The memory of my first International trip to Western Africa is still vivid in my mind. Conducting the graduation for over 100 pastors, most of which had never been given the opportunity to study with adequate curriculum before was exhilarating. But I’m getting ahead of myself a bit, for the story starts three years before.
I met Cletus, now Archbishop Dr. Cletus Bassey, a young man, on fire for God, with an only too common problem. His heart was to train his own people in their own unique context, but they couldn’t in Africa due to the lack of resources and support. In Africa, the Middle East, most areas of Asia and Latin America, evangelism is not that problem.
The thing they lack is twofold:
• Strategic Planning (Systems)
• Curriculum that they can afford.
Dr. Bassey pleaded with me to help… so we gave him our first Bible College in a Box, and he took off back to Africa, with the plan we developed; church based seminars for pastors and leaders, and then the planting of bible colleges with these newly developed senior leaders, and 15 courses that we had developed. Thus, began our international outreach.
Lack of Vision…Persists
In Prov. 29:18 it states that where there is no prophet vision the people run amuck but keeping the law (following the word of God) leads to life. The problem of no plan & lack of curriculum was not just an Africa problem. In time we began to receive requests from all over the world. The longing was for a system of training of curriculum to make it happen, and our sincere effort has been to fulfill that Kingdom longing. Thus, Vision International is partnering with International leaders in over 140 nations… yet the need continues…
Almost daily I received e-mails, free book requests and letters from individuals who want to study but can’t afford the outrageous tuition of most colleges and universities, even in their own nations. Pastors, teachers, apostles, prophets and evangelists, most are leading congregations. They know that their primary biblical mandates are equipping or maturing Gods people, but they lack the tools to make it happen. As much as I wish I could, we cannot provide the needs of the whole world, but we can provide some, and many more with the help of partners like you.
Vision International has created courses and administrative systems to equip, educate and empower God’s people world-wide. Through our church based, on-line and off line learning systems we can educate thousands of future leaders from Certificates to Doctorates. Through our Bible College in-a-Box, Vision can provide comprehensive curriculum via an external drive (key) which can equip hundreds through local churches, and we could do so much more with our World Zone partners fully funded.
Funding for our World Zones would be used to support local outreach in the nations they serve, provide for translation of our curriculum into key languages (we currently have full or partial translation of our programs in Hungarian, Polish, Czech, French, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese, German, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian and others. The needs are great, but we know our God is greater.
Please prayerfully consider supporting the outreach of Vision International. There are many more Cletus’s in the nations…men and women who do not want to come to the United States to live, nor are they simply looking for handouts. They are proud of their own nations, called to remain and equip their people. It is the privilege of Vision to come along side these leaders had provide what they need to disciple their nations. With more benefactors we can provide so much more…
We need your help here…here’s how. Click below and it will take you to our website to make your donation.
God Bless,
Stan E. DeKoven, Ph.D., MFT Founder and President:
Vision International University,
Vision International Training and Education Network,
Vision Publishing
P.O. Box 1680
Ramona, CA 92065 760-789-4700
www. vision.edu/walkinwisdom/seminars/request-dr-stan/
