REPORT OF THE NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND THEOLOGICAL STUDIES/ BEAR VALLEY BIBLE INSTITUTE – NIGERIA
NTIGHA- ONITCHA NGWA
MARCH 2025
INTRODUCTION
It is another opportunity for us to take statistics of the business of the month. We are grateful to all our sponsors and facilitators. May the good Lord bless the Bear Valley family for the reawakening that is happening across Nigeria and beyond. The churches of Christ, through the work of the bear valley family, has brought study centers close to many brethren. In fact, more centers are opening by the day. May the good Lord bless the work in our hands in Christ name, amen.
CLASSES AND VACATION
Classes started early in the month of February and officially stopped on the 25th of February. Revision began on the 3rd through 7th of March. The examination started on Monday the 10th and spanned through the 19th of March and the school vacated on the same 19th of March. The school will be on resume activities on the 12th of April.
LIBRARY
On the 19th and 20th of March, the students helped to evacuate the old computer room. There, a temporary Library was set up. They were guided through the use of the digital library the school received from Chad Wagner and they were so excited. The school encouraged them to get laptops for themselves upon their return from the holiday. It is not going to be business as usual. To this point, we can comfortably say that we are ready for another busy academic semester that will span from April to July 2025. This would be the second and last semester for the year two students.
HOSTEL
The student hostel needs careful attention. The hostel has capacity but would be needing tiling, window work, plastering and painting of some parts. There is a need to gather the iron bed frames and fix them and direct the students on how to use them properly. Cleanliness is next to godliness. The foregoing idea must be instilled in the students.
EVANGELISM
The school had encouraged the students to keep up with their evangelism work at their home congregations as the need arises. We hope to receive their report on their return. So far so good.
CHALLENGES
SECURITY/FENCING
There are no new challenges. It remains to say that efforts are being made to sort things out with the community to enable the school to go on with fencing the place. On the 31st of March, the school visited the community at their council hall and paid their annual rites which has been due for two years. The community received the school amidst cheers. One bottleneck still remains the status of the Land agreement. Both parties agreed to take a date for further deliberations. The school continues to ask for prayers to enable the matter to get resolved amicably in her subsequent meeting.
POWER SUPPLY
Power supply has since been restored on the 13th of March. The school has resolved with the Nigerian Christian Hospital, Nlagu to be paying 5% of the total electricity bill monthly. The school has been indebted to the hospital since November last year. However, about a hundred and two thousand was paid out of four hundred and thirty-eight thousand naira. We hope to pay up as soon as we have the ability. To this end, the management continues the appeal for a solar energy supply. It is cheaper
and better.
STATISTICS
1. Number of Students: Sixteen (16) Year 1 (10) Year 2- six (6)
2. Number of Graduates (if any this year) sixteen.
3. Number of Campaigns: None.
4. Number of Baptisms: None in the month of March
5. Number of any New Churches Planted: None.
6. Number of any Churches Restored: None.
7. Number of Teachers: Eight (8)
8. Number of Restorations: None.
Conclusion
We are grateful to God for another successful end of month. It is by the grace of God that we have survived to this point. To the various congregations and individuals who are supporting the work in Nigeria, we are grateful. Continue to pray for us because of the daunting challenges in this area. We must constantly thank God for the beautiful environment of NIATS. We must secure it so that more gospel preachers will be trained.
Solomon I. Usim
Director, NIATS.
March 2025.