Mice or Lions?

Leonard Ravenhill (1907 - 1994) "Many of us are hunting mice — while lions devour the land."

Leonard Ravenhill (1907 – 1994)

Leonard Ravenhill was born in England and spent the last thirty-five years of his life in the US. He was an avid student of revivals and a constant gadfly for the modern church—continually prodding her forward with his terse and often stinging admonitions. Why Revival Tarries remains his most widely-read book. A. W. Tozer, a close friend, said "To such men as this, the church owes a debt too heavy to pay. The curious thing is that she seldom tries to pay him while he lives. Rather, the next generation builds his sepulcher and writes his biography—as if instinctively and awkwardly to discharge an obligation the previous generation to a large extent ignored."

Ravenhill´s writings are filled with pithy and prophetic reminders that revival does not come without a strong desire, fervent prayer and keen obedience to God. Hear him: "God pity us that after years of writing, using mountains of paper and rivers of ink, exhausting flashy terminology about the biggest revival meetings in history, we are still faced with gross corruption in every nation, as well as with the most prayerless church age since Pentecost." . . . "The Church used to be a lifeboat rescuing the perishing. Now she is a cruise ship recruiting the promising." . . . "My main ambition in life is to be on the devil's most wanted list." . . . "If Jesus had preached the same message that ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified."

Praise Notes

August was a lively months at WATS! A new class of undergraduates — our largest in many years — came in last month to help kick off the new semester at WATS. At the last minute seven classrooms were remodeled - at least the basics — new ceilings, lighting, and whiteboards. Presently one of our biggest problem remains severe overcrowding in our student hostels.
Masters classes were in full swing in August, as usual. During the first ten days of the month Dr. Emmanuel Ogunyemi, Dr. Charlemagne Nditemeh, Dr. Daniel Finch and John Lotzgesell concluded modules started in late July. August 25, Dr. Gary Maxey, Dr. David Seiver, Pastor Sola Ajibulu and David Adeleke kicked off modules in Holiness and Revival, History of Christian Spirituality, Church and State, and Arabic Language, respectively.
Join us to praise God for His healing hand on Gail Seiver, wife of Dr. David Seiver (our most "frequent flier" adjunct faculty member over the past twelve years, with at least fifteen visits to WATS). Gail´s melanoma cancer was successfully treated in August and she is now cancer-free! Praise God!
As mentioned, campus construction work continued in August. The installation of the doorway and new windows was started on the new chapel, as well as floor joists for the first half. Seven classrooms were given basic remodeling on the ground floor. GOOD NEWS received at the end of the month is that a substantial funding gift is headed our way to speed up the work on the chapel/library project. Hallelujah!
The 12Stone Church mission team from Georgia (medical, construction, IT and teaching) concluded their work early in the month, followed by a visit from Mike Jones and Matthew Moore, from Drive-In Ministries of Alabama. With the help and encouragement of Mike and Matthew repairs were made on the two WATS film evangelism vehicles. Preparations were also made for the purchase of a new and larger vehicle, hopefully by November. Thank God for the ongoing help of Drive-In Ministries in our Christian ministries outreach! Through this partnership WATS students continue to make major impact in evangelism and soul winning.
August witnessed the official send-off of Pastor Eugene Ukaoha to pursue PhD studies at the University of Nigeria Nsukka. Eugene has worked hard over the past few years as the WATS Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, and has now handed over the baton to Dr. Emmanuel Ogunyemi, who has completed both Masters and PhD studies in academic administration. We thank God for these excellent forward steps.

Prayer Notes

This month we conduct a one-week MA in Christian Leadership module postponed from July: Discipleship for the Twenty-First Century, led by Dr. U. Obed, senior pastor of Glory Tabernacle in Ibadan, Nigeria. By September 22nd Jacqueline Hoover (Beirut, Lebanon), Dr. Keith Norman (Memphis, Tennessee), Frederick Luogon (WATS lecturer from Liberia), and Professor Omar Danfulani (University of Jos) begin teaching modules respectively in History of Christian-Muslim Relationships, Hermeneutics, Survey of Church History and African Traditional Religion. Pray that God will give each of these teachers needed anointing and understanding.
Our annual Missions and Evangelism Conference is the highlight of the month. September 23rd – 25th we celebrate the return of more than thirty Springboard short-term missionaries, who travelled far and wide in June and July and have come back with exciting stories of heaven´s help. Our guest speaker is Dr. William Flippin, senior pastor of Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church in Atlanta, making his first trip to Nigeria. He will be at WATS with a six-person team. Pray that God will use Dr. Flippin for His glory as he speaks to the seminary community four times during this three-day conference.
It appears that as we write this report the clearing of our two containers long stuck in port is imminently possible. Please pray that we will be able to give the GOOD NEWS next month of their release! This will speed up our construction and will also give us relief in several other areas. We need divine intervention!!
Pray for the completion of our WESLEY HOUSE project! One result of the visit of Pastor Steve Wood (Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church, Atlanta) early in the month was initial funding for a two-year lease on a new three-story building within a short walk of WATS, containing six four-bedroom flats. It is being dubbed "Wesley House," and will eventually hold up to forty-eight Methodist seminarians from all over Africa. WOW! We have nailed down the lease with initial funds, and will take possession in two weeks. Pray that we will get the remaining funds (including a generator and basic furnishings) QUICKLY.
Finally, pray for us as we push forward in three major areas of Nigeria-based funding for WATS:
1. Raising a "Gideon´s army" of 300 WATS alumni giving at least N10,000 annually
2. Finding 100 congregations that will provide at least one scholarship yearly for WATS students
3. Giving us a "Foundation Fifty" — fifty core supporters who will give us N1 million yearly as the Lord continues to direct them into the future.
This is the first year in WATS history that we have the clear prospect of raising more than one-half of our external support from WITHIN Nigeria. Hallelujah! Pray that it will happen, for God´s glory.

We believe the excellent work going on day after day in WATS classrooms can over the next five years expand to touch a student body DOUBLED from our present enrollment. The overwhelming leadership needs in Nigeria and beyond DEMAND that we rise to this challenge. As we have said so many times, this is the GREATEST NEED of the African Church. Leonard Ravenhill chided his generation for hunting MICE, and those of us who look at Africa and only see the humanitarian issues may well be a contemporary example. The lions are the overwhelming need for spiritual and leadership development. May God help us to have a balanced focus!
BULLETIN:	(1) Check www.watsonline.org for giving online using your credit card.
	(2) As your Church plans Mission Projects for next year, why not include a work mission to WATS? Let us hear from you.
	(3) We need Bibles and other Christian books! See us about getting them to Nigeria via shipment from Illinois.


	Friends of WATS		WEST AFRICA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
	PO Box 490306		PMB 003, Ipaja
	Lawrenceville, GA 30049-0006		Lagos, NIGERIA
	Ph: 404-895-0018		Ph: +234-1-898-1676 or 1914
	Ph: 678-637-4237		EM: GMAfrica@aol.com

Yours for the African Harvest,

Dr. Gary S. Maxey