In 2003, a brief reflection on the life and ministry of apostle Paul clearly shows that Paul was a master ministry strategist. Paul worked like a restless busy bee, yet it is no longer news that he wrote two-thirds (2/3) of the New Testament. He traveled and logged in countless hours on mission trips more than any other apostle, and still, he found time to engage in commercial tent making to support himself and his team members. A closer look at his mode of ministry operations shows that Paul was intentional and highly focused on the work committed to his hands. Paul prayerfully and thoughtfully chose cities where he planted churches, the locations he visited and taught the word many times and the vital issues he addressed in person and in his Pauline epistles. Paul, in my opinion, was a guru in ministry strategy.

My observation of the life and activities of Paul inspired a vision to carefully choose strategic cities for ministry work and possible church planting efforts, to train pastors and give them skills that shall enable them to support their families so that they will focus more on preaching the word rather than preaching a different gospel for self-aggrandizement. Therein lies the existential purpose of Galed Missions & Education Institute (GMEI).

This 2003 vision has influenced most of my activities in the past two decades. While I was taking a doctoral program in Canada, I attempted to help an organization to strengthen/sharpen their ministry focus through a research methodology termed Appreciative Inquiry, but unfortunately, and thankfully, the sole owner of the organization frustrated the effort. As a result, the research project topic was cancelled thus causing an extension of my stay at school. However, after a long while, a new topic was chosen and approved by the University authorities and a new supervisor was assigned to me under whom my work was completed.

The cancellation of my first doctoral thesis topic forced me to return to my original vision to develop training models for African pastors using contextualized and objectivized training methods. That 2003 vision informed the establishment of  Galed Missions & Education Institute, GMEI for short, (Formerly Grace Community Virtual Bible Institute during the pandemic) incorporated in Canada as a training institution in October 2020. Why wait for twenty years before launching out, you may ask? In part, human factors cannot be completely ruled out. But you will agree that God’s timing is always the best.  Additionally, Exodus 33:15-16 is both instructive and a perfect example to follow when walking with God. Moses said “If your presence (God) does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish between me and your people from all the other people on the surface of the earth?” Galed Missions & Education Institute waited for over twenty years to come alive in keeping with God’s directives. Furthermore,

after reading Livermore’s Serving with Eyes Wide Open: Doing Short-Term Missions with Cultural Intelligence, my resolve to train pastors and give them skills increased. Since then, the burden has been weighing heavily on my heart. Moreso, evidence-based research shows that more than three million pastors need training. And globally, eighty percent (85%) of churches are led by untrained pastors. Little wonder then that for far too long church members everywhere appear spiritually malnourished and in dare need of godly and capable shepherds who can feed the flock with the right combination of spiritual food-undiluted milk of the word of God and set the flock back on the highway of steady spiritual growth and development for God’s glory.

As part of the solution to lack of trained pastors, Galed Missions & Education Institute president shall be providing Bible-based short answers to questions and brief biblical lessons in a series of video clips that will stream live on Facebook, U-tube, and Instagram.

Visit GMEI website for more detailed information about how you can participate,  https://galedmissionsinstitute.org

GMEI is a member of Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and all donations and contributions to the course of GMEI qualify for tax deductible under the Internal Revenue Service’s Code 501 (c), (3).

Dr. Darlington E. Elekwa

Pioneer President/Initiator GMEI Inc.