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An Introduction To West Indies Covenant Ministries

Rev. Ramzan Hosein is the founder and president of West Indies Covenant Ministries (WICM).  He is the president of Grace Bible College and pastor of Grace Bible Church.  Ramzan was born and raised in a Muslim home.  In his early teens American missionaries introduced him to the Christian faith.  He came to faith in Christ when he was thirteen years old.  He continued to attend church faithfully and grow as a believer in Christ.  He was called into the ministry when he was twenty-three years old.  He attended Jamaica Bible College.  Ramzan pastored two churches in Trinidad over a period of fifteen years.  In nineteen ninety-two he and his family moved to Greenville, South Carolina in order to attend Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (GPTS).  He graduated in nineteen ninety-six with a Masters of Divinity degree. Currently, he is pursuing the Doctorate of Philosophy degree through Oxford Graduate School.  He moved back to Trinidad in two thousand one to begin the ministry of WICM.

WICM is headquartered in D’Abadie, Trinidad.  This board exists to give accountability of WICM to the government of Trinidad and to oversee its multifaceted ministries. The board members of WICM are Rev. Ramzan Hosein, Rev. Ricky Gosyne, Mrs. Jennifer Hosein and Rev. Steve McGee 

WICM began its work in the fall of 2001 with the beginning of Grace Bible College and Grace Bible Church in D’Abadie, Trinidad. Presently WICM is working with two other churches on the island where Rev. Hosein and Rev. McGee preach on a regular basis. Also, WICM began a weekly radio program on Sunday evenings called “Table Talk.” This is a theological talk show where listeners can call in and ask questions. This radio program reaches all of Trinidad and Tobago and several islands in the Caribbean.  The goal of WICM is to be faithful to the Great Commission.  WICM is seeking to fulfill this in three areas:

          1). Evangelism

          2). Reformed Church Planting

          3). Education

EVANGELISM

Trinidad and Tobago have a population of 1.4 million people. Trinidad and Tobago consist of Africans 42%, East Indians 42%, and mixed races 16%.  The religions are Roman Catholic 32%, Protestant 28%, Hindu 24% and Muslim 6%.  Most of the Protestant denominations are Pentecostal, liberal Presbyterian, Baptist (Southern Baptist, Independent and Animistic Baptist (Shaman Baptist) Churches.  There are 115 liberal Presbyterian churches on the island. They are tied into the Canadian Presbyterian Church which is like the PCUSA.  The goal of WICM is to reach out to all interested groups through Bible Studies and Confessional Studies.  We liken these people to the “god fearing” Gentiles that Paul preached to in the synagogues.  Our goal is to reach out to the Catholics, Hindus, and Muslims through Evangelistic Bible Studies and Friendship Evangelism.  Working with Hindus and Muslims require relationship building.

REFORMED CHURCH PLANTING 

WICM is not a Para- church organization and therefore is not a sending agency.  WICM seeks to work with Reformed Churches and denominations in order to assist them in planting churches in the Caribbean and to coordinate short term mission work such as work teams, VBS teams, pastors to preach and teach in churches in the Caribbean.  WICM will work with any Reformed Confessional church or group.  WICM holds to the Westminster Confession of Faith, Westminster Longer and Shorter Catechisms, The Three Forms of Unity and the 2^nd London Baptist Confession of Faith. WICM also seeks ordained ministers to be church planters. 

EDUCATION

Grace Bible College began in the fall of 2001 with eight full time students and currently has twenty students on roll. The purpose of the school is to train local men in Bible, Theology, Biblical languages, and Ecclesiology in order for these men to plant and pastor Reformed churches.  Most of the pastors in the Caribbean are partially trained men.  WICM seeks to correct this by educating men for the ministry and assisting them in planting churches.  Grace Bible College is recognized by the government of Trinidad as a ministry of WICM.  GBC seeks to pursue accreditation as soon as it has 8,000 volumes in the library (presently we have 2,000 volumes.)  When this goal is reached, Grace Bible College will be one of the few Bible Colleges in the Caribbean that will be accredited.

 LOCAL US CHURCH INVOLVEMENT

 WORK TEAMS: The school needs an additional building added to its current structure. Presently we need $25,000 for material and people who are skilled in construction to come down and help build.  In the future, WICM hopes to raise funds to buy 10 acres and build a campus for Grace Bible College to include dormitories for the students and housing for the visiting professors.  This is a medium term objective that we would like to see within the next three years. Our current estimate for the land and buildings is 350,000 USD. A campus would immediately open the door for students from all the Caribbean Islands to come here and study for the ministry.

YOUTH MINISTRIES: There are presently four Reformed Churches in Trinidad.  Local churches, with whom, we are working with could send their youth group down to teach and lead in VBS or to organize and lead in a youth retreat.  This would be an excellent way for our young people to be involved in ministry and see how God can use them in the lives of others. 

TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES: WICM would like to see local pastors come down and teach in seminars or conferences sponsored by WICM.   There is also opportunity for open air/crusade evangelism meetings.

ADOPT A STUDENT: Many students are men who are married and have a family.  Classes meet in the evening and in the morning.  Students who come in the morning loose a ½ day of work which puts a financial burden on them.  Churches could help a student financially by sending them monthly support through WICM. This could be for as little as $75.00 USD per month.

LIBRARY:  Contribution of books for Grace Bible College’s library would be greatly appreciated.

(C) Copyright 2005 WICM