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eVitabu

Ministry in the Digital Age

By eVitabu, Training

By Revd Dave Stedman.

During my recent visit to Kenya I was privileged to be the one of the speakers at the Baptist Convention of Kenya general assembly. More than 2,000 delegates gathered at Kanduyi in Bungoma County not far from the border with Uganda for the event. In addition to sharing information about eVitabu, I was invited to speak about Christian ministry in the digital age. The talk was well received and several exciting new contacts were made, not least with the Kenya Baptist Theological College and the Aberdare Baptist Convention that covers eight counties in central Kenya, around 300 churches, and borders the Central Rift Baptist Convention with which we have partnered over the past decade.

Here is an edited version of what I shared at the convention:

The world has changed. We are more connected than ever. Twenty years ago, before my first ever visit to sub-Saharan Africa, a simple email exchange took several weeks. My contact in Uganda lived deep in the village and had to walk several kilometres to find a boda-boda (motorcycle) to carry him to a matatu (taxi bus) stage where he could get a ride into Soroti Town. On reaching town there may or may not be power and regardless, there was never a guarantee of an internet connection at the cybercafe. The round trip was both costly and time consuming.

Today, that same man still lives deep in the village but with his smartphone he can send instant messages, make video calls, take selfies, engage with social media and bank online. The world has changed, and this new digital age has implications for both ministry and mission in Africa.

As followers of Jesus, and especially as Christian leaders, how do we share the everlasting gospel in this ever-changing media landscape? Luke 4:14-30 provides some transferrable lessons that can help us navigate our response and engagement to the increasingly embedded, embodied and everyday reality of mobile media technology. You can like it or loathe it, but you cannot ignore it. For most it is impossible to avoid.

Jesus engaged with the technology of his day.

“Jesus took the scroll, read from it, then rolled it up.” Jesus often used the technology of the day to enhance his ministry: boarding a boat for a pulpit, fashioning a whip in the temple, even being executed on a piece of hideous technology. Human beings are technological creatures, participants in God’s creative process. We should not fear digital technology any more than any other form of technology but it should be handled with care; deliberately, intentionally and strategically for the Kingdom.

Meredith Gould wrote this prayer back in 2010. It is a contemporary take on Saint Teresa of Avila’s prayer ‘Christ Has No Body’ and is helpful as we consider our online engagement:

Christ has no online presence but yours,
No blog, no Facebook page but yours,
Yours are the tweets through which love touches this world,
Yours are the posts through which the Gospel is shared,
Yours are the updates through which hope is revealed.
Christ has no online presence but yours,
No blog, no Facebook page but yours.

— Meredith Gould

Jesus was in his hometown but announced a mission to the nations.

Jesus reads from Isaiah 61 with its Jewish notion of ‘jubilee’ – a day when debts would be cancelled, slaves set free, land laid fallow and the sick restored. This message met with everyone’s approval. You can almost sense sage heads nodding and the amens being raised. But he then suggests that jubilee is not confined to the ethnic nation of Israel but is for widows from Sidon and lepers from Syria. Jubilee is for foreigners, for Gentiles as well as Jews: a mission to the nations.

The Church has a long tradition of missionary endeavour, faithful servants travelling to the ends of the earth to share Christ. But I want to suggest in the digital age we carry the nations in our pocket, the ends of the earth are a swipe away. There are a myriad of new communities, cultures and people groups online not limited by borders. This is a mission-field as much, perhaps more, than the geographic nations. The church needs to be there, not just present, but active. We need a mission to the Metaverse!

Jesus faced opposition but was resolute and determined.

The suggestion that the gospel was for gentiles as well as Jews was not well received. The religious elite take Jesus to a precipice and want to throw him off the cliff. Somehow he escapes but the episode highlights the reality that the announcement of the gospel will not always be welcome, and may even make us unpopular. As much care needs to be taken online as with in-person interactions to share the truth in love. We must not to use anonymity to be unnecessarily provocative, unloving or unkind but promote peace and pastoral concern in every engagement.

The key phrase in the entire text comes in verse 21 when Jesus says, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”. The time has come, the Kingdom is near. This means today, not just one day in the distant future, but now and every day, present and continuous. Today, this technology is our technology! Today, this freedom is our freedom! Today, this mission is our mission and today, the Spirit who anointed Jesus, is our Spiritual power-bank too! Most of us are called to mission at home, others to the nations, but who is being called to the Metaverse?

July 1, 2024
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Equipped for Digital Ministry

By eVitabu, Training

In November 2023, APF launched an exciting partnership with Spurgeon’s College to offer APF partners and eVitabu users a unique opportunity to enrol for the Equipped for Digital Ministry course (EfDM). Dave Stedman explains what the course involves and why it is so important.

Ownership of a smartphone is now an essential prerequisite for candidates applying to study at many universities, seminaries and Bible schools in Africa. Digital devices are no longer ‘luxury’ items but essential tools for business, banking, entertainment, travel and study.

With mobile subscriptions in sub-Saharan Africa set to reach 685 million by next year, the need for training in the use of digital tools for ministry and theological reflection about the relationship between human beings, technology and God are as urgent in Africa as in any other part of the world.

EfDM is a six-module online course. Students can work at their own pace, and the completed course leads to a college certificate. Learning and assessment requires students to engage at both an academic and vocational level with the following modules:

  • Ministry in a Digital Culture
  • Digital Church: Communications
  • Media Streams
  • Inclusion and Ethics
  • Digital Church in Practice
  • Digital Futures

Over the past two years, as a result of studying for a Masters in Digital Theology at Spurgeon’s College, I now find myself inhabiting a niche area of theological expertise in east Africa with many invitations to open up the subject of digital theology in both formal and non-formal training environments. I’ve delivered numerous Digital Theology Taster Seminars and developed an introduction workshop called The Smart Pastor.

Feedback from these workshops has shown an obvious hunger for more in depth teaching and capacity building in both practical and theoretical aspects of ministry in the digital age. As a result of exposure to The Smart Pastor, there is even a Christian university in Uganda which has committed to introduce digital theology as a core component of its ministry training and is asking for support in developing its curriculum and delivery.

Over the course of this year, through conversations with Spurgeon’s College Principal, Rev Prof Philip McCormack, the possibility of offering EfDM to African clergy began to take shape. Philip recently returned from a visit to Moyo in northern Uganda where he saw first-hand the appetite for learning and the need for capacity building of Baptist pastors from South Sudan.

Spurgeon’s College has generously reduced the price of EfDM for APF partners. Philip sees this as a great opportunity for the college to expand its influence as global

One of the early applicants, Revd Shadrack Koma, a regional overseer in the Africa Inland Church in Kenya, is ambitious and excited about the course and how it will enable his ministry. He writes, ‘[EfDM] will help me to reach out to millions of unreached people in the digital world. By leveraging technology, especially social media and other digital platforms. I look forward to upgrading my ministry digitally.’

Pastor Daniel Masiga from Uganda, who chairs the Christian Leaders Fellowship in Mogadishu, Somalia, is similarly enthusiastic. ‘For me being equipped for digital ministry is an opportunity to be better positioned and better equipped in the cause of advancing the gospel of Christ using technology’ he explains. ‘Technology has a way of magnifying human abilities and learning to use it efficiently is an opportunity I wouldn’t love to miss. Especially knowing that this education is coming from a college and a team of educators such as Spurgeon’s College. In a nutshell, I hope to achieve greater effectiveness and efficiency in digital communication so as to reach people and places I may never be able to physically reach.’

At the time of writing, just one week after applications opened, twenty-three APF partners have already enrolled (although only one has paid). Despite EfDM being offered at a significantly reduced cost to APF partners, £305 remains a lot of money for the average African pastor. For many it is out of reach.

We believe it is important that applicants take financial responsibility for their studies so a proportion of the cost will always be met by the student, but we also appeal to our supporters to consider sponsorship so we can fast-track some of those who enrol but will struggle to ‘mobilise the funds’. As one of my African friends told me just last week, ‘the flower is there, the bees wish to come, and when they do they will go and make honey’.

The EfDM Africa partnership is unique and undoubtedly strategic. Please pray for those that aspire to learn to be enabled to access the training: May they fulfil their personal potential and strengthen the church, practically and spiritually, in-person and online, wherever God has placed them.

January 15, 2024
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eVitabu on smartphone

Meeting Jesus in all the Scriptures through eVitabu

By eVitabu

Rev Dr Paul Blackham is an Anglican vicar, formerly of St Crispin’s in Islington and All Souls’ Langham Place. He is an author of ‘Book by Book’ study guides published by Biblical Frameworks which are included in APF’s library app, eVitabu. Paul writes, explaining why he feels the partnership with APF through eVitabu is so significant.

The Bible is the most important book in the world. It takes us through the whole history of the universe from beginning to end, but it also speaks clearly about our lives: Why are we here? How should we live? And most important of all, God’s written word points us to His Living Word.

At Biblical Frameworks we aim to give as many people as possible an opportunity to meet Jesus in all the Scriptures. That’s why we developed the Book by Book series of Bible study resources. We are thrilled to be able to share the Book by Book study guides with pastors and churches via the eVitabu platform. What a joy to know that these resources are now reaching so many and helping pastors and churches to get more out of Bible study.

Book by Book is designed for use by individuals, small groups or even whole church congregations. The idea is that we take a whole book of the Bible and unpack the key themes and main messages. We address the author’s purpose, context, and most importantly what the LORD is wanting to say to us through His word.

The study guides, which are all available via the eVitabu app, are set out in six or ten sections with a clear commentary and questions for discussion. A complementary series of videos is available free on YouTube at the Biblical Frameworks’ channel which you can find at www.youtube.com/@biblicalframeworks. There is a 15 minute video available for each section of the corresponding study guide.

eVitabu on smartphone

Book by Book makes studying whole books of the Bible accessible to reveal Jesus throughout and enrich our understanding of Who He is. Many pastors find the material really helpful in preparing for preaching and teaching as well using the studies directly with groups of people in their care.

We at Biblical Frameworks feel privileged to share in the work of the African Pastors’ Fellowship by supporting the unique mobile app eVitabu. Our prayer is that many people across Africa will meet Jesus in all the Scriptures through the app and especially through the Book by Book resources available on eVitabu.

September 28, 2023
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“Thank God for Google Maps”

By eVitabu, Training, Uganda

At time of writing, APF CEO, Revd Dave Stedman, is in Uganda where he’s been working with the Church of Uganda, Somali Christian Fellowship and other long-term APF training partners. He reflects on the exponential growth in digital technology in Africa and the opportunities and challenges it presents for ministry.

Delegates arriving for the APF African training partners conference at Papaya Guest House announced happily on arrival, “Thank God for Google Maps!” The couple had travelled from Mukono to get there, a distance of less than 20km all within the Kampala metropolitan area, yet they found the venue with digital assistance.

I immediately reflected that in nearly twenty years travelling the length and breadth of East Africa – on tarmac highways, maram roads, dusty tracks and dodging potholes – I’ve never seen my driver or fellow passengers refer to a roadmap for directions. We just head in the general direction of our destination and make friends along the way.

I’ve been lost in urban centres and sugar cane plantations, I’ve broken down ‘deep in the village’ and deep in the Rift Valley. Finding the way or mechanical assistance was always a social event, accompanied by smiles and a lot of indiscriminate arm waving. “Just branch at the big tree and continue!” We always reached our destination, sometimes several hours late, but we got there.

It struck me as significant that even in Africa some are now seeking a digital solution in preference to asking their neighbour. At another conference the wife of a senior official passed the time taking ‘selfies’ during a rather dull Zoom presentation. ‘Michael’, a Somali convert to Christianity living as a refugee in Kampala, has launched a YouTube channel targeting Somali youth with the gospel. In Rwanda, churches and Bible schools that remain closed due to government regulations have found creative ways to continue using digital platforms to teach and for fellowship.

It is estimated that by 2025 there will be at least 685 million mobile phone subscriptions in sub-Saharan Africa. That means, statistically at least, there will be a mobile subscription for every adult.1 Urban youth in Nairobi spend more time ‘on screen’ every day than any comparable group globally (7 hours, 40 minutes).2

The mobile phone banking service Mpesa has transformed how business is conducted throughout Kenya. In 2019, 87% of Kenya’s GDP was transacted using Mpesa and similar mobile banking platforms.

Africa is changing and the change is rapid. The changes also have huge implications for mission and ministry. What does it mean to be an African pastor in the smartphone era? How is APF responding?

Digital Tools

When we launched eVitabu in 2018, little did we know that a pandemic was coming that would accelerate the use of digital solutions globally to enable communication, training and church online. eVitabu continues to position APF ahead of the curve by offering a digital tool to resource African pastors across the continent. eVitabu currently reaches an estimated 1.5 million believers with contextualised materials that enrich faith, resource ministry and contribute to healthy Christian communities.
Increasingly APF receives requests for phones, tablets and laptops to be used as ministry tools and we invite you to consider donating your used devices to help us respond to such requests.

Digital Training

Having a device is one thing; using it effectively is another matter. For example, at our conference for Church of Uganda clergy in June, two major training needs were identified. First, there were leaders who wanted to learn how to unleash the full capacity of the phone in their pocket. They wanted training on using office apps, advice on protecting themselves and others online and help developing a digital strategy for their church or community organisation.

Another group needed much more basic support such as learning how to navigate a touch screen or discovering that a smartphone can be used for much more than just Facebook, text messaging or mobile money. As APF seek to identify and release African Training Partners in every African country we work in, the ability to teach such skills is an increasingly important pre-requisite.

Digital Theology

We are all being shaped by the rapid advance of digital technology, and it has become an important topic for theological reflection globally. Theological reflection around the use of technology is arguably even more vital in Africa, however, where society has leaped from an oral tradition into the digital age so fast. How does technology impact our understanding of who we are in Christ? What does this mean for our sense of belonging to the Body of Christ? How can we share the love of Christ with our neighbours both physically and digitally?

As a simple example, look at the cartoon (above) and reflect on whether what you see is good or bad (or both). I find this cartoon provides a wonderful discussion starter in APF’s ‘The Smart Pastor’ digital theology workshop which has been very warmly received in Bible colleges, universities and amongst networks of Christian leaders in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda recently.

Thank God for Google Maps? Maybe. What is certain, however, is Africa is changing as the internet becomes ‘embedded, embodied and everyday’4 across the continent. APF is uniquely well-placed to seize the moment and continue its pioneering ministry to enable effective ministry in the digital age.

June 30, 2023
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Nigeria to London via Ukraine

By eVitabu, Nigeria, UK

Wherever you find yourself living, my guess is that the route you took to get to where you are today may not be quite as dramatic as the path taken by Father Soloman Ebi Ekiyor. His passion for mission took him from Nigeria to Ukraine, before the Russian invasion forced another major upheaval. He now lives in London where he is studying Digital Theology.

I started my ministry in the Anglican Diocese of Western Izon in Delta State, Nigeria as a parish priest. With a young man’s heart and strength, I always loved to use my gifts to develop relationships with young people, praying for them and sharing the good news of the Kingdom. I had various ministry and administrative responsibilities in the diocese, and in time, I became an Archdeacon and Residentiary Canon of St Matthew’s Cathedral in the riverside city of Patini.

Western Izon Diocese is a missionary diocese spanning Delta State and Bayelsa State in southern Nigeria. It includes the Niger Delta region, a vast and low-lying wetland filled by lakes, swamps and creeks. Countless distributary rivers and streams meander towards the sea where freshwater marshland gives way to brackish mangrove swamps along the Gulf of Guinea coastline.

The people of Bayelsa State are some of the poorest in Nigeria. Many who live in the delta region are cut off from the mainland by rivers and wetlands. They lack access to clean water, electricity, health facilities, transport links, schools and other basic amenities. With rising sea levels caused by climate change, flooding is becoming a huge challenge, adding to other problems such as contaminated soil and water from oil pipeline leaks and toxic fumes from the illegal burning of crude oil (locally called ‘kpo-fire’).

My heart has always been for cross-cultural mission and in 2017 I moved, with my wife, Elas, and our children, Jemima, Jedidiah and Jesaiah, to Ukraine where I was appointed to pastor Nigerian students and the wider English speaking international student community. I served as the head of the Fellowship of Christian Students International in Chernivtsi and Ternopil in western Ukraine and I was also involved in ecumenical ministry, building bridges with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Baptists and Evangelical churches.

My heart has always been for cross-cultural mission and in 2017 I moved, with my wife, Elas, and our children, Jemima, Jedidiah and Jesaiah, to Ukraine where I was appointed to pastor Nigerian students and the wider English speaking international student community. I served as the head of the Fellowship of Christian Students International in Chernivtsi and Ternopil in western Ukraine and I was also involved in ecumenical ministry, building bridges with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Baptists and Evangelical churches.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine profoundly disrupted our lives and the wonderful ministry I served. In the days that followed, I was very busy helping Nigerian students who were struggling to leave the country and were being turned away en bloc at the Polish border. I soon found myself acting as the link between the students and the Nigerian embassy officials in Warsaw.

After that we tried to leave Ukraine ourselves. We first headed for Slovakia, but the border crossing was completely clogged with cars. We then tried the border with Hungary. This crossing was less congested and eventually after much prayer we made it through. After about six weeks in Budapest, we secured visas to relocate to the UK and for the last year, I have continued in missional ministry with the Diocese of Southwark in London.

Also in London, I am now studying for a master’s degree at Spurgeon’s College. It was there that I was introduced to APF and the eVitabu app which is such a great resource for the Church in Africa. I love APF’s approach to mission. Training missionaries and sending them to foreign nations is worth it but it is far more sustainable to raise up, train and equip indigenous people for the work of ministry in their own communities. I believe I am in a good position to understand and appreciate this as a missionary in Europe who was born and raised in poor and marginalised rural communities in Africa.

I look forward to APF extending their work in Nigeria, especially in the Diocese of Western Izon. Let us continue challenging ourselves to step outside the box and seek the Lord’s guidance on how to passionately and faithfully live out His call for mission.

April 3, 2023
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Sharing the Gospel in Somalia

By eVitabu, Somalia, Uganda

Christian Leaders Fellowship in Mogadishu is a team of dedicated Christian leaders from the small number of Christian groups who live and work in the Somali capital’s protected ‘Green Zone’. APF have been supporting their dangerous but vital work for a few years now, most recently through their ‘Charity Program’, which seeks to engage with Somali nationals. Daniel Masiga, a Ugandan lay pastor who works in logistics for African Union peacekeeping forces in Somalia, describes what the Charity Program does and how this wonderful demonstration of love is opening doors.

We started the Christian Leaders Fellowship (CLF) in Mogadishu in June 2019 when Christian leaders of different nationalities serving in the United Nations and African Union peacekeeping efforts came together to strengthen each other and to share much-needed love and hope in Somalia.

Having witnessed the desperate suffering of the Somali people firsthand, we were compelled to mobilise resources and reach out to share the gospel. With the support of the APF, we set up the CLF Charity Program to better engage with Somali nationals in Green Zone hospitals and residing in the surrounding communities.

Through the Charity Program we are now providing support to local Somalis by distributing medicine, clothing, food, and other essentials. Through these donations, we have built strong relationships and trust in the neighbouring communities and have been able to share the love of God in a tangible way.

As Somali nationals tell us of their ordeals ranging from hunger and starvation to lack of shelter, trauma, bereavement, unemployment, sickness and insufficient medication, not to mention violence and insecurity, it is increasingly clear that greater support is needed. Most of them hope to be relocated if possible due to the extremes of their circumstances.

The Charity Program has already created many opportunities for us to engage with Somalis in meaningful conversations. These conversations often lead to prayer with those in need and, when possible, we share Jesus’ good news of life and hope.

APF has been a key partner in the hospital outreach ministry through their financial support and our prayer is that this continues and grows. There really is much more to be done. We look forward to having a place of safety where members can come together to worship, pray, and share the gospel with the Somali people and help them grow in faith.

Going forward, we are looking to better equip our team through training and with online education resources like APF’s eVitabu app. We are taking resources from eVitabu and translating them into booklets that share the good news. We also hope to offer more regular support to local families we have identified are in dire need.

We are constantly engaging with Somali nationals and, with the love and support of friends of Somalia and partners such as APF, we are confident that a lot shall be accomplished to the glory of God and the betterment of the lives of God’s people in Somalia.

A key part of the training was about accessing the eVitabu app. This was, for us all, the headline part of the experience. We learnt how to download and install eVitabu on our smartphones and how to search for resources in the app. eVitabu will quench my thirst for Christian education material because it has a wealth of information from many different contributors. I am really looking forward to exploring the app further and finding resources for my community, church and family.

We also discussed digital culture and theology. The training on digital theology in Africa was very timely. We were all forced to embrace digital ministry during the Covid-19 pandemic out of panic as a response to the crisis. We were reactive and not prepared. This training helped us build on those experiences by having time for theological reflection around the opportunities and dangers of technology in church ministry.

April 3, 2023
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Team ministry in Africa’s Great Lakes Region

By Burundi, eVitabu, Rwanda, Tanzania, Training

Victor Imanaturikumwe and Heavenlight Luoga met at an APF event four years ago and have stayed in contact ever since. Recently, with APF’s support, they met up once again to run training workshops for rural pastors in western Rwanda. Victor explains what happened.

Many local churches in rural Rwanda are fragile as pastors have few opportunities for training. This makes tackling the spiritual needs of the community a constant struggle. As I am a beneficiary of APF theological scholarship support, I am now committed to spending my time contributing to effective ministry here in Rwanda by running pastors’ conferences and trainings in rural contexts.

Recently, Pastor Heavenlight and Kesia Luoga from Deeper Life Church in Karagwe, Tanzania, travelled to join me in Rwanda and together we led a training conference for rural church leaders. Some of the leaders had received almost no in-service training so this is vitally important work.

I found APF’s eVitabu app a very helpful tool when I was studying for my theological degree. As textbooks are so hard to find in Rwanda, all the materials used during the conference came from eVitabu. Pastor Luoga and I selected and adapted resources on eVitabu and developed a conference programme to equip the pastors with skills in teaching and preaching the Word of God and in leadership.

We also trained the pastors on how to set up small income projects and adapt their farming practices to meet the challenges of a changing climate and poor soil. The overall theme of the conference was ‘Being a Good Shepherd’ and the leading Bible passage was John 10:1-21.

The conference hosted forty pastors and church leaders from different churches and communities in western Rwanda. We are already registering a lot of impact in their communities and churches and we want to continue to invest in them so they become agents of spiritual and community transformation.

I first met Pastor Luoga in Uganda at an APF regional leaders’ conference in 2018. Since then, he has become like a spiritual director to me. He is a very experienced pastor, ministry trainer, teacher, preacher and mentor. I believe APF is helping to break barriers by encouraging fellowship with other pastors from different backgrounds and cultures. We all benefit from one another’s insights and expertise when we work together in partnership.

I would like to thank all APF donors, friends and supporters who give generously of your money and your time in prayer to support APF and its partners in Africa. Know that your gifts are being used well and are making a big difference here in rural Rwanda and across Africa.

After training in western Rwanda, Heavenlight travelled south into Burundi to work with groups of untrained pastors serving in churches near Gitega. Gitega is the new capital of Burundi and it is the newest capital city in the world, replacing Bujumbura in 2019.

December 14, 2022
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Building digital capacity in the Ugandan Church

By eVitabu, Uganda

The Church of Uganda is the largest denomination in the country with around 11 million members. APF are working closely with the Church of Uganda to support their vision of building digital, pastoral and theological capacity amongst their clergy. In November, a hundred ‘Group 2’ clergy gathered for training. Group 2 clergy serve in semi-rural communities or informal urban centres. Moses Muwulya, an ordinand, describes his experience.

In November, pastors from the Church of Uganda were led on a training journey by APF’s Revd Dave Stedman. Attending were ordained clergy and ordinands (trainee clergy) from various dioceses from across Uganda.

A key part of the training was about accessing the eVitabu app. This was, for us all, the headline part of the experience. We learnt how to download and install eVitabu on our smartphones and how to search for resources in the app. eVitabu will quench my thirst for Christian education material because it has a wealth of information from many different contributors. I am really looking forward to exploring the app further and finding resources for my community, church and family.

We also discussed digital culture and theology. The training on digital theology in Africa was very timely. We were all forced to embrace digital ministry during the Covid-19 pandemic out of panic as a response to the crisis. We were reactive and not prepared. This training helped us build on those experiences by having time for theological reflection around the opportunities and dangers of technology in church ministry.

During the training, we dived into some deep theological discussions around recent developments in technology and how they will impact society and ministry. For example, we discussed the theological implications of giving and receiving the sacraments during an online gathering. This was a very significant discussion with important implications for Anglican sacramental theology.

We also discussed the difference between online church and church online. Online church is a community coming together online to worship, but church online is a hybrid form with both on-site and online worship. This was so useful to understand and gave us much to think about.

We all left the gathering and returned to our dioceses ready to share with Christ’s Church in Uganda our new skills and information, as well as eVitabu. God’s people shall not perish because of lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6) because our cup of information is overflowing courtesy of eVitabu.

December 14, 2022
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Deepening Bonds Down South

By Environment, eVitabu, Farming, Malawi, Zambia

While the UK roasted at 40°C, our Projects Coordinator escaped Britain’s summer heatwave by traveling to cool southern Africa. Geoff Holder reports on a busy but productive three weeks catching up with APF partners in Malawi and Zambia.

Extreme weather driven by climate change is causing shocks all over the world. As new temperature records were smashed back home, I visited communities supported by Pastor Lloyd Chizenga (pictured above) and Hunta Faeti from New Life Christian Church (NLCC) in Malawi’s Shire River valley.

Earlier in the year, the area was devastated by two huge tropical storms. Flooding washed away crops, homes and livestock. Your gifts helped APF provide replacement seed and training delivered by Lloyd and Hunta which was now ripening into a lifesaving harvest.

Outside of the flood-affected area, we heard how the training given by the church was having a huge impact. Global energy prices have made fertiliser unaffordable. I was told, “Pastor Lloyd is a prophet! He saved us with the message of composting now we can’t buy fertiliser anymore”.

In Liwonde, I met with Pastor Patrick Stephen Mateketa. He runs village discipleship training workshops in rural churches using our library resource app eVitabu as a reference tool. He found APF online and downloaded eVitabu on his phone. “It is good having a library there in my hand when I am teaching untrained pastors in the village” he explained.

Back in Blantyre, I ran workshops for NLCC pastors and leaders helping them also get onto eVitabu. Pastor Sousa travelled all the way from Mozambique to attend.

In Zambia, I joined Pastor Lawson Limao (pictured below) in Shibuyij, a village several hours’ drive outside Lusaka, to see him teach in a tiny mud and straw church using resources on eVitabu. The training was fantastic! He’d gathered leaders from local churches and the community to learn about agroforestry and faith, meeting the community’s physical and spiritual needs. It was inspiring to see the power of eVitabu in the dedicated hands of a brilliant young leader. In Lusaka, Lawson and I were interviewed about eVitabu on a Zambian Christian radio station with an audience from across the country.

Finally, in Luanshya, a town in Copperbelt Region, Revd Charles Mwape and I ran a workshop helping Baptist pastors use eVitabu. It was especially useful seeing how the pastors used their phones in different and sometimes unexpected ways, lessons that will help us improve the app and make it easier for African users in the future.

September 27, 2022
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Digital Theology in Africa

By eVitabu, Kenya, Training

Transformational Compassion Network (TCN) is responding to the rapidly changing context in Africa. Revd Walter Rutto explains why Digital Theology is so important in Africa and introduces the pioneering work they’re doing.

We live in a digital age. That is true in Africa as much as anywhere else in the world. Mobile technology has changed the way we interact, do business and live our lives. Here in Kenya, we send and receive money by Mpesa, we text to get information on market prices, we speak to our family on WhatsApp, we get our news through Facebook.

Christianity in Africa is not immune to the consequences of this digital revolution. Digital Theology is the study of the connection between digital technology and theology. It reflects the digitisation of our society and the implications of this for our faith and worship.

Like many different religions practiced in Africa, the Christian Church is changing through its engagement with social media, its conversation through websites, and the growing use of digital resources in worship, pastoral practice, and evangelism. The primary premise of Digital Theology is engaging with this new virtual tradition and reflecting on the new context the Church finds itself in. It demands sparkling theological conversations and new approaches.

With the support of APF and our partners, TCN aim to be at the forefront of this revolution. We are formulating a digital curriculum for our certificate-level pastor training programme. This is critical in preparing leaders for ministry in the digital age. It covers topics such as theology and technology, reading the Bible digitally, theological thought in digital culture, online worship, living ethically amidst digital technology, online liturgy and online church.

In July, we organised a workshop as a fact-finding mission for the Digital Theology programme. It was attended by 60 participants in-person and over 100 online. APF helped us facilitate the training. The sessions underlined the huge need for Digital Theology training in the Africa context. With the majority owning a smartphone, they already have the key tool they need.

TCN are grateful to APF for their support in this endeavour and invite any other interested party help develop the curriculum with us. The members of the team may be from any country as we can easily meet together online.

September 27, 2022
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