The CEI course in Nigeria is broken up into 2 streams: one week full-time every six months for two years (4 weeks), or one weekend a month for 2 years. After announcing this course in November 2019, in just 2 months-time, 95 believers responded and participated in February 2020 for the first 1 week and weekend CEI beginning.

 

It was amazing that more than half of the participants are Christian workers (leaders, pastors, ministers, evangelists, missionaries), and what is even more surprising: they are from more than 70 different churches. This is truly of the Lord since believers in Nigeria are greatly divided by their diverse churches.

 

Henry was able to participate in person for teaching/presentation in February, and both Henry and Doug were able to do so remotely by video conference in August. Even though they still had Covid-19 issues (not as bad as many in the West), more than 80 students returned for the second week of the CEI course in-person.

 

We at OBL are committed to supporting their endeavor by expanding the three “textbooks” with additional material such as: a study guide, an evaluation test for each chapter, a 40-minute video synopsis of each chapter, and various lectures. We sincerely pray that the Lord will use Nigeria for a pattern of oneness among God’s people.  That It will not just be a doctrinal or theoretical oneness, but one that is manifested and seen, so that the world may believe in the reality of Jesus Christ.

 

A systematic theology with a focus on God's ekklesia rather than personal salvation

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As we survey theological seminaries today, the course work is focused on ministries with a message of personal salvation and a goal of building up denominational or independent churches/ministries. There is little focus upon the oneness of His Body or the building up of God’s ekklesia. God’s eternal purpose is woefully missing, underrepresented, or avoided due to so many compromises of the One Faith demonstrated in endless ecumenical attempts at oneness among God’s people.

 

Additionally, what is known as systematic theology over the centuries has focused on the work of Jesus Christ in respect to one’s personal salvation, which is revealed in Paul epistle to the Roman believers, Romans Chapters 1-8. We have not found a presentation of systematic theology with God’s eternal purpose insofar as His ekklesia concerns—we stopped at Romans 8, if you would, and have viewed Romans 9-16 as a hodgepodge of miscellaneous doctrines—everything from God’s dealings with the Jews, His sovereignty, predestination and various Christian “practices.”

 

OBL’s goal with the Christ Ekklesia Institute is to provide an understanding of systematic theology with the focus on the building up of God’s ekklesia. It will methodically and logically present:

 

1.     God’s eternal purpose from eternity past to eternity future being His ekklesia

2.     The person and work of Christ as the anointed One whose mission is to build His ekklesia, His one Body – for without Christ’s salvation and Life—God cannot have His ekklesia!

3.     Man’s (viz., male and female) redemption and salvation an integral part of this process advancing toward Ekklesia.

4.     The way for man’s spiritual growth toward becoming one with all believers as His Body – exploring and putting into practice those biblical injunctions issuing forth into the oneness among God’s People.

5.     Itemizing spiritual and practical services for each and every believer in which to participate resulting in the building up of His ekklesia, which is God’s kingdom on earth.

 

A main stream conversation translating to genuine oneness among believers

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Finally, we at OBL are in the process of developing an entire course of instruction which will be made available online while partnering our curriculum with a reputable seminary or seminaries which will in turn generate greater interest and commitment to God’s ekklesia as His eternal purpose; thereby, making it a mainstream conversation among Christians. We cannot give up on the Lord’s prayer for His people to be ONE (John 17)—this is not an ethereal proposition nor an abstract spiritual concept . . . we affirm our Lord’s prayer is fulfilled in the “here and now”—not in the “sweet by and by.” We can no longer relegate this matter of unity to the unseen spiritual realm, nor wait until the future advent of Jesus Christ.

 

We believe the manifested testimony of the oneness of God’s people is the preparation of the Bride of Christ. The preparation of the Bride is not exclusive to any one particular group of Christians or “remnant” of “overcomers.” Rather, there will be individuals, no matter which church with whom they may associate; yet they live and practice love and oneness between all other believers who name the Name of Christ. Simultaneously, they would assemble with all different kinds of believers as the Lord’s ekklesia on earth to lift up Jesus Christ . . . “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me” (John 12:32) . . . it is unto the Person and Work of our Lord Jesus Christ which constitutes our oneness and the building up of His Ekklesia thereby prevailing against the gates of Hades . . . the very “crushing of Satan’s head” via the God of Peace under the feet of His united people (Romans 16:20) who freely “meet and greet” all the brethren in the Household of Faith (Romans 16).  

 

For more information regarding the Christ Ekklesia Institute, please visit or communicate with us at: admin@onebody.life