President Telmito

It was six years ago when Telmito introduced himself to me as event organizer for a local Pentecostal church and asked if our ministry could sell literature at its youth conference.  As we turned that proposal into reality, I appreciated his Christian courtesy and logistical expertise.  Our contact ended with the conclusion of the event, except for an occasional message exchanged over the next four years.

In 2023, Telmito again requested literature sales at a church event, so we met to arrange the details.  At the time, I was brainstorming with friends regarding the national Bible memorizing contest that we ambitiously hoped to announce at our pastors’ conference that very month.  I reflected on Telmito’s organizational skills, his heart to serve the Lord, and his influence within his denomination.  Would he by any chance be interested in joining our project?

He was indeed interested.  We were to him a group of strangers, except for my interactions with him four years previously, and he was older than us all.  But as our brother in Christ, Telmito readily threw in his lot with us to create and implement the National Bible Bee.  And it was quickly obvious to the rest of us that God had gifted him to be our leader.  With plans whipped into shape, by the end of that month, he was on stage announcing our brand-new initiative to church leaders from across the country.

Though Telmito doesn’t have as much time available to invest in the Bible bee as the other board members, he is faithful to lead meetings, provide wise guidance, and swiftly resolve any problems needing the president’s attention.  Under him, I serve as the general director, with my friend Ilda assisting me as vice-director.  She and I implement the project by assigning tasks to the other board members and monitoring their progress.  Those remaining board members serve in the areas of communication, events, website, digital media, and discipleship, and each recruits additional volunteers to assist him as necessary.

I marvel at the prudence, foresight, and creativity that Telmito shows at the helm of our national program.  I have never regretted placing myself and my brainchild under his authority.  He is a kind servant leader who hears everyone’s opinion and usually defers to the majority in the infrequent event that others don’t find his perspective convincing.  He knows what publicity methods and content are most effective; how to build a strong team; and how best to recover from setbacks.  Though he now lives several hours away, he travels to our city whenever necessary for important events, such as our first national championship at which he is pictured here.  His love for God and His Word give him the fortitude to encourage and inspire us all.

Last month, the Bible bee’s second contest season opened with district matches.  After months of publicity and registrations, and countless hours of diligent volunteer work, we were prepared to receive the 300 registered contestants at 24 regional competitions throughout the country.  However, only about 50 showed up — half as many people as competed in our inaugural season last year.  Perplexed by the low turnout, we wondered whether we should even continue the project in 2026.  The 2025 season continues with provincial and national contests for those who qualified at the district level, but the question about 2026 is still urgent because of the need to announce plans for next year at our pastors’ conference in July.

Under Telmito’s guidance, we took a survey of the registered contestants in order to identify factors that contributed to the non-appearance of the majority of them.  We also met virtually with local representatives to hear their opinion as to why turnout was so low, whether we should commit to a 2026 contest season (they all said yes), and how we could improve for the future.  Last weekend, I compiled the survey results and presented them at our monthly board meeting, unsure of how the board would decide to proceed.

As usual, President Telmito was our anchor.  He listened attentively to my report, then laid out a plan of action.  We should go ahead and announce the Bible bee’s 2026 season at next month’s pastors’ conference.  We should secure more local representatives to recruit and train contestants in their cities.  We should give them flyers to distribute in churches in their areas.  We should equip them to handle registrations locally instead of receiving registrations online.  We should nevertheless maintain our website and social media presence.  We should carefully consider when to schedule contests.  We should encourage the public to come watch our 2025 provincial contests in August, and we should keep in touch with this year’s competitors to encourage their participation.

As Telmito drew the board meeting to a close, I marveled that he hadn’t taken a vote on the huge question of whether the Bible bee should continue into 2026.  He had opened the floor for comments, but his plan was presented more as instructions than as a proposal.  What if the board members preferred to quit?  Shouldn’t we count the cost carefully before committing ourselves to all the work and expense of district, provincial, and national contests throughout next year?  Was everyone really in agreement on this important decision?

Despite my doubts, I saw wisdom in Telmito’s approach to the issue.  Perhaps he could sense that some of us were discouraged, and didn’t want to coax us into demoralizing the others by venting our feelings.  He probably sees God’s hand in the project and perceives that its potential to advance His kingdom is too great for us to quit now, as the contest is only just gaining traction throughout the country.

Setting aside my reservations, I reminded myself that I hadn’t personally decided or even voted to proceed with the Bible bee’s 2026 season, so I needn’t feel an inordinate weight of responsibility to ensure its success.  Yes, I’ll still work diligently as its general director — and I invite you to pray with us that many hundreds of Africans will accept our challenge to memorize God’s word — but I’m relieved that its final control lies in more capable hands than my own.