Cont‟d pg. 2

Vol. 15 Issue. 1

Cline Connection

African Mission Evangel ism

US:

African Mission Evangelism

Attn. Scott Danner

7343 Ridge Rd.

Lexington, NC 27295

336-764-1900

sdanner@ameghana.org

Africa:

African Mission Evangelism P.O. Box DD142

Dodowa, Ghana

828-398-0637 (Skype: pcnghana)

patrickcline@ameghana.org

Wow, What a Year 1

Merger with Ghana Bible

College

2

Heather’s Happenings 2

PC’s Corner 3

Prayers and Praises 4

Inside this issue:

I cannot believe an-

other year in Ghana has

flown by and what a year it

was! The college is growing

by leaps and bounds with

over 180 students 4 new

Ghanaian faculty members

a new certificate extension

in Ho and academic coop-

eration with our non-

instrumental brethren in

Kumasi. Our academic pro-

grams were approved again

by the University of Wales

and our students are mak-

ing impacts all throughout

the world.

Those of you who teach

understand how it feels

when one of your students

succeeds in life and that

you played a small role in

that success. To me, teach-

ing is all about encouraging

your students through aca-

demic rigor to achieve more

than what they thought

possible.

One of my Develop-

ment Management stu-

dents, Cyril Prince, was

selected as a UN Youth

Delegate on two occasions

to attend youth conferences

in Quebec, Canada and

Guangdong, China. Cyril

wrote a position paper on

the importance of youth in

country development and

presented it on both occa-

sions. He went as a repre-

sentative for the youth of

Ghana as well as the col-

Wow, What a Year!

Winter ‘09

lege. In his presentation he gave thanks to Christ, the

college, and me for encouraging him to follow through

with his dream of creating an NGO that will assist the

youth of Ghana to be more involved in the country‟s de-

velopment at a strategic level. With more like Cyril edu-

cated to participate in wider issues affecting Ghana and

the continent of Africa we can maintain a Christian per-

spective in the development arena where secular policy

constantly attempts to erode that aspect of society. In a

paper for my Development Class Cyril wrote, “Only in

and through Christ can Ghana hope to achieve its devel-

opment goals. And the youth, now more than ever, have

an opportunity in Ghana to fully participate.” Amen.

This pose was not intended for this picture but the stu-

dents liked it so much I though it would also be good to

use here. They say I intimidate them when I look over my

glasses

GCUC Academically Merged with Ghana Bible

College

In an effort to help our non-instrumental brethren

at Ghana Bible College (GBC) in Kumasi stay in good

graces with the law and give their students access to

our professors and academic program some students at

GBC are now being taught through GCUC. Since the

passage of new laws governing colleges and universities

in Ghana requires all such entities to be accredited and

use approved curriculum all smaller schools are now in

PAGE 2 CLINE CONNECTION VOL. 15 ISSUE. 1

a serious situation. The GBC students were likely to obtain

“worthless” degrees and therefore be hindered at continuing

their education. The college president was made aware of this

situation by a new professor that came to GCUC from GBC. Of

course, Mr. Adjei could not allow good Christian brethren to lose

out on academic opportunity. With some negotiation with the

University of Wales on what courses the students will need to

take to earn their degrees we will now be teaching Ghana Bible

College 3rd and 4th year students so they can obtain certified

degrees.

This is a temporary arrangement but could easily become

permanent for the few GBC students who want B.A. degrees af-

ter we are granted a Charter next year. Ghana Bible College still

maintains their campus and separate board of directors but our

faculty will teach their students the necessary courses required

by the University of Wales to earn full degrees. I have enjoyed

talking with some of the teachers from GBC over the past few

months as I used to live in Kumasi and knew many of the elders

with Bomso church of Christ and teachers at the college. They

are a good group of people caught up in Ghana‟s changing educa-

tional environment. There are several other institutions like

GBC whose students will not get certified degrees due to their

colleges not being prepared. I hope this arrangement is the be-

ginning of a long-term relationship between our two colleges

where both sides of the Restoration Movement can co-exist as

SCD and Theology students taking Human Re-

source Management class. Part of our effort to

give pastors a broad education that links manage-

ment skills with ministering to churches involves

elective classes in Management.

brethren and educators. All of us at GCUC and Af-

rican Mission Evangelism believe that God is work-

ing among us for great things to happen in the com-

ing years. We are pleased you will be with us!

With Ghana‟s Presidential election moving to a second run-off vote

falling on the second day of a vital trip to Bolga in the Northern Region of

Ghana there was much trepidation in our group. There had already been

civil unrest in a neighboring area to Vea over politics and we had to drive

through several cities where violence was reported. Safe passage de-

pended on which party won, and where your allegiance fell. Psalm 143:8

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my

trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.”

This verse gave us needed peace so that at 3:30a.m. with the truck loaded,

Nana, Ursula, and I journeyed north knowing that our journey was in the

hands of our Savior.

My mission, completing the last part of an adoption for two little girls.

They had been living with a Ghanaian minister and his wife for two years

and this trip was the last of the customary procedures. The girls had

bonded with their family well and all that was needed was a final visit to

their very old grandma and her signature (thumbprint). Because of all the

child-trafficking, obtaining the Social Welfare report was a difficult en-

deavor that required the gentle persuasion of a missionary. In God‟s

grace, I am overjoyed to tell you that all the official documents are com-

pleted and the family can continue their life‟s journey in Christ.

God gave Ursula and I an incredible opportunity to speak to hundreds

of youth and their families at a youth convention about the hope and for-

giving power of Jesus. This village needed serious healing. Earlier in the

month, two boys were walking along the river and heard small muffled

screams but instead of seeing if they could help, they ran fearing the

“river was feeding her child and they scared the baby”. Because of an old

pagan belief in the river taking unwanted babies as its own, a baby boy

was eaten alive by feral pigs getting water. When confronted with this

Heather‟s Happenings

Cont‟d on page 4

Heather, the quintessential teacher,

couldn’t resist taking some time to teach

about God’s beautiful creations, children

and flowers. It also looks as if the kids

are trying to give “Auntie Heather” a

lesson in Northern Region fashion!

PAGE 3 VOL. 15 ISSUE. 1

This has been a difficult few months for our family. We learned in October that a long-time ma-

jor supporting congregation would discontinue their support (nearly %20 of the 2008-09 budget)

of our family/mission in December. This congregation has decided to change their evangelistic

ministry to a community focused endeavor. Being a foreign missionary myself, you should not need me to respond to

the concept of “local ministries” because you know what my response will be. However, I feel compelled to respond,

partly for therapeutic reasons and partly due to concern about all foreign missions.

America is indeed in a time of economic stress, although not close to what the mass media doomsayers articulate

nightly. There are some who are suffering and need our prayers and assistance. My interests are however not eco-

nomically centered; rather they are concerned about a radical inwards shift with „missions‟. In a July „08 Foreign Pol-

icy article, Arrested Development, the authors call for a refocusing of our international development efforts towards

building linkages of understanding and addressing issues of poverty, disease, political turmoil, and corruption for the

sake of national security. To the security minded politicos the enemy is “out there”.

Our security scholars see the wisdom in using our compassionate strengths, instead of bullets on raging thorn-

pawed beasts like Islamists. However, some of our theological brethren are in disagreement about similar missiologi-

cal strategy and rather choose to jump in spiritual foxholes to satisfy numerical benchmarks. I have been outspoken

in the past about US churches sequestering themselves from society and not embracing its educational needs

through our universities to affect change and embed our beliefs in the broader society. Well, it now seems some

churches are in the process of retracting from foreign missions in favor of keeping things close to home.

Please do not misunderstand me, I realize there are people in need of Christ in the US, and there is need for

evangelism but each Christian already has that responsibility in their daily lives. We do not need more local ministry

organizations; we already have the local churches and their parishioners. Get involved in your local communities in-

stitutions, educational systems, politics, etc. and stop asking someone else to fight your battles.

The same cannot be said of many places like Africa, India, and Indonesia where open and active Christianity is

non-existent, embryonic, threatened, or outright attacked. Every year we train leaders for the church and its corol-

lary institutions for a spiritual battle that only Africans can engage. A few are lost in battle along the way and need

replacing but many more continue to fight the good fight. Yet, at a time when the battle is being won, at least in

Ghana and some parts of West Africa, we as a Christian people are retrenching in the name of “ministry reorienta-

tion”. I am thankful that Christian heroes in the New Testament did not vacillate in the grips of diversity and

pressed on towards that which God called them. We in America, the land of freedom, opportunity, richness, and com-

passion are the fruits of the apostles‟ labor two millennia ago. GCUC is training present and future Christians that

will carry out a spiritual battle of immense importance throughout West Africa. Speaking as a veteran missionary

with boldness in Christ‟s name, I implore the young ministers tasked with growing their congregations to not aban-

don the field missionaries for quick fixes to fill the pews.

We cannot let go of this good work, just now beginning to gets its legs and walk on its own, or surely it will fall.

The college administration is moving this college forward in so many good ways that within 3-5 years it should be

operationally self-sustaining. But in order to grow at a rate that will achieve this goal the college needs places to put

students. We need funds to build dorms (male and female). A single dorm room that houses 4 students now costs

$11,457 (roughly the amount we just lost) and we need 25 of them by August 2010. We need scholarships for students

and faculty. We need more US faculty to come for a semester and teach. We need YOU!

I am removed from the churches on a daily basis but hear from many missionaries and visitors that times are

changing in the US and churches are not involved in foreign missions as they “used to be”. People want quick minis-

tries and short-term solutions to long-term and entrenched problems. This battle against the “black hoard”, as a

friend of mine in Israel said recently, is “America‟s Christian calling and something we cannot walk away from be-

cause we think the battle is too long or too difficult to win.” Christ did not save us to think, He saved us to do.

Whatever the reason, my concern it is real and is presently felt in ways that I cannot fully elaborate here. It has

indeed been a difficult and disheartening few months for us but we will not give up easily. If you want to hear more

about how this ministry is training and fighting the battle here in Ghana then please schedule a speaking date. I will

be glad to share my thoughts more fully and hopefully whip up some good ol‟ Christian optimistic enthusiasm. I hope

to see you soon!

PC’s Corner

US Address:

7343 Ridge Rd.

Lexington, NC 27295

Ghana:

P.O. Box DD142 Dodowa

Ghana, Africa

AFRICAN MISSION EVAN GE LISM

atrocity occurring in their village even old men were in tears asking for for-

giveness. Ursula and I spoke boldly about parental responsibility with God‟s

little ones and how He expects us to bear the responsibility of our mistakes,

not throw babies into bags as if they were trash. Christ can forgive many

evils but to throw a life, a blessing, away is tempting strong retribution.

There were some twins in Bolga we‟ve been trying to rescue for over a

year but have been unable to get the documents needed to bring the child to

Beacon House due to political bureaucracy. They have since died waiting for

the paperwork. Isaiah 49:15-16; “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast

and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget,

I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;

your walls are ever before me.” Another baby was found near Vea but with

Beacon House‟s assistance, this baby was able to receive help from Bolga

Hospital and is now doing well. We cannot get to every discarded baby and

at times this can be a gut wrenching burden but we continue in faith that

God will use us as His vessel to save another Moses along the river.

We are continually thankful for our supporters that make this work

possible through donations and prayers. We are thankful that our old truck,

even without air condition in very hot desert conditions, made the trip to the

north and back. God continues to bless our family with peace and mercy

even when we venture into the unknown. Please continue your prayers

about this ministry, whether the college or the orphanage, and for our fam-

ily. Your prayers are the spiritual sustenance we need to continue in this

spiritually deviant place called Africa.

US Phone: 336-764-1900

Skype: 828-398-0637 (pcnghana)

E-mail: patrickcline@ameghana.org

sdanner@ameghana.org

Establishing Christian Education in Ghana

Prayer; the Power of God in the Hands of His Children

As was mentioned earlier in this newsletter we have lost a significant amount

of support this year, we need your prayers that this will be replaced in the

coming months while on furlough

We are close to finishing the house loan off, approx $5,900 is left.

We are planning to take an extended furlough July ‘09—June ‘10 , first as a

family in nearly 6 years, we asking for prayer that God will help us to arrive in

the US with no plane ticket debt.

Continue to pray for the leadership at GCUC as well as the students and that

the college can continue to grow strong in the Lord’s service of teaching.

Praise; God is Merciful and Deserving of all our Love

We are thankful that this year has shown our family a new love in our hearts

for the children of the Northern Region and that our efforts are saving the

little ones from horrible conditions.

Thankful for the many trips on dangerous roads and that our vehicles are still

holding on and getting the job done.

Praise God for all the wonderful people who keep us in their daily prayers

and also for those who keep us in the field, doing God’s work among His

people.

God continues to open doors for the college and students are coming to

learn more about Christ, coming to Christ, and leaving with a servant’s heart.

Thankful for the continued good health of our family in the US and our loved

ones here in Ghana.

http:\\www.ameghana.org

Heather’s Happenings; con‟td

This elderly lady gave a plot of land for this

library to be built. The land was meant for

her grandson, last male in family, who was

adopted to a US couple last year. Heather

hinted that the church should name the li-

brary after her grandson so we will see if that

idea takes shape in the next few months as

they stock it with books.