Home page for the “Evangelical Baptist Mission” in Namibia

 Laban Mwashekele’s National Mission Reports and Global Massive Researches

 
Introduction 

Welcome to the Website of the “Evangelical Baptist Mission” in Namibia, under the leadership of Laban Shitundeni Mwashekele, an Elder Pastor of our local Evangelical vision and global Reformed mission at the Evangelical Baptist Church - Monte Christo, Windhoek in the Republic of Namibia, from the 30th of June 1995. Pastor Mwashekele and his dear wife meHileni Panduleni Ndona and their five children have been involved in Mission with Armenian Baptists in Namibia since 1985, and then turned a Calvinist Baptist in 1991/2. He and and his wife are graduators of Baptist International Theological Seminary, King William’s Town; Republic of South Africa, where they were trained between 1990 and 1993. They assisted Grace (now Pilgrim) Baptist Church, Katutura, Windhoek in 1994, until they had finally incited the idea of starting the “Evangelical Baptist Church” [EBC] with its nine main ministries, and they are currently engaged with these nine ministries [Monte Christo Ministries], named after the place where this church is located, these Ministries are:
1.Monte Christo Mission Ministries
2.Monte Christo Training Ministries
3.Monte Christo Research Ministries
4.Monte Christo Editing Ministries
5.Monte Christo Face to Face Community Marriage Counseling and Heart to Heart Church Members Consolidating Ministries
6.Monte Christo Local to Local Reading Materials Dishing and Region to Region Resources Distributing Ministries
7.Monte Christo’s Prayers for Great Awakenings and Preparation for Gracious Visitation of our Genial God Ministries
8.Monte Christo Man and Marriage Ministries
9.Monte Christo Baptist Students Ministries

The goals or objectives of the above mentioned Ministries are

1.   The glory of God - glorifying God and make him glorified

2.   The salvation of many souls [advent]

3.   The reformation of many churches

4.   The purity of Christian church members

5.   The revival of nations

6.   The making men and women disciples of Jesus Christ regardless of nation, tribe and language

7.   The bringing joy in the lives of many people

8.   The preparation for the coming King

9.   The vivacious expectation and eagerly waiting to be gathered around His throne

1.      Monte Christo Mission Ministries

The “Evangelical Baptist Church” [EBC] - Monte Christo, Windhoek, Namibia; is a Church born for local Evangelical vision and global Reformed mission. In the beginning of 1995, immediately after her birth, she took a spiritual journey through the book of the Acts of the Apostles [1:1—28:31], led by her pastor Laban S. Mwashekele, under the theme: “The great work of God in the hands of a small church.” As result, she was impregnated with a local biblical vision for global biblical mission.  After nine spiritual months, she gave birth to a son and named him “Evangelical Baptist Mission” [EBM], a Monte Christo [Local Church] Mission Ministries; our main “Focal Field Force.” Monte Christo Mission Ministries are meant for
 
a.   Starting other local churches through preaching, teaching and pastoral counseling and care
b.   Disciples and matures new converts part of many means that helping them to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and into church membership.
c.   Selecting and training church leaders, and church elders to fulfill and accomplish the great commission which has been entrusted into her hands. See point No 2, under Monte Christo Training Ministries. She does not only start churches and train all church members, church leaders and church elders to grow into that meant end, but she also
d.   Giving financial support to maintain herself, her mission and missionaries in and around her community, country and continent
e.   Constituting mature churches to an autonomous life, so that they can be to self supporting, self propagating and self governing independent local Churches
 
To EBC - Monte Christo, mission is part of her life and her life is part of mission. Just as God’s glory is the center of her life and her life the center of God’s glory, so to her, mission and life are fellow comrades in battle fighting for God’s glory and souls’ salvation. She took mission cogently and wholeheartedly. To her mission is all what matters in this life. All other things are but pure pleasure. To her mission is life and life is mission.

2.Monte Christo Training Ministries
Monte Christo Baptist Institute [MCBI] is a Local Church Training Ministries of the Evangelical Baptist Church [EBC] – Monte Christo, and EBC - Monte Christo is fulfilling her Training Ministries in three levels
 
a. Discipleship Training Ministries [Local Level], which she does through House to House Ministries led by church elders and many other ministries like
 
* Sunday School level 1 and 2 - led by Carlos Simao
* Youth Group - led by Zeca Antonio
* Choose to Wait Group - led by Julia Bahun
* Family Bible Hour -  led by Church Elders
* Mondays’ Church Prayer Meetings, and Fridays’ Church Fellowships and Breaking of Bread etc - led by Church Elders.
 
b.  Leadership Training Ministries [Regional and National Level]. She fulfils this through her Saturdays’ 9h00am to 11h00am’s English School of Theology led by Baddy Bahun [local Pastor for our local Church] and Sundays’ 15h00pm to 18h00pm’s Osiwambo School of Theology led by Laban Mwashekele [Elder Pastor for local Evangelical vision and global Reformed mission].
 
c. Elderal/Pastoral Training Ministries [Sub-regional and Continental Level]. To meet her third set aside standard, the church refers her qualified candidates to Sovereign Grace Theological Seminary [SGTS]. SGTS is a Ministry of Sola 5 and Sola 5 is an Association of God-centered Evangelical Churches in Southern Africa. Or to Grace Ministerial Academy [GMA]. GMA is an International not accredited Institute [although for high learning] backed by UK and USA Baptist Scholars, arrived recently in Southern Africa’s countries, especially in Zambia and Namibia.
 
EBC - Monte Christo is not alone in mission. She belongs to a body of people who think like her in Evangelical principles, Reformed policies and Baptist practices. The emphasize in all three mentioned entities is to disciple all believers,  train all God called and send them into either Public Ministries [to go and serve as Christian Teachers, Christian Nurses and Christian Medical Doctors or Christian Engineers etc]. Or sent them into Peculiar Ministries [to go and serve as missionaries, pastors or elders etc]. In our case, our main aim in training leaders and elders is to equip our members, in all three levels and qualify them:
 
*  To be able to handle God’s word with the right or the left hand, like the mighty warriors who came to David at Ziklag from the tribe of Benjamin [1Chronicles 12:1-2]
*  To know the times and what to do with times like the wise men of the tribe of Issachar [1Chronicles 12:32). To her, it is not enough to be able to handle the sword and know the times, but we – as a church, has
*  To be precise as to when must we thrust the sword [God’s word] and where. Soldiers do not just shut; they know when, where and at what they must shut.  We - as a Church, do need to know what to do with times, tenths and talents, and be acquainted with what to do with these great gifts given by our genial God. Africa needs men of regenerated hearts and renewed minds to shape its current people and mold its future generations for God.
 

3.Monte Christo Research Ministries

Reformation of the Foundation of the Namibia Nation [RFNN] is a Monte Christo Local Church Research Ministries, coming habitually as regular Lessons shaping Christ’s people, and molding genuine generations for God. These ministries have been handled at and sent off from the desk of the Evangelical Baptist Researches in Namibia, meant to bring massive information, leading to biblical reformation and radical transformation. The ministries are dealing mostly with reading, rethinking and writing materials to answer crucial and current questions of life and faith in Namibian and African context.
 

There are three recent findings, as a result of this massive research, these three findings are:
 
a:  Grace to the Nation, a biblical Journal; heading to Reformation, seeking Revival and expecting Renewal of minds and hearts of the Namibian nation, packaging Christian Magazines, CDs’ MP3s’ DVDs’ containing sermons and other lectures on Christian and related doctrines etc. 
b:  God’s genial Generals, a studying, meditating and writing on the lives of those who have gone before us, men “…who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, whom out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battles and turned to flight the armies of the strangers…” [see Hebrews 1:33-34].
c:  Great times, great talents and great tithes, a research done and tabled to provoke Africans on the three subjects mentioned, with a purpose to promote time keeping [by time we do not refer to watches, for God did not give us watches but time, the precious gift in life], talent using and tithe giving assignment among the people of God called Africans. Africans have been spoiled by those who have gone before us, who taught us to be more receivers instead of being givers, job seekers instead of being job creators.
 
There are many reasons why we do researches at EBC - Monte Christo; our three main reasons out of tens if not hundreds which had been leading us are
 
*  Biblical and theological contexts.
*  Anthropological context [a study of human nature and culture in the context of a particular society, at a peculiar time and place or acculturation]
*  Situational and adoptable contexts etc.
 
In every grammar, you interpret every alphabet in the light of its vocabulary, every vocabulary in the light of its sentence, and every sentence in the light of its paragraph, while every paragraph in the light of its book and every book in the light of its subject [the subject may be biology, mathematic, or theology]. Our researches are less grammatical contextual. In dealing with these matters, we focus more with biblical contextualization, where you have to interpret every Bible word in the context of its passage, every passage in the context of its book and every book in the context of the whole Bible. For example, the laying on of hands mentioned in 1Timothy 5:22, where we read:
 
“Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.”
 
This passage should not be seen as a healing text. It is an ordination passage, referring to elders ordaining other elders in a local church [see 1Timothy 1:3; 3:1-13; and 5:17-23]. We do also have anthropological contextualization, where we have to understand or help every person in the context of his community, every community in the context of its country and every country in the context of its continent. Then we have situational or occasional contextualization like weddings, funerals and birthdays. We don’t handle these occasions equivalently. For example, we do not cry at weddings or celebrate at funerals, neither are we commanded not to cry or to not celebrate. The Bible has commanded us to Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15)
 

4. Monte Christo Editing Ministries

Local Information for regional and national Reformation meant to bring continental and global Transformation are other Ministries, called Monte Christo Local Church Editing Ministries, these ministries are intended to keep the Namibian nation accountable to God. It is an editing of Sunday morning sermons, and re-preach them at
 
1.  The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC). The first editing ministries is a re-corded sermons, which are broadcasted Sunday mornings in a program called “The Day of Repentance is Today,” a program many a times followed by callers’ questions and preachers’ answers in an NBC program called “What does the Bible Say” following on Sunday Evenings. The evening program is a life program.
2.  Channel Seven Christian Radio on marriage counseling – see our 5th Ministries called “Monte Christo Face to Face Community Marriage Counseling and Heart to Heart Church Members Consolidating Ministries.”
3.  Omulunga Radio on variety of messages. So we are not just active but effective. Unfortunately, the language of our Radio Programs is Oshiwambo. Although pastor Laban has been occasionally expounding Christian Worldview in English TV and National Radio [refer to English programs]; we are still praying, and do it with confidence and great hope to have other doors opened for other language programs to serve other languege group in Namibia and beyond.
 
What interest us mostly are biblical influences which we input into our nation. Countless phone calls have been coming in from all over the country. People have been asking questions about biblical life and faith, approaching us for counseling and pastoral care. Remember, this is not pastor Laban’s ministries, but EBC - Monte Christo’s Editing Ministries. How does it work? Well, every person who comes to EBC - Monte Christo with a vision has to hand it over to the Church and it becomes ours. So pastor Laban’s vision and EBC - Monte Christo’s have been married for 15 years now, and that marriage of our two visions has been growing massively deep within us. The arrival of Buddy and his wife Julia is more interesting. Buddy and Julia came with their unique gifts, which in turn become ours too, since with them they do not serve themselves, but God’s church as whole; like all other gifts given from above to but serve the body of Christ. Every member of EBC - Monte Christo is involved in this marriage in one way or another, directly or indirectly. It must make sense to those who wanted to know as to how we ended up with many mission stations all over the country, covering our eleven regions. We have only Okavango and Caprivi Regions which we not still to reach out to and touch. Yes, we are already working out plans through payers to reach there. God has been on our side all the way, we do not force ourselves in his plan, but wait upon him to invite us where is at work. Ours is but to wait and watch, we stand readily like soldiers on the battle field, waiting to hear where trumpet shall call.
 
One of the good examples of reaching out and touching other places, is of some non-Christian business women, who went to Rosh-Pinah, about 900km from Windhoek in 2005 to sell their goods, and found our influences (name and ministries’ effect) there. So what happen, they ended up returning to Windhoek, to seek the presence of our Church there. When they found her; they gave their lives to God through her. They were immediately discipled, baptized, and trained [through our House to House and other Ministries], and they returned to Rosh-Pinah as members of EBC - Monte Christo. In their arrival, they started doing House to House Ministries too. How do children learn? They do learn by the examples of their parents/teachers etc. So they went on teaching other women, until some men joined them, and later took over the leadership. At the time of writing this Home Page, that fellowship has grown into EBC - Mount Tabor, with male leadership leading the church. She is named after Mount Tabor of Judges 4:1 fvs, because of the courage of these two women. Where were our men? Well, they were debating as to whether women are useful to God or not.
 

5.   Monte Christo Face to Face Community Marriage Counseling and Heart to Heart Church Members Consolidating Ministries

Defending a Home, which is the Foundation of the Nation, and a Church - the Pillar and Foundation of the truth [1Timothy 3:15], are Monte Christo Face to Face Community Marriage Counseling and Heart to Heart Church Members Consolidating Ministries [a what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder]. All of our agencies, including community marriage counseling and church members consolidating, as we said earlier; are face to face mission and heart to heart ministries, rather than head to head manipulations. These biblical teachings about community marriage counseling and church members consolidating are sometimes broadcasted in Channel 7 Christian Radio twice a week. Such ministries are there to defend a Home - not a house but a Home; which is the Foundation of the Nation and Church which is the Pillar and Foundation of the truth [1Timothy 3:15]. We make sure that God’s plan for marriage is safeguarded, and that every Namibian is kept accountable to God. We speak clear and louder about these issues, although many times we accused, frightened and confronted by strong opposition. On the ground that God had spoken, and the Bible had sealed God’s unchangeable word with this inscription; “…what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder…” [Matthew 19:1-12]. We make sure that, our minds are rekindled with God’s word and about these issues, and hearts armed with the life of faith rooted, grounded and established in this great commandment and global commission.
 
Seriously speaking, there is nothing hurt a godly man or woman more than seeing a Home [a place where Children – the nation of tomorrow and future leaders; are born, bred and brought up] being destroyed by all evil. The influences and forces of this world do not only want to over-flood the Church. Fortunately, she is defended by the presence of her Master and Lord Jesus Christ through the active and effective life of God the Holy Spirit. But these evil forces had forcefully drawn the Home with no one defending it. In the African continent alone:
 
a:  Men are won with wealth, wine and sophisticated wisdom of this world. So man is no longer head of his Home but beheaded, he is mentally ill and spiritually dead, even if he is there, he is but a rubber stamp - good for nothing.
b:  Women are won with beauty, loveliness although finally, they have been betrayed; they are over flooded by the influences of this world and ended in vast confusion, knowing no longer whether she is still a woman or turn into manhood. As a result, a nation did not only lose its fatherhood of man, and it has lost the motherhood of woman.
c:  Children are won with peer pressure, passion for entertainment and pollution of their minds and hearts. They have lost their God given vision [and even the very manmade vision 2030] and where there is no vision people perish [Proverbs 29:18].
 
For sure, something must be done. True Christians must stand as instruments in the hands of their holy God to defend the home. Just as Christ has been defending the Church [his bride and kingdom], under the influence of his Head - God the Father: so, man must stand to defend the home [his bride and empire] under the influence of his Head - Jesus Christ. It is a pure heresy if men emphasize only sex at the expense of marriage and bossing women and children at the expenses of loving them, protecting them and appreciating them in a God given covenant relationship. Men and here we refer to male persons, must be counseled to see the secret behind the God given Institute called Home. Men must know that, just as
 
*  Adam had paid the price to have Eve taken from his side to be his life-mate
*  Christ - the second Adam, had paid the price to have his bride [the Church] taken from his side and cost him blood and life
*  Man too, must pay the price to maintain his God given gift, that precious home [his bride and empire]. 
 

6. Monte Christo Local to Local Reading Materials Dishing and Region to Region Resources Distributing Ministries

On the ground of the above mentioned headings, we sound a trumpet to alert the nation about the danger of self, sin and Satan. This is a compulsory rule. We are busy preparing individuals under EBC – Monte Christo; and join them with “Local to Local Reading Materials Dishing and Region to Region Resources Distributing Ministries” to defend the elect from all ungodly elements. This is another department in our Focal Field Force. In these Ministries which EBC - Monte Christo is heading, we believe that, every person has to hear God’s word as soon as possible, to believe it if he is predestined to, and live it if he is ordained for that end [Acts 13:48]. We hold to the truth that every individual who is saved is saved from something unto something. We refuse maintain empty words, which includes salvation from nowhere into nowhere, grace without cost and defined faith, defined love or defined hope without demonstration of these general attributes. We refuse to be servants of no Master. For we know that we are saved
 
a:  From self to service
b:  From sin to sanctification and
c:  From Satan to savoring our Savior Jesus Christ
 
We believe that, nothing can move things for God, apart from God’s ordained means of grace. Nothing can break things through and enter the innermost to accomplish and bring an unexpected result without God’s ordained arrangement and an unwavering organization. A. W. Tozer is much helpful in this regard. He said:  “…I am and have been for years much distressed about the tendency to over-organized the Christian community, and I have for that reason had it charged against me that I do not believe in organization. That truth is quite otherwise… He said:
 
“…The man who would appose all organization in the church must need be ignorant of the facts of life. Art is organized beauty; music is organized sound; philosophy is organized thought; science is organized knowledge; government is merely organized society. And what is the true church of Christ but organized mystery? … Many church groups have perished from too much organization, even as others from too little. Wise church leaders will watch out for both extremes. A man may die as a result of have too low blood pressure as certainly as from having too high blood pressure and it matters little which takes him off. He is equally died either way. The important thing in Church organization is to discover the spiritual balance between two extreme and avoid both[1]…”
 
No man is worthy to succeed in business, politics or education until he is willing to fail. No man is morally worthy of success in religious activities at home, in church or in state until he is willing that the honor of succeeding should go to another if God so wills. We cannot break through if we fear to organize, timid to face facts or fear to live a life of faith grounded in God is a spiritual suicide. In Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 we read:
 
“Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth. If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie. He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.”
 
For these reasons, EBC - Monte Christo had adopted a habit of dishing material in attempting great things for God. We are entangled in what we call “Local to Local Reading Materials Dishing and Region to Region Resources Distributing Ministries. We do not profess to be wealthy individuals, the materials and resources we refer to are not tens or hundreds. We refer to second hand book, as long as it is a good material, biblical in nature, reformed in shape, and cultural transforming in action. It must just be well targeted and well directed. If you were given one bullet to go and hunt, left children starving for food at home, what would you do with that one bullet? You should not play with it or shot it in the air for fun, but target the object, and make sure that you are focused on it before you pull your trigger. So we focus on local to local missions and region to region ministries, by that we refer to our communities, countries and continents. Of course referring to
 
*  All the way from beyond Orange River to yonder Kunene and from Atlantic Ocean [Wal vis Bay’s Hub] to yonder Zambezi. As far as the continent is concern, we speak of
*  The entire journey from Cape up to Cairo and from Senegal to Somalia. Remember we stand on the shoulder of those who have gone before us. Man like David Livingstone, a Scottish Missionary and Explorer who discovered Zambezi River and Victoria Fall between 1813 and 1873. Dr. Livingstone had made a paving statement, in answering questions related to the development of Africa, when he said: “Africa needs Africans who understand its content and context, to penetrate into its cradle, neuter its younger generations and breaks holy horn to oil African young hearts and minds and enable them to develop their own continent to high degree … ” Expecting something of this nature, we are attempting it therefore to a high degree. We labor to open a horn of God’s oil and oil every aspect of the Continent with holy oil through divine aspect [the presence of God the Holy Spirit] through human means including our prayers and planning, preparations and preaching, pastoral ministries and people’s responding to God in obedient lives of faith until Africa is loosened again and enabled to function as she was in early centuries when she demonstrate her capabilities in social and moral, educational, political and financial welfare
 
[1]Aiden Wilson Tozer: Tozer on Christian Leadership, A 366 – Day Devotional, Compiled by Ron Eggert, Published by Christian Publication, commanding on July 11
 
We are aware that, Africa was the first developed continent and well shaped face of the earth. Due to this truth, as Dr. Thomas C. Oden put it in his book which he named: “How Africa shaped the Christian mind … rediscovering the African seedbed of Western Christianity:” we table facts in order to remind you about the following:
 
*  “The two river: the Nile and the Medjerda [the seedbed of early Christian thought]
*  “The seven ways Africa shaped the Christian mind, one of these seven ways is ‘the way Western idea of Universities was born in Crucible of Africa.’”
*  “The blood of African Martyrs which became the seed of European Christianity…[2]” etc.
 
Upon the three above mentioned point, I can add many other evidences, including the fact that Africa has:
 
*  Saved the lives of many patriarchs, including that of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, not mentioning many good kings from many Eastern nations including that of Israel, and even our Lord Jesus Christ has been a refugee in African soil.
*  Cradled future leader like Moses, nursed and educated them in all wisdom of Africa [see Acts 7:20-22], until he become the first writer of the first five books of the Bible [if any continent has to be guilt of initiating education that led to the first print of what we call the Bible today, that continent must be Africa].
*  Translated the Old Testament from Hebrew language to Greek [a translation called Septuagint Bible] through the African Institution of High Learning. It is said that, it was translated by 70 African scholars within seventy days. These men –although Nilotic languages speaking [languages developed along Nile river long before Judaism and Christianity came to Africa]: they were fluent in Hebrew and Greek languages. Nilotic were interior African languages largely unaffected by Mediterranean cultures, which became the major linguistic vehicles for grassroot Christianity in the middle of Nile valley. Alexander was clearly the main connecting point between Nilotic Africa and the rest of the world.
 
From the other angle: One has to remember that, many men and women who were in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit descended from heaven were of African origin. The Bible tells us that they were religious people who had come from every country in the world [the known world of that time]. It says: “…they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak. There were Jews living in Jerusalem and religious people who had come from every country in the world. When they heard this noise, a large crowd gathered. They were all excited, because all of them heard the believers talking in their own languages. In amazement and wonder they exclaimed, "…these people who are talking like this are Galileans! How is it, then, that all of us hear them speaking in our own native languages? We are from Parthia, Media, and Elam; from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia; from Pontus and Asia, from Phrygia and Pamphylia, from Egypt and the regions of Libya near Cyrene. Some of us are from Rome, both Jews and Gentiles converted to Judaism, and some of us are from Crete and Arabia---yet all of us hear them speaking in our own languages about the great things that God has done!" [Acts 2:4-11]
 
So Dr. Thomas C. Oden is right when he said:
 
“Africa played a decisive role in the formation of Christian culture from its infancy. Many of the most decisive intellectual achievements of Christianity were explored and understood first in Africa before they were in Europe and millennium before their way to the America. Christianity did not come from North to South [from Europe to Africa] but the other way around.[3] Remember the three brothers [three sons of Noah], that, it is
 
*  Sam who occupied what is called Asia today
*  Ham had occupied Africa, while
*  Japheth had occupied what is called Europe/Americas of our days [read Genesis 10:1-13:2].
 
This story is telling us how people of Africa and the people of Asia had something more in common than any people in the face of the earth [although one cannot speak of Christianity, science, history and many other subjects and limit them to his locality or culture alone. These are universal subjects dealing with universal life and faith. Even the God of these things is not local or cultural God. He is the God of the universe, who can unite Africa to Asia, Europe or to America. Think of cellophanes, internet, airplane and many others technologies, they are not limited to locality or culture, they belong to all of us and are there for our good ]: for reasons related to these, even 
 
*  Abraham [son of Sam] has to go to Egypt [to the sons of Ham]; an African country, for survivor [see Genesis 12:7afvs] a brother helping brother
 
[2] Dr. Thomas C. Oden (Ph.D., Yale): A general editor of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture and of the forthcoming Ancient Christian Doctrine series on the Nicene Creed. “How Africa shaped the Christian Mind.”  The way western idea of universities was born in crucible of Africa
[3] Thomas C. Oden: How Africa shaped the Christian mind, Intervarsity Press [Wolrd Wide Web: www.ivpress.com]
*  Jacob and the whole family had to come to Africa too and reside here for 430 years [see Genesis 46:1afcs in the light of Exodus 12:40-41]
*  All the Israelites, rich and poor alike, together with the king and army officers, left and went to Egypt [Africa], because they were afraid of the Babylonians [see 2Kings 25:22-26].
*  Jesus went to Egypt [Africa] for his safety … for after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and said: "Herod will be looking for the child Jesus in order to kill him. So get up, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt and stay there until I tell you to leave" [see Matthew 2:13]. We have no time to mention …
*  The gospel has been gladly accepted in African continent. Although in many cases African people’s hearts has been ill-treated and gospel seed has been ill-planted in an ill-prepared ground. 
*  Ethiopian Eunuch was also an African man [see Acts 8:26-40] 
*  Apollos who was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scripture was a native of Alexander in Africa also [see Acts 18:24-28] etc.
 
Dr. Thomas C. Oden has gone further to say:
 
“The unrivaled library of Alexander was the model for university libraries all over Europe. It was unexcelled for five centuries. The experimental academic model that later became transformed into the Western idea of the university was an embryo in the community that surrounded Alexander library. Is it not proper to say that the European university was born in Africa? If not born, at least [it was] conceived [in Africa therefore]. The vast learning community of philosophers, scientists, writers, artists and educators that surrounded the Alexandrian library of the third century provided the essential archetype of the University for All of medieval Europe. The history of the first medieval universities such as Padua (Italy), Paris (France), Salamanca (Spain) and Oxford (England) all follow the methods of the text examination, curricular pattern and philosophical imperative that were refined in second century African Christianity as early as Pantaenus and Clement of Alexander. Clement’s writings, the Stromateis and Paedaogus, reveal much of the method and content of education that became normative in the medieval universities…[4]” 
 
If I had time and space in these pages I could tell you that Cassiodorus had founded his Scriptorium of school in the sixth-century south Italian Vivarium [a monastery] based on the models that had been well-tested in Alexandria two centuries before he found them operational in Constantinople. The academic community in Constantinople, still located in the physical residence of the University of Istanbul today, was patterned after academic communities and libraries in Cyrenaica [Libya], Alexandria [Egypt], Carthage [Tunisia] and Hippo [Algeria] … Christian scholarship was born in the leading academic center of the ancient world, and that is: Alexandria. That vital crucible of learning was itself transformed by Christianity and exported to Rome, the Rhone Valley, Byzantium and Antioch etc.
 
As Dr. Thomas C. Oden put it, he said:
 
“That is only the first step in unpacking the African seedbed hypothesis … there are many others steps … ”
 
One may want to know immediately as to what make us to write about Africa in these pages? He or she may want to know whether we are promoting Pan Africanism or what is the agenda behind the article? The answer is a straight forward one.  We are defending biblical Christianity from anyone who wants to make it  equal to his ethnicity on one hand and assist our fellow Africans who want to become Christian but afraid of become Easterners or Westerners first on the other hand: of course, we write to dismiss the propagandas of some Western missionaries who come to Africa with hidden agendas. We pen this article to make issue clear, and state that Christianity is not a Western or Eastern property, although she can save Africans, Westerns and Easterns equally. Yet, she has neither anything to do with Western philosophy, Eastern Ideology or African culture. She is a pure God-appointed and God-sent Agent on this planet called the earth. As a result any Westerner can become a Christian without become an Easterner, Easterners can become Christians without becoming Africans and Africans can become Christians without becoming Westerners or Easterners at all. Let me you tell more about Africa
 
*  The Hebrew Old Testament was initiated in the way from Africa by graduator of African Institutes [Acts 7:22] in 1500 B.C. and was later translated into Greek [LXX] in African continent by African scholar in 285-246 B.C. [we have been told that, LXX was translated by 70 African scholars within seventy days]
*  The Institutions of Africa had played a major role in shaping a people and molding generations for God, among whom most of our Church Fathers were part and parcel, among them we can list

*  Tertullian of Carthage – who was among the first African theologian, under Western Church [150-212 A.D]

*  Origen of Alexander – who was another African theologian [185-254]

*  Cyprian of Carthage, who was a giant in northern African churches [200-258]
[4] Dr. Thomas C. Oden (Ph.D., Yale): “How Africa shaped the Christian Mind” page 43-44

*  Athanasius Bishop of Alexander and pillar of Orthodoxy theology [296-373]

*  Aulelius Augustine, a Bishop of Hippo [354-430] who became and Father of Europeans and American theologians, to whom Dr. Martin Luther and John Calvin had learned lessons of Reformation and owed great respect.
In other words, Christianity has a much longer history in Africa than it has in Western world since A.D. 50 to A.D. 500. Just as South Africa was able to host the 2010 World Cup, so Africa has been hosting Judaism and Christian Religion for decades: Read David Barrett, Rodney Stark or Philip Jenkins or our own colleague, Father Lukas Kaluwapa Katenda, of the Anglican Diocese in Namibia in his article in our magazine called “Grace to the Nation” to see and learn unwavering lessons. All of these men had confessed that Europeans and Americans are cautiously realizing that the future of Christianity lies far more to the south of the equator than to the north.
 
Dr. Thomas C. Oden is too sure about this, as a result he said:
 
“When I speak of ‘early Christianity’ I am referring to all the early forms of Christianity in the first millennium in the four billions of square miles of Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, and possibly further south than we now know.” He said; “the geography of the continent shaped the fact that African Christianity first appeared north of the Sahara in the first millennium, and then its second millennium saw exponential growth in the south. Both north and south have been blessed by an enduring heritage of centuries of classic Christianity. Early Africans Christians spoke many indigenous languages and were not limited to the major commercial language along the Mediterranean coast.” He said: “Cut Africa out of the Bible and Christianity memory and you has misplaced many pivotal scenes of salvation history. It is the story of the children of Abraham in Africa; Joseph in Africa; Moses in Africa; Mary, Joseph and Jesus in Africa, and shortly thereafter, Mark and Perpetua and Athanasius and Augustine in Africa.”
 
So the story of the nation of Israel and that of Jesus Christ cannot be told without Africa involved. Most of biblical Christian apologetics were African born, brought and bred. The narrative of Africa and Asia are Egypt to Judea, Samaria to Antioch.  Follow the story of Nile River in Africa and Don River in Asia to see that, Mediterranean Sea is our main belt. The old City of the first century world were Rome [of what we call Europe today], Antioch [of what we call Asia today] and Alexander [of what we call Africa today], although Alexander was larger than either Rome or Antioch, in those days, Africa has more other well-known places like Nilotic, Berber, Libyan, Numidian, Ghanian and many other places if we have to go back to prehistoric times. Today you still have leading cities in Africa, which had replaced Alexander, that include; Nairobi of Kenya, Cairo of Egypt, Logs of Nigeria, Johannesburg of South Africa etc. It is a sign of ignorant and lake of proper research to conclude that, Christianity is a Western religion. If we were to take this Ideology to International Court of Justice, to find out as to which is the guiltiest continent which God had mostly used in initiating the Bible and Christianity, Africa will be in forefront, Asia second and Europe third. Do not forget that North America is the branch of what we call Europe today. America does not have their own original or Identity, apart from England.
 

So we “Evangelical Baptist Mission in Namibia” had all right to introduce our “Local to Local Reading Materials Dishing and Region to Region Resources Distributing Ministries” all the way [countrywide] from beyond Orange River to yonder Kunene and Atlantic Ocean [Wal vis Bay Hub] to yonder Zambezi: continentwide, we dish and distribute them all the way from beyond Cape up to yonder Cairo and from beyond Senegal to yonder Somalia
 

7.            Monte Christo’s Prayers for Great Awakenings and Preparation for Gracious Visitation of our Genial God Ministries

 
Every means of grace must be appreciated. We are not unthankful to God for the warmness of His wide open heart, and wonders of His wisely operating and engrafting hands. Yet, we still have a dream to go beyond what we have and seek something greater than what we are seeing and savoring now. We are not satisfied with what we have [we are still poor in our spirits, as if the kingdom of heaven mentioned in Matthew 5:13 is ours alone]. We believe that God has greater grades, high than the ones in which we are in the present life and time. This is why we have added to our five current ministries four other ministries. The seventh ministries are called Monte Christo’s Prayers for Great Awakenings and Preparation for Gracious Visitation of our Genial God Ministries. The goals of these Ministries are:
 
1.  To pray for great awakenings, likened to eighteen and nineteen-centuries great awakenings which have taken place at the time of
*  George Whitefield [1714--1770] and John and Charles Wesley [1703--1791]  England
*  Jonathan Edwards [1703--1758] and David Brainerd [] America
*  Howel Harris [1714--1773] and William Williams [1717--1791] Wales
*  Daniel Rowland [1713--1790] Scotland
*  Tate Bengu and tate Duma of South Africa in the beginning of nineteen-century
*  Tate Kilio kaIitope of Namibia [1952-1955] although his birth is stated back in the early nineteen-century
*  Minimum showers of blessing which came with my own conversion in early 1980s under which many young men and women were converted, among whom current effective preachers in Southern Africa were part and parcel of. To mention but few among many, we can start with Joachim Rieck, J.T. Beukes, Laban Mwashekele [Namibia], Conrad Mbewe, Ronald Kalifungwa, Choolwe Mwetwa and many others [Zambia]. Boyce Saleni Erick Kumako etc. [RSA] and many others whom we have not yet spoken to, but converts of 1980s small revival. Having that in mind, we do not set down and relax but stand and do no others than
 
2.  To plan for the gracious visitation of our genial God
 
3.  To expect great things from God and attempt great things for God like William Carey [a model for the transformation of Indian culture and father of modern missions].
 
4.  To approach God as beggars desperate for revival, for we need refreshment from the presence of Yahweh so badly, and 
 
5.  To, as watchmen who have been posted in our context [community, country and continent], give God no rest in listening, nor ourselves rest in prayers until He establishes his Church [the whole Ecclesia] and make her the centre for praising of His holy name on the entire earth [see Isaiah 62:6-12].
 
We are no longer able to cope with norm of the day and the use to it cheap grace, the grace which people who have a low view of God have been singing, preaching and offering in their pastoral counseling. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran Pastor who died as a martyr by the hands of Hitler in April 1945 has left us puzzling when he gave us the dichotomy between “cheap grace” and “costly grace.”
 
“…Cheap grace Bonhoeffer wrote, “is the grace we bestow on ourselves … grace without discipline … grace without the cross … grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate … grace without price … grace without cost … It is a grace sold on the market … the sacrament; the forgiveness of sin; the consolations of religion throw away at cut prices … a justification of sin without the justification of the sinner … forgiveness without repentance. Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field, for the shake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will go and sell all his goods [see Matthew 13:44-46]. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble [see Matthew 5:29-30] … costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must know [and knock] … It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life … it is costly because it condemns sin and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of His Son … and what cost God much cannot be cheap for us.[5]”
 
For the above mentioned reasons, we are compelled to investigate the reality of life and faith in the African continent and asked ourselves as to “why does the African continent not progressing?” massive reports had been given about new developments since the nineteenth-century’ missionaries’ passion. Yet, Africa remains at the same stage and one level of face, faith and frustrations. For sure something is need. We need help from God, an intervention from heaven. Due to that, we pray that God in His grace, might visit the African continent, that He might penetrate:
 

v  Our religious atmosphere 

v  Our political platforms

v  Our educational desks

v  Our social podium

v  Our cultural context

v  Our economic empowerment

v  Our moral behavior etc.
 
Everything in and around Africa must be saved. Africans themselves [and we mean all Africans, despite colour, gender, age etc] must agree with Richard Dowden, and his view of salvation of Africa, although he refers more to moral, political and financial salvation etc. yet he said in his book called: “Africa, Altered States, Ordinary Miracles.” Yes, in the above mentioned book, he refers to critical and problematic people, he said:
 
[5] Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The cost of discipleship. A very moving book, lived as well as written.
 
“The policies, the aid and development agencies have for Africa are not always bad - they often represent the highest aspirations and idealism of the rest of the world - but they take no account of the human reality on the ground. From the socialist and statistic models of the 1960s to the free market ideology of the 1980s, the Washington consensus of the 1990, and the aid-driven development of today, there has always been a missing element: “the Africans.” He went on to say:
 
“Bob Geldof first experienced Africa in Ethiopia, when he bulled the world into delivering food aid to the starving. Twenty years on, he resurrected that crusade and persuaded Tony Blair to join it. Though he had paid only a fleeting official visit to the continent, Blair proclaimed a “passion for Africa”. He referred to it as a “scar on the conscience of the world”, deeply offending many Africans. His messianic mission to save Africa was reminiscent of the nineteenth-century missionaries’ passion. That set teeth on edge. It sounded like saving Africa from the Africans… “I hope Africa will recognize their continent and themselves in these pages, but I write chiefly for outsiders, those who have not been to Africa, but would like to know more about it.”
 
Mr. Richard Dowden, as true adopted son of Africa, went on to say:
 
“From the rainless desert of Namibia to the diminishing snows of Kilimanjaro, from the Sahelian scrublands to the lush tropical forests of the Congo basin, Africa has an extraordinary range of climates, flora and fauna. And it is among African peoples that the greatest diversity occurs. Africa has more than two thousands languages and cultures and, despite the fact that we all share a single African woman as the mother of the human race, there is more human genetic diversity in Africa than in the rest of the human race combined.” You see, that is a true adopted son of Africa, telling the story as it is.
 
I personally believe that, the only solution for African continent is great awakenings and gracious visitation of our genial God. Otherwise, people, and especially “graduate of western ideology and eastern philosophy” will continue to take the continent to the market and sell it. [Please read the introduction to my second issue in “Grace to the Nation, our biblical Journal; heading to Reformation, seeking Revival and expecting Renewal of minds and hearts of the Namibian nation.” It is posted on my research pages for July - September 2010 on the subject: “The supremacy and excellencies of Jesus Christ over the entire Church – Ecclesia."
 

8. Monte Christo Man and Marriage Ministries
Having learned that, many men [male houses] are ignorant of their role in creation. Many men are totally ignorant [lacking information] of the main reason behind their creation. Many men do not understand that “man” [every single male] is the brightness of God's glory and the exact representation of God's own being [we are not saying that man is Christ or is equal to him, although he must be transformed unto the image of Christ who died for him]. We have to recruit man [male house] and arm him with every God-given means of grace with and through which he has to minister to his own life, family and ministries, or community, country and continent, otherwise, Satan will recruit him and arm him with every destructive means of the flesh.  We have to employ, train and equip him fully until he fits in the field of biblical Christianity. He has to know that, he is created to be
 
*  The image of the invisible God in the entire creation
*  The head in the following three physical institutions, namely;

·      The local government

·      The local church and

·      The local home
*  The guardian of all God-given properties [movable and immovable] here on this planet called the earth
*  The man in his community, not a husband or a father of everyone but a man who is expected to protect, give guidelines and care for whoever needed it
*  The husband to his wife [the word husband does not apply to everyman, for not every man/male is or can be a husband, and if he is, he is not a husband of every woman]
*  The father of his children, if he has, otherwise the term has to be avoided [for not everyman is a head, a guardian, a husband or a father; for instance, boys are not all of that] 
*  The friend [especially when it comes to protection etc.] women and children are to regard man as a protector in whose hands they must be safe - not feel safe but be safe and secure]
 
The reason why we have so many confusions among the Nations is that men [male houses] are not properly informed, as a result, they do not take their responsibilities fully. It is a lack of biblical information that hinders graced reformation and radical transportation of mind and heart of the African people. For that reason, we have started Ministries [not a ministry but Ministries, for it has many branches and many goals] which we called “Monte Christo Man and Marriage Ministries.” We meet as men, and do what we call “man sharpening to men,” as an iron sharpening another iron. We provoke each other, challenge each other and sharpen each other. We are determined to keep each other accountable before God. It is not as easy as you think, but it brings glory to God and do good to all people. This platform is not Baptistic in nature, it is open to all men despite their denominational background, as long as they must love God or, must be prepare to know Him, love Him and serve Him. We point each other to nor where but to God and His plan of creating man [male house]. Some men have joined us and left in an unexpected leave. Some have joined and remained faithful to this day. The testimonies of those who are still committed are great testimonies. They are telling other men how these meets has changed them. I personally can testify how blessing are these men when it comes to facing the issues, they can clearly see the reality on the ground and are prepared to face it or fight to change it. One of the newly adopted policies of this platform is to make difficult women and difficult children our main ministries. We are not out to resign from marriages because of difficulties or reject our children because of their differences or the difficulties they cause. We are forced by the truth to adopt Christ’s method of endurance to the end [1Peter 2:13-3:7] etc.
 
Looking to high rate of divorce in our communities, countries and continents worldwide, we have learned that the problem is not difficulties, for difficulties have been there from the times of our fathers and forefathers and will continue to be there, the main problems are light thinking, light teachings and light resolutions. Modern men cannot cope with pressure; they are so weak and need someone to challenge them and bring them face to face with realities until they see for themselves that they are called to be men and play man’s role, they are called to endure hardship under the fact that, most of the troubles they are going through are not invited or created troubles, they are part of this life and labor, we find them here, we have to go through them and leave the as we find them.
 
1.  According Job 14:1fafvs; man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of troubles…” mention as many as you can
2.  According to Christ in John 16:33; in this world we will have many troubles, but in him we must have peace, for he has overcomed the world
3.  According Paul in Acts 14:22, to enter the kingdom of God we have to go through many troubles. I can list thousands of chapters and verses to prove to you that, we will never remove troubles from this life. They are God’s servants who had been there to help the elect to be closer to their God. We need only God’s grace and wisdom to lead us as we go through them unto the kingdom of God. 
 

9. Monte Christo Students Ministries

One of the greatest wounding tools of democracy is what we call “selling it or translating it away.” The word transparent seems to find a new definition, its original meaning seems to be sold or translated away. The new meaning seems to mean “open your private for public use or sell your context and culture to whosever buys it. The new meaning is forcing us let anyone trod on our community, country and continent;  it wants us to let our institutes of high learning to be influence by outsiders who do not have children as students there. As a result many people in our world are confused; many are likened to a man who has looked his face in five different mirrors and, at the end of the day he does not know who he is anymore. Postmodernism has taken many chances to benefit its philosophy. It has taken over the world’s small finger, than its hand, and army, now it wants the whole man to draw him to “no absolute truth” worldly and very sophisticated philosophy. The question of who heads and responsible for my wife and children, or who determine the institution where my children go and who pays the fee; seems to be confused with the so called “democratic right.” More than that, the question of what type of education must our children get seems to be ignored. As a result,
 

1. Our belt of truth is shifted from its original place

2. Our breastplate of righteousness is no longer rightly protecting our hearts

3. Our feet is no longer shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace

4. Our shield of faith is not well handled, with which we are ought to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked

5. Our helmet of salvation is set aside

6. The sword of the spirit is removed from our hands and

7. Prayers are no longer regarded as the greatest means of grace as it ought to be
 
So, Monte Christo Baptist Church has started Ministries called “Student Ministries,” meant to shape a people and mold a generation for God. How does Student Ministries operate and what does it seek? Well, we hold to what we call “one reach and touch one” method of pointing none Christian students to look to Jesus Christ for their salvation.
 
In applying it, we visit institutions of high learning [University of Namibia - UNAM; and it co-equal; Polytechnic of Namibia] to persuade students to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and live for the glory of his Father. This method of each one reach and touch one or as its stated above “each one bring one” is the best and most effective ministries, seeking to bring Christ and place him in hands of students [future leaders of the Namibian nation] in any effective ways. Our main aim is to inspire the current generation to be able to face the future. 70% of Monte Christo Baptist Church’s attendances are Polytechnic and UNAM students. So, we can easily enlist and reach others through the current members who are studying there. We hold to local Evangelical vision and global Reformed mission, as a result, we will not allow students [Namibians and non Namibians] to study at UNAM and Polytechnic to go free and unchallenged on questions related to their souls and eternity of heaven.
 
# Biblical Enforcement
As stated earlier, that all these nine forth ministries are but meant to keep the Namibian nation accountable to our holy, transcended and the all wise God. All of us must tremble before his holy word. We believe, as a Local Church, that, every nation needs its own Jehoiada to maintain its young kings like Joash, to mold its remnant like that of Judah and shape its generation like that of Jerusalem … [2Chronicles 22:1fvs and 23:1—24:1-3, 15-22]. We are called to keep each other accountable for God’s glory and godly nation. We are here to maintain our local Evangelical vision and global Reformed mission. Ours must be a call to mold Christ’s people and assignment to shape an authentic generation for God. For these reasons, we need a people in this life who have a high view of God. Our homes, churches and states, locally, regionally, nationally as well as continentally and the world at large; do need a people who have a workable worldview.
 
We need people, men and women of great resolutions who have 
*  A high view of God’s sovereignty over the whole creation
*  A high view of Christ’s supremacy over the entire Church
*  A high view of the Holy Spirit, His saving power and securing presence over all the precious souls of all God’s elect.
*  A high view of a local Evangelical vision for global Reformed mission
*  A high view of Christian ministries [they may differ from our nine ministries] nevertheless, one must have a high view of something in mind and heart
*  A high view of 5 solas [sola Scriptura, sola Gratia, sola Christus, sola Fide, and sola Deo gloria] which means; Scripture alone, Grace alone, Christ alone, Faith alone and to God alone be the glory.
 
We need a generation that has a Christian worldview, in a Christ-centered perspective. By this we mean a people who have
 
*  A biblical concept of God’s main intention for creating men in his own image
*  A biblical concept of Christ’s unique plan for dying to save the elect and
*  A biblical concept of the Holy Spirit’s sole mission as a Life-giving source and Minister through the lives of all true God’s saints
 
We need a body of believers who maintain

*  A workable concept of life of faith - lived through God’s promises and sustained by God’s power

*  A workable concept of the Church - both visible and invisible

*  A workable concept of a man - spirit-man lives in two physical houses called male house and female house
 
We need a body of people who maintains
 
*  A God-centered concept of marriage - union between a husband and a wife – monogamy; not polygamy
*  A Christ-cored concept in giving us the gift of sex within marriage and high view of having children, bringing them up in the fear of God biblically, and
*  A Spirit-cordial concept of having a local vision in this life, seeing the need for global mission, and savoring the God who glory in visions, and mission
 
We pray for a generation that appreciates the foundation already laid, a body of people that refuse to depart from what is already rightly laid, but build on its unshakable and indisputable truth, a people who are reinforces and digs deeper to be able to extend their ruling paradigm in the heart of true life and faith. Yes we we need an age band that have
 
*  A biblical concept of an authentic worship of a genuine God - people who are determined to maintain God’s glory as the center of their attraction and
*  A God-centered, Christ-focused and Spirit-filled concept of biblical confessions, adoration, thanksgiving, petitions and intercessions: a people who agree with Robert Murray McCheyne when he said:
 
“I ought not to omit any of the parts of prayer - confession, adoration, thanksgiving, petition and intercession.” He went on to say: “There is a fearful tendency to omit confession proceeding from the low views of God and his law, slight views of my heart, and the sin of my past life. This must be resisted. There is a constant tendency to omit adoration, when I forget to whom I am speaking, when I rush heedlessly into the presence of Jehovah, without thought of his awful name and nature, when I have little eye-sight for his glory, and little admiration of his wonders. I have the native tendency of the heart to omit thanksgivings, and yet it is specially commanded. Often when the heart is dead to the salvation of others, I omit petition and intercession, and yet it especially is the spirit of the great Advocate who has the name of Israel on his heat.”
 
We need a body of people who have
 
A workable concept of sin [forgivable and unforgivable]; by this we mean people who know that, Christians are saved from the power, pollution and practice of sin, although we are not free from its presence. Being a good and godly person does not mean that, you will no longer hears rapes, imprisonment, killings or seeing people fighting, swearing, committing suicides etc. Though the presence of sin is a reality [not dear] in this life, we need people who know that, true Christians are men and women who are saved from the slavery of
 

*  Self unto freedom of serving God and serving others

*   Sin unto sanctification and freed from the slavery of

*  Satan unto freedom of savoring God as we said earlier
 

Pastor Laban Shitundeni Mwashekele is married to meHileni Panduleni Ndona Mwashekele. God has blessed them with five children, two girls and three sons

In picture 1, 2 and 3, you have a list of their five children listed as follow [beneath in picture 1]
1. Left front you have Laamenange Ndinomwaami Mwashekele
2. First behind you have Negalikano Mightypower Mwashekele
3. Second behind you have Nedulokokule Mightytower Mwashekele
4. Middle front you have Lamonamwene Hileniera Mwashekele
5. Right front you have Neleloleumbolakalunga Labanera Mwashekele

 
Picture number four is of Pastor Laban and his dear wife meHileni saying good bye to their spiritual daughter, whom they have grown under their spiritual leadership. Her name is Germana Severino. Germana was one of the most helpful members of EBC - Monte Christo for years. As you see, from the left is meHileni Panduleni Ndono Mwashekele, second is George - the bridegroom, third is Germana, the bride, and last in the picture is Pastor Laban S. Mwashekele. We continue to pray for people like Germana to find right churches. Germana and George had moved to the Republic of Angola after their marriage. We labor with prayers, asking God to place them in a right church where they can offer their rightful and helpful services to God for His glory and the good of His people as she did at EBC - Monte Christo.

a. Zeca Antonio [youth leader]
b. Manfred Bendt [an elder, assisting Havana Baptist Fellowship under EBC - Monte Christo]
c. Pastor Laban and meHileni Mwashekele [an elder pastor]
d. Baddy and Julia Bahun [an elder and assistant pastor]
e. Carlos Simao [sunday school leader]
 
Prayer requests are launched for the two fulltime Pastors, namely Baddy Bahun and Laban Mwashekele in particular, for their personal lives, families and ministries. Pray for God’s word and work in his world to be safeguarded through the church’s five main stages, which are
 
*  Evangelical Baptist Church - Monte Christo, Local Church Ministries.
*  Evangelical Baptist Fraternal or Regional Fraternal Ministries around our thirteen Regions
*  Evangelical Baptist Mission in Namibia - National Mission Ministries, launched in and around the country and beyond. The face of our Mission Ministries is jetting from beyond Orange River to beyond Kunene, and budging from Atlantic Ocean [Hub of Wal vis Bay] to beyond the Zambezi. It is influencing Namibia, our thirteen Regions and fifty Constituencies. This Mission will not end until it has joined Cape to Cairo and Senegal to Somalia. We do not only operate as Local, Regional and National intended Ministries, but we are a body of united people, in a wider sense known as 
*  Evangelical Baptist Convention, an umbrella for a reformed body of people but Calvinistic in its conviction. As a body of God’s people, we have an agenda to cover the country and continent at large. We cultivate souls and plant seeds of Reformation. Pray also that, other Evangelical/Reformed Baptists worldwide will build a network and labor in harmony to meet the needs of forming a joint spiritual body of autonomous local churches, autonomous regional or provincial fraternals, as well as autonomous national mission ministries and autonomous continental conventions, which in turn can constitute a strong body of autonomous coalition called
*  Evangelical Baptist Alliance or Reformed Global Ministries.
 

This idea is initiated in Namibia, from the desk of Pastor Laban Shitundeni Mwashekele, a current Elder Pastor for local Evangelical vision and global Reformed mission at EBC - Monte Christo. Windhoek. Namibia
 

Yours Truly

Laban