{"id":132,"date":"2011-03-31T15:44:35","date_gmt":"2011-03-31T19:44:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.fgmlafayette.org\/?p=132"},"modified":"2014-07-22T11:19:32","modified_gmt":"2014-07-22T15:19:32","slug":"fgm-goes-to-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/missions\/fgm-goes-to-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"FGM Goes to South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Carol & Wayne Mack<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dr. Wayne Mack is one of the most respected leaders and authors in the Biblical Counseling movement. In 2006, Dr. Mack and his wife Carol moved to South Africa to begin Grace School of Ministry, dedicated to providing a seminary level education in Biblical Counseling. This ministry is under the direction of Grace Fellowship Church of Pretoria, South Africa and the curriculum and teaching is led by Dr. Mack.<\/p>\n

Dr. Mack invited Faith Baptist Church, Lafayette, IN to assist him this year by providing teachers for the Theological Basis of Counseling course in Pretoria or Cape Town, South Africa. Our leadership considered it a privilege to be invited to participate in such a ministry with our friend, Wayne Mack. We naturally jumped on the opportunity in Cape Town because that would allow us to visit our missionaries there. Faith Baptist Church is the sending church for Marc and Judie Blackwell and their son and daughter in law, Marc, Jr. and his wife, Nancy and their two children, Nicole and Matthew. Pastor Andy Woodall and David Selvey were sent in response to this request and this is our story.<\/p>\n

Visiting the Blackwells<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Andy Woodall & David Selvey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Missionary Marc Blackwell, Sr. met us in the Cape Town airport where we arrived about 9pm Friday night after travelling 28 hours. We enjoyed good fellowship with Marc as he drove us to the airport. It seemed a bit strange for the driver to be on the right and for us to drive on the left side of the road, but the roadways are modern and in good condition.<\/p>\n

Saturday we enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the clean hotel followed by a walk around the area … lots of sunshine and pretty warm. Marc picked us up at the hotel around noon and took us to lunch and tried to fill us in on 36 years of ministry in a few hours. In the afternoon, we had the privilege of attending the ordination counsel and service of two South African Nationals for service in the gospel ministry. It was a tremendous privilege and blessing to see Llewellyn and Dean, two dedicated South African men, ordained into the Gospel ministry. One of the men is a very successful insurance executive who is now dedicating his life to serving as a pastor of the English speaking church in Blue Downs, a Cape Town suburb.<\/p>\n

After the ordination council we drove out to the camp facilities that God has provided. We praise God for providing facilities where young people can go for a concentrated time of biblical teaching and discipleship.<\/p>\n

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Blue Downs Baptist Church<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Sunday morning Marc, Sr. picked up Andy and took him to preach in one of his church plants. Marc, Jr. and his family picked me up a few minutes later to take me to preach in his church plant in Blue Downs. The last time I was here was in 2005 when I preached Marc, Jr\u2019s ordination service and the dedication of the new building that Victor Pereira and I helped complete with a CWE team. The building is shared by two churches. Marc\u2019s Afrikaans church meets first and then the English speaking church meets after them. The people were warm and accepting, listening attentively to the message from God\u2019s Word. After that service, we stayed for the English speaking church which was installing their new pastor that had been ordained the day before. What a marvelous privilege to see a local church install a national pastor.<\/p>\n

\ufeff\ufeffOn Sunday evening Pastor Woodall and I each taught in the Church Ministry Institute (CMI) that they have in each of their churches for training national church leadership. We enjoyed the teaching and fellowship time together. After our time with the Blackwells, Marc Jr. drove us an hour or so across Cape Town to the place where we would meet with Dr. Wayne and Carol Mack.<\/p>\n

Grace School of Ministry<\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n
There we met Ian Murray, an elder in Grace Fellowship Church of Pretoria. Ian has assumed the administrative and logistical responsibilities of enabling Dr. Mack to teach at various times and in various locations.<\/div>\n
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Andy, Wayne, Carol, David, Ian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\ufeffThe ministry in which we were to participate is Grace School of Ministry, which provides a two year seminary education in the area of Biblical Counseling. The program is offered in Pretoria and Cape Town. The course of study includes 4 classes per year for a period of 2 years. Classes are all taught in the form of 5 \u00bd day modular classes in each of the two locations. These modular courses are not for the faint of heart. Students have extensive pre-course assignments and post course work to do, as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Theology class<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dr. Mack taught all the sessions on Monday so Pastor Woodall and I could see how he taught and how the class functioned. Pastor Woodall picked up the teaching Tuesday afternoon. For the remainder of the week, Pastor Woodall taught 3 hours before lunch and I taught 3 hours after lunch. Andy also prepared and taught 90 minutes each evening on counseling youth. Saturday was a half day with Andy teaching the first half of the morning and Dr. Mack teaching the second half.<\/span><\/p>\n

\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeffWe had a regular attendance of around 35. Pastor Doug and his wife, Ann had travelled 900 miles from Pretoria to attend the class. A single woman, Anna travelled all the way from Sweden \u2026 I think she said it was 14-16 hours by plane! The people were so incredibly hungry for the practical theology of God\u2019s Word that we were a bit overwhelmed by their thankfulness for the Word and the teaching of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some of the comments we heard.<\/div>\n
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