The Plan

 Background
The Evangelical Bible Church (EBC) www.sim.org/index.php/country/NA was planted through the initiative of  EBC Rundu and Africa Evangelical Fellowship (AEF) in partnership with Africa Inland Mission (AIM) www.aimint.org.  AEF/AIM missionaries lived and worked in Mbukushu from 1987 to 2004, providing evangelists, medical workers, school teachers and church developers during this time.  Out of this initiative three churches were planted, one in Kamutjonga near the Mahango Game reserve on the Botswana border, another at Shadikongoro, where a government farm is situated and the third at Dihokohoko, where the missionaries were housed for most of the time.  There are now four trained pastors ministering in the three churches, with church planting going on at another two locations.

Dihokohoko church in 2003
The original TEE programme
Pastors Anton and Disho were very familiar with the principle of Theological Education by Extension (TEE) because of their extensive involvement with the teaching programmes operated by the AIM missionaries in Mbukushu.  For many years the Text Africa programme was used but it was expensive, there was no material in Thimukushu, and the administration from Cape Town was very poor.

Even before the Hartley's left Mbukushu in 2004, several attempts were made to use the Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary (NETS) www.nets.edu.na material but it was found to be unsuitable.  It was only when NETS revised their material and developed education by extension, primarily through the employment of David Greeff  www.greeff.blogspot.com as the national Co-ordinator did the prospect for using NETS improve.

While Anton tenaciously and sacrificially struggled with operating this initial programme there were many problems, primary administration logistics and finance.

This situation led to the visit to Namibia by Rev Geoff Hartley to try and assist with the resolution of these difficulties.

The present TEE programme
In discussions between Rev David Greeff, Pastors Anton and Disho and Rev Geoff Hartley a new arrangement was arrived at.  NETS has committed to placing coordinators in the region who would liaise between the teachers and the office at NETS in Windhoek.  They also plan training, assist with administrative issues and supply the material.  David Greeff travels from his new home in Walvis Bay regularly to check on progress and undertake training.

Geoff Hartley committed to finding the money to operate the programme.  The present agreement provides for full sponsorship of the material supplied by NETS at a discount, the covering of administration costs for operating the programme and the payment of incentives to the teachers to encourage them.  Neither pastor are financially supported by their church and have to work for a living.  Therefore it was considered necessary to reimburse them for their loss of earning potential.  At present the cost per student is approximately a N$1 000/year, based on 9 modules per year being completed.

In addition to the sponsorship and incentives, the programme needs further funding to be able to record the translated material and improve administration.  A laptop with internet connection is the most pressing need.  In the longer term the programme aims to become independent through local funding.  Several options have been discussed and include local manufacturing projects involving the students, teaching computer skills and making effective use of the housing infrastructure at Dihokohoko which SIM handed over to the church a few years ago.