About the Work in Chimala
The purpose of Chimala Mission is to teach others about Christ’s saving sacrifice and help them understand the importance of being children of God. The hospital and schools help those in need of teaching and healing to the mission so we have the chance to open up God’s Word together.
The Chimala School of Preaching offers a comprehensive education to those who want to prepare themselves as leaders of the church in Tanzania and the surrounding nations in Africa. The school’s sole purpose is to equip the young leaders of the church with the knowledge needed to stand firm upon the scriptures, against false doctrine, and take the gospel to a lost and dying world.
About Howell and Mary Ferguson
Howell was born in Memphis, TN and has been married to Mary (Leath) since 1983. They have three married children and five grandchildren. After graduating from Memphis School of Preaching (1984) and Freed-Hardeman University (1992), he attended and graduated from Bear Valley Bible Institute (2007). He was also awarded an honorary doctorate in missiology from the World Bible Institute (WBI) in 2017. Howell has been preaching since 1982 and has served churches full-time in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky. In 2000, Howell and Mary moved to Arusha, Tanzania with their children and served there for over three years. In addition to preaching he served as Bear Valley’s stateside coordinator for the Chimala Bible Institute in Tanzania and the Bear Valley Bible Institute in Gorlovka, Ukraine. Howell has taught in a number of overseas schools of preaching, and has taught and preached in the countries of India, Tanzania, Panama, Peru, Ukraine, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Philippines, and Hong Kong. He also served as director and vice president of WBI.
Mary was born in Montgomery, AL, one of six daughters whose father was a 20-year veteran of the US Air Force and a gospel preacher. For over three years she lived in Germany while her father was stationed at Frankfort. Mary has been teaching children and ladies classes for well over 35 years and has successfully taught children using the Swahili language. In addition to homeschooling their children for a number of years, she has made innumerable trips with Howell all over the world and has worked by his side teaching people about Jesus Christ and His church.
Howell assumed the role of Stateside Coordinator in January 2019, and he and Mary will be a vital part of this work at the Chimala Mission.
Recent Reports
Click below to read some of the recent reports from this mission work.