THIS IS
GUYANA INTERNATIONAL
BIBLE INSTITUTE
What Is GIBI?
Guyana International Bible Institute (GIBI) is located in Georgetown,
Guyana, South America. It is a two year school with the purpose of
teaching men and women the Bible, training men to preach the Gospel of
Christ, and preparing future leaders of the Church of Christ.
The school was established in 1985 by the Spanish Fort, Alabama, Church of
Christ and operated under their direction until the end of 1997. In January
1998 oversight passed to the Central Church of Christ in Cocoa, Florida.
GIBI shares facilities in Georgetown with the North Road Church of Christ.
The building is a large concrete block structure with an auditorium that
seats 450 and several classrooms and offices. GIBI uses the auditorium for
chapel, two upstairs classrooms, and two offices.
The Director
Jerry Cantrell of Cocoa, Florida, has been the director of the Guyana
International Bible Institute since 1994. He and his wife Mary Alice live
in Georgetown approximately seven months of each year. Jerry also serves
as one of the instructors, teaching a regular rotation of classes. In
addition he teaches and preaches in most of the congregations in the
country. One of his primary goals is to train his replacement.
When in the USA Jerry and Mac travel extensively raising funds to assist
in meeting GIBI's annual budget of $130,000.
Jerry was a local preacher for 25 years, serving churches in Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, and Oklahoma.
From 1988 to 1994 Jerry worked in the "Three Unusual Days" ministry,
traveling across the USA helping churches to increase their contribution by
teaching on the "Grace of Giving." He also conducted "Church Growth
Seminars."
Who Can Attend GIBI?
Any faithful member of the Church of Christ who meets the necessary
qualifications can make application for attendance to GIBI. Prospective
students are invited to make application for enrollment each June. New
classes start the first week of September of each year.
The following qualifications must be met by each applicant:
Be a faithful member of the Church of Christ.
Must be a member of the church for a minimum of 1 year.
Must be at least 20 years of age.
Must be recommended by the local church where attending.
Must be involved in the work of the local church.
Must be committed to preaching and teaching the Word of God.
Must have a minimum of a secondary level education.
Both men and women can apply.
When students meet these qualifications and are eager to improve their
Bible knowledge, and are dedicated to study, they are invited to submit an
application to be reviewed by the Board of Directors for approval.
You Can Help Us!
Would you consider helping these men prepare to preach the Gospel to their
people? They range in age from 22 to 50+. They come from all sections of
Guyana and they can only attend GIBI if the funds are available.
Full Scholarships are available to qualifying applicants. It costs
approximately $250 a month for one of these scholarships. This is based on
a student's needs, such as being single or married, and the number of
children in the household. This sum covers a living
subsistence, books, video tapes, and other teaching and study materials.
There is no tuition cost to qualifying students and most materials are
provided at no cost. Each student is also provided travel funds based on
the distance he travels.
Classes are conducted four to five days a week, six hours a day. The
studies are highly accelerated and extremely demanding. We are totally
dependent upon American funds for these scholarships.
The Great Need For Preachers
During the past 15 years the church in Guyana has experienced phenomenal
growth. Hundreds of Guyanese are being baptized each year and numerous
congregations are being established all over the country. The number of
churches being establish is outdistancing the number of preachers being
trained to minister to them. There are 76 churches in
Guyana with only 49 preachers to minister to them.
If you can help with any part, or all, of a scholarship, please fill in
the form below and mail to:
Guyana Missions
c/o Central Church of Christ
P.O. Box 236024
Cocoa, Florida 32923-6024
SCHOLARSHIP FUND FORM
Your Name ___________________________________
Street ______________________________________
City ________________________________________
State and ZIP _______________________________
Telephone ___________________________________
Amount $___________
____ Monthly ____ One Time
Link to Guyana International Bible Institute Home Page