1- FORMAL TRAINING OF FAITHFUL MEN FOR PASTORAL LEADERSHIP
Full Registration must be granted before we can start any formal training program. We are grateful for the hard work that CAPA’s past leadership and faculty put into preparing for registration with NCHE years ago. In that sense, we have a running start into this major undertaking. There are four main areas that we need to give attention to:
- Review of policies and procedures – NCHE has established standards for policy documents covering governance, administration, finance, academics, facilities, IT, and student life. We will be reviewing what we already have in place to reflect our current situation and desired outcomes moving forward.
- Review and Refine Academic Programs – Our initial plan for academic programs is to offer a Certificate of Biblical Studies (2 years), and Bachelor’s of Theology(4 years). These programs are stackable and complementary to one another – moving from basic to advanced. CAPA will work closely with TMAI to meet their Certified Academic Program (CAP) specifications for each program of study.
- Develop the Faculty Team – Lord willing, we will have both Malawian and missionary faculty members who meet established standards of academic qualification. Because one of our core values is “pastors training pastors,” these men must be Elder-qualified, and not only teaching at CAPA but serving in leadership for their local church as well. We have two missionaries in the process of moving to Malawi to join the CAPA team in early 2025. Both are enrolled in seminary currently. We also have five current members of the team pursuing advanced studies (at the Master’s and Doctoral level).
- Development of campus infrastructure – NCHE has certain requirements for the physical campus of any tertiary institution. You’ll see below the plans for developing our property in partnership with IBF Church. The chapel building is nearing completion (April 2024). The next project up is a block of classrooms. Prior to February 2024, we had received small commitments towards this building. In March, we received a commitment from a very generous donor to fund the remainder of the building costs. This is a huge step forward and we are incredibly grateful!
2- INFORMAL TRAINING FOR THE CHURCH IN MALAWI
While we work towards Full Registration with NCHE, we can also provide informal training in a number of ways. Good teaching will be fruitful in and of itself. But there are other strategic benefits as well – church leaders increasingly exposed to CAPA distinctives, growing relationships with pastors and churches, and growing in our teaching skills. These are all important foundation blocks towards health in the future
- Informal Church Certificate- As of February 2024, the three like-minded churches are offering an informal certificate program. Students will take 12 courses, covering Biblical Studies, Theology, Hermeneutics, and Pastoral Ministry. We meet for a week of intensive classes each month, and in the intervening time there are assignments and reading to complete. So far this has been an true blessing to the both the students and instructors.
- Conferences – Faithful Church Conference- July 2024 (Lilongwe), Expositor’s Conference-November 2024 (Lilongwe)
- Theological training for church members- In 2024, IBF Church, Reformation Bible Church, and Grace Bible Church will hold one-day workshops for their church members focusing on areas of Systematic Theology. We need to have strong churches in Malawi- at the leadership and lay level. This will then help sustain the training work that CAPA is working towards.
- Remote modules and workshops – Over the last two years, we’ve been cultivating a relationship with a group of pastors in Kasungu, a town 2 hours north of Lilongwe. We have a CAPA graduate there who has helped us organize 1-2 day training workshops. In June 2024, we’ll be starting a new certificate program in partnership with Central African Baptist University (Kitwe, Zambia). We will greatly benefit from their experience and a well-developed curriculum. The idea is to provide certificate-level training for people who would not be able to come to Lilongwe through one-week intensives: every three months over the next three years. It will also be unique because the training will largely be in Chichewa (Malawi’s main vernacular language), making the material more accessible to a larger group of people
3- RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
There is a terrible lack of biblical resources available in Malawi. Sadly, what is easiest to find is the false teaching of the “prosperity gospel.” CAPA would like to step into this gap and invest in providing solid, biblical resources for the church in Malawi. In partnership with TMAI’s Global Publishing Department (GPD), and thanks to a generous gift towards media production, we’re pursuing that goal in a few ways:
- Printing/Publication – Through TMAI’s GPD, CAPA has received permission to print various books in Malawi. We hope to continue doing this as time goes- for training purposes and for broader distribution. We would also hope that Malawian pastors and academics will be making original contributions for the church in Malawi and worldwide.
- Translation work – Again, working with TMAI’s Global Publishing Department, we will work to translate it into Chichewa, the most helpful resources for training and the church. This will especially help in our efforts to provide resources and teaching outside of urban areas where English is more prevalent. Our first project was finished in February 2024, with the next one starting, Lord willing, in May 2024.
- Radio and Television – People need to build an appetite for expository preaching. We hope to build the desire for good teaching by making it available to a wider audience. We have heard the comment, “You guys have good teaching, but you’ve been hiding your material!” We don’t want to be hidden, and we want to help people grow in their desire for biblical preaching. Starting in February 2024, we have a sermon being aired on national radio once a week. In May, we will also be broadcasting these sermons on television. We will also continue to explore web-based platforms that will provide an even further reach.
We would truly appreciate your prayers as we pursue all of these plans. Please pray that we would be faithful, strategic, discerning, and proactive. Do you have questions or thoughts about what we’re doing? You can contact CAPA’s President, Kellen Hiroto: [email protected].