October 2024 Impetus.
Welcome to Impetus.
At the time of writing, I have just arrived in Uganda to prepare for a major conference being hosted by APF at the campus of Pastors’ Discipleship Network in Kampala. The conference will gather around 35 representatives from our key African training partners from across eastern and southern Africa, together with APF personnel from the UK and Kenya.
By the time you are reading this, I will probably be back in the UK and Geoff will have travelled on to Tanzania. We anticipate the conference will have been an important inspirational and strategic opportunity to review APF operations in Africa, especially eVitabu uptake and impact, and explore some future possibilities: hearing the voices of our African brothers and sisters.
The conference is set against the backdrop of the lead articles in this edition: a new round of church closures in Rwanda, and the need to respond and help in appropriate ways; and the sudden loss of our dear friend and long-standing partner, Bishop Lloyd Chizenga in Malawi. No sooner will I return to the UK and, after 40 days of mourning has passed, there is the need to plan an urgent but unexpected visit to Malawi in the autumn. This will be to stand with Lloyd’s family in their loss, and meet with those who will succeed Lloyd as overseers of the 200+ congregations comprising the New Life Christian Church network.
One of my favourite memories of Lloyd was on an early visit I made to Malawi. Driving on the road south from Blantyre to the Shire Valley with Malawi to my right and Mozambique to my left, we paused so I could sample mbewa (boiled salted mice or rats on a stick). I rarely refuse food but, on this occasion, I made my excuses, which Lloyd found hilarious. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
It is always a great privilege to be able to offer personal, pastoral and political support to our African partners but it does mean substantial additional cost, much of which could not have been anticipated. If you are able to make a gift to help meet some of these needs, or were planning to make a gift later in the year but could do so now, that would be a huge help as we prayerfully seek to respond to these, and so many other, needs.
As always, with our thanks and gratitude,
Revd Dave Stedman
CEO
