been teaching the CEDI content to dozens of churches and indigenous missionaries upon his return, some of whom are already using his training to train others.
“Chalmers is, by design, a research and training center rather than an implementing organization,” said Fikkert. “We believe these poor churches in West Africa have the capacity to conduct ministry on their own without the Chalmers Center doing it for them.”
To learn more about the Chalmers Center or CEDIs, visit www.chalmers.org.
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