In January, EBC’s Principal, Pastor John Brand, is beginning a new podcast called ‘The Isaiah Podcast. You might be interested!
Meet EBC’s Latest Graduates
There was an unusual element to the quarterly meeting of the College’s Board of Directors on Monday when we had the opportunity to present an award to a graduating student. Philip Chan lives just a few minutes walk away from where the meeting was held so we took advantage of that fact to meet Philip in person and present him with his Certificate in Biblical Studies which he has been pursuing diligently for six years. The picture shows EBC’s Principal, Pastor John Brand, making the presentation.
Of his studies, Philip says, “After spending 6 years part-time study , I found the course really provided me with a well structured; solid understanding of the Bible. It tremendously deepened my Christian faith and knowing better where I come from. It helps me to serve my Lord more effectively. The course provided a good choice of subjects and flexibility of studying options (i.e. online, e-learning), which accommodated my other commitments. The lecturers always provide constructive feedback to my assignments, yet a diplomatic challenge to raise up my standard which I benefited a lot.”
At the same meeting, though sadly not in person, we linked up over zoom with Joe Monagas in Statten Island, New York. Joe was one of our very first students, enrolling in 2013, and has been studying various courses while gaining mentored experience in his home church where he now serves as a part-time Pastor. We were delighted to award Joe a well-earned Diploma in Applied Theology which will be sent to him in the post.
New Board Member
We’re delighted that Rev Dr David Greenaway is rejoining the College’s Board of Trustees. David, who recently retired from the pastorate at Pathhead Baptist Church in Kirkcaldy, Fife, was one of the founding Board members of EBC back in 2012 and also served as Chairman for a time. We are grateful to him for once again giving us his support and involvement in this way and commend him and the other Board members to you for your prayers as they oversee and direct the work of the College.
Spring 2025 at EBC
We’re into the final stretch of the what has been a very encouraging autumn term with a record number of new students studying with us, both by eLearning and also through involvement in our virtual classes held over zoom. Now we are releasing details of the schedule for 2025. Modules that are continuing aren’t shown here because they are not open to new registrations, but ANYONE, ANYWHERE can register for any of the new modules and registration can be done here. Over the next week or so, we’ll post details about the individual subjects. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
EBC Graduate Begins Ministry in Belfast
On Friday evening I had the immense joy and privilege of preaching at the induction service of EBC Graduate Joshua Truesdale at Grove Baptist Church, East Belfast. Joshua spent six months working with the church earlier in the year and the Lord has now called him there as their Pastor. Please pray for him on this first Lord’s Day as he preaches as Pastor and for the hand of God to prosper the witness of this, as yet, small fellowship in a needy area of the city.
Graduation Celebration
At our recent 2024 Graduation service we celebrated the achievements of our one graduating student, Rebekah Riley, and, appropriately, the service was held in her home church, Bangor Independent Methodist Church in N Ireland. The picture shows Rebekah’s Pastor, Rev Noel McClintock, presenting her with her Diploma in Applied Theology.
A recording of the whole service can be found here and it includes the powerful sermon by our guest preacher, Rev Gareth Burke of Stranmillis Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Belfast. We are confident that you will be greatly blessed by listening to it.
Charles Price on EBC’s Ministry
We are so grateful to our good friend and new member of our Council of Reference for this commendation of our ministry which, by the way, we wholeheartedly agree with!
If you are thinking of ordering one of our new EBC fleeces, please note that we will need orders in by next Monday, October 7th. Price will be around £25, depending on the quantity we order. If you’re interested, please email us and we’ll send you details of sizes and colours etc. But don’t leave it too late!.
Equipping Overseas Saints – Can You Help Us Help Them?
EBC exists to ‘equip the saints’; to give Christian men and women the training and tools they need to grow in their likeness to Christ and their knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures, so that they can become effective workers in the Kingdom, wherever the Lord of the harvest would have them serve. Quite often we get enquiries from believers who live in far less affluent countries than the UK but who are keen to get good biblical training and we want to do what we can to help them, when that is appropriate.
Let me give you a current example. Joel is a Nigerian missionary, married to a Philipino lady and serving the Lord in Thailand! However, as some of you will be aware, the Nigerian currency is in crisis at the moment. The New York Times writes, “Nigeria is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, with skyrocketing inflation, a national currency in free-fall and millions of people struggling to buy food. Only two years ago Africa’s biggest economy, Nigeria is projected to drop to fourth place this year. The pain is widespread. Unions strike to protest salaries of around $20 a month. People die in stampedes, desperate for free sacks of rice. Hospitals are overrun with women wracked by spasms from calcium deficiencies.”
This situation has seriously impacted Nigerian missionaries living abroad and whose financial support comes from home. Joel describes his predicament in this way – “As an active missionary serving on the field, I have been dealing with a serious financial crisis for a while now, primarily due to the economic recession/depression going on back in my home country of Nigeria. I live on financial support donated by friends out of goodwill, but the economic crisis at home has had two kinds of effects on me:
- Many of those who have been supporting are no longer able to do so (more than 60% of my support has been lost this way)
- The few who are still able to give, the free fall of the local currency which has gone from $1 = ₦185 to currently around $1 = ₦1,300 and still dropping in value. So the value of what little support I still have has become unsustainable. I have lost another significant financial support as a result of this drop in foreign exchange value of my support.
These two have combined to devastating effect. While I have been managing to keep going, it has left me no room at all to be able to pay for anything extra like the already cheap costs of studying at EBC, something I really really want to do.”
We have been corresponding with Joel for some time now and want to help him get the training he needs. We have assured him that we will underwrite his tuition costs and if, at some time, he is able to make a contribution towards those costs, well so be it.
Would you, or perhaps even your church, be willing to help us shoulder those costs? Could you make a one-off or regular donation to contribute towards Joel’s student fees?
We would greatly value your partnership in this and would welcome any gifts you are able to send us; just designate them for Joel in particular or for overseas saints in general as the need arises.