“We don’t have enough, but with God, we always have enough”

Rev. Dr. Julius Lawal, Provost from ECWA Theological Seminary (ETSI) - Igbaja in Nigeria, recently visited OC and shared the country’s challenges and his vision for the seminary.

Founded in 1941, ETSI produces pastors to minister to local needs. With 350 students at the main campus, ETSI has seven extension centers where an additional 200 students/pastors are trained in a church ministry program. The seminary also has many practical field ministries, including a prison ministry where a center is about to start.

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country with many difficult realities. Dr. Lawal says although AIDS education is growing and churches are finally starting to act, Nigerian churches are not fully prepared to handle the issues. “Because there is no education

Rev. Dr. Julius Lawal (center) pictured with Dr. Scott Cunningham, OC Dean of Leadership Development, and his wife, Beth. Beth’s parents were missionaries at ETSI for more than 20 years, and her father, Norman Lohrenz, was one of the early founding missionaries of the seminary. As missionaries themselves, Scott and Beth worked for the seminary for 13 years.

that gives you a pathway on what to do, they don’t know what to do.” He also says the prosperity gospel is booming in Nigeria. “A church that preaches it grows very fast.”

Dr. Lawal’s vision for the seminary is to produce at least five PhD degrees in the next 4-5 years and strengthen their pastor ministry program. He has also been very active in local fundraising efforts, including securing annual financial support from 14 churches - unheard of! He says people see how they can become a part of what the seminary is doing, and he has such joy seeing what someone has given to is giving back to the community. He hopes to expand to 50 supporting churches in the next several years.

Dr. Lawal and his wife have four grown children and have taken in 23 orphans for the time being. He says, “Thank you, OC, for what you’ve done…[For Christians in Nigeria], their walk is their hope…although the fruit of our work may look dry [in the midst of Nigeria’s realities], the seeds are there, and they just need the water of blessing on them to grow…We are struggling, but we aren’t discouraged. We don’t have enough, but with God, we always have enough. We’re not strong enough, but with God’s strength, we are. The sky’s the limit, and we’re not alone - we’re all in this together as brothers and sisters in Christ, a community.”

Click here to read more about ETSI.

Please pray for these requests from ETSI: low staff; upcoming projects; preacher development; teachers mentoring students; facility upgrades; increased campus housing for staff; fencing the entire campus; and local fundraising efforts.