We spent ten days in Liberia teaching at a leadership academy for church leaders together with our good friends Paul and Debbie Troquille. There were 124 leaders (mostly pastors) and 32 churches represented. This is no small feat anywhere in the world. The time we spent with the leaders moved us deeply not only because of the extreme poverty of the people but because of their hunger for the Word of God. The students were attentive throughout the long and (very) hot days of teaching.
One of the most remarkable things about our time in Liberia was that a large number of our participants (at least half) were either functionally or fully illiterate. This broke us thinking about how can a leader lead without having the ability to read.
Amos 8:12 ESV “They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east, they shall run to and fro, to seek the Word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.”
Hunger comes in all shapes and forms. The hunger we witnessed in Liberia for God’s word reminded us how blessed we are to not only be able to read but also teach His word. By the end of the week, most of the leaders left pledging to plant a church before the end of the year. We also learned that there are unreached people groups in Liberia. We’re now talking with our connections about how to help send planting pastors into those areas to reach the unreached.
