Our Director of the School of Biblical Studies is Jim Chandler. Jim is a former elder at Third & Kilgore Church of Christ. He has taught in Mexico, Ukraine, and Shanghai through mission work. He joined our mission team in 2016 and has been a special blessing to the work. In addition to teaching in the School of Biblical Studies in Gambella, he has done a tremendous amount of maintenance work at different compounds. He became the director of the school in 2022.

The Sudan was ruled by the British for years, but the Muslims in North Sudan gained enough power in the eighties to take over the nation. Upon gaining control they tried to force the Islamic Religion and Sharia Law in South Sudan. The people in the South rebelled resulting in a twenty-five year civil war. Hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese were killed and millions fled to refugee camps in Ethiopia and other countries around the world. July 9, 2011, the Muslims and leaders from the South signed a Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the Sudan was divided into two nations, North Sudan and South Sudan. The President of South Sudan was from the Dinka Tribe and the Vice President from the Nuer Tribe. Shortly after South Sudan became an independent nation, the President and Vice-President began accusing each other of trying to gain controlling power over the nation which escalated into a tribal war in December 2013. The tribal war continues today continuing to force hundreds of thousands of additional South Sudanese into refugee camps.

The Ethiopian brethren began teaching the gospel to the Sudanese refugees and found them to be very receptive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Due to the receptivity and the desire of many South Sudanese to teach their people the True Gospel, the Ethiopian Brethren opened a School of Preaching to train interested men to become preachers. In a few years the Ethiopia School of Preaching and Sunset International Bible Institute united offering a more credible degree from an International Bible Institute.

In 2008 Sunset International Bible Institute invited Tyrone Mynhier to teach in the school located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 2011 Tyrone became the director of the school and relocated it to the Gambella Region in Ethiopia, a region that borders South Sudan. Tyrone felt the move was beneficial for several reasons. Most of the refugee students were from the Gambella Region and had to be bused to Addis Ababa (a two day journey) meaning the refugees had to be housed in Addis Ababa for the duration of the school. Also, Gambella Region, being a border region, provides access to the border for Sudanese Refugees thus granting the students the opportunity to travel in and out of South Sudan to teach. Lastly, the Ethiopian Government Officials had given the church five acres of land for a compound and American Brethren had provided to small assembly building on the compound.

Upon Tyrone’s arrival in Gambella in January 2011, there were twenty plus members consisting of a Sudanese Preacher, James Puot, his wife and two small children, a couple of elderly women and several Sudanese young men.

Tyrone met with James and explained the goals for moving the School to Gambella and to begin an extensive outreach to the South Sudanese Refugees. He further asked for a commitment to help with the work. James’ response was good news to Tyrone. He said, “Brother Tyrone, I have been praying that God would send someone to help further the cause of Christ to my countrymen. I will commit and do everything I can to help with the mission.”

Since that memorable day the Lord has blessed the mission immeasurably with the following:

A new meeting assembly hall to accommodate 250+,

A dorm for 20 students,

2 Classrooms to accommodate 35 students each,

An office

A storage house,

A shower building with two showers,

Four dry-hole toilet building,

A guest house to accommodate 14 people (visiting preachers and other visitors)

220 graduates (approximately 35 % working full time),

All the instructors in the school are Natives, excluding Tyrone,

Six very successful Vacation Bible Schools have been taught by a team of teachers from the states: 2013- 100 students; 2014-200 students; 2015- 500 students; 2016-500 students; 2017- 1,000 students; 2018- 1,800 students, 2019- 1,800

Resulting from the VBS 150-300 children attend assemblies at different congregations every Sunday

Seeded 40+ new congregations,

Over 2,000 baptisms,

The mission is presently feeding approximately 250 South Sudanese from 5 congregations hidden in the bush (forest) at an expense of $2,000 a month.

One of the neat things is the United Nations and government officials have been very receptive to the work. When we seed a congregation in a refugee camp (we presently have 12) we are given land to build a building. When we seed a congregation in a city (we presently have 20) the official’s frequently give the mission 5 plus acres of land for a compound. A compound consists of fencing the land and building a church building. This year we have planted corn in several areas and are praying God will give us an abundant crop to help feed the brethren.

There were 15 graduates from the February 2019 semester of the School of Biblical Studies and 20 graduates from the June semester. The February 2020 semester began with 20 students; however, the Government Officials forced the school to close during the semester resulting from Covid 19 restrictions. The students were required to return to their homes. In May the Officials lifted some restrictions permitting groups of 10 people to assemble. We took advantage of the opportunity and invited 10 students to attend the June 2020 semester. To date there have been 300 plus graduates.

Although the restrictions were for the country of Ethiopia the officials do not enforce them in small cities and villages. Since we could only have 10 students in the school, we sent two teams of instructors to teach for a month in two different areas in South Sudan. The classes were very intense, and the instructors taught 8 hours a day, 6 days a week for 4 weeks. The students will have the opportunity to attend the February 2021 Semester for further study. Nine students in one area and 15 students in another area completed the studies.

Due to the success of the classes we will send two or three teams of instructors to additional areas on a regular basis throughout the year. Lord willing, we will return to full capacity for the February semester.