Gulf South Leadership Institute Keeping Hope Alive On August 29th, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast of the United States with a vengeance and left in its wake nearly 2,000 dead and over $81 billion dollars in property damage – but this is only part of the story. The devastation created by Katrina includes millions of broken lives and left many local congregations ill prepared to lift up those who were left spiritually devastated by the hurricane. Christian Churches and Churches of Christ were quick to respond to the hurricane’s physical destruction and volunteers from many parts of the country came to the aid of local churches affected by the storm. Thousands of Christian aid workers poured into New Orleans’ terribly damaged districts. Like an army they converged on wind and flood damaged homes. They cleaned, hauled out debris, rebuilt homes from scratch, and did what they could to encourage the victims of this unbelievable destruction. Now, nearly four years later, the efforts to assist those affected by Hurricane Katrina continue. In many ways, the work to rebuild lives and homes (not just houses) is just beginning and is even more challenging. It is one thing to spend a week with a hammer or shovel in your hand; it is quite another to take up permanent residence to help these people rebuild their lives spiritually and emotionally. That is no short term ministry. Social service agencies are continuing to work with affected families to regain the health and livelihood that they had before the storm. This will take many more years to accomplish.
Rebuilding lives that have been broken spiritually will require not only a long term commitment to the region, but a well informed and adequately equipped local church leadership. Most of those who volunteered their time to come for a week or for several weeks and even months are now gone and do not want to relocate permanently to the region. To be honest, the reclamation of spiritually devastated lives requires permanency. While you may not be able to relocate to the Gulf South region, there is a way you can have a permanent impact on this region and help restore lives by helping to provide a spiritual foundation for generations to come. In an effort to train local church leaders to address the pressing spiritual needs in the region, local leaders have cast a vision to establish the Gulf South Leadership Institute. The Institute is a mission of independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ and is calling on like-minded congregations across the country to build on their compassion for those who were left homeless in the wake of the storm. We are asking you to help the Institute establish a beachhead for the gospel through the training of effective Christian leaders. Your help is urgently needed. Many of the established congregations in the region are small and ill equipped to establish and maintain the Institute on their own. They make their appeal to you in the name of Christ our Lord and pray that you will be as enthusiastic for long term aid as you were in your quick response to the physical needs of hurting people.
Why a Leadership Institute? Compared with most other states, there are few Christian Churches in Louisiana and many are small – less than 100 members. While the desire to serve the families of their hurting and devastated communities is great the leadership base is lean and in need of help in the form of training. Emerging from the destruction of the storm are many new, but yet unequipped Christians who sincerely desire to make a difference in the lives of others in the region. The current leadership base is inadequate to support the need for personal spiritual growth and leadership training opportunities. What these congregations can not do separately, they desire to do collectively through the Gulf South Leadership Institute. The objective is not to start another Bible college, but to provide leadership training for the Christian men and women of the Gulf South region. These Christian brothers and sisters are willing and ready to learn how to lead – but how shall they learn without a teacher.
Tax-deductable gifts may be sent to: Gulf South Leadership Institute 57030 Allen Rd. Slidell, LA 70461 Phone: 919-441-6810 E-Mail: gulfsouthleadership@gmail.com Website: www.gulfsouthleadership.org
Our Leadership Team
The leadership team for the Gulf South Leadership Institute consists of a Board of Advisors and a Board of Directors and includes experienced ministry leaders in the region as well as seasoned higher education leaders with substantial mission experience.
Keith P. Keeran, Ph.D.
Tim Martin
President of Kentucky Christian University Dr. Keeran is founder of Commonwealth International University in Simferopol, Ukraine; Executive Director of the International Alliance of Christian Colleges and Universities; Director of the Charlton Institute for World Mission; past President of the Association for Biblical Higher Education; member of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; trustee at Dallas Christian College. Board of Advisors
Joe Major
Senior Minister, Mandeville Christian Church (Louisiana) Joe has been the senior minister at Mandeville for the past nine years and in addition to this he has a full time job with Martin Marietta/ Lockheed Martin, NASA Space Shuttle External Tank program. Joe has worked for the NASA Space Shuttle program since 1975. He attended Ozark Bible College, Pacific Christian College, and Manhattan Christian College where he graduated with a BS in Bible and Ethics, followed by graduate studies in leadership at Indiana Wesleyan University. Joe has a full resume with experiences in ministry in a variety of settings and locations. These experiences include preaching ministry, student ministry, and teaching ministry. Joe’s teaching experience includes providing formal instruction in New Testament and Old Testament studies. He has also taught the “Training for Service” series and other basic leadership training classes. Joe comes to the Gulf South Leadership Institute with resources forged from 38 years of ministry and service. Board of Directors
Executive Director of Building Better Communities (Louisiana) Building Better Communities is a non-profit organization based in the New Orleans area. In addition to the Executive Director position, Tim is also on the ministry staff of Matt’s Place, a community of believers serving the New Orleans East area through practical work projects. His résumé includes an impressive list of experiential credentials. Tim brings to the Gulf South Leadership Institute 33 years of ministry, broad cross-cultural experience (Russia, Austria, Croatia), and cross-cultural teaching experience at the University level. Tim also has mission field experience, church planting experience as well as social justice ministry experience. He will assume teaching responsibilities and will be a big part of the teaching staff of the Gulf South Leadership Institute. Board of Directors
Paul Kissling, Ph.D.
Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Languages and Research Director for TCMI Institute in Heiligenkreuz, Austria Paul is a graduate of Great Lakes Christian College (1980, Bachelor’s majoring in biblical languages), Lincoln Christian Seminary (1984, M.Div., Old Testament Concentration), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Th.M. in Old Testament), and the University of Sheffield (Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible). He has 13 years of full-time local church ministry experience and 18 years of full-time teaching and academic administration at the College and Graduate School level. He has taught in over 30 countries on four continents. He is the author of four books and numerous articles, chapters and reviews and serves as co-editor of the College Press NIV Old Testament Commentary. Paul is a founding member of the editorial board of the Stone-Campbell Journal and is chair of the Old Testament Theology consultation of the Evangelical Theological Society. Board of Advisors
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Larry Griffin, M.A. Todd Petty President of Mid-South Christian College
Prior to becoming president of the College, Larry was a minister, missionary and church planter, concentrating most of his efforts in the preaching and teaching ministry, with a particular sense of giftedness in the area of teaching. For 17 years, as a missionary with Team Expansion, he was the team leader for his missionary team, providing leadership in arriving at consensus agreement on the important issues facing the team. In connection with his presidency at Mid-South Christian College (Memphis, TN), Larry has also traveled to many states, and foreign countries, preaching and teaching the Word of God. Larry plans to offer Gulf South Leadership Institute his leadership experience, cross-cultural experience, and educational experience. It is also his desire to teach and to be a mentor for the Institute. Board of Advisors
Senior Minister, Christian Church of Slidell (Louisiana)
Todd envisioned the original concept of a Gulf South Leadership Institute. A native of Michigan, Todd came to the Slidell area of Louisiana with a team to help with the relief work after Katrina and later walked through an open door for ministry with the Christian Church of Slidell. During his years of ministering in the Gulf South Area, Todd has sensed the need for strong Bible based churches and spiritual leadership within the Gulf South region’s churches and faith based organizations. Prior to his ministry in Slidell, Todd had several years of effective youth ministry experience in Michigan. Chair, Board of Directors
Our Executive Director Wimbai Mutonono, is a native of Zimbabwe, Africa who came to the United States in January of 2000 to pursue studies at Kentucky Christian University. Prior to that Wimbai had completed a Bachelor of Science diploma program with Zimbabwe Christian College and also received an Instructor’s Certificate in Religious Studies from the Advisory Board for Christian Education in Zimbabwe. He is now completing final requirements for a Master of Arts degree in Christian Leadership at Kentucky Christian University. He has also served in various leadership roles over the years, including President of the Student Council and Head Librarian at Zimbabwe Christian College. He also has cross-cultural teaching and mission experience in Haiti. Wimbai’s personal ministry objective is, “to be instrumental in establishing a leadership training and development program that will be biblically sound and culturally relevant to the needs of today’s current and emerging church leaders in the Gulf South region.” Wimbai’s African ancestry, his strong Christian education, his skill as an effective communicator and teacher, and his passion for hurting people uniquely qualify him for this leadership position with the Institute. Wimbai was ordained into the teaching and preaching ministry by the elders of the Christian Church of Slidell, Louisiana. This congregation continues to serve as a base of operations for aid workers coming into the hurricane ravaged Gulf South region. Board of Directors
Your Partnership is Urgently Needed We think you will agree that a capable leadership team has been assembled. Wimbai Mutonono is already on site and has been teaching several seminars and leadership courses over the past few months. He has demonstrated exceptional faith and the people in the Gulf South are affirming their appreciation for his leadership. If he is to continue to provide leadership we must provide him with a reasonable salary and an expense allowance for related travel and materials.
Please Help Would you be willing to make a five year commitment to the Gulf South Leadership Institute in any amount that you prayerfully consider reasonable? Wimbai has made a personal commitment to serve the people of the Gulf South region, but he needs your support to make it possible for him to stay on the field.