From Dedication to Development

How would you respond if you returned to your hotel room after an afternoon out to find the ceiling had crashed down, leaving your bed and all your belongings covered in debris? This happened to 2 national directors attending the Thrive Conference and GTEC: Johannesburg dedication in February, and their response might surprise you. Rather than getting upset, Morris, National Director for Uganda, took the opportunity to pray with the hotel owner, listening to her story and offering her the hope of the Gospel. This is the fruit of being transformed into all God intends for us to be. The first fruits of the Johannesburg Global Transformational Education Centre came not in the form of teaching a child, but in the form of praying for a distraught service provider.

In mid-February, Morris along with about 30 other African leaders from around the continent converged in Johannesburg for the opening and dedication of TeachBeyond’s newest Global Transformational Education Centre, GTEC: Johannesburg. This GTEC was approved last November, and on 19 February it hosted its first event—a Thrive Conference designed to equip African leaders to grow their leadership ability and equip them to walk alongside national and school boards to govern effectively. Through the first half of the conference, leaders discussed how they could grow in the TeachBeyond core leadership competencies, bringing their own experiences and expertise to the table. Heads of School worked alongside National Directors, board members, and key leaders from Sparrow Project and Open Schools to bring a robust understanding of what it means to be a TeachBeyond leader in the African context.

On Saturday, 21 February, the delegates paused their learning to celebrate the dedication of this “borderless” GTEC. President Dr. David Durance gave an inspirational charge to the region casting a vision for how the GTEC can be a catalyst in helping the organization reach the nations across Africa. Tammy Peters, Africa Regional Vice President, and Brad Eyre, President of the South Africa board, gave context for the GTEC and prayed over the new GTEC: Johannesburg coordinator, Diane Steyne, who was commissioned during the service. Conference delegates and invited guests also heard stories about the work being done in different African contexts by Open Schools (Angie Pape, ZA), Sparrow Project (Abinala Mbewe, ZM), and Work for Life (Morris Kabuye, UG). The celebration concluded with song and dance, celebrating the way the Lord is at work across the continent.

It was shortly after this dedication service, when Morris and his roommate returned to their room to find the ceiling had crashed down. They were able to change rooms before the conference continued with sessions devoted to strengthening the director/board governance interface. When the owner approached Morris on Sunday morning to apologize again, he took the opportunity to turn the tables and bless her. Seeds were planted that day that the Lord may use in the future to transform what could be considered a dangerous inconvenience into something beautiful.

While there was deep discussion and learning at the Thrive Conference, the best part of the week was simply the act of doing life together. Conversations over meals, interactions in the evenings and free times, worshipping together, hearing each other’s stories, and praying together all served to draw our African leaders and the African regional leadership team closer together around the common vision of loving Jesus and being transformed into His likeness on a daily basis.

The GTEC: Johannesburg and Africa Regional Leadership team look forward to seeing how else the Lord might use this new GETC to serve the region and help bring the transformational message of the Gospel to all the nations of Africa, and even beyond!