With roots in America and Liberia, BASILEIA MISSIONS is an
indigenous and yet international and intercultural movement of people with
God-centered love and compassion to do good to others. This movement believes
that good which pleases the LORD is done when struggling communities are
empowered; human dignity is restored; people are reconciled with themselves,
with their Creator, and with each
other; an atmosphere of lasting healing, health, hope and wholeness is
created; and the supremacy of Creator God is recognized, honored and
celebrated.
It all began with simple vision and faith given by God to
a couple whom He had prepared and preserved for “such a time as this.”
Liberian-American missionaries J. Railey Gompah and Esther G. Gompah were born
and raised in Liberia (West Africa) and educated in Liberian and American schools,
colleges, universities and seminaries. Mentored by a succession of expatriate
missionaries to become a couple after God’s heart, Railey and Esther, now
heading three generations and growing, have spent over 30 years in career
Christian service in West Africa and North America.
In the summer of 1982, Railey and Esther Gompah were moved
with compassion when they felt burdened by the plight of people in their native
Liberia and by the suffering of uprooted Africans in North America. They
envisioned an organization that would provide conduit and support for “fleshing
out” the love of God among the underprivileged. BASILEIA MISSIONS was born,
deriving its name from the Greek word “Basileia” in reference to God’s
Supremacy --- His kingdom, rule and power over all creation including the human
race.
Soon people equally touched by the concerns which
motivated the Founders began to come onboard. An International Board of
Trustees was formed, and BASILEIA MISSIONS was incorporated under the Not-For-Profit
Corporation Law of the State of New York, United States of America; and
registered with the New York State Charities Bureau. With some support, work
began in Buffalo, New York, and slowly moved out to places of greatest needs.
The momentum later gathered more steam when BASILEIA
MISSIONS and its leadership were recognized by a United States Vice President;
a ranking United States Senator; a New York State Governor; the Erie County
Legislature (Western New York); an Erie County Executive (County Superintendent);
and the Buffalo City Common Council and Council President, among others.
The co-founder, President and Executive Minister of
BASILEIA MISSIONS, the Rev. Dr. J. Railey Gompah, is uniquely qualified for the
task. Indigenous to Liberia and a reputable American citizen, he is a brilliant
scholar, veteran broadcast journalist, articulate communicator, and creative
net-worker with the ability to mobilize others around the vision and faith for
the Mission.
A former Assistant Minister (Secretary) of State for
Presidential Affairs in the Liberian government and former Press Secretary to
the Liberian Head of State, Gompah was the youngest member of Liberia’s
historically famed Deshield Commission On National Unity (1974-1978) created by
the Liberian Legislature to facilitate unity in diversity throughout Liberia.
(Unfortunately, the final work of the Commission never made it through national
referendum ― a development Gompah calls “an unfortunate blunder of
disastrous proportion.”)
As valedictorian of his high school graduating class in
1967, Railey Gompah was awarded a four-year scholarship to the University of
Liberia by Liberian President William V. S. Tubman, with the hope that he would
pursue a career in politics but God had other plans for the young man. “J. Railey” (as he is affectionately known
to his peers) or “Uncle Railey” (the reference preferred by youth) has been
honored for “Distinguished Services to Africa.”
As the Mission grows and expands into Liberia, God has
brought on board another equally
prepared and uniquely gifted couple, Pastor Jacob K. Kilikpo and Betsy Kilikpo
who are also indigenous to Liberia. Having narrowly escaped the “killing
fields” in their homeland during the protracted civil war, Jacob and Betsy and
their children settled in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Pastor Jacob K. Kilikpo will serve as Vice President and Deputy
Executive Minister of BASILEIA MISSIONS, mainly in charge of the new work in
Liberia. Esther Gompah and Betsy
Kilikpo are executive assistants helping with resource and personnel
mobilization.
BASILEIA MISSIONS is similar to other Christian mission
organizations in terms of purpose and practice; however,
the Mission is unique in its comprehensive focus on
Church and Community alike rather than separating the “sacred” and the
“secular.”
Therefore, the fourfold missionary manifesto (the “raison
d’etre” or reason for existence) of BASILEIA MISSIONS is to empower struggling
communities, transform broken and troubled lives, promote healthy church
advancement, and glorify the TRIUNE GOD, by:
“Meeting the spiritual, physical, emotional, social,
cultural, economic, intellectual, vocational and other critical needs of people
from all backgrounds and walks of life” (Corporate Mission Statement).
Every decision the Mission makes and everything it does
must fall within the perimeter of its “Missionary Manifesto.” Accordingly, the
Basileia Educational System for Transformation (“BEST”) seeks to advance and
promote our calling to live and serve under God’s reign.
Every radical problem requires a radical solution. And
often the process must be innovative and creative in order to deal with the
problem at its very root. Let us take a quick look at AFRICA, the world’s
second largest continent in size next to Asia and yet the most traumatized
region of the world. It has been said
of Africa, “No other continent has suffered such a series of natural, political
and economic disasters” (Operation World).
Today, the people of Africa are faced with some of the
most severe challenges ever experienced on their continent: a devastating
healthcare crisis that knows no bound; political chaos tearing down
socio-economic structures decades in the making; the system of education
nearing total collapse; millions of Africans migrating “from rural poverty to
urban destitution” with unpredictable consequences, according to the United
Nations; and an emerging generation of Africans facing a very bleak future!
Therefore, anyone attempting to bring reconciliation,
recovery and reconstruction to any African nation with similar experiences
described earlier must take a radical approach that differs significantly from
failed perspectives and practices of the past. Mr. Robert Batson is a
professional technical writer and consultant to many innovative organizations
(like BASILEIA MISSIONS). In some 40 years, Bob has guided many of these
organizations in refocusing for purpose-driven and cost-effective results. Bob
recently noted, “A top-to-bottom
educational system in the 21st Century certainly touches on a lot of different
spheres. Add the special circumstances in Liberia and there are connections
everywhere.”
Just what does Bob Batson mean by “special circumstances
in Liberia”? At least two key points
contained in the POLITICS IN LIBERIA: The Conservative Road to Development by
Martin Lowenkopf, one of the most informative and instructive books ever
written on Liberia, first published in 1976, may give us a clue. There are
“special circumstances” which the 21st Century Liberian leadership cannot
ignore. Key points from Lowenkopf’s
book have been excerpted for emphasis and easy reference. The third point is a
general assessment.
“Any examination of an educational system must recognize
that formal education involves not only the substance of education, but the
environment and the manner in which it is transmitted. In addition to imbuing
students with the values of their culture in order to create cohesion and
loyalty that go beyond any one political regime, education is expected to
create a citizenry that can participate in all aspects of economic, social, and
political life according to each person’s abilities. An educational system that
aims only at producing cadres of technically and administratively competent
workers may also created dispirited, rootless, rebellious students ---
especially if economic and social mobility and political participation are
denied them. . . . Liberia’s educational system has produced too many dropouts
at the primary and secondary levels; ill-trained and uncreative secondary
school graduates; and alienated university graduates” (p. 141).
“In Liberia, as in many other developing nations,
government employment is the principal source of income for the elite. The costs
of running the government impose heavy financial burdens on the rest of the
country. The heavy cost to Liberia of its patronage system is reflected in the
high proportion of the budget that goes for employees as opposed to supplies
and materials” (p. 131).
As is true of the rest of Africa, Liberia’s “low
investment in agriculture and development of valuable methods of food
production, distribution and sale, with food aid distorting local marketing and
diet patterns” continues to a national economic decline (Operation World, 1993,
p. 36).
Liberia being a largely agrarian society, these foregoing
realities present some reasons for concern relative to building a “New Liberia”
out of the ashes of war. In other words, costly mistakes must be avoided! That
is why a comprehensive (to-to-bottom) faith-based educational system is
urgently needed in Liberia today! And so although Africa is kept in view, this
proposal focuses on “the special circumstances in Liberia.” If you are not
already familiar with this nation, its history, people, and the “special
circumstances” in reference, please read on;
if you are already, let the
information in these pages motivate you to act for the good of humanity.
An unknown author once said, “A hundred years from now, it
will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the
kind of car I drove; but the world may be different because I was important in
the lives of other people.” Perhaps you
are challenged by the idea that your life could be one of significance rather
than just another “success story.” It is our hope that you will let what breaks
God’s heart break your heart also to the point of action.
The once prosperous and internationally respected West
African Republic of Liberia, founded through American philanthropy in 1821, has
experienced a very sad chapter in its 186-year history. Liberia has become a
victim of what Operation World calls “the ongoing weaknesses of African
democratic institutions.” Now, Liberia’s estimated at over four million people
are slowly rising out of the ashes of war.
Nearly 24 years of a brutal revolution and subsequent
civil wars (1980 – 2003) reduced the nation to shambles, destroying its economy
and basic infrastructures; claimed some 250,000 lives; sent nearly two million
Liberians into exile and displaced an undisclosed number internally; rendered
an estimated 1.7 children and youth fatherless, motherless, homeless, and
hopeless; and left most of the citizens in tatters.
“The civil war was a tragedy for Liberia; the country was
devastated and the people traumatized. It was also a blight that poisoned much
of West Africa. . . . Recovery will take decades ― even with an upright
government” (Operation World, 21st Century Edition, pages 405 & 406).
What is true of most of Africa could also be true of
Liberia. According to Operation World,
“In many [African] countries, the Church is the only
effective social organization that can bring reconciliation between ethnic
groups [and] cope with the many economic, health and education issues in
collapsing societies” (p. 24).
Out of post-war Liberia, the news is equally encouraging.
Operation World further notes, “The agony of the nation has driven Christians
to new prayer and earnestness for the gospel. Christians have had miraculous
deliverances; soldiers have repented of horrible crimes; new leaders with
vision have been raised up [mostly in exile]; and there have been localized
revivals in the midst of sorrow. Since the war ended, over 150 churches have
been started” (p. 406).
At the same time, however, it is clear that the Church,
whether in Liberia or elsewhere in Africa, is not quite ready for the task at
hand. Again, Operation World expresses the following concern relative to all of
Africa: “Leadership training is the critical bottleneck. There is a lack of
funds for training and supporting full-time workers. Leadership is limited at
every level: for [rural] congregations, for the urban educated and for
theological training” (p. 24). Liberia, too, suffers from a leadership vacuum.
Observes Operation World, “Trained
spiritual leaders are few in number. Many have had to flee or been killed. Most
Bible training was brought to a halt or struggles to survive with limited
resources and personnel” (p. 407).
And now comes a scathing assessment from outside the
church walls. The United Nations and the World Bank have concluded that
Africa’s woe is to be blamed on the absence of strong private sector
institutions and the lack of appropriate technical-vocational and industrial
education for productive citizenship and national development.
The proposed BASILEIA EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
FOR TRANSFORMATION (“BEST”) is the first of its kind in Liberia (West
Africa). It is designed to be a truly top-to-bottom educational project,
comprehensive enough to lead the way to building a “New Liberia” out of the ashes
of war.
Moreover, the design of the campus location is an attempt
at facilitating unity in great diversity, considering the very
diverse makeup of the population of Liberia. About 35 African tribes
(ethno-linguistic groups), descendants of liberated African Americans, and a
spattering of other nationalities call this country home. They live in 15
counties (political subdivisions), each with its own “county capital.” Nimba
County, one of the economic strongholds of Liberia with the second largest
population base of the nation, is home to the four tribes which played major
roles (for better or for worse) in the recent revolution and civil wars.
Unfamiliarity, interpersonal misunderstanding, and other
contributing factors fueled the nearly 24-year revolution and subsequent civil
wars --- graffiti on a wall of shame in a nation widely referred
to as a “modern day political experiment” that became an amazing success. True
reconciliation must be characterized by long-lasting healing, health, hope, and
wholeness. The university setting provides an oasis for such
reconciliation.
The motto of Basileia Central University is:
“MEETING LIBERIA’S EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF TODAY WITH THE
TRADITIONAL VALUES OF YESTERDAY AND THE TECHNOLOGY OF TOMORROW.”
The acronym ‘BEST” is motivated by the Scriptural
injunction, “Do your best to win full approval in God’s sight, as a worker who
is not ashamed. . . one who correctly teaches the message of God’s truth” (2
Timothy 2:15, TEV).
Our desire is that graduates of “BEST” schools will
effectively utilize their time, talent, treasure and testimony to glorify
Creator God, dignify humanity, empower struggling communities, and transform
broken and troubled lives, thereby setting into motion a movement of positive
change agents with the knowledge, skills, experience, and exuberance for
service to others.
The Basileia Educational System for Transformation
(“BEST”) is owned, operated, and governed by BASILEIA MISSIONS INC, a New York
State not-for-profit and tax-exempt corporation which exists, among other
purposes, exists “to establish, operate and maintain . . . mission schools
(nursery, kindergarten, elementary, secondary, post-secondary, and
professional”). The International Board of Trustees has final authority.
Without
apologies, the Basileia
Educational System for Transformation (“BEST”) is:
Ø Distinctly
Christian --- unflinchingly committed to embracing and advancing the historic,
fundamental Christian faith.
Ø Definitely
Evangelical --- centered in Christ, rooted in the Scripture, and passionate
about people and their destiny.
Ø Deeply
Rooted --- in the Word of God and
building on the Surest Foundation.
Ø Devotedly
Church-Based --- equipping God’s people as “scholar-servants” and positive change
agents to make systemic inroads at home and abroad.
Ø Decidedly
Innovative and Integrative --- committed to finding new and creative ways to
solve human problems by integrating the energies, efforts, expertise and
resources of the various segments of “development” agencies and movements.
Ø Diametrically
Afro-Centric --- focusing on the felt and perceived needs of Liberia, the West
African region, Africa, continental Africans and Africans of the Diaspora.
The evolving structure of “BEST” allows for systematically
researching, discovering and addressing human needs at their roots, through
broad-based education and training. It recognizes the fact that the problems of
poverty, hunger, overpopulation, unemployment, underemployment, political
instability, and the breakdown of cultural and spiritual cohesion, just to name
a few, are all interrelated.
We desire to equip the Church in Liberia and Africa to
empower struggling communities and transform broken lives because it is “the
only effective social organization” on the continent that works.
Therefore, we call on concerned friends of Liberia and
Africa to utilize the most cost-effective method for solving Africa’s
deep-seated problems: the educating, training, equipping and assisting of
African Christian “scholar-servants” for the task. Even if you would not
ordinarily use the Church to help solve those problems which concern you, it
would only be reasonable --- in fact a good business sense --- to use the
method that works.
“BEST” shall ultimately comprise a network of faith-based
integrated institutions, to be structured as follows:
To be called and styled Basileia Central University, this
division shall ultimately comprise carefully selected colleges and special
schools designed to equip people for
“relief, betterment, and development” work in struggling communities and
among desperately needy people. “BEST” shall
primarily, though not exclusively, focus on “Development” which takes place when measured upward changes in
the knowledge, skills, abilities, experiences and standard of living of the
participants are realized (for example: empowering an x number of war-ravaged
and suffering people to become self-sustaining and productive citizens within
an x number of months or years ).
A “double major” is required of every student to ensure
well-rounded education in the liberal arts and technology.
BCU shall comprise:
The Basileia Central University Library of Liberia shall
gather, protect, display and use the historical and contemporary documents
vital to the progress of our society and the principals on which it rests. In
addition it shall collect and circulate all works of canonical value in the
artistic, academic, professional, scientific and religious fields. Appropriate
services for scholars and students shall also be provided.
Every communications medium is a potential platform for
education. The Basileia Central University Media Center shall consist of
television and radio broadcast stations and studios, film and video production
facilities and studios and an Internet communications facility. The Basileia Media Center shall employ all appropriate
means to create and distribute educational materials, and act as a learning lab
for university and other students in their creative productions.
The Basileia Media Center will coordinate closely with
relevant university course offerings and majors; its facilities and staff will
also be available for use by the Basileia Virtual University in support of its
programs.
Every other component of this plan will be expected to
propose projects for the Media Center in furtherance of their goals.
The Basileia Media Center will employ a staff of experienced
producers and other professionals able to guide and instruct students through
the highest levels of creative work.
The “point of entry” for every new student entering the
University irrespective of educational background, offering courses for meeting
general education requirements, academic support for under-performing students,
and an integrated program leading to a degree with three majors:
Global Foundations,
Interdisciplinary Studies, and
International Development.
All three programs focus on “Equipping Change Agents” by
facilitating a proper understanding of society, cultures, institutions, and
peoples toward peace-building and mutual enrichment.
Utilizes courses from several academic disciplines with
focus on helping students develop a thorough grasp of the foundations of the
universe and an appreciation for advancing, promoting and protecting the human
family against all odds. Courses in
peace-building, reconciliation, coexistence, religion/culture, etc., should
prepare the graduate for a broad-based career path. A “double major” is
required.
This program encourages the thinking, research, and
applications which will help students understanding the interrelationships
among disciplines that are characteristic of a true liberal arts education.
Drawing from several a academic disciplines, the program promotes learning that
broadens and deepens the student’s view of knowledge and the world as a
whole. A “double major” is required.
This program takes an integrative approach to the many
facets of the evolving field of international community development with focus
on developing nations, regions, communities, and neighborhoods. It integrates
the “worlds” of international development now operative in Liberia and other
parts of Africa:
(a) political and
governmental action;
(b) international banking
and commerce;
(c) philanthropic
foundations;
(d) voluntary organizations;
(e) the university; and
(f) faith-based
community development agencies, most noticeable in the United States since the
beginning of the 21st Century.
Program concentrations shall include the following:
(a) Appropriate Rural
Technology & Resource Development,
(b) Urban Community Systems
Planning & Development,
(c) Christian
Community Development, and
(d) Non-Profit Management in
collaboration with the School of Business and Management. A “double major” is required.
The most inclusive college within the Basileia Central
University system, this College shall emphasize classroom education and
“hands-on” training suitable for personal productivity, productive citizenship,
as well as community, national and regional empowerment. Specialized schools include:
Will enable musically gifted and talented African
musicians (vocalists, instrumentalists, etc.) in church and society to develop
and perfect their skills. Generally, the best of music is born and bred in the
crucibles of life; and Africans have no short supply of life’s experiences from
which to draw in developing their music.
One of the best examples is the world famous Soweto Gospel Choir which has
represented Africa before presidents, kings, queens and emperors worldwide. The
“AFRICAN SPIRIT,” the musical repertoire of
this choir, has been described as follows: “Soulful, profoundly moving
music” (The Boston Globe); “Spirited and spectacular” (The New York Times); and
“beckons all to reclaim their spirit” (VIVE Magazine).
Special musical groups from this School could promote the University system and
generate additional support through performances near and far (even in
collaboration with the “Soweto Gospel Choir”).
Is concerned with education and training which will
promote proper “technology transfer.” Well-watered and lying in the tropics,
Liberia gets over 300 inches of rain a year, but does not eat well as a
nation. Academic majors may include:
Agribusiness,
Agro-Tech,
Energy Technology,
Forestry,
Integrated Environmental Studies,
Home Economics & Dietetics.
Offering curricula in science and mathematics with focus
on academic subjects required of all accredited engineering, computer science,
and mathematics programs reinforced by “hands-on” experience through extensive
laboratory work and design projects.
Academic majors are offered in:
Biology,
Chemistry,
Mathematics,
Physics,
Aviation & the earth-space sciences,
Geology,
Secondary science education,
Secondary mathematics education; and
Engineering (Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering,
Mechanical Engineering, Mining Engineering, etc.)
Facilitating the development of business leaders who are
personally discerning and professionally competent, and who will influence
their organizations, professions and culture from a God-focused perspective.
Academic majors shall be available in:
Accounting,
Church Administration,
Finance,
Food Service,
Tourism & Hospitality Management,
Legal Office Administration,
Management,
Management Information Systems,
Marketing,
Medical Office Administration, and
Non-Profit Management (generic).
For preparing a skilled citizenry for national recovery,
reconstruction and development. This School will utilize the field-tested, proven and U.S. Education Department
approved “Sixteen Career Clusters” now
in use worldwide. The program requires
a “double major” through another college or school, and includes:
(a) Agriculture, Food &
Natural Resources;
(b) Architecture &
Construction;
(c) Audio-Visual
Technology & Communications;
(d) Business, Management
& Administration;
(e) Education &
Training;
(f) Finance;
(g) Government & Public
Administration;
(h) Health Science;
(i) Hospitality
& Tourism;
(j) Human
Services;
(k) Information Technology;
(l) Law,
Public Safety, Corrections & Security;
(m) Manufacturing;
(n) Marketing, Sales &
Service;
(o) Science, Technology,
Engineering & Mathematics; and
(p) Transportation,
Distribution & Logistics.
Providing students the opportunity to learn how to
communicate creatively and effectively by means of visual arts, written words,
and oral communication. Academic majors with concentrations in:
Communications (concentrations --- Advertising/Public Relations, Broadcasting,
Broadcast Engineering,
Commercial-Technical Writing, Speech Communications); Visual Arts
(concentrations --- Commercial Art, Graphic Design, Theater & Films; and
Publishing Science, etc).
Will enable the students to learn about the cultural,
social and scientific achievements of the human race so that they will be
better equipped to meet the responsibilities and complexities of life. The
well-known and lamentable “ongoing weaknesses of African democratic
institutions” necessitates the creation of this school.
Majors are offered in:
Criminal Justice,
Law Enforcement,
Pre-Law,
Political Science,
History,
Humanities,
Peace-Building/Diplomacy, and
Social Science (interdisciplinary studies in Religion/Culture/
Society/Ethics/Government).
Designed to minimize the ethno-linguistic diversity of
Africa where over “3,5000 ethnic groups” and languages exist, causing immense
problems with communication, commerce, trade, mutual understanding and peaceful
coexistence.
This School will offer a “double major” in a professional concentration and one
of the official languages of Africa (Arabic, French, English, Portuguese,
Spanish, and Swahili); Christian workers going into translation work may major
in a chosen language and linguistics plus a professional concentration from
another college or school within the University.
Named in memory of
Professor Jackson Fiah Doe, the beloved son of Nimba County and Liberian
educator, legislator, statesman, mentor par excellence, and former principal of
Nimba’s famed Sanniquellie Central High School, which has produced a cadre of outstanding leaders.
This College will offer academic majors in:
Adult & Special Education,
Arabic Education,
Christian School Education,
Community Development Education,
Elementary Education,
Early Childhood Education,
Biology Education,
Business Education,
Chemistry Education,
English Education,
French Education,
Global Foundations Education,
History Education,
Home Economics Education;
Instructional Media Education,
Mathematics Education,
Music Education,
Physical Education,
Portuguese Education,
Science Education,
Spanish Education,
Speech Communications Education,
Swahili Education,
Technical-Vocational Education,
Tribal Studies Education, and
Other specialties arising from curriculum development.
Named in honor of Harvard-educated economist and first
African woman head of state, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, this
specialized College will seek to galvanize broad support for gender, family and
related issues while motivating and encouraging young and older women of
Liberia and Africa to prepare themselves educationally and professionally so as
to improve their chances of succeeding in a male-dominated society.
The Basileia College of Vocational Missions shall focus on
preparing --- educating, training, equipping, mobilizing, motivating,
encouraging, trusting, supporting, and assisting --- full-time workers to serve
church and community throughout rural Liberia and the immediate border regions.
Majors include:
Biblical Studies,
Christian Apologetics,
Christian Community Development,
Christian Counseling,
Christian Education,
Christian Ministry Management,
Christian School Administration,
Church Administration,
Church History,
Linguistics/Bible Translation,
Natural Church Development (church planting/development/multiplication)
Pastoral Ministry,
Religion,
Social Science (Religion/Culture/Government),
Theology,
Tribal Studies/Evangelism, and
Vocational Missions,
These specialized Schools will be established in stages as
resources permit.
A comprehensive school of graduate and professional
studies serving all the colleges and schools of the University.
Designed to educate and train Liberians and other Africans
for various facets of the medical profession; may be named for a major donor.
This school is charged with the
mission is to educate general veterinary practitioners, veterinary specialists,
veterinary academicians, veterinary research scientists, and veterinary
technicians. Its discovery mission is to expand the realm of basic and applied
knowledge in targeted areas of veterinary medicine and comparative biomedical
sciences.
A uniquely faith-based school of law and human rights; may
be named for a major donor with the requisite credentials and experience in the
field of jurisprudence. (We shall seek the support of Harvard University in
order to name the school for the late Dr. Simon Greenleaf, Harvard Law School
co-founder and professor and author of the first Liberian Constitution.)
A distinctly African evangelical Christian graduate school
of theology designed to provide the necessary education, training, resource and
support for quality church advancement in Liberia and beyond. The Seminary shall be committed to “Scholarship,
Spirituality, Service,” expounded upon as follows:
§ SCHOLARSHIP
(For The Head) --- uniquely qualified and highly dedicated faculty offering a
comprehensive, in-depth program of study in the Bible, Christian apologetics,
missions, theology and related disciplines which will challenge the student to
prepare for the task ahead. A conducive learning environment, supported by an
outstanding library and the latest in computer research tools, shall make
Basileia Theological Seminary a “cutting edge” institution.
§ SPIRITUALITY
(For The Heart) --- every professor, carefully and prayerfully recruited,
sharing knowledge and skills with passion, enthusiasm and excitement to bring
about a kind of spiritual formation in the student that will encourage the
heart to overflow with insatiable thirst for the Truth and a desire to serve
God and humanity against all odds.
§ SERVICE (For
The Hands) --- dedicated “scholar-servants” integrating faith, learning and
practice, both in the classroom and on the field, as they gain valuable
ministry experience definitely useful for a future career.
BTS Mission Statement: The primary purpose of Basileia
Theological Seminary is --- Enabling
students to acquire the requisite knowledge, commit themselves to the spiritual
ideals, and develop the skills necessary for ordination to the Gospel Ministry
and for broad-based career Christian service.
BTS Educational Emphasis: Basileia Theological Seminary
shall operate within an evangelical and practical framework, the understanding
of which is essential to a complete grasp of and appreciation for its purpose
and emphasis.
1. A BIBLICAL
EMPHASIS
We believe that ministers of the Christian Gospel should
specialize in the preaching, proclaiming and teaching of God’s Word --- the
BIBLE (Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth). Therefore, at BTS, emphasis is placed upon a thorough knowledge
of this BOOK, both the Old and New Testaments.
2. A THEOLOGICAL
EMPHASIS
We are of the conviction that a pastor must be a clear and
effective exponent of great doctrines of Scripture. For this reason, at BTS,
Christian apologetics and theology are viewed as extremely important. We teach
that the Bible, in its original manuscripts, was inerrant and constitutes an
infallible standard for belief, faith and practice. BTS teaches from a
distinctly evangelical (Christ-centered, Bible-based, mission-oriented,
people-focused) perspective.
3. A
NON-DENOMINATIONAL POSITION
We at Basileia Theological Seminary are aware that God, in
His infinite wisdom, has effectively used organized denominations at various
times and in various places to accomplish His purpose. We do recognize,
however, the fact that God also raises up dedicated men and women whom He
prepares to serve outside the pales of established denominations, especially
when absolutely necessary.
Noting that “There are around 15,000 denominations,
clusters of churches and networks in Africa” today, Operation World requests
prayers ---“That the carnality of inter-personal relationship breakdown, desire
for power and ethnic favoritism that lie behind many denominational splits may
be crucified with Jesus on the cross” (21st Century Edition, p. 24). There is an urgent need in Africa today for
an Afro-centric seminary that will teach and explain the great truths of God’s
Word from an eclectic, evangelical position.
4. A SEPARATIST
POSITION
While respecting the right of others to believe as they
will, Basileia Theological Seminary shall seek to maintain the doctrinal purity
of the Church as over and against those positions --- cultural, humanistic,
christo-pagan, neo-theological, etc. --- which reject the cardinal and historic
doctrines of the Christian faith. We unflinchingly hold to the Scriptural
injunction that the only course of action for a Bible-believing and practicing
Christian is to maintain complete separation from apostasy or the appearance of
same.
5. AN EVANGELISTIC
FOCUS
Biblical-theological students lacking in compassion for
the lost and not demonstrating God’s love and compassion by reaching others for
Christ, are bound to be deficient in ministry. Therefore, all students of BTS
shall be encouraged and expected to be involved in personal witnessing during
their academic sojourn at the Seminary.
6. A SPIRIT-LED
MINISTRY
This, undoubtedly, is a command for every minister of
Christ. At BTS, we stress spiritual formation and the cultivation of one’s
spiritual life in relation to his or her anticipated ministry calling.
7. A PRACTICAL
EMPHASIS
Basileia Theological Seminary does not afford the student
a Christian ghetto or spiritual cocoon in which to live and learn removed from
the “real world” in which ministry is done. Sound education and training in
Scriptures and ministry skills must be coupled with the ability to communicate
the message to others and to function effectively where “the rubber meets the
road.” At BTS students learn basic
principles of interpersonal relationships, counseling individuals effectively,
preaching/teaching/proclaiming God’s Word skillfully, and handling
administration and pastoral responsibilities with dexterity.
The entire Basileia Central University curriculum, as well
as the holdings of the Basileia Library of Liberia and the Basileia Museum of
Liberia, shall be made available online through the Internet in a variety of
ways, according to subject matter, audience and academic level, from
professional researcher to elementary school student.
Curriculum development will make use of current
information regarding online learning best practices, using interactive multimedia
techniques. Live instructors will work with classes and individuals where
warranted.
Online credit will be offered for courses, majors and
degrees as appropriate. Registration shall be available at various levels, such
as university student, distance learning student, adult education student,
individual, etc.
A full line of search and other research tools will be
offered, competitive with the best available anywhere for the most advanced
professional use.
The virtual university shall be a learning center in its
own right, working closely with university staff but independently able to make
its own budget and plans and carry out its own operations.
The virtual university will also collaborate with other
educational institutions in Liberia to play a support role where desired.
An informational technology (IT) research and development
staff will assure cutting edge achievement by faculty and students.
Reports indicate that the “average age” in post-war
Liberia is 18. Given the fact that the revolution and subsequent civil wars
lasted nearly 24 years, this means that not many young people in Liberia
finished high school, let alone be ready for university studies. In fact, many
adults will need “refresher” courses to be functional again and to prepare for
education on the post-secondary level.
For these and many other reasons, we propose two feeder
schools to offer university-preparatory programs on the main campus and later
at Basileia Learning Centers at strategic points throughout Liberia.
Advancing excellence in education from a Christian
perspective, Basileia Academy will utilize a treasury of textbooks and teaching
materials, which reflect the very best in scholarship, design, practicality, and
Scriptural fidelity. The Academy will serve about 2,500 non-residential
secondary education students, grades 9-12, with separate spaces for grades K-8.
The Basileia Academy will tie in where possible to the
“Laptop for Every Child” program, promoting the mass purchase of inexpensive
learning computers for all students.
First launched in Nimba County, Liberia, in 1985 with
great success but discontinued due to the revolution, BTI shall focus on an
educational program of “No One Left Behind” by helping adults finish high
school and preparing them for university studies or applied career development.
The overarching concept is a national Liberian Cultural
Center to be located in Sanniquellie,
Nimba County. The purpose of the Liberian Cultural Center is to:
Preserve, enhance and teach the spiritual, cultural, and
personal values that constitute the Liberian consciousness and identity. Each
entity shall be associated with coordinate departments and schools within the
educational hierarchy described below.
The Basileia Museum of Liberia shall gather, protect and
display the historical artifacts of our culture from earliest times to the
present, encompassing all geographical areas, sub-cultures, artistic media and
crafts. The fragile and rapidly disappearing heritage of our forefathers must
be given a safe haven for future generations to learn and enjoy. An
archaeological and curatorial staff will support exploration and research.
The Basileia Theater of Performing Arts and Cinema shall
present classical and contemporary creative works in all performing media,
including plays, dance, music, poetry and other compositions, as well as film
and video. In addition, it shall house teaching studios of highest grade in all
these special activities.
Dedicated to acquainting a diverse public with the
delicate balance that exists between living things and their environment.
Animal exhibits, plantings, graphics, and Zoo programs are to be presented to
give the visitor a sense of awareness and concern for the intricate beauty and
fragility of the Liberian habitat: Education, through staff involvement and
training, outreach programs, workshops, lectures, docent volunteers, natural
animal exhibits, informational and interpretive graphics, and research;
Conservation, through participation in endangered species programs and also
through professional animal and veterinary care and a comprehensive animal
management policy; Recreation, through
state-of-the-art exhibit design, well-run visitor services, and to maximize the
natural and park-like setting by formal and informal landscaping.
The Basileia Conference Center will host meetings of
professional associations, special interest groups and any others whose
purposes align with those of the Basileia Cultural Center. Facilities will
include state-of-the-art equipment for presentations and communications.
Appropriate lodging, food service and transportation amenities will be
provided.
The African Freedom Hall will function as a worship center
and large-scale meeting facility. The African Freedom Hall will accommodate
5,000 people on a permanent basis, and be expandable to serve as many as
10,000.
As a worship center, the African Freedom Hall will make it
possible for all professors, teachers, students, parents and other participants
to join together as one body in worship, praise and thanksgiving, giving voice
to the one Church behind all the churches in the region.
The African Freedom Hall
memorializes the 1959 meeting of President Sakou Toure of the Republic of
Guinea; President William V.S. Tubman of Liberia, and President Kwame Nkrumah
of Ghana, when the three leaders met in Sanniquellie, Nimba County, Liberia, to
discuss African unity and solidarity. Their vision and cooperation inspired many
subsequent movements and organizations toward true unity, a task which
continues today as a pressing need in Liberia and across the continent.
The Basileia Teaching & Research Hospital will be a
provider of primary care and routine patient services to all citizens. As a
teaching hospital — with its clinics,
emergency room, free-standing ambulatory care center, chronic care facility,
hospice and individual and group practices — the Basileia Teaching & Research
Hospital will provide for the clinical education of medical students and
residents.
Teaching hospitals are essential "classrooms"
for physicians, nurses, and other health professionals and providers. As a
research hospital. It will contain centers for experimental, innovative and
technically sophisticated services. The advances started in the research
laboratories will be incorporated into patient care through clinical research
programs.
Additionally, The Basileia Teaching & Research
Hospital will be a special place to help the underserved and provide
comprehensive and unique services for the general population.
The Basileia Central University Medical School will be
attached to the Hospital.
A sports and popular concert stadium will sustain the
development and growth of athletic and popular culture. The stadium will be
capable of hosting international competitions and events. A staff of sports and
event planners will assure full utilization.ANCILLARY/SUPPORT PROJECTS
The Old Mindset: St. Jerome once said, “A merchant can
seldom, if ever, please God.” For centuries, many well-meaning Christians had
and demonstrated a negative attitude toward mixing faith and business. They
looked at the world of business with an eye of suspicion. To them, the very
notion of a “theology of business” was unthinkable.
The Current Trend: Growing frustration with seemingly
never-ending poverty worldwide has given birth to a new movement of “Kingdom
Business.” This refers to thousands of Christian businesspeople who have
discovered the kind of faith that encourages them to regard major goals beyond
profit --- and still make money. These people of faith are motivated by the
conviction that “earning a living is not enough [and that] the truly new…thing
is that any good work can be holy in the Kingdom [of God] even if it is not
usually considered holy in the church” (Dr. Ralph Winter).
Working Definitions and Examples: The “Kingdom Business”
movement has introduced a number of terms and phrases, which must be understood
in order to ensure proper application. A few of them follow:
Great Commission Company --- “a socially responsible,
income-producing business, managed by Kingdom Professionals, created for the
specific purpose of glorifying God and promoting the growth and multiplication
of local churches in the least developed and least evangelized parts of the
world” (Rundle and Steffen, 2003).
Business As Mission --- Otherwise referred to as
“Kingdom-Focused Companies,” these are faith-based, income-producing
enterprises, managed by Kingdom Professionals, with focus on “social, economic,
spiritual, and environmental transformation” (John DePree).
1. Cards From
Africa (Rwanda). “Years after genocide ravaged its country, the nation of
Rwanda is rising from its past to reclaim its future in Africa’s growing
landscape,” writes Justin Forman in an article. The cards, featuring unique
designs and made of authentic recycled paper, are produced by the hands of
disadvantaged young men and women of Rwanda. The main goal of Cards From Africa
“is to consistently provide them [the workers] with employment, inspire them
with creativity, and teach them valuable skills to one day start their own
business.”
2. Meixia
International (China). Started by Bill Job in 1988, this faith-based company
benefited from China’s investment policy that allows foreigners to set up
wholly owned Foreign Investment Enterprises. Today, Meixia specializes in
“manufacturing high quality Tiffany lampshades” in addition to its own
developed “technology of building miniature houses out of stained glass.” Under
an international leadership of Kingdom Professionals, the company is glorifying
God and contributing to church advancement in China and beyond.
3. Bethany
Press (USA). A division of the Minnesota-based Bethany International for over
50 years, Bethany Press is a tax-paying, for-profit business started by a
not-for-profit world missions organization, Bethany International, to contribute
funds back to the parent not-for-profit ministry. The arrangement is so
powerful and beneficial that, according to recent reports, “Bethany International…maintains over 125
missionaries in 30 countries and Bethany College of Missions trains more each
year. In 2005, Bethany witnessed the graduation of over 500 nationally trained
missionaries through 100 training schools located in Kenya, Indonesia, India,
Brazil, and the Philippines.”
In his book Discipling Nations, Darrow Miller argues,
“Physical poverty doesn’t just happen.
It is the logical result of the way people look at themselves and the world,
the stories that they tell to make sense of their world.” In other words, when
impoverished people find themselves in life’s pits without a way out, they tend
to rationalize their condition to the point that it eventually becomes a norm
and way of life likely to be perpetuated by succeeding generations.
Now, God’s people worldwide are on a double mission: to
save souls and to dignify the human person. Wayne Gordon, in his book Business
for the Glory of God, shares the consensus. He writes:
“ I believe the only long-term solution to world poverty
is business. That is because businesses produce goods…and jobs. And businesses
continue producing goods year after year, and continue providing jobs and
paying wages year after year. Therefore, if we are ever going to see long-term
solutions to world poverty, I believe it will come through starting and
maintaining productive, profitable business.”
Perhaps no other “Kingdom-Focused Business” organization
has done more than the USA-based Partners Worldwide whose advertising line is
“Christian Businesspeople Transforming Lives.” Its impressive color brochure
reads: “Partners Worldwide is a faith-based international partnership of
business and professional people who want to follow Jesus Christ in eliminating
poverty and transforming lives. Our approach is to grow businesses and create
jobs in areas of need around the world.” The activities of Partners Worldwide
include:
· Developing
Business Partnerships;
· Offering
Business Mentoring and Training;
· Increasing
Access to Capital; and
· Advocating
on Behalf of the Poor.
“Businesspeople with like minds and hearts around the globe
are connecting through Partners Worldwide business affiliates” --- in North
America, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe --- to provide “innovative solutions for
economic growth and community transformation in regions of need.”
Business Mentoring and Training services, through Partners Worldwide members, partner
organizations and affiliates, take the form of “walking alongside” businesses
as they grow, support struggling families, create jobs, and transform
communities. A broad range of services may include, depending on local
realities, the following:
· Business
Planning
· Basic
Accounting
· Sales/Marketing
· Quality
Improvement
· Customer
Service
· Technical
Assistance
· Stewardship
· Ethics
Access to Capital is one of the greatest challenges to
aspiring businesspeople in developing nations. Often in at-risk environments,
there may be no financial institutions or resources for small and medium
businesses with growth potential but not credit worthy. To fill the void,
Partners Worldwide provides what it describes as “a dynamic source of matching
funds through [its] business affiliates. This fund, the Global Business Growth
Fund (the Global Fund) provides matching funds to local businesses, savings and
investments --- tripling the investment for business growth and global jobs.”
When it comes to Advocating on Behalf of the Poor,
Partners Worldwide affiliates employ various methods “to highlight emerging
policy issues and potential ways for [the] members to make their voices heard.”
These services “support policies that provide a more level playing field for
the poor and broaden access to opportunities.”
To be incorporated in the United States of America and the
Republic of Liberia (West Africa), Basileia Enterprise shall be and remain an
income-generating and supporting arm of BASILEIA MISSIONS and the growing
network of ministries (projects, programs, services, activities, etc).
Operated and managed by Kingdom Professionals, within the
evolving tradition of “Great Commission Companies” and “Kingdom-Focused Business As Mission,” Basileia Enterprise
will be a comprehensive faith-based, profit-making business, sales, marketing,
and community development corporation guided and informed by the following
generally accepted moral principles, core values, and goals for a just economy:
Three Christian college professors --- Richard C. Chewing,
John W. Elby, and Shirley J. Roels --- give us six principles in their book
Business Through the Eyes of Faith. They are as follows:
1) “Every
economic decision and institution must be judged in light of whether it
protects or undermines the dignity of the human person.” Business must do
something for people; serve people and not the other way around; and enable
people to participate in the process.
2) “Human
dignity can be realized and protected only in community.” This is where the
obligation to “love our neighbor” takes on individual and collective
dimensions, with a broader social commitment to the common good.
3) “All people
have a right to participate in the economy.” Exclusion or limitation of other
people relative to the economic process is unfair and breaks the heart of the
Creator.
4) “All members
of society have a special obligation to the poor and vulnerable.” The people of God, in particular, are
challenged to care for the needy, speak for the voiceless, and defend the
helpless. Applied theology calls this the “Great Criteria” of Jesus’ mandate to
his followers (see Matthew 25:35-36,40).
5) “Human rights
are the minimum conditions for life in community.” For the Christian, the
irreducible minimum of Christianity is love, tempered with respect and honor
for Creator God in whose image the human being is wonderfully and fearfully
made.
6) “Society as a
whole, acting through public and private institutions [business included], has
the moral responsibility to enhance dignity and protect human rights.” The
church, corporate world, other private institutions and government all have an
essential responsibility in this.
Basileia Enterprise shall make Creator God its Hero-King
in its broad-based endeavor to strengthen and support BASILEIA MISSIONS as it
seeks to help build a “New Liberia” out of the ashes of war through a
comprehensive (top-to-bottom) faith-based educational system and a network of
support projects.
Basileia Enterprise, committed to being a Great Commission
Company focused on Business As Mission, will exist as a socially responsible,
income-producing business, managed by Kingdom Professionals, for the specific
purpose of glorifying Creator God and advancing the work of BASILEIA MISSIONS
through financial contributions to the Mission and such multifaceted activities
which, among other things:
1) Enable BASILEIA MISSIONS to accomplish its goals;
2) Help career Christian service professionals support themselves
and
their ministries;
3) Empower war-ravaged and struggling communities;
4) Transform broken and troubled lives;
5) Multiply wealth for all people, as opposed to serving the few;
6) Create economic lift for the downtrodden;
7) Promote hope amidst hopelessness;
8) Facilitate national reconstruction and development in Liberia;
9) Transform the environment into livable habitat;
10) Restore Liberia’s pristine glory through related activities;
11) Mentor and empower Great Commission business practitioners;
In today’s culture of endemic greed, Basileia Enterprise
shall strive to create a climate of transparent honesty and flint-faced
integrity in all its business and related services. Towards this end, Company
representatives and customers will be motivated, encouraged and assisted to “do
all things decently and in order.”
Accordingly, Basileia Enterprise shall pursue the
following goals and objectives in business:
1. SOCIAL
CONTRACT OF BUSINESS
a) In all of
life, the mission of God’s people is to carry out the total redemptive task of
Jesus Christ.
b) As Christians
in business, all those involved in the operation of Basileia Enterprise are to
honor God in the world of work and economics by extending God’s reign to all
human activities.
2. BUSINESS AS AN
AGENT OF SHALOM (PEACE)
As a faith-based business concerned with both profit and
character, Basileia Enterprise will strive to:
a) Practice corporate shalom by ensuring that relationships,
profits, products, activities and ethics correspond with God’s intention for
humanity.
b) Invest in things and undertake projects which affirm and
enhance life, and refuse to invest in things or undertake projects that harm or
diminish life.
c) Do business in struggling and problem areas in Liberia and
beyond, thereby modeling the kingdom way of Creator God.
d) Use its resources and socio-economic clout on behalf of the
powerless.
e) Do business
in a way that strengthens and supports the work of BASILEIA MISSIONS in
particular and the Church in general.
f) Carry out
economic development capable of bringing physical and economic wholeness to
Liberia’s underprivileged and other acutely needy people.
3. PROFIT-MAKING
IN BUSINESS AS MISSION
Convinced that profit making in business and social
responsibility are intrinsically complementary, Basileia Enterprise shall
pursue the following goals that extend God’s shalom in business:
a) Provide goods and services that enhance the lives of
individuals and condition in society.
b) Create and maintain jobs --- meaningful work that supports
families financially and psychologically while harnessing people’s creative
energies for God’s glory and human dignity.
c) Provide a
fair return for committed investors and the Mission.
d) Allocate business resources to the work of BASILEIA MISSIONS so
as to improve the culture of community, support life-changing education, and
facilitate much needed healing, health, hope and wholeness.
Scope: Under past Liberian business laws, any fully
established, registered and licensed business corporation functioning in the
Republic of Liberia was authorized to undertake business activities almost
across the board, as long as a proper license was obtained for that particular
activity. Assuming that this still holds true in post-war Liberia, Basileia
Enterprise will take a comprehensive, highly integrated approach to doing
“Business As Mission” within the faith-based tradition of Great Commission
Companies. At such, there may be no need for the previously anticipated “New
Liberia” Corporation (unless absolutely necessary).
The below listed organizations may be contacted for more
information or resources on the rapidly growing “Business As Mission” movement
and “Great Commission Companies.” Sorry, the list is not exhaustive, but
extremely useful.
Partners Worldwide
2850 Kalamazoo Avenue, SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49560
Phone: (616) 224-5874
Fax: (616) 224-0752
Toll Free: 1-800-919-7307
E-Mail: info@partnersworldwide.org
Website: www.partnersworldwide.org
YOUR GUIDE TO “BUSINESS AS MISSION” (at least 9 highly
recommended books and resources available from the William Carey Library).
Send the Light
Website: www.missionbooks.org
Toll Free: 1-800-MISSION (be sure to find a corresponding
number for each of the letters in “MISSION” on your phone)
In order to give “BEST” students practical training while
generating supporting for the educational system, a separate corporation is
needed. The expression “New Liberia”
has come to embody the collective hope and aspiration of the Liberian people
for a homeland free of man’s inhumanity to man and full of hope for a brighter
future. The expression has an overwhelming appeal at home and within the
Liberian Diaspora. Therefore, the concept could rally national and
international support, for the University and its efforts, if adopted by
creating an agro-tech/industrial production company by the using the name “New
Liberia.”
As a development enterprise connected to a not-for-profit
university system, it could seek and be granted a tax-exempt status in Liberia.
To be engaged in broad-based agribusiness, agro-tech, communications and energy
technology venture, this operation could be named and styled as follows:
New Liberia
==== Corporation ====
An Agro-Tech, Alternative Energy,
Business, Environmental Resource,
&
Socio-Economic
Development Enterprise
A corporate logo, depicting a colorful Rising Star against
the backdrop of a sky-blue Horizon, superimposed over the “ew” in New, could be
a source of motivation. Incidentally, Liberia is called the “Lone Star” that
led most of Africa to independence, and a national patriotic song testifies to
that historical record.
Initial Project: Within a 30-minute drive time from the
rural city of Sanniquellie (Nimba County, Liberia) --- chosen location of the
national campus of the school project --- the Seinlew Region is a vast forested
agricultural land situated at the foothills of Mount Nimba (the “Iron
Mountain”) and across the Yarmein County District extending all the way across
the borders with Guinea on the north.
Here, arrangements are under way to purchase about 1,000 acres of land
(or more) for the development of Seinlew Industries, the first in a network of
New Liberia Corporation development projects.
Generally, Africans have great emotional attachments to
local names of places and people of historic significance; this region is one
of such, one good reason for which Seinlew Industries may receive instant
approval and moral support.
The Basileia Central University complex will be
situated on approximately 300-700 acres near the historic rural city of Sanniquellie
in Nimba County (north-central Liberia), where Presidents William Tubman
(Liberia), Sekou Toure (Guinea) and Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana) began the discussions
which led to the formation of the Organization of African Unity.
Heading East out of Sanniquellie, an overpass will be
constructed to cross the railroad line. A two-lane highway, University
Boulevard, will proceed about one and a half miles, on the left side of the
Sanniquellie Airport, to the campus site. Along this highway four roads will be
constructed, each heading to the left opposite the Airport. They will contain
components of the University existing nowhere else in Liberia, or of such
caliber.
On the first road, the Basileia Cultural Center complex
will be located. This comprises the Basileia Museum of Liberia, the Basileia
Theater of Performing Arts and Cinema, the Basileia Zoological and Botanical
Gardens and Arboretum, and the Basileia Conference Center.
On the second left-turning road will be sited the Basileia
Teaching & Research Hospital. Here, students in the health sciences will
acquire skills in theory and practice in order to more effectively address a
devastating healthcare situation in their land and region.
The third road will contain the Basileia Sports &
Performance Stadium.
The fourth road will arrive at a site holding buildings
housing the Basileia Academy (Kindergarten-Grade 12), the Basileia Training
Institute (for continuing adult education), the Basileia Enterprise (a
Christian community development project), and the New Liberia Corporation
dedicated to building a “New Liberia” out of the ashes of war, by facilitating
true “technology transfer” via practical training for Basileia Central
University students.
The University Boulevard terminates at the University
Square, in the center of which will stand the Basileia Great Commission Center
(the Basileia Central University Main Building) --- the “nerve center” of the
complex. Guided by its slogan, “Commissioned To Serve,” the Basileia Great
Commission Center will house administrative offices, technical support,
communications, security, and a campus chapel (which doubles for a Campus
Church on days of worship). The sides of the University Square will contain the
Basileia Central University Library of Liberia and the Basileia Central
University Media Center.
Immediately beyond the University Square extends Nimba
Avenue (named for Nimba County in which the University and related schools are
located), the main thoroughfare connecting Villa Basileia (a university
residential community) to the rest of the campus community.
Along Nimba Avenue closer to the beginning, the various
lecture hall and classroom buildings
will be located, each containing the appropriate faculty offices and lounge.
Continuing past the teaching buildings, one will find the
Student Union Building, the Basileia Bookstore and retail shop, and dormitory
accommodations for about 1,500 university students or more as resources may
permit.
Next are the Villa Basileia community playing fields,
maintenance buildings, a water purification plant, and a generating plant for
supplying clean water and electrical power to all facilities of Basileia
Educational System for Transformation.
On both sides of Nimba Avenue, running through Villa
Basileia, a network of Executive Buildings (townhouses) will be constructed to
house officers of administration of “BEST.” Realities on the ground warrant
putting together a close-knit executive team that will help solidify the entire
administrative structure and protect against lapses and inefficiencies.
Subject to necessary revisions, the administrative team
may include, not be limited to, the following: (1) University President; (2)
Basileia Missions President & University Chancellor; (3) Basileia Missions
Vice President & University Vice Chancellor; (4) Executive Vice President;
(5) Vice President for Academic Affairs;
(6) Vice President for Administration/Comptroller; (7) Vice President
for Institutional Development & Public Affairs; (8) Vice President for Career Development & Student Affairs;
(9) Dean of Basileia Training Institute; (10) Principal of Basileia Academy;
(11) Director of Basileia Enterprise; (12) Managing Director of New Liberia
Corporation; and (13) at least two guest houses for distinguished visitors.
So as to begin to facilitate and promote unity in great
diversity within the Villa Basileia community, the Nimba Avenue, running an
East-West direction, will cut through a network of North-South streets named
for 13 Liberian counties, in an alphabetical order as follows: (1) Bomi Street;
(2) Bong Street; (3) Gbarpolu Street; (4) Grand Bassa Street; (5) Grand Cape
Mount Street; (6) Grand Gedeh Street; (7) Grand Kru Street; (8) Lofa Street;
(9) Margibi Street; (10); Maryland Street; (11) River Cess Street; (12) River
Gee Street; and (13) Sinoe Street.
Encircling the entire Villa Basileia community will be the
Montserrado Drive --- named for Montserrado County in which the Liberian
capital city, Monrovia, is located. This will be a major bus lane serving the
residential community and the rest of
the University campus. Also, shuttle buses will serve the Basileia Central
University community and provide transportation to and around nearby
Sanniquellie. National transportation by air will be available at the
Sanniquellie Airport as well.
In the event that a faculty/staff member is housed on a
street named for his or her county, it shall be purely coincidental; every
effort will be put into spreading personnel around the community so as to
enable people to develop and nourish healthy interpersonal relations across
barriers.
Substandard construction and maintenance must be avoided
and discouraged! Construction of all buildings will aim at the highest current
environmental standards for energy use, waste products, and sustainability. The
best of skilled Liberian builders and North American construction professionals
will be assembled to make the entire project a grand success.
We shall do everything possible, within our power and as
per the availability of resources, to ensure the creation and promotion of a
university setting where every member of faculty and staff is committed to the
primary mission of the Basileia Educational System for Transformation
(“BEST”).
Our watchword here is “IMAGE”! This implies that donors, personnel (faculty, staff, etc.),
associates, and resources so mobilized must reflect the “total image” of the
educational project. Personal
lifestyles, beliefs, associations, and perspectives could destroy the embryonic
project if allowed to contravene all that “BEST” stands for. GODSPEED!