Advancing the Mission: CCI Expands further into West Africa

Dr. Nelson
Jun 4
5 min read

"And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem."

-Acts 6:7

Click here or on the video above for a video message.

In 2023, CCI held a Teacher Training Workshop in Liberia, laying a strong foundation for ministry growth. The following year, God provided two faithful workers for the Harvest — Emmanuel Jonah, the National Director and Augustine Morris, the Ministry Operations Coordinator. These leaders have helped expand the ministry across multiple divisions throughout Liberia. Currently, Liberia has 17 classes with 329 students.

Excitingly, the impact has begun to ripple beyond Liberia’s borders. Nearby countries like Ghana, The Gambia, and Cameroon have heard about the training. This spring, Emmanuel Jonah conducted Teacher Training Workshops (TTWs) in both Ghana and The Gambia, officially launching CCI in these countries.

The Spiritual Climate in West Africa

West Africa is a region full of both opportunity and deep spiritual need. In Liberia, many churches face the influence of false teachers, leaving congregations vulnerable to shallow doctrine and confusion about the truth of Scripture. Solid, biblically grounded training is desperately needed to equip leaders who will rightly handle God’s Word.

I’d love to share some of my experience from my recent trip to Liberia in March. Temple Kessinger (VP of Donor Relations) and I visited Liberia from March 14-24. Our objective was to help the ministry there take several steps forward. Temple led devotions for a men’s Bible study. I led the Seminar on Advanced Expository Preaching to give them a powerful template for preaching messages. We also had the staff training through CCI’s 5 Best Practices for the whole team (trainers and leadership). The 5 Best Practices include: ministry team development, ministry expansion, ministry support development, local board of trustees, and efficient operations (administration).

The Advanced Expository Preaching seminar was held in Kakata, about 1 hour from Monrovia. Alex Kollie hosted the seminar where the church gathers that he pastors. We had 30 pastors in attendance.

In Their Own Words

Here is Pastor Alex’s testimony of the impact of the training:

"Praise God for CCI. I have been very grateful for CCI since the Expository Preaching Seminar in Kakata at the Grace Ambassadors New Covenant Church. The old way of preaching is changing among those who participated. One of our participants, Shadrick, comes from a very low economic standard (Zogo, as they are called in Liberia, or street boys). He is presently regular in service and started with Book #1. Praise God for His goodness. After the training, one of our pastors, Jeremiah Alfred, started a class of five pastors in his area, Upper Kakata. Presently, at the Grace Ambassadors New Covenant Church, we are seeing great understanding and spiritual growth from the members because of CCI. Usually, I was the only one preaching, but now, I have two people helping me to preach."

-Pastor Alex

The CCI 5 Best Practices training also greatly impacted the men. Here are testimonies from Pastor Tarkpor and Pastor Henry

"Hello. I am Tarkpor M. Quetee Sr., one of the CCI teachers in Liberia, specifically in Ganta, Nimba County. On April 8, Dr. David Nelson and Temple Kessinger (VP of Donor Relations) visited and provided training to CCI teachers and staff in Monrovia. It was one of the most inspiring and motivational trainings for me.

The training, information relating to CCI global activity, classes, graduations, and operational and administrative procedures, among other things, greatly motivated and energized me for the CCI ministry in Liberia. I say a big thank you to the CCI family. Upon the completion of this training, I am pleased to inform CCI of the following progress from CCI Nimba:

I met with the Bahn Christian Fellowship to establish the CCI class in the Bahn community.
I met with a pastor from Ganta during a marriage seminar in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, Liberia.
I encouraged the CCI Ganta class to support CCI Liberia.
I am planning to reach other churches in the rural areas of the county.

All these recent moves came about because of the April 8 training from Dr. Nelson and the team."

"Hello. My name is Henry J. Koisee. I am a teacher in Bong and Lofa Counties in Liberia. I was blessed to participate in the training that Temple Kessinger (VP of Donor Relations) and Dr. David Nelson conducted in Liberia. The teachings taught me many lessons, especially Jesus' example/method.

Ways to develop potential staffers/leaders:

Come and see - John 1:38-39
Come and follow me - Luke 5:10-11
Come and be with me - Mark 3:13-14
Come and abide in me - John 15:8

I personally understood that Jesus Christ went to make disciples and equip them for ministry. Therefore, through His grace, I visited some classes in Bong County and Lofa County."

The Challenges

In The Gambia and Ghana, the challenge takes another form. Gambia has a high Muslim population, and Islam is the dominant faith in most communities. Ghana, while historically influenced by Christianity, also has a large and growing Muslim presence — it’s the country’s second-largest religion. In both nations, many people have never heard a clear presentation of the gospel. Please pray for us as we expand into these new areas. Pray that the Lord will raise local leaders to oversee these areas.

The Key to Gospel Growth

Despite the challenges, we are encouraged. Through this year’s focus on Equip, Empower, Evangelize, we remain committed to the vision found in Acts 6:7, seeing the Word of God spread, disciples multiplied, and churches strengthened.

We believe the most effective way to see lives transformed is by equipping national pastors and church leaders, who can disciple others within their own culture and language. Once trained and empowered, these faithful leaders are on the front lines — preaching the gospel, evangelizing to the lost, planting churches, and making disciples in places where outsiders might have limited access or influence.

With this conviction, we are grateful to God for expanding CCI’s ministry into West Africa, trusting Him to multiply the impact through local leaders as they reach their communities for Christ.

By investing in local leaders, we are witnessing multiplication take root even in hard places. Please join us in praying for these men and women who are boldly proclaiming Christ in Liberia, The Gambia, Ghana, and beyond!

Would you consider giving toward our campaign to Equip, Empower, and Evangelize?

Your support empowers us to equip pastors and leaders with biblical training they wouldn’t otherwise receive, multiplying their impact as they disciple others and lead with wisdom in the face of cultural challenges.

If you would like to support a specific coordinator from a particular country, please click here. Additionally, we have established a National Coordinators Fund, which pools resources to support all coordinators worldwide. To donate to this fund, please click here.

Grace and Peace,

Dr. David Nelson

Chief Steward and Servant