Togo is a small country in French-speaking West Africa, shaped much like Israel, with the capital city of Lome down in the south.

They’ve recently experienced some political instability due to the opposition party rising up and demonstrating against the long-time rule of the present leadership and his father before him who are seeking to extend their dynasty. However, God was gracious in keeping the situation calm while we were there.

I’ve just returned from launching a new Pathways training in Togo, which went very well. I was joined by Pastor Marco from St. Louis, who was an excellent training partner. 17 pastors who were master trainers (they will pass the training on to other pastors) gathered under the coordination of three capable Togolese leaders, and the group absorbed and processed the Pathways material wonderfully.

Oftentimes in these initial trainings, it is the first time pastors have been exposed to opening the Bible and exegetically studying a text of Scripture, carefully observing what is written, trying to understand what the author was trying to communicate to the original readers and then apply that message for us today. It is an exhilarating process as discoveries dawn on the pastors and they begin to grasp how powerful, relevant and applicable God’s Word is for us today.

I’d like to share with you a few of the staggering testimonies from some of the pastors with whom we worked. I hope you can catch the theme of how desperately training is needed, and the transformation that occurs as pastors begin to preach God’s Word instead of their own ideas.

Pastor Essoham – “I feel like I have preached since childhood. I have been a pastor for eight years.  But now I realize I have butchered the Word of God. In my sermons I have manipulated what God wanted to say through my own words and interpretations. I sensed in this workshop that I did not know how to preach well. I feel like my eyes have been opened. I now see it as my primary job to find from the scriptural text what God wants to say and then to let his word out in all its fullness, to expose what God wants said.

Pastor Akare – “From this Pathways workshop, I realize that many times I have preached my own words thinking they were the words of God. Now I realize I must preach God’s words. Yesterday I was at church for our Wednesday evening service, getting ready to preach according to my normal way. But then I remembered the training and I was uneasy in my heart, convicted by the Holy Spirit. I changed my plan and preached God’s Word instead of my words, and I will never go back to the old way. I have a new way of preaching, and I no longer like my old way.”

Pastor Emmanuel – “There is a shame in my heart today as I feel I have butchered the Word of God. I had already prepared a message for Sunday but after this training I really see I need to change it. I feel I have been missing it in studying God’s Word. This training has helped me so much to prepare for Sunday. Thank you!”

Pastor Emile – “I like Pathways because it is practical and useful for us who preach. We may have studied some preaching concepts, but only in theory. This helps us right where we are.”

Pastor Prosper – “I have opportunity to preach in the media. Because of time, my preaching has not been good. But now I will change and begin to preach the Word. I also lead a Bible school, and we will begin training our students to preach not popular ideas, but God’s Word.”

I am so very grateful for the opportunity to work with these wonderful, teachable pastors, and offer them assistance for which they are so hungry and which is so needed in the church. To God be the glory.