MADAGASCAR
Missionaries: Todd and Patsy McGregor; Daughters: Corbi and Charisse
Sponsor: Diocese of Toliara, Madagascar
Purpose: Training church leaders
Project: Ministry Training in Madagascar
Todd and Patsy McGregor are currently serving as missionaries in Madagascar, one
of the poorest countries in the world. Todd was recently installed as Bishop of
Toliara, a region in southern Madagascar. Less than 4 percent of the people in
this area are Christian. As bishop, Todd feels that one of his primary goals is
to train potential future workers in his diocese. Since evangelism is a key
mission for the McGregors, they want all workers, whether clergy or evangelist,
to be trained. They began training over twenty present evangelists, clergy, and
lay leaders. They held two weeklong sessions last year. The first step of the
program is on evangelism, the second is on discipleship, and third is on
ministry leaders. Each phase builds on the previous.
In January, they began training five evangelists who will finish in April.
Afterwards the students will have four to five months on the field, then an
eight-month internship in a local parish. Todd shares the teaching with arranged
teachers from Campus Crusade, Children’s Evangelism Fellowship, and other clergy
from the diocese. It is a good mix of training, and the five students are
gaining a lot from the program along with the clergy, who are learning about
this new diocese. The students live downstairs from the McGregors’ apartment in
Tulear. They have a few small rooms and share common areas.
Project Opportunity: They are training five evangelists who, after initial
education and field work, will serve an internship in a local parish through
2008. The cost to underwrite the training program, including all living
expenses, is $1,000 per student. To participate, contact Patsy McGregor or
Missions Commission representative Karen Sizer.
