The Ministry
of
Lindsay Thomas, Jr., Ph.D.
on the Continent of Africa
1974-‐‑2015
Tours―1974-‐‑1980 Lay Work―1974-‐‑present Under the auspices of the General Conference, sponsors, and invitations from the field
Co-‐‑workers Hubert Goodlett, Konrad Muller, Isabelle Dickens, Kofi Samson Twumasi, Melba Bland, Frank Williams, Frank Williams, Frank Haines, Jonathan Zirkle 1980
Senegal
1981
Ivory Coast and Ghana
1982
Central Ghana
1983
Rwanda and Burundi
1984
North Nigeria
1985
Liberia and Sierra Leone Zaire
1986
East Nigeria and Rivers
1987
Kenya
1988
South and North Ghana, Cameroon Tanzania
2011
Dr. Lindsay Thomas (who was awakened each morning by the roosters, hens, and chickens) became extremely tired during this trip, lost weight, and was anorexic; good food, rest, exercise, and faith in Divine power helped him to regain his health.
Kumasi, Ghana (September)―went to put the work in order; spent six days in reorganizing and restructuring the work; salaries for laymen were paid for two years ($20,000); plans made to build a chapel at Valley View University with a donation of $27,000; chapel to be built behind the School of Theology and Missions
2012
Kenya (September 9-‐‑20)―two local elders’ seminars conducted; 33 elders in attendance at each seminar
2013
Koforidua, Ghana (April)―a fourteen-‐‑day laymen’s training course was held. Dr. Thomas was accompanied by Pastor Frank Williams and businessman Giles McGill. During the trip home, he developed a pulmonary embolism and was taken immediately upon arrival home to Loma Linda University Medical Center for diagnosis and treatment. Although his immediate recovery was remarkable, his health began to slowly deteriorate. Dr. Lindsay Thomas expired peacefully on June 17, 2015.
Since 2005, there have been a total of 60,000 converts to the Seventh-‐‑ day Adventist Church through this ministry. Prior to 2005, there were 50,000 converts―thus making an estimated total of 110,000 converts. May God be praised for this miracle!
held a two-‐‑and-‐‑a-‐‑half week dental fair; 3 orphan students at Nyancwa orphanage received scholarships
2010
East Ghana Conference (April)―most organized, spiritual, local church elders’ seminar to date: 33 attendees; $27,000 donated by Hulda Lanoix to build a church at Korforidua
New Life S.D.A. Church, Kenya (June)―local elders’ seminar meetings held at Diguna, where AIC conference center is located outside of Nairobi: 12 local church elders attended the seven-‐‑day seminar and received assignments to preach after the seminar ended; beautiful soap stone gifts given to the Thomas family and others by Professor Soap Stone; Michelle Webley offered a scholarship to the son of a lay preacher; La Verne Northrup and Grace Williams sent two suitcases of shoes, clothes, and books that were distributed to the pastors, lay preachers, and workers; plans were negotiated to build a church near Thika, with funds to build the church to be donated by Dr. Zelda Billingy and her husband, James Gavin; a $20,000 church school with five classrooms was visited; the dedication was delayed because it was not completed; the funds were donated by Lonnie and Ruby Flowers
2011
Korforidua, Ghana (February)―financed laymen to become full-‐‑time workers to be paid with a donation of $11,000; another donation of $7,000 was used to employ 8 lay ministers; $4,000 was used to purchase and distribute food
1989
Malawi and Tanzania Uganda
1990
Egypt Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast
1991
South African Republic, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Cape Town
1992
Mozambique Edo-‐‑Delta States, Nigeria, and Egypt
1993
Cross River and Akwa Ihom States, Nigeria Madagascar
1994 Zambia (June)―Bible Institute for Lay Preachers: 12 lay pastors hired; assisted by Glenn Howell and Steve Thorpe
Zambia (December)―Bible Institute for Lay Preachers: 24 lay preachers hired; assisted by Marc Raphael
1995
Zambia (June)―Bible Institute for Lay Preachers: 25 male and 1 female lay pastor hired; assisted by James Lee, Jr.
Zimbabwe (July)―Spirit of Prophecy Seminar: 600 Spirit of Prophecy books distributed
1996
Nigeria (December)―Bible Institute for Lay Preachers: 215 attendees; 14 boxes of Spirit of Prophecy books, as well as Bibles distributed; 15 pastors employed Zimbabwe (June)―an educational program established to upgrade non-‐‑B.A. degree holders; major food and shoe (300 pairs) distribution to 6 orphanages
1996
Zambia (June)―plans laid for lay workers to print and distribute literature; workers paid for 2-‐‑1/2 years Uganda (December)―Bible Institute for Laymen: 100 attendees; 17 lay pastors employed; food and clothing distributed; $5000 given to build a pastor’s home; new training begun for 10 pastors/students who had never attended S.D.A. college or university
1997
Zimbabwe (June)―Bible Institute for Laymen: 200 attendees; 2 local pastors as teachers
Zambia (June)―educational training of pastors who never attended S.D.A. college or university begins
Central Ghana Conference given a Gestetner copier-‐‑ printer provided by Mrs. Mae Chung and Dr. and Mrs. Jim Wise; as well as overhead projectors and 2 sets of Daniel and Revelation transparencies given by Dr. and Mrs. Kern Phil
Uganda (December)―largest Bible Institute for Laymen, to date: more than 300 attendees; 23 lay pastors employed; instructors: Kofi Twumasi (theology), Dr. Lindsay Thomas (lay evangelism), Twusami), Isabelle Dickens (health), Katie Gaspard (education), and Katie Curtis (business) East Zambian Field (December 25-‐‑January 10, 1998)― Bible Institute for Laymen: 90 attendees; 14 lay preachers hired; 200 families fed; 14 boxes of Spirit of Prophecy books and Bibles, 6 boxes of clothing, 1 overhead projector, and 1 set of Daniel and Revelation transparencies donated
for the village people (Pastor M. Bediako’s home village) and the other at the Kumasi Secondary School
2009
South Central Ghana Conference (April)―Dr. Thomas also donated funds to have two large tents (240’x60’) for evangelism built, one for the Central Ghana Conference and the other for the South Central Ghana Conference (both located in Kumasi); Dr. Thomas assisted by Isabel Dickens and Melba Bland
The East District, Nairobi, Kenya (June)―local church elders’ seminar: 25 students; assisted by Elder Morambu, who was a local church elder, the youth leader of the conference, and homiletics teacher; as well as attorney Elijah Nyangweso; 25 suits were donated by Dr. James Washington and Mr. Maines; books distributed included church manuals and Bible Readings for the Home Circle
South Zambia Conference (September)―Zambia Adventist University located in Rusangu for the dedication of a chapel; however chapel was not completed, and donor subsequently withdrew the funds South Kenya Conference (December)―local elders’ seminar: 25 students attended; attended by attorney Elijah Nyangweso, who was previously trained to teach the local elders’ seminar; as well as Pastor ‘ Morambu, who taught homiletics; books by Ellen G. White, Bibles, religious books, and clothes distributed; dental team including Linda Mixon Howell, Veronica McClurkin, and Gloria Webley
2008
Central Ghana Conference at Kumasi (October)― 14 boxes of clothes, shoes, Bibles, Spirit of Prophecy writings, CDs, DVDs to salaried lay pastors in the conference donated; money given to conference to build a parsonage in Brong-‐‑ahafo for a pastor; Dr. Thomas assisted on this trip by Jonathan Zirkle
Meru, Kenya (November)―local church elders’ seminar conducted: 36 elders attended; 15 boxes of clothes, shoes, Spirit of Prophecy books distributed to the cities of Machakos, Kisii, and Nairobi; clothes, Bibles, DVDs, CDs, and a newly purchased DVD/CD player for the salaried preachers donated by Lynda Howell and Gloria Goulbourne; funds were collected and given to send a lay minister to Bugema University in Uganda to study theology; Dr. Thomas assisted by Dr. Samson Twumasi
2009
South Central Ghana Conference (April)―Bible Institute for Lay Persons: 60-‐‑75 trained (first time men only, no women); institute held at Bekwai S.D.A. Secondary (well-‐‑renowned school throughout Adventism in West Africa); 7 of the lay preachers were employed at the end of the session (the salaries of two of these workers were paid by Dr. Lynda Hall, and they began to work in May 2009); clothes, books, Bibles, and the writings of Ellen G. White distributed to the Bible Institute for Lay Preachers, and gifts were given to the pastors and their wives; 100-‐‑200 people were fed in a village heavily populated by Seventh-‐‑day Adventists; Dr. Lindsay Thomas donated $1,800 to refurbish the cafeteria at Bekwai; he also donated funds to dig two wells, one at Kotria
1998
East Zambian Field (May, June)―plans laid to build churches at Nyimbi and Katete; plans laid for evangelistic meeting at Chipata in October 1998 by James E. Lee; plans to hold Bible institute in December 1998 at the Mwami Hospital; gifts distributed included food to widows and children, clothing to children and pastors, bicycles for pastors (Paul and Debbie Hedgeman), overhead projector (Paul and Debbie Hedgeman and Cheryl Watson) South Zambian Field―plans for 6 campaigns to be conducted by the North Pacific Union in April, May, and June of 1999; plans made for new church to be built in Livingston by individuals from Walla Walla College; documents for tent delivered in preparation for upcoming campaign; 2 additional lay pastors employed; 23% salary increase for 23 lay pastors
1998
Central Zambian Conference―plans made for 2 campaigns, the first to be conducted by the North Pacific Union at Lusaka (May, June, and July, 1999) and the second to be conducted by the Voice of Prophecy in September 1998
1999
West Zambian Field (May)―monies left to build two churches, one at Imoko and one at Imuiko
Ghana (August)―Bible Institute for Lay Pastors: 17 laymen employed; evangelistic campaign at AXIM by Pastor William Dawson and team, with 64 baptized; 7 lay preachers at Kumasi visited and given tapes, Bibles, Spirit of Prophecy books, cassettes, clothes, bonuses, and a generator
1999
Kenya (December)―evangelistic campaign held by Kenyan pastors: Machakos Town Bible Institute for Lay Preachers; 250 lay preachers instructed; distributed tapes, 500 Spirit of Prophecy books, 150 Bibles in native languages, benches for new church
2000
Kenya (February)―Machakos Town evangelistic campaign by Lawrence Dorsey: 4 laymen prepared the field; 89 baptized in first baptism
2001
2008
At the end of the local church elders’ seminar, for the first time, all 36 of the trained local elders were immediately scheduled to preach at a local church the following and every Sabbath thereafter. This was done because the two pastors in that district had five churches each and could not be at every church each Sabbath. These were the best preachers of all those trained by Dr. Lindsay Thomas in Africa.
Corn, beans, and salt were distributed to about 800 people in two districts; food and clothes were given to the Mothers’ Care Home for Orphans; boxes of clothes and shoes were given to the Maasai tribes. Beans were distributed to the Maasai people by three Adventist lay preachers. Money to construct another small Maasai chapel with benches was donated by a couple from Altadena.
Madagascar (June-‐‑July)―preparation for an evangelistic campaign scheduled for August 5-‐‑21 by the North Pacific Union; 25,000 pamphlets distributed in the city of Tulear (unentered territory), 28 bicycles distributed; Bible Institute for Lay Preachers conducted in Tananarive, the capital city; more than 300 laymen in attendance Mt. Kenya Station, Kenya (December)― Dr. Thomas unaccompanied; conducted a Bible Institute for Lay Preachers at Karatina: 193 attendees, 21 laymen employed, money donated to build 2 churches and 1 pastor’s home Rwanda (April, May)―North Pacific Union requests that the Kigali territory be prepared for 6 simultaneous evangelistic meetings in the city; 24 lay preachers trained, with 4 assigned to each of Dr. Thomas’s ministries in the six locations; lay preachers taught and monitored on how to give Bible studies; widows and children fed; 2 Gestetner printer-‐‑copier machines donated to print campaign literature; monies given to build 2 churches; 5 pastors financed for summer school at Bugema University in Uganda
Nyamira Conference, Kenya (May)―local church elders’ seminar: 36 elders attended (18 from Nyamira District and 18 from Tente District; classes from 8 a.m.-‐‑12 p.m. and 1:00 p.m-‐‑5:00 p.m. daily; assisted by Pastor Frank Williams of Houston, Texas, who did a very good job teaching attendees how to prepare sermons and how to preach.
Zambia (September)―local church elders’ seminar: 15-‐‑20 elders trained, some of whom were lay preachers who had been trained seven years prior); financial assistance was given to all the pastors and their wives, including the retirees in the conference; the possibility of building a church at the Adventist University in Zambia was discussed
2006
Eldoret, Kenya (December)―to Moi University to make plans to build a church, funded by Drs. Byron and Gwendolyn Spears in honor of Elder Byron Spears, Sr.; plans being made to construct another church at Eldoret in memory of the mother of Dr. Gwendolyn Spears
2001
2007
Zambia (April)―to conduct a local church elders’ seminar and to discuss with the vice chancellor the possibility of building a chapel on the campus of Zambia Adventist University
Nairobi, Kenya (July)―to conduct a three-‐‑week Spirit of Prophecy Seminar at the Nairobi Central S.D.A. Church: first such seminar ever conducted; Dr. Thomas greatly assisted by Dr. Konrad Mueller and Dr. Mueller’s grandchildren
Kissi, Kenya (December)―a Bible Institute for Lay Preachers conducted by Dr. Lindsay Thomas, assisted by Dr. Samson Twumasi who taught the book of Daniel; Dr. Lindsay Thomas and nurse Carl Irby taught “Methodology of Bible Study”; an evangelistic campaign with good results was conducted under the direction of Pastor Frank Haines of Northern California, assisted by two young women―a nurse and a school teacher―in the Kenyambi District that is within the Kisii Conference
Ukambani Station, Kenya (August)―special seminar for local church elders; 38 elders attended; Dr. Thomas assisted by Pastor Njau
Malawi (December)―Bible Seminar for Lay Preachers at Muzuzu: 57 attendees, including 14 women; 19 lay preachers employed, including 3 women
2002
Botswana (September)―seminar for lay preachers: 30 lay preachers employed for the conference; Dr. Thomas assisted by Isabelle Dickens and Melba Bland
Kenya (June, July)―Bible Institute #1 for Training Laymen at Nakura Station: 350 attendees; 13 lay workers employed; new Bibles and Spirit of Prophecy books distributed. Bible Institute #2 for training laymen at Naivasha District conducted: 200 attendees; 9 lay preachers employed
Nairobi Station, Kenya (June, July)―Bible Institute #1 at Kinoo S.D.A. Church: 320 attendees; Bible Institute #2 at Jerico: 340 participants (including 25 Maasai lay preachers; 8 laymen employed; food and clothes distributed; new church (Flowers) inaugurated; house built for Maasai pastor
Kumasi, Ghana (June)―money given for lay preachers
Ukambani, Kenya (August)―seminar for local church elders
North Malawi Field (September)―Lindsay Thomas unaccompanied delivered money ($12,500) to build parsonages, none completed to this date
Kenya Coast Field (December)―Mombasa Bible Institute for Lay Preachers: 150 attendees; 21 lay preachers employed (1 female); food, clothing, and Spirit of Prophecy books distributed
2003
Aba, Nigeria (June)―money given for lay preachers
Karatina, Kenya (August)―seminar for local church elders; unfortunately, money stolen at Kisimu
Meru, Kenya (December)―Bible Institute for Lay Preachers: 21 lay preachers employed
2004
Owerri, Nigeria (April)―Bible Institute for Lay Preachers: 21 lay preachers employed
Kenya Lake Field (June)―unaccompanied, Dr. Thomas travels to select site for church building at Kendu Bay
Kikuyu Region, Kenya (August)―seminar for local church elders; clothes lost in London and returned to U.S.A.
2005
Nairobi, Kenya (June)― traveling unaccompanied, Dr. Thomas conducts seminar for local church elders: 37 elders were graduated; money ($6,500) advanced for a church to be built at Kiogondo, Kenya; new tent to arrive for evangelism; 500 local church elders’ handbooks distributed, wheelchairs donated, and food distributed valued at $2,000; Dr. Thomas returned home very ill from this trip.
Eldoret, Western Kenya Field (September)―Bible Institute for Lay Pastors: 18 lay pastors employed; travel to Baraton to propose that a memorial chapel be constructed at the University of Eastern Africa; assisted by Isabelle Dickens and Mike Williams
2005
Kisumu (December)―Bible Institute for Lay Preachers: more than 100 students; 16 hired as lay evangelists; assisted by Isabelle Dickens
2006
Kenya (June 7-‐‑27)―local church elders’ seminar at Nairobi Central Church: 26 elders in attendance
At Kivaa S.D.A. Church (Kenya), arrangements made to sign a contract authorizing the conference to build a church for the new congregation; Melvin Flowers contributed $8,000 for the construction
A church in honor of Elder William G. Mills was scheduled to be dedicated; funds for construction, ($6,500) were donated by Mrs. Johnnie Wright, mother of Dr. Aaron Wright. Elder Mills is the father-‐‑in-‐‑law of Dr. Aaron Wright; construction was not completed on schedule, so the dedication did not take place when planned
30 families fed in Kibera, Kenya (second largest slum in Africa); funds donated by Dr. Aaron Wright
At the University of Eastern Africa at Baraton, Kenya, Dr. Lindsay Thomas was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree for his work in 26 African countries that has resulted to date (2006) in the conversion of 50,000 individuals into the S.D.A Church. He arranged for establishment of School of Nursing and School of Theology scholarships. Construction of the Richard U. Webley Memorial Chapel, to be used by theology students for practical training, was begun. The dedication was scheduled for November 2006.