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David's Africa Project
posted by David on January 13, 2002 at 06:34 PM

Some folks have known of my intentions to travel to Kenya and Ethiopia this month. The indigenous Presbyterian-related churches of those countries asked our Worldwide Ministries Division for help in stewardship development and growth. The annual national meetings of their churches occur in late January, and is a time when mission interests as well as the native structures come together for business and planning. I had intended to be present. However, my WMD “mentor” discovered he has prostate cancer (caught in early stages), and he will have surgery this week. The trip has been postponed until May.

About a year and a half ago, African church delegations visiting the Worldwide Ministries Division made as one of their first requests to have help in teaching stewardship, especially in Ethiopia and Kenya. Since I am coordinator of the Office of Stewardship (though in a different division), the WMD staff came to ask for help.

The first trip is to be an initial acquaintance meeting with church leadership, so the late January date seemed appropriate. It is the time when the councils of the churches meet, and the various overseas mission interests are represented. For instance, in Ethiopia, they are the Church of Scotland, the PCUSA, and the German Lutheran Church. I was to have spent a week in each of the two countries.

When Jon (the WMD staff) discovered his prostate cancer and scheduled surgery, it became clear that I will not make the trip now. The plan is that the stewardship trip will be combined with another one, adding South Africa to the itinerary. That will likely begin in early May, and I will be gone most of May. Of course, those plans can change as quickly as the present ones did.

It may be convenient, however, to have the extra time. Jon has more than once spoken of a friend working in the Lilly Endowment who has encouraged Jon to submit a proposal. Jon is not the proposal kind; I will write most of the request. Jon is also somewhat scattered in his work, and has not given much focus to the stewardship end of things. However, after several conversations with him, and gleaning bits of information, I have schemed a four or five part project:

1. The initial trip for acquaintance and planning
2. Time in each of the countries in teaching
3. Bringing Africans to this country for one or two week “internships”
4. Working with USA presbyteries who have partnerships within those two countries
5. Building USA endowments, particularly for schools. These would be funded primarily from Ethiopian and Kenyan enclaves in this country.

This has given a new focus to my work, and getting it started could be a significant project with which to end my career at the Center. Stay tuned—-

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Comments

Wow. That sounds like a big project! I remember once when I was very little, I thought that my dad would retire like other dads do ... ha ha ha!

Sure, just go off and raise the bar for the one who replaces you. "Well, I got Ethiopia and Kenya on board; Top that!"

We think it sounds like a wonderful opportunity.
Hope is works out for you in May. ~Jeff & Julie

Interesting that the postponement to May gets you to South Africa also. Our former Pastor (Anton Hoffmann), who we brought from SA to be our pastor in 1989, is leaving for SA for a 3 year stint working for the International Leadership Institute doing church leadership seminars all over the country. He will "make a living" being interim pastor of a church in (can't remember which city). Maybe it might be profitable to hook you two up since he REALLY knows the "church scene" in SA.

Hmmmmmm

Dear Pastor,
My name is Chika okeke, I'm an Envagelist from Nigeria, Please i will like you to send me an Invitation letter of your conference that is coming up on soon.

Reply through my e-mail address (urchman@avu.org)

Envg. Okeke Chika

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