GSMM…GOSPEL-ADVANCE SCHOOL OF MISSION AND MINISTRY

The idea that birthed the Gospel Advance School of mission came to light in 2009, during a journey to a mission studies conference in Chicago, United States. It was during the journey that it was suggested that Nigeria needed an interdenominational school of mission to help the many church founders and leaders who got their calls after they had specialized in certain fields of studies but now want to move on in life as ministers of the gospel. Such a school is to run an institute to support lay preachers, Bible workers, and others who may want to be trained to do better in the Christian service, including issues such as how to give Bible studies, preaching, church officers training, Church leadership and administration, etc. Since then, this idea has been in process until December 2023 when a group of pastors and a layperson had a meeting at Ibadan, and the decision was made to get the vision of the ground and make the idea a reality. Since December 2023, as the decision to start such a school as this was shared with others, it has received tremendous support and encouragement. It is our plan through this school, to support Christians in their determination to engage in Christian service either at ad-hoc, professional, or career development levels.

As a school, we understand that Christian mission is the organized efforts by the church, through the followers of Christ to take the gospel of Christ to the unreached people groups of the earth through proclamation, and impact ministries such as education, health, poverty alleviation support programs, and projects. It is the means and methods with which Christians introduce Christ to such unreached societies. While Mission is the mother of theology, and it is the reason why the church of God exists on earth, it is the list of the areas of our work that receive attention from churches and church leaders today. As a school, we understand that Christian mission involves both the good news to the neighbors well as the far-away. In other words, it includes evangelism to the people around you and cross-cultural evangelism which takes the gospel to the unreached peoples and people groups. It is our purpose to make believers know that the Christian mission involves the ways and means by which disciples of Christ take to their society the good news of God’s plan to save the world from sin and the effects of sin. It is the preaching of the Gospel of Christ through the proclamation of the word (kerygma); witnessing and being a witness (martureo) to the life and living of Jesus our perfect example. It is the community (koinonia) impact, and Service (diakonia) to God and humanity for the salvation of the world.

We understand that ministry is what followers of Christ do on behalf of Christ and his church, whether as a 24/7 minister, bi-vocational, or multi-vocational minister, to attend to the needs of people around us, so that they may better appreciate the love, grace, and mercy of God the more. It is God’s expectation for every disciple of Christ to reach out to the world around them; We understand ministry as living every moment for God, for his purposes, and glory. Unfortunately, today, ministry is done by many in ways that have made it turn out to be a negative label. It is the purpose of this institution, to help ministers, Bible Workers, and other people of interest to put Christian mission, and ministry in the right biblical perspective, and to equip attendees of our programs for positive impact, efficiency, and effectiveness.

The primary aim of evangelism is the conversion of the individual to the life and mission of Christ. Today, in the church, evangelism is not so much about populating the kingdom of God and leading people to the life of Christ, but the increase in church attendance. Our primary aim therefore is to refocus churches to evangelism on the biblical purpose of evangelism. The school is designed to train and equip authentic and thoroughbred missionaries, pastors, and evangelists who will prepare disciple-making believers for Christ. We believe that now is the time when God is about to sweep this world with the endtime movement that will lead the world to genuine repentance and primitive godliness, which will prepare the world for the soon return of Jesus Christ and bring this world of sin to its end. The school is established to give life to Christian mission in our churches, our community, and our personal lives, through training, support, and encouragement.