Purpose
The purpose of Chimala Bible College is to further train and educate the leaders of the church in Tanzania, and the surrounding nations. And to give and equip the young leaders of the church with the knowledge needed to stand firm upon the scriptures, against false doctrine, and able to take the gospel to a lost and dying world.
The Chimala schools admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin.
Needs
We would like to thank those who have donated to purchase needed equipment and supplies for Chimala. Right now we feel we have almost everything we need to make this new project a success.
However, we do continue to need individuals or congregations willing to support preaching students at Chimala Bible College. Right now we have a list of 30-35 young men from Malawi and Zambia who desire to join the college in January, 2008 in order to increase their Biblical education and training. In order to pay for their student visas and immigration fees we need to raise about $150.00 per student. We also need to raise about $100.00 a month to pay for their school materials, shelter, food, medical care and a little pocket money. If you are interested in helping a student please contact Howell Ferguson or Randy Gray at: chimalarandy@att.net
History
The roots of Chimala Bible College came into existence in 2004 when Ralph Williams from Terrell, Texas visited the Church at New York Avenue trying to raise support for his work with Bear Valley satellite schools. The leadership with Chimala understood that many in the church in southern Tanzania desired further training and Biblical education, and at that time Ralph was contacted to see if he could set up a meeting with the appropriate persons to perhaps start the Bear Valley program in Chimala. Within a couple weeks David Hamrick, Gary Fallis, and Ralph Williams associated with Bear Valley, met with Bill Stinson (elder at New York Avenue), Robert and Heath Stapleton concerning establishing this program in Chimala. Then, slowly, from there we continued to have meetings in the States, and then in late 2004, David Hamrick, Gary Fallis, Howell Ferguson, Ralph Williams, Jim Gragg (elder at NYA), Bill Stinson, and Heath and Darrin Stapleton, met several times in Chimala, laying the foundation for the establishment of this work.
During those meetings it was determined that $30,000.00 would need to be raised for certain construction, and Lord willing the school was to officially start in March 2005. At that time Howell Ferguson, who had become the Coordinator and Academic Dean of the Chimala branch, and Gary Fallis made a second trip to Chimala, to officially start the graduate program, with a total of four students: Bernard Kulanga, Joshua Mwakyasima, Jason Stapleton and Clint Brown. The idea was that Gary Fallis would work to get these four men academically qualified to teach at the undergraduate program before it would officially start in September 2005.
Our prayers were answered quickly in late 2004 and the money for the construction was raised faster than we ever imagined. The construction then started and was officially finished in September 2006. The undergraduate program started in October 2005, with 12 students.
Howell Ferguson
Howell Ferguson is the academic dean of the Chimala Bible College and its stateside coordinator for the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver. Howell, a native of Memphis, TN and his wife Mary of Montgomery, AL have three children, Sarah, Seth, and Nathan. Howell has been a gospel preacher for 23 years and has done local work in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky. The Fergusons also served as foreign missionaries in Arusha, Tanzania in East Africa for a little over 3 years, returning in April 2003. While in Arusha, Howell taught regularly in the Andrew Connally School of Preaching. Howell is a 1984 graduate of Memphis School of Preaching, and received his BS degree in Bible at Freed-Hardeman University in 1992. Currently he is pursuing a Masters degree from Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver and plans to graduate in the Spring of 07. Howell has also worked in foreign schools and campaigns in India, Panama, and Ukraine.
Howell's role is part of a larger goal of the BVBID of establishing 75 schools of preaching around the world in the next 50 years. The foreign extension preacher training program is under the oversight of the elders of the Bear Valley church of Christ, Denver, Colorado. These men strongly believe that training local brethren in sound doctrine to become strong church leaders, preachers, elders, evangelists, etc. is essential to producing autonomous, self-supporting, and self-propagating churches around the world.
Howell's duties involve overseeing the academic operations of the Chimala Bible College, preparing and teaching short courses in the Chimala Bible College and other foreign extension schools, raising funds for student support, textbooks, etc., coordinating trips for short course teachers, updating BV elders, director, and extension director, reporting to supporting churches, recruiting new supporters, and publishing a monthly newsletter. Howell plans to make on the average of five over-seas trips per year. Bear Valley also has other schools of preaching in Kramatorsk, Ukraine; Arusha and Moshi, Tanzania; Panama City, Panama; Lima, Peru, and has plans for more schools in Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, India, Romania, Cambodia, and St. Vincent. For more information visit Bear Valley's website: http://www.bvbid.org .