Global University has the honor to partner with missionaries all around the world. Often, we provide the educational material they use to help train up the leaders in the nations they are ministering in. Other times, we get the honor of connecting with the missionaries themselves and providing them with an education that would have been impossible for them to obtain otherwise.
Vi Ramsey is one of those missionaries. Trained as a nurse, she and her husband, Jim, felt the call of God to become missionaries to Africa. “I had never taken a theology course,” she says. “It had always been something I was interested in, but life never gave me the opportunity to learn more about the Bible at that level.” Despite their limited training, Vi and Jim left the life they knew in the United States and moved to South Africa.
Vi knew she wanted a deeper understanding of Scripture, but being in Africa limited her opportunity to get good training. Then she learned about Global University and knew she had found what she had been looking for. She enrolled and the rest was history. Vi received her bachelor’s degree through Global University and is currently working on her master’s degree through GU’s Graduate School of Theology.
“I had faith and I read my Bible, but my GU courses have helped me articulate my faith and to be a more discerning believer,” Vi says.
Vi ministers in Cape Town, South Africa. (photo by Google Maps, 2016)
Vi not only uses Global University in her own personal life, but shares it with others. She currently teaches at the Global School of Theology (GST) in Cape Town, South Africa, helping students there learn more about the Bible the same way she did: through Global University.
Global helps prepare these students for ministry in ways their culture wouldn’t normally facilitate. “Education can be an intimidating thing in African culture,” Vi explains. “The Global University material forces them to ask the question, ‘Why do I believe what I believe?’ It is a challenging question for anyone to ask, but when they do… it’s just the most amazing thing! Their courses give them a global view of Scripture and not just a piecemeal version put together with random Scripture verses.”
The impact being made in South Africa is evident, too. GST students have recently started two new churches whose congregations are made up of all new converts won to the Lord through evangelism efforts in their communities. This rapid growth is creating a need for further training. GST holds special night sessions to accommodate these leaders’ schedules. Many come to these Friday night classes straight from work. Vi is constantly encouraged by their commitment. “Oftentimes they don’t even have time to eat dinner, but they don’t care! They feel these classes are too important to miss.”
Vi is making an impact in her world and we at Global are honored to partner with her. Do you have a story you’d like to share with us? Tell us about it! Send an email to marketing@globaluniversity.edu or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. We want to hear about how OUR STORY is a part of YOUR STORY.