Your Support Leaves a Lifelong Mark on Africa's Bible Students

A message from the Archbishop -

Dear Friend

It is sad to know that many Christians in Africa have had very little exposure to the Bible. Even many of those serving as church leaders have only a rudimentary knowledge of the Scriptures.

Through my Overseas Ministry Fund we are supporting church leaders to be properly trained in the Bible and this can only be achieved through the generous donations from people like you.

Remember your support leaves a lifelong mark on Africa’s Bible Students.

Yours sincerely
Peter F Jensen
Archbishop of Sydney

To donate please visit: www.abau.org.au or phone 1800 653 903

Visit by Archbishop Ian Ernest, Bishop of Mauritius and Archbishop of the Indian Ocean

Archbishop Ernest has been visiting Sydney and had the opportunity of meeting with the OMF and ORAF Management Committees. We enjoyed learning more about the Diocese of Mauritius and the Archbishop’s desire to better equip the people in Biblical knowledge through running PTC courses. OMF is looking to assist with the funding of theological training.

Archbishop Ernest also gave a brief presentation to Synod at Mission Hour on Monday evening.

Kenya – Katakwa TEE Program

In a recent update from Rev. Amos Shiundu Mukung, Diocesan TEE Coordinator, informs us:

For the last three years through the generous and financial support from AOMF, Katakwa TEE (Theological Education by Extension) program has trained 40 students in two levels of training: 20 in Certificate in Christian and Religious Studies (10 Clergy and 10 lay preachers), and 20 in the Basic level program (mainly the lay preachers). Those trained are all involved in ministry in their respective congregations. These men and women had never dreamt of getting any type of training in their lives.

The church in Africa is still in dire need of trained biblical leadership. Explosive Church growth coupled with high levels of poverty has left many congregations with no trained pastors and preachers. TEE is the only option for those who are already in ministry but due to their poor academic background, poverty and economic hardships cannot easily move to the cities to attend traditional bible colleges.

We are glad to report that the Katakwa TEE program has trained the right leaders – those already in the ministry – these are men and women despite coming from poor rural villages riddled with extreme cases of poverty, they have a commitment and firm belief. They have track records as faithful stewards and committed lay preachers and leaders in their respective congregations.

OMF is continuing to fund this TEE Program

News from DRC: Berea Bible School

Malcolm and Elizabeth Richards, CMS Missionaries in DRC, have provided the following update:

The Bible School term has started and we are back in the routine of teaching and crossing the river. A number of students have not yet arrived and we are concerned for one whose mother in law has had him illegally put in gaol over a fight about bride price. Another who went to visit her mother in Kisangani during the break has been stuck getting a boat for the return trip. Others have had pressure from family not to come at all. The rainy season here is just starting and people are busy planting rice and other crops. We are trying to hand over many of the administration tasks at the Bible School as well as some of our classes to new staff but this is a process that will take some time.

The course for wives of third year students has been changed this term to put more emphasis on learning Bible stories, under-standing what it means to be a Christian, and literacy. These women will in future be wives of pastors and put in positions of leadership in the church, we are concerned at their lack of Bible knowledge.

Visit by Rev Stephens of IGL

Yesterday we had the pleasure of meeting up with Rev. Samuel D. Stephens and his daughter Becky from the Indian Gospel League (IGL). They were visiting Sydney for a family wedding and took the time to come out to Parramatta to meet us. We had an enjoyable lunch hearing more about the work that the Indian Gospel League is doing in southern India. It is encouraging to hear of the number of new churches being planted. Becky shared with us the real hardship faced by new converts to Christianity as in many cases they are shunned by their family and community. It is a real testament of faith of these people that they are prepared to make these huge sacrifices to follow Christ.

With so many new churches being planted, it also highlighted the real need for more theological training for these new church leaders. The Moore College PTC course is being used and a number of Sydney Anglicans are involved with IGL in presenting this material in India.

OMF has contributed to the translation of a number of PTC course notes.

Southern Sudan Special Pastor Training Programme

The programme works with a number of Southern Sudanese Dioceses of the Anglican Church, at present 4 have been included and two more are being added this year. Carlile College takes a group of 4 basically untrained and poorly educated church leaders from a diocese to Carlile’s Nairobi Campus and gives them assistance so that they can complete the three year Higher Diploma in Theology programme over 4 years, while as well as giving them extra language and academic support, they are taught to teach and helped to translate materials into their mother tongues. Every year they return to Southern Sudan with translated materials and run 10 day workshops in a number of remote locations in their own Dioceses to teach some of what they have learned to untrained church leaders. Each group tries to teach 150 church leaders each year while they are completing their training.

OMF has been contributing funds to support several Sudanese students since 2006

Kenya - Centre for Urban Mission, Carlile College

Situated in one of the largest slums in Africa, the Centre for Urban Mission pioneers training in urban ministry to equip the church for mission in Nairobi. The Centre is a ministry of Carlile College and is currently training over 60 students in urban mission who will return as pastors and evangelists to work in areas of urban poverty.

OMF has been sponsoring a number of students since 2003.

New Director Appointed

The Rev David Mansfield has been appointed as the new director. Starting May 11, David says heading up the Unit takes his passion for evangelism to a new level.

"I have a great love for global mission and a great passion for Africa .... and this was an opportunity to assist in the whole process of shifing first-world resources across to the third world for the sake of the gospel - I saw this as being fairly strategic so I wanted to be involved in it," he says.

"My role is to lift the profile of the Archbishop's Appeals Unit so that the Diocese can see the Archbishop's priorities to stand alongside our brothers and sisters in the developing world and in Sydney as they seek to reach their neighbours and communities for Christ." Mr Mansfield was an itinerant evangelist and director of the diocesan Department of Evangelism for 11 years and then was rector of York Street.

AOMF Appeal - DRC Berea Bible College

In July 2009 Berea Bible College in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will produce its first graduates after three years of study!

AOMF has seen some remarkable progress at the Bible College since its beginning less than three years ago. Buildings of learning have replaced thick bushland; a new syllabus has been implemented with a complement of a competent staff.

However the most substantial progress has been made to the lives and ministries of the students at Berea.

One student, Selemani – with his wife Shambua – come from an area which is predominantly Muslim. Many of Selemani's extended family are Muslim and before they married Selemani and Shambua also followed the Islam faith.

Prior to coming to Bible College Selemani had not been in the Anglican Church for long but had some experience as a lay reader in the church. When we first met Selemani he was a keen young man, but quite apprehensive at the idea of studying in the midst of another tribal group.

Almost three years later he has matured both personally and in the Lord and has developed many ministry skills. The Bishop is confident he will be the first ordained Anglican person from his tribe.

But it is not only the students that the Berea Bible College delivers its ministry to. For the last year of the course the wives of the students come to the College to complete a one year program. This program assists wives to learn more about the Bible and prepare them for their role in supporting their minister husbands.

When Selemani's wife, Shambua, arrived she was uncomfortable in the College environment. It was all very new to her. She was illiterate, had very little Christian training and was not comfortable being with women of another tribe. After only three months, the change in Shambua was enormous!

The literacy classes she attended enabled her to make the first steps in reading her Bible. She felt more confident in class discussions about the Bible and, through the love and acceptance of the other women, she felt like a full member of the community.

To donate please visit http://www.abau.org.au/

Uganda - Sponsoring Theological Students at UCU

AOMF is supporting 9 theological students at the Uganda Christian University (UCU) for their 3 year course. 7 students are undertaking a Bachelor of Divinity and 2 are undertaking a Master of Divinity.

From the reports we receive from the university most of the students are doing well with only a few struggling with some of the subjects.

This is Banje Denis who is studying for his Bachelor of Divinity. After completing his studies Bange hopes to return to serve in the Busoga Diocese (in the Eastern Region of Uganda).

Welcome

The Archbishop’s Overseas Ministry Fund (AOMF) was established in 2001 to encourage the development of Anglican ministries overseas and to provide financial support for this training and related materials and equipment.

AOMF provides funds to train men and women for ministry in their local evangelical churches. Churches in Africa are growing and there is a need for leaders with strong biblical understanding. The churches desperately need and want training for their leaders and do not have the resources to pay for training and associated costs.

Today, AOMF is funding theological scholarships and other Bible Study training in: Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.