JOIN THIS STORY

Dr Ezekiel Ajibade

Rector, BCT, Lagos

 

When you share your story with someone, it becomes a part of their story too.

-          Marty Rubin

We are all storytellers. We all live in a network of stories.  There isn’t a stronger connection between people than storytelling.

-          Jimmy Neil Smith

 

In Numbers 10:29-32, Moses extended a powerful invitation to Hobab son of Reuel, the Midianite. He told him, “We are setting out for the place about which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.” Habab first rejected the offer. Perhaps the reasons were not convincing enough – “we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.” Then Moses said in verse 31 “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.” That seem to make more sense to him and with verse 33 saying, “So they set out from the mountain of the Lord and traveled for three days,” it is believed that he agreed to go with them.      

What exactly happened in this passage? Moses invited Hobab to join their story. Moses and Israel were writing a story that we are reading today. But they were about entering another chapter (verse 33). It was a great privilege being offered to Hobab.  The first reason was not convincing to him as a person of accomplishment and vision.  He cannot follow them – just to enjoy what the Lord has promised them.  He needs a purpose and it is a contributory and perhaps sacrificial purposes.

So when Moses changed the invitation from enjoying to giving, the narrative changed. The moment he heard “You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes,” Hobab joined the story. What a great man, willing to give and not get, wanting to make a contribution to a story rather than being an addendum. The rest is history. It is a story we read till eternity.

BCT Lagos is a story–one that began in 1997 when the then Lagos Baptist Conference approved the establishment of a theological institution that will train and equip mission-minded gospel ministers (pastors, educators, musicians, evangelists, missionaries) and other church workers that are spiritually dynamic, biblically sound, ministerially competent, academically excellent, morally robust and denominationally responsible. People have been part of this story – proprietors, Local Churches, Associations, Conferences (and their component units), Board members, faculty, staff, students, and other donors. People have donated classrooms, hostels, furniture, scholarships, monthly subventions, solar power, lawn mower and other equipment, books and journals, internet facility and so much more! They have become part of our story.

But the story has not ended. Like Moses, we are inviting more Hobabs. God has promised BCT Lagos great things but we need helpers through our wilderness. The College has suffered so much infrastructural deficit that makes people ask, “Is this school in Lagos – the commercial capital of Nigeria?” We do not have a modern student hostel, our library sits in a classroom (not a building of its own), we spend a bulk of our money on fuel and diesel and the school still reels in darkness. We need solar power for the entire campus. Our campus is not fenced, there is no residence for the Rector and he continues to use his personal car for official businesses after two years of assuming duty.

So, who will join this story? Some are doing so right now. The Worship Centre that has been abandoned for more than a decade is picking up. Our amiable Board Chairman has championed the mobilisation of funds for this project (after dividing it into four phases). Having raised N30 Million, we still need N16 Million Naira to roof this first phase. Then we will continue with the second and third phases. Join this story. Yaba Baptist Church is working on the Rectors Lodge and the Lagos Baptist Conferences are constructing a 3-bedroom flat.  Join this story.

How may you join? You can sponsor any of this projects below. You can mobilise your friends, your church, Association or Conference to carry out a project. Here is a breakdown of our major needs.

 

1.	Worship Centre (Phase 2)	N70 Million
2.	Solar Power for entire campus	N71 Million
3.	Male Hostel	N200 Million
4.	Stand Alone Library	N100 million
5.	Fencing	N30 million
6.	Scholarship	N450,000/student
7.	Official Car	N30 Million

 

Please join this story. God has promised us well. But we need his human instrument to provide resources for the journey.

 

Account Information

Baptist College of Theology Lagos

Bank: First Bank Plc

Acct No: 2006650391