Togo, West Africa
For $60 monthly for a period of one year to cover tuition.
Thompson Chain Bibles in French are needed for each graduating student at a cost of $59.95 each.
This is a program to help the school meet its costs (student aid, water, electricity, repairs).
Seminary level teaching on campus for a period of two to four weeks.
The school was begun in 1971 by Southern Baptist missionaries. In 1999, the school was turned over to the Togolese to operate. At this time, there are 39 students and their families from seven French-speaking nations in attendance there. For the French-speaking Baptists, this is the only French Baptist theology school except for going to France or Canada. The tuition for a student is about $60 per month.
One thing we are going to do is advertise this need so that maybe an individual or a church might want to sponsor a pastor student for one year. Another thing, the churches in Togo have begun to take up a one-time offering which they call the Theological Club in which a church volunteers to give a particular sum. We felt this could be a good project for our churches, Sunday School classes, or for various individuals, too. For example, a one time gift of $25 a year, $50 a year, $100 a year, $200 a year, $300 a year, etc.
Upon graduation, the school tries to present each student with a French Thompson Chain Bible. There might be individuals who would like to make a donation toward this effort.
A pastor or teacher could teach theology on the campus for two to four weeks. There is a small apartment for a visiting professor. In addition to the cost of traveling to Togo, there are some small costs including local transportation, food, utilities, house boy, etc.
The reason I recommend that we partner with this school is the fact that the
main leadership for Baptist churches in all these countries will come from this
school, unless they go outside Africa for training. This school
is doctrinally sound in Baptist beliefs. It not only prepares the students intellectually,
but requires each student to have field work in a local church, which benefits the
Togo Baptist Convention, especially in new church planting. The school also provides
a center for all the leaders of the different countries to know each other, helping
to create a uniform Baptist doctrine across the scope of the Francophone countries
. Without missionaries there, this school will be important to guard our churches
against heresy.