africancounselingcenter.org

2009-03-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

POPE WELCOMED BY PROTESTANT LEADER

The Protestant communities also have welcomed the Pope.

"The coming of the Holy Father to our country is a grace that cannot leave a Christian indifferent," said the Reverend Jean Emile Ngue, general secretary of the Federation of Protestant Churches of Cameroon.

He affirmed that the Pope's visit to the country is "an event of elevated spiritual scope."

Source: cfcsolomons.blogspot.com for Tuesday March 17. 2009

Work continues

2009-03-05T09:32:00.000-08:00

Work of the Center continues, amidst the growing needs of the people of Cameroon. Orphans whose parents died of AIDS are supported with school fees and supplies. Grandmothers raising these children meet in support groups. Dr. Jean-Emile Ngue and Samuel Lindject direct the day to day operations of the Center. The Center carries on a full schedule of seeing clients. Check back here for up to date news about the Center.

2008-03-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care – The African Counseling Center Partnership

Grace in action:

International partnership model in pastoral care and counseling

ACC contribution

Norfolk

March, 28th 2008

BACKGROUND
• There are real and crictical needs of spiritual, emotinal and psychological support for people experiencing crisis situations through the promotion and the setting up of programs in pastoral care and counseling
• The presentation of the model of ACC and VIPCare partnership aims to provide a source of inspiration for other initiatives of international partnership in pastoral care and counseling.

HISTORY - THE BEGINNING
• ACC story began with the arrival of Rev Ngue after his training at the Virginia Union university and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care.
• He discovered pastoral care and counseling at the Louisville Presbyterian Seminary while he was doing the Master of theology program.
• Seeing the critical need for pastoral care and counseling among his people, Reverend Ngué extended his studies, earning the D.Min. from the School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond, and a Certificate in Pastoral Counseling from the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care.
• He took a class on project writing and conceived a model of pastoral care and counseling in the african context which affirms African identity and culture.

HISTORY – THE ACTORS
• The Rev Dr Ngué Jean Emile conceived the idea of the creation of ACC in Cameroon
• The VIPCare Staff who have appreciated and gave their support to the realization of this initiative until this moment
• Cameroonian group of pastors, priests and lay christians who have appreciated the idea, the necessity and the uniqueness of the project
• AAPC, Ebenezer Baptist church, Trinity Methodist Church, the Atlantic Region which regularly provide support to ACC activities (advices, finances, prayer…)

HISTORY - THE VISION
• The uniqueness of the program is to foster the african sense of Identity in a context of a global village. Modern social mutations undermine african traditional values such as the sense of community, solidarity and hospitality.
• In the midst of this disorientation the ACC will promote appropriate counseling services, cultural and spiritual values as a way to heal the african self.

HISTORY – The appropriation of the project by a cameroonian group
• Back to Cameroon in 2000, Rev Ngué shared the project to some pastors, priests and lay christians
• Cameroonian group of pastors, priests and lay christians who have appreciated the idea, the necessity and the uniqueness of the project
• They committed themselves to work with Rev Ngué to the setting up of the ACC

THE ACC SETTING UP- Structures
• Conception and adoption of basic and founding texts: ACC Statements' and statutes ( in 2000 in Yaounde Cameroon)
• Setting up of some coordination structures: Board of Directors, Executive Committee and Executive bureau ( in 2000 Yaounde Cameroon)
• Conception and adoption of the ACC action plan ( in 2000 Yaounde Cameroon)
• Official legalization by cameroonian authorities (in October 2001)

THE ACC SETTING UP – Leaders
Leaders elections and appointment
( in 2000 Yaounde - Cameroon)
• Board president: Ndengue Mole Martin
• Executive committee president: Rev Libom Li L ikeng Jean
• Treasurer: Meyong Marie
• Executive Director: Rev Ngué Jean Emile
Infrastructures
( in 2000 Yaounde - Cameroon)
• Choice of the location of the Center
• Renting of the ACC headquarter
• Equipment of the ACC headquarter
• Purchase of office furniture

Year 2000
• First counseling sessions
• Participation of the cameroonian group to the 4th Congress of the African association of counseling and pastoral studies (July 2000), Yaounde, Cameroon with the presence of Pr. Ed. Wimberley and his wife, Pr. Massamba ma Mpolo (Father of African pastoral care and counseling) and Dr W. Kalu (Former President) with whom cameroonian group hold many meetings

YEAR 2002
• Training Seminar in Pastoral care and Counseling in Yaounde, Cameron(July 2002) with the presence of VIPCare team leaded by Dr Victor Maloy, Executive Director of VIPCare and president of he AAPC. More than 100 Counselors have been trained during this seminar.
• Development of national partnership network with Social Affairs Ministry, Public Health Ministry, Protestant Theology Seminary and Protestant Federation of Churches.

Setting up of the plan of action

Year 2003 - 2004
• Reinforcement of ACC daily activities with two main axes: Education and Counseling
- Appointment of a Program Director: Lindjeck Samuel (February 2004)
- choice of the ACC counselors
• Development of new partnership with local Churches associations and NGO’s working in social and HIV/AIDS domains.(Edimar, 7th day Adventist church Aids program)
• Setting up of the ACC library (with books, Video and audio cassettes from VIPCare, from Ed. Wimberley and from Rev Ngué )

Plan of action: second step (1)
• Conception and execution of an operational plan with four axes:

Axe 1: Fight against HIV / AIDS
Objective 1: Pastoral Care and Counseling
Objective 2: Education
Objective3: Advocacy

Axe 2: Pastoral Care and Counseling about other issues
Objective 1: Marriage and family therapy
Objective 2: Personality development
Objective 3: Alcohol and drugs addiction
Objective 4: street Children

Plan of action: second step (2)

Axe 3: Cultural enrichment
Objective 1: Training and Entertainment
Objective 2: Cultural discovery trough trips in some local areas
Objective 3: Personality development

Axe 4: Communication and Networking
Objective 1: Communication
- Marketing: PowerPoint presentations on ACC activities
- Presentation of programs on pastoral care and counseling at the radio
- Participation to radio and television programs

Plan of action: second step (3) - Creation and actualization of the website: http://www.africancounselingcenter.org/

• Objective 2: Networking trough Partnership
- In Cameroon with: Council of Protestant Churches in Cameroon (CEPCA), Catholic Church, Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Public Health, Public and private Hospitals and Health centers, others National and International NGO’s.
- In USA with Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) United Methodist Church.

VIPCare / AAPC support to ACC ministry in Cameroon (1)
• Financial: In the past eight years VIPCare staffs have given annually
• Technical Material: computer, printers and computers accessories (2003); audio visual: cameras, camcorder, printing papers, Empty DVDs, DVDs for education(2007)
• Books: books, Video and audio cassettes for ACC library
• VIPCare / AAPC support to ACC ministry in Cameroon (2) spiritual support by prayers
• Counseling by phone / email with VIPCare have been helpful: The Rev Ngué has been called to intervene in the American school in yaounde on two occasions
- A death of 3 students and & teacher after a car accident
- A student shot another

• VIPCare / AAPC support to ACC ministry in Cameroon (3) AAPC financial support: for ACC activities and headquarter renting (2004), for a trip of two ACC counselors to US for AAPC congress in March 2008

• Network with US trough VIPCare leadership
- Ebenezer Baptist Church (for orphans)
- Trinity Methodist Church send regularly financial contribution since two years
- Individual contributions
VIPCare / AAPC support to ACC ministry in Cameroon (5) Support for many exchange trips
- Rev Ngué and wife trip to Richmond in June 2004 for exchanges
- Lindjeck Samuel trip to Abuja, Nigeria for a 5th African Association of Counseling and Pastoral Studies in Jully 2006. Samuel is actually Assistant general secretary in charge of French speakers
- Mary Fran trip to Cameroon in June 2007 for series of exchanges with ACC board, Staff, Partners and patients

ACHIEVED RESULTS
Short terms results
• Hope for Orphans and HIV affected and infected people trough the availability of increasing and diversified care and counseling services
• More churches, associations and NGO’s leaders, lay counselors are trained
• Local and national partnership is real
• Official and national recognition is effective
Long terms results
• Partnership with VIPCare produce a network of collaboration which brings more contributions for ACC activities
• Continuing education
• Writing of projects both by VIPCare and ACC to submit
- To Bill Gates Foundation on the fight against Discrimination toward HIV victims
- To the UMC for ACC activities and on the Building project of ACC Headquarter in Cameroon

LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS PARTNERSHIP
• Partnership based on the notions of community and communion
• No top down relationship but mutual enrichment trough a spirit of openness
• Respect of each partner cultural sensibility
• Strong commitment to hole the vision together
• Great importance is given to spirituality: this is the key of the reality of Grace in Action
• Points to improveACC Communication (Mails, Emails, Phone calls
• Some times, deadlines are not respected: lack of sufficient resource persons to do the work (for ACC) and no follow up (for VIPCare): administrative personnel's changes
• No concrete salary and social insurance for employees: they live by grace
• Strong pointsPartnership based on the virtues of pastoral care and counseling:
- Trust
- Accountability
- Love
- Mutual respect
- Sense of empowerment
- Commitment to help others grow
- Commitment to continue God’s work
- Commitment to rely on God
- Commitment to advocate for each partner

Conclusion
• Grace in Action:
- Love makes things happen
- It is essential to start with the small that you have and be faithful to it. God will take care for the growth
- Is not a partnership for personal interest but a team work for a long life relationship for God’s Glory
Ngué

Note: This is the verbatim presentation prepared by Mr. Lindjeck and Dr. Ngue. Because of schedule and visa snafus, VIPCare staff will be presenters in Norfolk tomorrow. jlh

2008-03-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

VISA GRANTED, VISA DENIED

Meeting with officials at the US embassy in Yaoundé, Cameroon, this morning, Mr. Samuel Lindjeck was denied a visa to visit the US. Dr. Jean-Emile Ngué, Executive Director of the African Counseling Center in Yaoundé (ACC), was granted a visa.

Clinical Director of the ACC, Mr. Lindjeck is scheduled with Dr. Ngué to present a workshop at the national meeting of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors in Norfolk, Virginia, next week.

Since its founding in 2000 by Dr. Ngué, a graduate of the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care (VIPCare) in Richmond, the ACC and VIPCare have developed a partnership widely viewed as a model for multicultural pastoral care and counseling service and training.

Dr. Ngué is presently the only ACC staff member to have visited the US. He and Mr. Lindjeck are scheduled also to lead in worship at Trinity United Methodist Church in Richmond, and other churches interested in the ministry of the ACC. Please join us in praying and taking any action which might open the door for Mr. Lindjeck’s visit. jlh

2008-03-18T03:51:00.000-07:00

Mr. Lindjeck's Visa Refused
Mr. Lindjeck emailed yesterday that the embassy official refused to grant his visa request, because he cannot guarantee that he will not stay in the US. Please join us in rallying support for Mr.Lindjeck and also Dr. Ngue, whose interview for a visa is coming up this week. Recent civil unrest in Cameroon has confused the issue. We pray that God will open hearts and doors, as God has throughout history.

2008-03-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

Ministers from Cameroon Attend National Conference

The Executive Director and Clinical Services Director of the African Counseling Center will be attending the 45th annual meeting of American Association of Pastoral Counselors in Norfolk later this month. The Rev. Dr. Jean-Emile Ngue and Mr. Samuel Lindjeck will be in the US during April.

They began the first pastoral counseling service and training center in Africa with the support of Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, VA, and the American Association of Pastoral
Counselors.

Presenting Workshop on International Partnership
Dr. Ngue and Mr. Lindjeck will present a workshop titled “Grace in Action: International Partnership in Pastoral Care and Counseling” at the conference. The conference theme, "Expanding Visions: Theological and Spiritual Perspectives in Practice” highlights the work of pastoral counselors in a variety of private sectors and public ministries.

A major focus of their visit will be to spend time with colleagues at Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond. Dr. Ngue is a graduate of the Institute’s Certificate Program in Pastoral Counseling.

Dr. Ngue, the Executive Director of the African Counseling Center, holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from the School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond.

Continuing Education and Consultation
Included in their stay will be opportunity for additional training and consultation with area counselors. Topics such as working with individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS, providing pastoral care to the dying, and marriage enrichment counseling will be covered. They will be meeting with the congregational pastoral care class at the School of Theology at Virginia Union University.

Dr. Ngue will be sharing about the ministry at Ebenezer Baptist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church. Visiting the Virginia Treatment Center and a tour of the Virginia Capitol will round out their public activities.

Companions in Hope Team Sent in 2002
Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care sent a five-person delegation, called Companions in Hope, to Cameroon in 2002 to support the newly-established African Counseling Center. A return visit by Dr. Mary Fran Hughes-McIntyre in 2007 reinforced the connection between the Richmond-based Institute and the counseling center in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Contact Informaton
Dr. Ngue and Mr. Lindjeck are available for interviews. For additional information contact Sandra Kruschwitz Hamilton, Mary Fran Hughes-McIntyre, Donald D. Denton – 804-282-8332.

2008-03-05T13:56:00.001-08:00

We hear from our brothers and sisters that all are safe, and things are calmer. Thank you for your prayers. jlh

A prayer from the USA Companions in Hope

2008-02-28T11:41:00.000-08:00

allafrica.com reports turmoil in Cameroon. Your North American family and friends pray with you:
Christ our Lord, you are the prince of peace. Bring peace and justice to the streets of Cameroon and peace and well-being to the hearts of your children. May your Holy Spirit direct the forces of turmoil into energy for making people’s lives better. May you surround those you love with a wall of fire. Hide them under the shelter of your wings until the storm is past. We pray that you give the leaders of Cameroon wisdom and compassion upon the average person. Answer our prayers that the work of providing for daily needs and striving to improve education, health care, and civil services for all the people of Cameroon may resume. For your sake and in your strong name we pray. Amen
Please leave a comment to assure our African family of your prayers for them. It's set to allow anonymous comments to make it as simple as possible. Thanks.

2008-02-04T20:28:00.000-08:00

The Reverend Dr. Jean-Emile Ngue, standing with Dr. Mary-Fran Hughes-McIntyre, on the back row right. Mary Fran visited Cameroon in 2007. These are some of the children served by the ACC and staff. Its mission includes ministry to families living with HIV/AIDS. Positive parents meet in regular support groups. Grandmothers, raising childrens whose parents have died, also have groups. Orphans receive basic needs, some clothing, and school fees.

2008-01-13T15:22:00.000-08:00

The story of the African Counseling Center begins with African pastors who gave sacrificially to support one of their own in a year of study in the US, so that he could return home and share what he learned with them.

GRACE AT WORK

What difference can one person make?

Rich in traditional wisdom and culture, Africa is a continent of contrasts. War and political turmoil have displaced millions; one in three persons are undernourished; 24.5 million live with HIV/AIDS; crime, alcoholism, unemployment, and poverty take a high toll. You have heard statistics like these so often that they may barely make an impact any more. It's tragic, after all, but what can one person do?

This is a remarkable story of what one person by God's grace, accomplished. The American Association of Pastoral Counselors and our Atlantic Region joined with one man to make a difference, bringing hope, knowledge, and professional clinical training to Africans who face these threats every day.

The story begins in Cameroon, West Africa. A group of churches selected one pastor, Rev. Jean-Emile Ngue, and provided the means for him to do graduate seminary training in the United States for one year. Supporting a student in America demands sacrificial giving in a country where the average pastor makes only $100 a month. For the first time Rev. Ngue learned about pastoral care and counseling, an unknown field in Africa. He realized that pastoral care training would be a tremendous help to his fellow pastors and their congregations. Without guaranteed support, he began three years of doctoral work with a focus on pastoral counseling at The School of Theology at Virginia Union University, in Richmond, Virginia, in partnership with the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care (VIPCare). His doctoral project adapted Western pastoral care and counseling to the African context. He wrote, "my desire is for an African Counseling Center to be a healing place where people can learn to trust God, to trust their Africaness and to trust themselves again."

While in the States, Jean-Emile became an active member of AAPC and particularly the Atlantic Region. Many in our region came to know him and appreciate the sacrifices his family and fellow ministers were making.
After graduating in 2000 and returning to Africa, the dream of a pastoral counseling center remained foremost in his heart. One year after his return, the African Counseling Center in Yaounde, a city to two million people, became a reality. An AAPC Mission Advance Grant provided seed money and the Atlantic Region followed up for the next several years providing critical financial help to establish the first service and training center of its kind in Africa.

Dr. Ngue called together a board of directors that includes pastors, church lay leaders, seminary representatives, medical and social workers, and members of the government. As director he receives no salary so the center can employ a full-time clinical director and part-time counselors. In a country with over 60% unemployment, they operate on very limited funds, but provide amazing ministry given their financial resources. They literally pray for God to supply money for rent and small salaries every month. Students and two professors from the nearby Protestant Seminary give their time and services, as do several recent graduates and pastors. The ACC has recently become a training location for graduate psychology students from the University of Yaounde who come to learn about the discipline of pastoral counseling.

The ACC provides services including counseling for families, marriages, pre-marriage, teenage crises, drug addition, career decisions, and spiritual issues. It provides monthly pastoral counseling training for pastors. The ACC sponsors a weekly radio program, aired on a popular Christian station in the capital city of Yaounde. Counseling staff members provide pastoral counseling instruction and inspiration. Counselors are available to speak to listeners during programs and often provide follow-up service at the center.

The center has a special ministry to families faced with HIV/AIDS, providing counseling during the parent's illnesses and ongoing care and education expenses for surviving children. There is tremendous need in a country where an increasing number of children now head households following the deaths of both parent to AIDS. Like many other pastors, Dr. Ngue cares for 9 AIDS orphans in addition to his own 4 children

Dr. Ngue's journey clearly demonstrates that even one committed person can bring about dramatic change. One AAPC region can share the vision and enter into a transforming partnership. You can share in this story of grace, rooted in light, hope and love. You can pray, give what you are able, and share this story with friends and colleagues. Like Jean-Emile Ngue, with God's help,

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

2008-01-13T14:29:00.000-08:00

FAITH SHARING 12-23-07
@ Trinity UMC Richmond VA USA
Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

"Give us this day our daily bread"—I've been praying these words as far back as I can remember with my family and church family. You probably have too. They took on new meaning when I traveled to Cameroon, West Africa. There I met some new family members, brothers and sisters in the family of God. As we prayed together the Lord's Prayer I realized these dear people, who live in one of the poorest countries in the world, were not just saying familiar words, they were trusting God and praying for their next meal!

Use your Holy Imaginations and travel with me to the African Counseling Center in Yaounde, Cameroon. It is a hot day and we walk off the main road down a dirt street and enter a very modest small stucco building where we are seated in plastic lawn chairs in the waiting room of the African Counseling Center. We are greeted by a group of African grandmothers dressed in their brightly colored African attire. These elder women come to the center for a support group—a time of sharing and praying and finding courage. All have lost daughters and sons and other family members to AIDS and are now struggling to care for their children's children.

Ahtuba, the eldest of the women stands and speaks with much passion in French which is translated for us into English. Ahtuba shares her story of how her daughter, Noel, returned from the hospital with the news that the reason she had been so tired and weak for months was because the blood test showed she had AIDS. Noel was filled with fear and shame. After she watched her husband waste away and die only a year earlier, she had struggled to provide food for her five children by selling peanuts on the street. Now she worried, "What will happen to my children?" Noel could not expect help from her family or the community. Isolation and shunning is common in this shame-based culture because people believe illness is a punishment from God. She had nowhere to turn.

With tears in her eyes, Ahtuba continues her story. She speaks of how grateful she is that Noel found Christian love and practical support at the African Counseling Center. Samuel Lindjeck, one of the ACC pastoral counselors, helped Noel and her family experience the unconditional accepting love of God, who does not punish with illness but is present with us in the midst of our most difficult struggles. As Noel became weaker and was no longer able to come to the center, Samuel visited Noel and Ahtuba in their home to work with the whole family. Before she died, Noel was assured that the African Counseling Center would continue to provide support for her children and family members by providing rice, practical household goods, medicines, and school tuition for the children.

I wish you could travel for real to Cameroon and see first hand how God is at work in the lives of these brothers and sisters in Christ who in the midst of their daily lives are trusting God for their daily bread. When you give and when you pray, you are helping to answer their prayers.

Our Trinity family has provided support for the African Counseling Center, as well as many other mission projects in our city, our state, our nation, and literally around the world through our Missions Mall and our Lenten and Christmas mission offerings. As you sit down to Christmas dinner this week and express your gratitude for all you have received, please pray for all of those who will be blessed by your gifts to our Trinity Christmas Mission Offering. Thank you for providing daily bread and hope in Cameroon, West Africa.

Sandy Hamilton

2008-01-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

ADVANCE PLANNING FOR AAPC MEETING

A key mission of the African Counseling Center is training pastors, students, and lay leaders in clinical pastoral counseling, often on a one-to-one basis.

Dr. Ngué and Mr. Lindjeck (not pictured above) will be in the U.S. for the National Conference of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors March 27-29. They will present a seminar describing how the ACC was born. Dr. Ngué studied at the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care (VIPCare), while at the same time completing the D.Min. at the School of Theology, Virginia Union University in Richmond, VA.

When he returned to Cameroon, he founded the ACC and invited VIPCare staff to come to Cameroon, which they did in 2002. American team members were Vic Maloy, Executive Director of VIPCare, Mary Fran Hughes-McIntyre, Dennett Slemp, Sandy Hamilton, and Sharron Hawke, R.N., a graduate of the Congregational Pastoral Care Program. With African team members, the group adopted the name "Companions in Hope."

Mary Fran Hughes-McIntyre visited Cameroon in 2007 as well.

PRAYER

At present, Companions in Hope (see sidebar) are praying, our Lord, that You will bless Dr. Ngué and Mr. Lindjeck with daily strength for the demands of the Center, with patience for the many details that must be sorted out in preparation for travel, and with mercies, new every morning.

We praise God that "greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world" 1 John 4.4. We pray for family members who bear many demands as a result of their responsibilities.

We pray for the staff who will maintain the quality of service to many hurting people in their absence.

Especially we pray for the Grandmothers, whom God has called to raise their grandchildren because parents have died of AIDS. We pray for many children, who must grow up too soon because parents have died.

We pray for pastors, who lead churches because they know that God cares about daily bread, clean water, education, working conditions, and health care.

We pray for traditional leaders and elected officials, that their hearts may burn for the suffering of their people.

We pray for world leaders, especially our American President George Bush, that God may turn their hearts from war to peace, and may open their eyes to see that billions spent on destruction could build a world where all God's children have food, drink, clothing, schools, and well-being.

God, may You join our hearts and hands across the Atlantic, erasing the shame of centuries of slave trade, by ceaseless efforts of ordinary Americans to make a difference in the lives of our African brothers and sisters.

Lord, You have poured out upon our African neighbors and kindred the spiritual riches of faith, hope, and love. Open their hearts to share with those who sometimes have the world's goods but are spiritually impoverished.

We pray in all this that You will receive glory and praise. In the strong, healing name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. (jlh)