Here is a letter from the newly formed school board. Finding the right candidate for the critical 'headmaster' position of the Kabala Christian School has been a matter of great hope, concern and prayer.
Dear Dennis and Fraser Valley Christian High School Partners –
We are writing to you with joy and thanksgiving. Our interviewing committee has a selected candidate for the position of headmaster for the new Christian School we are building here in Kabala. Let us tell you a little bit about him.
By invitation, Mr .James Tamba Koroma (b.1963) began by giving us his personal testimony. He gave us a glimpse into a life that depends only on Christ for salvation and one who has a life of active gratitude and knowledge of God s love in the world and our job to be for Him. He is known to the community and familiar with the language and conditions of children who live here. We were all moved by his testimony.
He has a Teaching Certificate and a Higher Teaching Certificate granted by Makeni Teacher’s College. This is a post secondary three year degree programme. He fulfilled all the requirements with better than average marks. His training emphases were in Education, Community Development Studies, Basic Mathematics and Language Arts. He has 20 years of teaching and leadership experience in elementary schools. As we progressed through the interview he demonstrated understandings about the specific abilities and needs lower elementary school children have as learners, the daily running of an elementary school and sensitivities about the relationships between staff, community, church and other constituents.
We were thrilled to find a candidate who had all that knowledge and passionate interest in teaching young children; but we were especially excited to find someone who has a strong vision for Christian Education. He brings his commitment to Christ under a considerable amount of training and experience in Christian learning and leadership positions. He has done course work with the Matthew 6 Foundation in Child Care and Education; taken Bible Teaching Seminars with the New Testament Fellowship International; participated with the Joshua International Ministries and does some pastoral work with his church in Kono. He has also worked for the Children’s Home of the Reintegration Programme for "Help a Needy Child International," for orphans in Makeni after the war.
His family of three young children and his wife all participate in church life with him. All this is especially surprising as we considered that he currently is the head teacher of a large Islamic elementary school of more than 1000 students. At this time he is much challenged and pressed by the local community of Moslems to convert or get out of the school. He has steadfastly kept this position for the last years while working as a pastor in Kono. This is a testimony to his community abilities to lead in spite of conflict.
When asked about what would make a Christian School different than a public sector school, he replied that "A Christian School is not only for the education of the mind, it is for the whole life of the child. Christian education should develop and grow the child’s physical and social abilities, his moral actions and his mind. But more. We want the child’s spirit to let God’s spirit to take a strong hold on all aspects of the child’s life. To let God Shape the life of the child. We teachers should create an atmosphere of love, sharing, caring. Children should not only learn, but apply education. In Christian education, we want to teach children to be Christ like and to know the supreme being. To demonstrate the characteristics of love." This is not word for word – but these phrases were jotted verbatim as they came from him in the interview.
Currently he is Baptist by denomination and undertakes pastoral duties as an assistant pastor at the First Baptist church in Koakoyinma – small Lebanon Kono. He is a Sunday School teacher there. But he has expressed that he would be willing and eager to join the Christian Reformed Church of Kabala to strengthen the union and communion between the school and church. As he said, we serve the same Christ!
There is still much to do to finalize and realize this step. More on this later. For now, we are grateful that God has led this man to us; and hope that you welcome him and affirm his appointment. He can’t formally take up duties until March since he would need to give two months notice. In the meantime, when we send him an appointment, we will ask him to do course work so that he can become computer literate. Would you please confirm your approval for this appointment?
Sincerely,
Rev. John Phiri
Mr. Joseph Sesay
Mr. Michael M.K. Mansaray
Mr. Robert Jawara
Dr. Johanna Kuyvenhoven
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