Support the CCITC

Some great news from Richard Jackson:

Dear Friends,

It seems a long time since we were in direct and personal contact. Much water has flowed ‘under the bridge’ since then. I know that many of you will be relieved when I tell you that we have found a way to reconcile our differences and move forward with the international work of training being undertaken through Cliff College.

The statement approved on the 20th May 2021 by the Principal of Cliff College, the Chair of the Cliff College Committee and the Former Coordinator of the CCITC was agreed unanimously by members of the Cliff College Committee meeting on the 16th June 2021. A copy of the joint statement will be shared on the Principal’s page.

The rebuilding of relationships has begun already and plans are being made, both to honour the foundational work of the CCITC and maintain the integrity of the diplomas and certificates awarded to trainees in partner churches throughout the programme.

As most of you will be aware, in the Autumn of 2020 we published a history of the CCITC, “Partners in Training (2000-2020)”, the distribution of which we restricted in response to progress being made towards a resolution of the on-going dispute. Can I ask of you my friends, that if you have a copy of this book already, you simply print off a copy of the attached statement and affix it inside the back cover of the book, thus completing the documented history in a more positive way.

If you do not have a copy of this book, but would like one for £10.00 (inclusive of postage), please contact me direct and not Amazon or publishers FeedaRead, who only have black & white copies. It will relieve me of large numbers of copies for sale here through me and provide some funding for making sure that some copies are made available to our friends in partner churches in Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Uganda. All copies sold from now on will have the attached statement already inside the book.

Revd Ashley Cooper, Revd Loraine Mellor and all associated with Cliff College will want to join me in thanking you and all concerned people on both sides of this dispute for your prayers and constant encouragement that have helped to bring us to this positive outcome from such a damaging dispute.

Be blessed and continue to be a blessing in Christ Jesus, Our Lord,

Richard

Dear Friends of the Cliff College International Training Centre who have shared with us and supported the partnership in training programme from 2002-18 that has seen hundreds of church leaders in Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Uganda resourced with books and trained in every aspect of leadership in the life of growing churches.

Advent is a time of Hope, so as we continue to hope for a positive outcome to our concerns expressed in relation to the actions of Cliff College and the use of restricted funds donated for the purposes of the ITC, we feel that it is right for everyone to be aware of why we continue to pursue our complaint (outstanding, since the Cliff College Committee paused the work on the 16th May 2018).

I have been told by good friends, "Leave it, Richard" and
" Acceptance" is the only way forward, but many supporters who have identified with the work of CCITC for the 16 years between 2002 and 2018 have encouraged us to seek answers to questions raised about the decisions made by Cliff College without conversation and consultation in May 2018 and the subsequent actions and misuse of the restricted funds of CCITC.

Christmas is coming and with some goodwill on all sides, it will be possible to move forward in some positive ways. Sadly, as I write in hope, I realise that it will take a Christmas revelation and a New Year Covenant restoration for everyone to seek a united way forward for the CCITC in the coming year.

In the meantime, I write this update in Advent Hope with Christmas Greetings to all, and I mean all, at home and overseas who have the future of the Cliff College International Training Centre on their hearts and in their prayers for the coming year.

Richard