INTRODUCTION
Rev. Olusegun Adesina Makinde, Coordinator, Training Media and Research, Global Missions Board
The Training, Research and Media ministry of Global Missions Board is the service arm that is involved in training harvest force for missions work, developing and building capacity of staff members, surveying the existing field and conducting researches on the unreached people groups, and processing and publishing information from the entire ministry of the Board for information, education and mobilization of the Baptist family to be on missions for God. The entire ministry is supervised by a coordinator who operates through unit heads. The key Units that make up this Ministry are: Training Unit, Research and Statistics Unit, and Media and Mobilization Unit.
1. Training Unit: The training arm is principally established to train and retrain missionaries for our mission fields both at home and abroad. This arm coordinates the equipping and training of Christians called to be bi-vocational evangelists, self supporting missionaries, Church planters and Church workers for the end time harvest. It trains staff in GMB office and give guidance to staff on the appropriate training for better performance. The Unit also takes care of orientation of new missionaries and retraining of serving missionaries for greater effectiveness. From time to time candidates from mission fields are also recommended for training in any of the Nigerian Baptist Convention owned theological institutions. When it becomes highly necessary, the Unit partners with Baptist theological institutions to provide theological training for candidates on mission fields to meet the need of leadership deficit as a result of rapid growth in Church planting efforts over leadership development. The Unit at present has the following sub units:
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- School of Missions: It supervises all the school of missions run by the Board. It is established to train full-time career missionaries, bi-vocational evangelists, self supporting missionaries, Church planters and Church workers who will pioneer Church planting work, provide leadership for Churches among unreached and less reached people groups, mobilize Churches for missions and reach the unreached and less reached by all possible biblical means. The School of missions comprise of Dry Season School of Missions, Professional School of Missions and Full-time Residential School of Missions in view.
- Theological Leadership Development: facilitate the training of recommended candidates from mission fields in Theological Institutions own by the Convention
- Staff Orientation and Development: This arm of training introduces new missionaries and staff members to the Global Missions Board and their responsibilities and relationship within the Board and the Nigerian Baptist context. It engages in training and retraining of staff for effectiveness and efficiency. This training is achieved by organizing orientation for new staff, missionaries and volunteers; facilitating further study or in service training for serving missionaries, organizing or facilitating capacity building seminars, workshop and refresher courses for development of serving staff.
- Language School: Language school is established to help staff and Great Commission Christians acquire language skill for the purpose of missions.
- Library and Resource Center: Serve the purpose of keeping acquired resource materials and preserving vital document of the Board for the future generation, research work and the use of staff, students of the school of missions and generality of the Baptist family.
2. Mission Research and Statistics Unit: The research and statistics unit engage in continual gathering, investigating, and analyzing data in order to generate vital information which will help in mobilizing resources for mission, clarifying realities, proffering solution to a given problem and developing strategy for given ministry situation. This Unit focuses on finding facts about unreached, less-reached and unengaged people groups within and outside Nigeria and to bring this to awareness of the public through various media outlet of the Board.
This unit networks with all ministries of the Global Missions Board to gather, analyze generate useful information for education and effective mobilization of resources from Convention’s family. The Unit carries out the followings:
- New field research
- Existing field survey
- Statistic and data Management
- NBC Church Census
3. Media and Mobilization Unit: Media is a service unit responsible for gathering, processing and publicizing relevant information for creating mission awareness, promoting mission endeavor and mobilizing the entire Convention family to be on mission for God. The followings are the different areas of operations of the unit:
- Audio-visual: Deals with recording and production of Audio and visual mission activities and events. It also includes PowerPoint Production of mobilization information.
- Print Media: Involves writing, editing, designing, formatting and monitoring of all GMB publications e.g. Home & International Mission Emphasis Booklet, Prevailing Prayer booklets, Information Booklet, GMB Magazine, Tracts, Handbills etc.
- Internet Management: Has to do with Provision of regular and reliable Internet facilities. It includes designing, editing and maintenance of GMB Website and all Social Media platforms (Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, YouTube etc.)
- Information Management: Involves proper keeping of all GMB information, both prints and non-prints materials for the use of the library and resource center. This serves for reference and historical purpose.
- Mobilization: This aspect involves the use of various publications of the Board to create mission awareness, educate Convention family and stir up interest and passion of Great Commission lovers to support GMB mission endeavour.
- Distribution of Publications: This ensures that the GMB publications are well distributed to Connect Baptist family and Great Commission lovers across the globe.
- Outreach Service: Facilitates outreach program by providing evangelistic equipment most especially film outreach.
