In early April, nearly 150 lawyers, judges, law students, and law professors from the eastern Congo gathered at the Fifth International Christian Lawyers Conference in Beni, North Kivu, DRC. It was an amazing time of fellowship, discussion, prayer, and planning.
The lawyers gathered on the campus of Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo ("UCBC"), the only bilingual Christian University in the DRC. UCBC was founded by Congo Initiative under the guiding vision of Dr. David Kasali. This year, UCBC admitted its first class of law students to its new law school, founded in part on the inspiration and work of the lawyers gathered on campus.
Ben Chappell, a practicing lawyer in San Antonio, has been involved with these gatherings from the beginning, when Dr. Kasali asked if he would be willing to come to the Congo to spend time with Christian lawyers in Beni. The conferences have grown, in large part, due to Ben's work in recruiting teams from the West to participate, funding the events, and organizing them until they could be passed on to a Congolese steering team. In April, 2017, Ben's team included Cross & Gavel host Mike Schutt, who travelled to the DRC as a representative of Regent Law School's Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, & the Rule of Law.
Ben Chappell is Mike's guest on this episode of Cross & Gavel. Listen in as they talk about God's work in and through Congolese lawyers in this seemingly remote part of the world. You will be inspired by the vision of Dr. Kasali, the dedication of the Congo Initiative staff, and the faithfulness of Ben Chappell and his family.
Dr. David Kasali
For more information on the amazing ministry of Congo Initiative, visit the CI website and read about their initiatives that are bringing change to the region.
Ben Chappell is a board certified family practice lawyer in San Antonio, TX at Bray, Chappell, Patterson, & Olsen. He is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and Southern Methodist University. He and his wife JoAnne have been married for 47 years, and they have three children and numerous grandchildren. They worship and serve at Covenant Baptist Church. He is on the board of Congo Initiative-USA and serves as coordinator for its Justice Initiatives.
Mike Schutt is associate professor and global recruiter for Regent University School of Law. He travelled to the Congo on behalf of Regent's Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law. He also directs Attorney Ministries and Law Student Ministries for the Christian Legal Society.
Cross & Gavel podcasts are a project of Regent University School of Law and CLS.
