Thirty-three leaders from 12 African countries trained at Abidjan Institute

OC’s seventh 2009 Institute for Excellence in Christian Leadership Development took place August 31 - September 4 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. The event was hosted by OC partner Alliance Seminary of West Africa (FATEAC).

Thirty-three leaders from 17 strategic training programs in the region attended the Institute, representing Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

During the five-day Institute themed “Nurturing Spiritual Formation in the Seminary,” participants focused on the hearts of students, not simply their head and hands, as part of a holistic approach to student growth. The seminary leaders were equipped with a deeper understanding of spiritual formation, so that it can be intentionally integrated into the entire program, curriculum and culture of their seminaries.

Many participants said they enjoyed the great interaction at the Institute, as well as learning the best practices for spiritual formation at other schools. One said, “It has made me think about creating interaction in my classroom and things I can do regarding spiritual formation with students outside of the classroom.” Others said they plan to mentor students, will be more intentional about discipleship, participate in student devotion sessions and will plan meetings with staff and faculty to improve how spiritual formation is done.

The next Institute for Excellence will take place September 21-25 in Singapore. Click here for the 2009 schedule.

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