Around the World
Liberia’s First Global Church Planters Academy!
By Kofi Gyansah
I count myself privileged to be chosen by God for the work of ministry. In 2016, I graduated from Open Bible’s first-ever Global Church Planters Academy in Ghana, West Africa. Since that time my co-church planter, Dominic Darkwa, and I have planted a vibrant new church and are in the process of planting a second church in the coming months. Glory to God!
When Rev. Rich Kopp, founder of the Church Planters Academy in Ghana, briefed me on his plan to take the Academy to other African countries and invited me to join him, it was a great joy to me because I personally, as the youth pastor for Open Bible Ghana, had been praying there could be something like an African conference of Open Bible Churches youth. I had tried searching for Open Bible youth pastors in Africa and found only a few, and communication with them has not been so effective. I knew right away that a Church Planting Academy in other African countries would indirectly birth the possibility of Open Bible African churches uniting, gathering for conferences, and sharing common challenges and ideas.
Arriving In Liberia
Our team, Rich Kopp, Nick Mahabir, professor of the Academy, and I, arrived in Liberia on July 29, 2021. I flew with Rich Kopp from Accra, Ghana’s capital. Because I am from Africa, I was willing to stay with a local family in Liberia for the first couple of nights until the Legacy Learning Center was ready. Fortunately, I was hosted by the Open Bible Field Director, Bishop Vambo, and his family. They made me feel at home. They introduced me to a few of their foods, which I really enjoyed because there wasn’t much difference from that of Ghanaian foods. Liberia was experiencing their rainy season, so most of the places Bishop Vambo wished to take us were inaccessible because of rainfall.
Drew Welch and his family, our Open Bible missionaries in Liberia, did their best to ready the new Legacy Learning Center for use as the campus of the first Church Planters Academy of Liberia. One of my greatest joys was then moving in with the students on campus, which gave me the privilege to interact with and learn more from my Liberian brothers and sisters. It was an experience I would never have gotten if I had lived off-campus and came to the Center only to teach.
Teaching and Learning
I was assigned the course Church Planting Dynamics. Since I am African, I could easily relate to my Liberian students, the issues they must deal with, and the obstacles they must overcome to be successful church planters. My course content consisted of part of my notes from the first Global Church Planters Academy in Ghana, books I had studied on church planting during the past four years, a lot of personal experiences planting a new church, and scriptural references to church planting and examination of how the apostles planted churches.
Since education was cut off for several years in Liberia due to their civil war, the academic level of the students is severely lacking. I had to reduce the instructional and assignment load each day and reframe my daily content to make the principles more understandable. It worked and by God’s grace we were able to make an impact on the students.
After the second week, students started to testify that they had seen a tremendous change in their thinking, their way of life, and also their understanding about church. It was a happy moment for us as instructors as we know the Lord has birthed in them a great excitement for vibrant church plants in the near future.
in Liberia.
In the Future
I strongly believe that soon we in Africa will hold a conference of all students/planters of the Church Planters Academy from all African countries, one in which we will all meet in one country, pray, exhort one another, and share ideas. This I believe will make Open Bible Africa unite and grow.
Neither I nor my church planting partner, Dominic, believed we could plant a church, but today we say, to the glory of God, that out of our church plant we have raised six vibrant young men who are ready to plant their own churches. We are forever grateful to God and to Rev. Rich Kopp and his wife, Patti, and Rev. Nick Mahabir for their contributions to our lives. They unveiled the real “us” that was hidden. I will continually serve the Global Church Planting Academy and Open Bible Churches for the expansion of God’s kingdom.
About the Author
Kofi Gyansah (left) currently serves as the Open Bible National Youth Director of Ghana. A 2016 graduate of the Global Church Planters Academy, he will be the first National Director of the Global Church Planters Academy of Ghana in 2022. Kofi was also the first sent Open Bible missionary from Ghana when he served as an instructor for the Liberian Church Planters Academy this past August 2021. Kofi and Dominic Darkwa are in the planning stages for a new church plant in Kumasi.
“We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation
to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done”
(Psalms 78:4 NKJV).
On March 1, 1967, Melvyn and Barbara Kelderman moved to Trinidad and Tobago. That step of obedience began a family legacy that decades later led us—their son and daughter-in-law—to return as full-time missionaries serving with the School of Global Leadership (SGL). Looking back, we see God’s faithfulness from one generation to the next.
Before being appointed as missionaries in 2024, we both taught secondary school while serving at Open Bible Church in Omaha, Nebraska. During those years, God gave us countless opportunities to grow in ministry and deepen our calling. Having served in cross-cultural ministry in several countries, we were grateful when He opened the door to join Global Missions full time. Today we serve with the School of Global Leadership, helping believers discover their role in God’s global mission and equipping those who are moving from called to sent.
School of Global Leadership
Since its beginning in 2010, SGL has helped revitalize the vision for missions within the Open Bible Standard Churches of Trinidad and Tobago. Their work in Trinidad and beyond has helped SGL to become a partner with the Global Missions department in helping connect, expand, and reach into other countries around the world with the Gospel.
One of SGL’s greatest joys is hosting teams from Open Bible Churches in the United States. These short-term ministry experiences allow participants to encounter Trinidad’s diverse religious landscape, including Muslim, Hindu, and African-derived faith communities, while discovering how God may be calling them to serve. SGL also equips future missionaries through online courses and hands-on training. Whether you’re exploring God’s call, preparing for long-term service, or simply wanting to learn more about His work among the nations, we’d love to help you take your next step.
Looking to the Future
While Trinidad remains our training base, we believe God is expanding this vision. Our hope is to establish SGL training hubs in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa so that future leaders can be equipped within their own languages and cultures. As we continue partnering with Global Missions, we believe God will open doors to train and equip missionaries from everywhere to everywhere.
We are deeply grateful for the churches and individuals who pray for us and faithfully support this ministry (Philippians 1: 3). Together we are helping prepare the next generation of workers who will carry the gospel to the nations. Just as others invested in us, we now have the privilege of investing in those God is calling today – and we believe He will continue telling His story from generation to generation.
About the Authors
Brent and Sara Kelderman are pastors and missionaries with Open Bible Churches USA. After serving as teachers at a public high school in Nebraska and as associate pastors in their local church, God expanded their calling into full-time missions. Throughout their marriage, God has woven a passion for the nations into their hearts. They currently serve within the School of Global Leadership (SGL) in Trinidad and Tobago. Their ministry includes hosting missions teams, leading missions training, and partnering with local churches. They are grateful for all God has done and look forward to all He will continue to do in and through their lives.
In parts of Nigeria today, land is no longer just a livelihood – it’s a battleground. In search of increasingly scarce water and grazing land, semi-nomadic Muslim herdsmen are moving their flocks south into areas already inhabited by Christian farmers. This encroachment has intensified conflict, resulting in thousands of deaths, the displacement of millions, increased kidnappings, and deepening ethnic tensions. This is the environment in which Open Bible’s ministry continues day after day.
Despite these challenges, the Gospel is advancing.
Okon Obot, Open Bible’s Superintendent in Nigeria, shared the following story with me:
Recently we held an evangelistic crusade in one of the affected regions. Despite security concerns, people came looking for hope and peace. Evangelistic crusades remain a powerful and effective way to share the Gospel in village communities where fear and uncertainty are a part of daily life.
The theme of the crusade was “Arise and Shine,” and over 300 people gathered. By the end, sixteen people had given their lives to Jesus and fifteen were immediately baptized and welcomed into the church, each a testimony to God’s faithfulness.
A high point of the crusade was the reconciliation of a family of brothers divided for five years. Under the conviction of the Holy Spirit as the Word of God was shared, they chose forgiveness and were restored to one another. They returned to their homes with joy and peace.
In response to God’s work in their lives, the brothers donated a large piece of property in their village, Mbabuu, for the construction of a church building.
This is where the 2026 Global Harvest Offering, “Build Hope for Africa,” comes in. When we reach our goal of $200,000, Nigeria will be one of the recipients. Open Bible will partner directly with Pastor Okon to build a new church building in a place like the village Mbabuu.
This is more than a construction project – it is the next step of what God is doing. Despite hardship, churches in Nigeria are growing and new buildings are needed to serve expanding congregations and reach their communities.
Your gift to “Build Hope for Africa” can help provide a visible witness of Jesus in a region marked by instability and equip local leaders like pastor Okon to continue evangelizing where the need is great.
In a place where land is fought over, God continues to build His Church!
Snapshots of the vibrant ministry happening in Nigeria:
About the Author
Tammy Swailes is passionate about cross-cultural Christian education, so working with INSTE Bible College to disciple and equip leaders throughout Europe and beyond is a great fit! Tammy has lived in Europe since 1999 – first in Hungary and now Ukraine. Before that, she was in Japan, as well as Spokane, Washington. She now serves as INSTE regional director in Europe, assisting INSTE programs in five languages. Tammy has her undergraduate degrees in both Missions and Christian Education and a MA in Intercultural Studies. Photography, good coffee, multi-cultural experiences, and the family’s Yorkie are some of Tammy’s favorite things.
Have you ever wondered, What in the world are our Open Bible missionaries doing now? We wish we could visit every church or sit down over coffee and share what God is doing where we serve—but that isn’t always possible.
So this month, we’ve gathered brief notes from missionaries around the world. As you’ve read these updates from around the world, we invite you to pray for our missionaries—their families, their ministries, and the communities they serve. Please also share these stories with your church so others can join in prayer.
Use the interactive map below to see the updates:
Trouble seeing the map? Click HERE
About the Author
Tammy Swailes is passionate about cross-cultural Christian education, so working with INSTE Bible College to disciple and equip leaders throughout Europe and beyond is a great fit! Tammy has lived in Europe since 1999 – first in Hungary and now Ukraine. Before that, she was in Japan, as well as Spokane, Washington. She now serves as INSTE regional director in Europe, assisting INSTE programs in five languages. Tammy has her undergraduate degrees in both Missions and Christian Education and a MA in Intercultural Studies. Photography, good coffee, multi-cultural experiences, and the family’s Yorkie are some of Tammy’s favorite things.