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Training

Remembering Bishop Lloyd Chizenga

By Farming, Malawi, Training

Rev Lloyd Chizenga, a dedicated APF partner for 25 years, passed away peacefully in his sleep on the night of July 27th, following his daughter Bridget’s wedding.

A beloved figure in the Blantyre community, Lloyd led New Life Christian Church and oversaw the Growing Green project, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at improving food security in rural southern Malawi. Despite the region’s frequent droughts, floods, and cyclones, Lloyd’s unwavering commitment and strategic leadership ensured that the project reached thousands of farmers, teaching them vital conservation agriculture and compost-making techniques. As a result, countless families have been able to escape poverty, afford their children’s education, and break free from the cycle of debt.

Shiela Chizenga, Lloyd’s youngest daughter, asked us to share the following tribute in memory of a faithful servant, compassionate leader and devoted family man.

Bishop Lloyd Chizenga, born on 13th March 1960, led a remarkable life characterised by unwavering love for God and service to His people. His journey in Christianity deepened when he was born again in 1982 and joined Pentecostal Assemblies of God. His humility and servant character soon meant he was chosen to serve as an assistant pastor.

After training in theology as a pastor in Malawi and Zambia, Lloyd left Assemblies of God and founded New Life Christian Church in 1993 in Blantyre. The young church network grew and branches were soon planted across Malawi and Mozambique. Through New Life Christian Church, Bishop Lloyd trained many leaders and pastors of different churches.

Guided and inspired by the compassion of our Lord Jesus, Bishop Lloyd championed various humanitarian initiatives including building orphanages, supporting women with small-scale business loans, sinking boreholes in different villages and providing bibles to many local churches.

In recent years, his passion for helping the most vulnerable led him to train farmers from rural communities across Malawi in sustainable agriculture with support from APF and Operation Agri . The good reputation he had established through his leadership of New Life Christian Church in the villages meant that community headmen and women welcomed him, and the farmers listened, learnt and implemented the simple but effective farming techniques he taught. This project has now touched thousands of lives.

His care for vulnerable children, the elderly and those struggling through adversity made him a friend and a brother for all whom he reached out to. The boundless empathy, gentle spirit, and infectious humour he manifested made him a beloved figure in the community and a guiding light to his family.

Above all things, the bishop’s greatest joy was his family. To Johanna, Bridget and myself he was an amazing dad and a constant source of love, wisdom and encouragement. He delighted in our accomplishments, comforted us in times of need and inspired us to pursue our passions always in doing good to humanity. His legacy as a father is characterised by his patience, kindness and devotion.

To our mother Jackie, he was a rock, partner and soulmate. Together, they shared a deep love built on mutual respect, trust, and laughter. He cherished her, supported her dreams, and celebrated her triumphs.

Lloyd’s impact extends far beyond his ministry and family. His selfless example inspired countless individuals to embrace their faith, serve others and strive for compassion. The memory of his life will continue to uplift and motivate future generations to make a difference in the world as God’s instrument of love and kindness. Through his remarkable life, Bishop Lloyd showed us that faith, family and service are intertwined. He is deeply missed but his love, legacy, and lessons will endure forever.

September 20, 2024
Love1

Let this Work Continue

By Farming, Training, Zambia

Lawson Limao from Word of God Ministries in Zambia has been supported by APF and Operation Agri to train rural communities to make compost. In the midst of Zambia’s cost-of-living crisis, he explains why something as simple as compost is so essential.

You are what you eat

Today, Zambia is in real crisis. The cost-of-living crisis is affecting so many people and dragging the majority down. Perhaps its biggest impact is on our diets. Low salaries and insecure incomes mean most just eat what they can, regardless of whether the food is good, healthy and wholesome. Afterall, you are what you eat.

Commercial farms run by big businesses try and keep the markets supplied but their use of commercial, genetically modified and infertile seed varieties relies on huge amounts of chemical fertiliser. These crops might be fast growing but large-scale industrial farming is leading to deforestation, soil erosion, and land and water pollution. It is pushing small-scale farmers off their land. It is also expensive. To maintain yields, more and more chemical fertiliser is needed but the cost of fertiliser is going up all the time.

Smallholders and fertilisers

You might think that the high food price is good news for poor small-holder farmers in Zambia who would benefit from a better price for their crops, but that is not really the case. Poor farmers still sell most of their crops at harvest when prices are lower to payback debts built up from buying farm inputs like fertiliser and seed, or to pay their children’s school fees. While they sell their crops at harvest when the price is lower, they buy food to feed their family throughout the year, even when the price is high.

While large commercial farms can access government support to buy chemical fertiliser at subsidised prices through schemes like the Farmers Input Support Program, most farmers live on small family farms of just a few hectares and simply cannot access the schemes. The majority of these farmers are also women, and they are hugely disadvantaged. It is a big political issue.

For many years now, people have been taught that the only way to get a successful crop is through using chemical fertiliser, so they spend more and more on it each year. As the soil structure breaks down, they need more fertiliser to produce a crop, so the problem simply gets worse. This pushes prices up and means the percentage of their income a family uses to buy food becomes an even greater part of the overall.

Organic fertiliser project

This is why the project we have been running with support from APF and Operation Agri is so important. We are running the project in Petauke District, in the area overseen by the Nyampende chief. This is in Zambia’s Eastern Province, not far from the Mozambique border, and it is an area heavily dependent on agriculture. Like much of Zambia, maize in the main crop here.

We started by working with local leaders and together we identified 400 farmers to be part of the project. Village headmen and headwomen, the local churches and agronomists were all consulted, and the farmers gathered for training.

We began by taking about the needs of the soil and the crops. We shared stories and people were all in agreement about how worried they were about the future.
How could they continue when the cost of inputs was making their lives so hard? How could they afford school fees, animals or food? Many were cutting down trees and selling charcoal so they could afford to buy chemical fertiliser.

We then taught about how to make different types of organic fertilisers such as thermal compost and organic liquid feeds. Thermal compost only takes a number of months before it is ready and replaces the chemical fertiliser normally used at planting. To make liquid feeds we demonstrated how to mix cow, chicken, pig or goat manure in an old sack and suspend it like a teabag in a drum of water. The organic infusion is so rich it can be diluted and used to feed the crops as they grow.

The project has been a great success as the training was so well received. Afterwards, everyone was saying how using what they thought of as waste to support their soil and their crops was going to be a big transformation. Knowing that another way was possible was going to save them so much.

They asked me to extend the training to other areas in Petauke District where friends and relatives lived so they could also learn these skills. They told us, ‘Uyu utumiki upitilize!’ meaning, ‘Let this work continue!’

Drought affecting Southern Africa

The good news story of the organic fertiliser project’s success has been seriously impacted by the ongoing drought that has affecting Southern Africa this year. We would normally expect rain in December through to February or March, however, this year many farmers are still waiting. The drought is partly due to the ongoing El Niño climate cycle, which has changed rainfall patterns during our growing season, but localised deforestation has made this bad situation worse. As part of the training, we shared how trees can support soil structure, fix nitrogen, and even cool the land which encourages clouds and rain. Please pray for the farmers in the organic fertiliser training project and others across Zambia as they struggle through the current drought.

July 1, 2024
Love1

Remembering Revd Canon Apuuli Kinobe

By Training, Uganda

As you might imagine, APF receive a lot of speculative emails from wannabe partners from all over Africa (and elsewhere, as it happens). These correspondents often request school fees or iron roofing sheets for a church roof and once a 4×4 vehicle. We try to reply to the majority of these, usually explaining that we don’t have capacity for new partnerships and signposting them to eVitabu.

Occasionally an email catches my attention. One such came from Muringi Solomon during my recent stay in Uganda. He explained that he was the son of Rev Canon Apuuli Kinobe, a former regional worker for APF responsible for Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Who knew? It was certainly news to me! In our email exchange, Solomon outlined Canon Kinobe’s work for APF: coordinating trips for our founder Derek Blundell, visiting dioceses to identify the most worthy requests for training partnerships and delivering much of that training too. Solomon also sent photos that confirmed any lingering doubt I may have had about his story. He explained that his mother had often asked if APF still existed. His Google search showed that it did, hence his introductory message.

One of the benefits of visiting Africa and staying for several weeks is that it provides time to follow up on unexpected opportunities. So, while in Uganda, I was able to meet Solomon, his mother, Grace, and sister, Brenda, at their shop in Kampala. It was great to hear their reminiscences of sharing in ministry with Derek and Jill Blundell. We looked through an entire album of photographs of African ministry tours, regional events and sightseeing visits in the UK with APF.

Solomon continues to run a clerical tailoring business which APF helped to establish decades ago. I believe APF shipped ten sewing machines and paid for Grace and others to learn tailoring skills to help support Canon Kinobe’s ministry. Solomon claims the business is now the leading outfitters of vestments in the whole of Uganda.

eived a call from Bishop Data from Morobi Diocese in South Sudan enquiring about purchasing new vestments. We know Bishop Data and have supported priests in the diocese in recent years with grants for bikes and Bibles!

After bidding Solomon, Grace and Brenda farewell, I reflected that there is nothing new under the sun and that the vision APF has to empower African Training Partners, identify coordinators and even appoint an African Director is not without precedent. It also made me reflect and give thanks for Canon Kinobe’s life and legacy, and the seed that APF was able to plant many years ago which continues to provide for his family and clothe African clergy not just with beautifully handcrafted vestments but, we pray, even power from on high!

Canon Kinobe died in 2012 and his obituary was published in New Vision, one of Uganda’s leading newspapers. It makes good reading, so in memory of a former colleague, someone that a handful of supporters may remember or might have even met, you can find it in full here.

July 1, 2024
Love1

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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Untrained pastors find hope through Africans Teaching Africans

By Training, Uganda

In Uganda, Ssemanda Joshua Robert, a pastor with a heart for the poorest, has dedicated himself to equipping untrained pastors from across the country. Despite his own impressive qualifications, including 15 years of ministry and a master’s degree in theology, Joshua prioritises empowering those with limited access to theological training.

“I have trained pastors throughout Uganda,” Joshua explains, “and I’ve witnessed God using our team to open the eyes of countless church leaders.” This dedication became tangible in 2014 when Joshua assumed the National Coordinator role for Africans Teaching Africans (ATA).

ATA addresses a critical need in Africa, where Joshua says only 15% of pastors have any formal theological training. Their solution is a simple curriculum designed especially for pastors in rural villages and urban slums. The programme’s impact is evident in the stories of young pastors like Nsubuga John and Jude Ssekyanzi.

John, a pastor from an informal settlement outside Kampala, shares, “Before ATA’s training, I didn’t know how to interpret the Bible. I blindly followed everything the preacher said.” Thanks to ATA, John says he can now “read and study the Bible carefully.”

Jude, unable to afford Bible college fees, found hope with ATA. “The program opened my eyes to God’s Word and ministry,” he says. “It also made me aware of the dangers of false teachings used for personal gain.”

Joshua emphasises the consequences of inadequate ministerial training and oversight. He shares the story of Vincent, a young man misled by a church that taught that God does not forgive and that Christians must avenge everyone that hurts them so they feel the same pain they have caused. Through Joshua’s guidance, Vincent now seeks proper theological education.

“We need to save such young men,” pleads Joshua, highlighting the urgency of equipping future leaders.

A key barrier to effective training is the lack of affordable Bibles in local languages. Many pastors arrive at ATA sessions empty-handed. “We’ve been helping leaders own a Bible, but the need remains immense,” Joshua explains.

“In Uganda, a Bible in your own language is a powerful gift. We greatly appreciate the support we’ve received from APF donors to buy Bibles for rural pastors in remote Ibanda District, and we keep praying for your continued support.”

April 4, 2024
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How African is African Pastors Fellowship?

By Training, UK

APF has worked hard in recent years to amplify African voices. Through eVitabu and by empowering “African Training Partners” to lead and develop resources within their own communities, the charity is deeply commitment to representing the African church. But is there more to do? Dave reflects on opportunities to further contextualise our work and plans for an increasingly African-led future for the charity.

Since joining APF, I’ve encountered raised eyebrows, especially when introducing myself as CEO. “But you’re not African!” is a common response.

This sparked an important question: How African is African Pastors Fellowship? How far is our mission and strategy contextualised and reflecting the priorities and perspectives of African pastors?

Sitting in my home office in Kent, scrolling through photos of past African visits and praying over a map of the continent, I have questioned the long-term viability and ethics of a UK-based charity claiming to serve the modern African church. While we have real depth of relationship, trust and fellowship with our African partners, is there room for APF’s ministry to be further contextualised and African-led?

Hearing African Voices:

For several years now, APF has aimed to amplify African voices. We create opportunities for African church leaders to share their resources and news through the eVitabu app and Impetus newsletter. We also invite African pastors to visit the UK, attend international conferences, and participate in cross-cultural exchanges like Walter Rutto’s current teaching experience in Papua New Guinea. These initiatives exemplify the enriching exchange of knowledge and experience that defines African Pastors Fellowship.

Providing Contextualised Resources:

Our commitment to resourcing the African Church extends beyond simply making literature available in local languages. We strive for enculturation, encouraging resources prepared and delivered by those deeply embedded in the African cultural experience.

I vividly recall the profound learning experiences at the feet of Ugandan and Kenyan pastors, receiving unique interpretations of biblical stories. This is why we seek more African contributors to eVitabu and are exploring the creation of an African app development team to enhance the platform, even discussing potential partnerships with African mobile network providers to generate sustainable funding at no cost to users.

Releasing African Training Partners:

A key strategic priority is empowering “African Training Partners” (ATPs): individuals or organisations called to serve their peers, deliver training, and pioneer community projects that embody the coming of God’s kingdom on earth. These partners are diverse, ranging from denominations and colleges to individuals uniquely positioned to reach marginalised communities.

Previously, APF’s activity in Africa depended heavily on the presence of the Director. Today, thanks to our ATPs, there’s ongoing activity throughout the year. We’re also transitioning from making multiple small grants to annual grants, enabling our ATPs to plan training programmes with confidence. A major conference in Africa is planned for September to further explore this vision and formalise the partnerships with our ATPs.

Towards a More Representative Board:

While our board has always provided excellent governance and support, it has lacked diversity. We are actively seeking African trustees, both from within Africa and the UK African diaspora. We welcome recent additions like Kingston and Rose and hope this shift towards a more truly African APF continues.

Ultimately, my aspiration is to appoint an African Director for African Pastors Fellowship. Now, that’s a thought!

April 4, 2024
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Sharing the gospel in the highlands of Papua New Guinea

By Kenya, Training

APF partner Walter Rutto from Kenya is in Papua New Guinea to support ministry training. As an African Christian leader, he brings an invaluable level of cultural insight into this deeply animistic and traditional culture. Here’s his latest update.

Dear friends,

I’m writing to you from the heart of Papua New Guinea, having travelled inland to a remote village nestled in the foothills of Western Highlands Province. Today, I had the privilege of sharing the message of God’s kingdom with a community deeply rooted in traditional farming culture.

My sermon, based on the parable of the sower in Luke 8:1-15, resonated deeply with the villagers. They readily connected with the story, easily recognising the four types of hearts described when receiving the gospel ‘seed’. Our discussions delved into the challenges they face and where cultural practices sometimes conflict with the gospel. Amongst deep poverty, there are heartbreaking stories of how local women have been burned alive after being accused of witchcraft.

These practices, like “stones and thorns” in the parable, can choke the growth of faith. We explored the insidious nature of these practices, symbolised by the birds snatching away the seed, representing the influence of the enemy.

During my journey, I was struck by something strange: the village graveyards were notably grander and better constructed than the houses. I asked about this and discovered this was to appease spirits of the dead and prevent them from tormenting the living. This stark contrast between the physical and spiritual realms highlighted the ongoing struggle between animistic beliefs and the message of Christ.

Δ ‘Port Moresby to Mount Hagen’ by Rita Willaert
Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The day ended with a joyful celebration as many stepped forward to accept Christ into their hearts. These warm and welcoming people even expressed a desire for me to stay and continue sharing the gospel.

On my return journey to the city of Mount Hagen, my kind host, Benji, surprised me with a freshly roasted sweet potato. It was delicious.

I now continue working with Christian Union Bible College in Mount Hagen. The college is currently running its training program with students from various churches and while the program is progressing well, many learners struggle with key biblical concepts.

These challenges include ingrained beliefs in polygamy, male superiority, and the influence of evil spirits in daily life. This week, we’ll be exploring the concept of marriage through the scriptures.

Please pray for accurate interpretation while I am here. Please also pray for better translation of resources. The current English-language course material used by the college poses a barrier for many students. Training resources really need to be translated into Tok Pisin, the widely spoken local language.

Thank you for your continued prayers as I take this journey, sharing the light of the gospel and witnessing the transformative power of faith in communities in Papua New Guinea.

In Christ,

Walter

April 3, 2024
Love2

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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Healing Bruised Lives in Kenya

By Farming, Kenya, Training

APF partner Transformation Compassion Network (TCN) is an interdenominational network that trains Christians in Kenya in bringing holistic development to their communities. TCN Director Walter Rutto shared Betty’s story with us. It illustrates exactly the sort of transformation TCN seek to bring about in the lives of individuals, households and whole communities.

Betty Chepkirui is a real fighter. She is a single mother of three children and a resident of Balek Village in Bomet County, south-western Kenya. She’s an active member of St John’s Catholic Church.

Her past life experiences, however, had left her with much bitterness. The Bible says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45) and her words were an expression of endless pain.
A simple question from anyone would result in knocks, kicks and fights. She just wanted to be left alone and she believed that no one cared about her.

Then Betty joined our Kingdom Business course. Kingdom Business is a six-month course with three modules, each taking eight weeks. Learners attend class once a week for three hours to complete three lessons. This is a training that seeks to work on the mindset change for holistic transformation.
In the course is a topic called ‘Christian growth – experiencing God’s love and forgiveness’. Through this part of the course, Betty began to find some release from the past pain she had suffered from, began to forgive those who had oppressed and hurt her and experienced God’s healing in her life. It was like seeing medicine for the heart in action.

After the healing of her heart and mind, the healing further spread to her entire household. We soon began to see how Betty began to transform her smallholding, following the training we were providing very well. As her garden began to be more fruitful, the whole household began to experience a calm environment and her entire family discovered God’s love through this transformed woman.

Now Betty keeps poultry and dairy cows that help to feed her family. She sells surplus products and the extra income cushions her household budget.

The proceeds from her farm also helps her support her ailing mother. This has not been easy as she is the firstborn in her family. In this part of Kenya, it is said that a firstborn should be like an assistant parent. When the parents are not in a position to meet the needs of their dependants, all those family responsibilities are transferred to the firstborn child.

Since Betty’s life turned around, she has further known to walk in the way of the gospel. Because she has enough for herself and her children, she is now able to give offerings and tithes in church and also support the needy who live nearby in small but important ways. One of the best indicators of successful holistic training is when we look at church tithing records and note a tangible improvement stemming from community and economic development hand-in-hand with Christian discipleship.

Another aspect of our teaching programme covers household hygiene, health and wellbeing. Betty has taken this on board and kept this message close to her heart. Her compound is now always very clean, litter disposed of and the children know how to wash their hands before eating. This is no small thing and just these simple things can stop the spread of germs and bacteria. Diarrhoea remains a leading cause of death of children in Kenya.

When we asked Betty if we could share her story with African Pastors Fellowship and other partners, she was glad to do so to show just how transformative holistic training can be. Out of enthusiasm and without supervision, she is now teaching others in her village how to walk this journey too. Many are listening since it is evident that she’s a transformed woman.

January 15, 2024
Love2

A Flower Blooming in Northern Uganda

By Training, Uganda

In Kitgum Diocese in the far north of Uganda you can find a small rural trading centre near Pader Town. It provides a vitally important market for the many thousands of smallholder farmers who live in rural communities across the area. Pader District was badly affected by the long Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency which ravaged northern Uganda around the turn of the millennium but since then, the area has recovered quickly, in part due to trade up and down the highway to Lira, Kitgum and with South Sudan.

In 2014, without a single Ugandan Shilling of donor funding, the Diocese of Kitgum opened the Bishop Lee Rayfield Leadership College in the trading centre with a mission to train up new Readers (called catechists) to serve across the Diocese and beyond.

In rural Uganda, ordained clergy frequently oversee twenty-five churches or more spread over vast areas. Each congregation needs a trained leader and that’s where the Readers step in.
Readers read the prayer book (that’s why they’re called ‘Readers’) but they also teach, preach and provide pastoral care in their villages.

Based in some refurbished temporary classroom blocks, Bishop Lee Rayfield Leadership College offers a Certificate course in Theology and Development for Readers. It now trains men and women from across northern Uganda and South Sudan, keen to serve in this way in their own communities.

College Principal Rev Okidi Charles has a big vision for Bishop Lee Rayfield Leadership College. He describes the college as a flower that attracts insects. While the insects pollinate the flower, the flower provides nectar to make honey that is beneficial to their community. It’s a beautiful picture, perfectly illustrating the mutually beneficial relationship between the college, its students and the communities the students belong to.

Rev Charles has another metaphor for the work of the college. He says that one person having a monopoly of knowledge is like a tall eucalyptus tree standing in middle of a compound. It can only provide a little shade and is not very useful by itself. Training many people with knowledge and skills, however, is like a swam of caterpillars that can cover the entire community in any given moment. ‘I believe in teamwork and building human resources that will meet the quest of the Ministry of Christ’ he says, quoting an old saying in Acholi ‘Cing acel pe konyo’ which means ‘One hand alone cannot help but many hands put food on the table’.

Digital ministry is also creating new opportunities that Rev Charles is keen to embrace. He has a deep concern for the growing number who he recognises are called to Christian ministry but cannot study full time at a training institute because of work or home situations. ‘Training through digital ministry will rock the world’ he says. The solution is to ‘create digital space classrooms to enhance those God has touch to become tent makers. This is the desire of the college: training should be both physical and online.’

In order to achieve this vision, Rev Charles is aware of the need for investment in IT equipment, internet connectivity and web resources at the college. It is a big ask but he is not deterred. ‘Through digital tools we will be able to give the community and the Church in northern Uganda access to the message of God and developmental skills for holistic transformation’ he says. ‘This calls for collective efforts of all the stakeholders of Bishop Lee Rayfield Leadership College from within and without.’

January 15, 2024
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