For the first time in almost two years, Empower African Program Director Pastor Frank Tweheyo was recently able to travel to Kenya. He was warmly welcomed to St. Paul’s University, where the Empower message continues to be taught and discussed. Frank went to help facilitate a Master Class. He also visited Teen Challenge. Here is part one of his report:
It was a wonderful time to travel again for Empower internationally after a period of almost two years (one year and ten months to be specific). In between Covid lockdowns, our team at St. Paul’s, led by Dr. Zablon Bundi, Purity and Elizabeth, have been running several New Man New Woman New Life seminars. They requested two Master Classes so we just finished the first one in mid-December. The second is scheduled for the last week of February 2022.
We gathered about 21 participants altogether, a group which included a dozen Anglican priests from the ACK Diocese of Mbeere in Eastern Kenya. When their Bishop got to know about the Empower trainings at St. Paul’s, he sent a pioneer team for the seminar, who again came for Master Class. They now would like to work together with the Bishop to roll out the New Man New Woman New Life message to the rest of the Diocese.
Other participants included Bishop Phineas Mwiti and Dr. Esther Mwiti, a wonderful couple from Christ The King Tabernacle in Nairobi. Bishop Phineas runs Marriage Enrichment Clinics and when he got to know about Empower, he attended the seminar with his wife Esther and they came back for the Master Class. Dr. Esther lectures in the Technical University of Kenya in Nairobi and is also an Associate Pastor in the church.
Other participants were civil servants and pastors from churches around Nairobi, including Rev. Faith, who is from the Nairobi Diocese of the Anglican Church. A few years ago, Empower trained at St. Monica Utawala with Rev. Jackmorris, and in one of the engagements, we met with all clergy with their Bishop and had the opportunity to share with them the Empower message. That encounter is starting to bear fruit.
Dr. Bundi opened the MC training by admonishing the participants and the facilitators to be servants who do everything to benefit the people that God has placed in their care. He emphasized service above self, quoting Colossians 3:23, that whatever we do, we should do it as if to God and to the betterment of others. His talk was well received and was referred to severally by participants.
Asked what they had learned and experienced from the seminar and what they’ve been doing with the material, Rev. John said that what appealed to him most and what he has been sharing with his congregants is that Man was not cursed!
Bishop Phineas was blessed to know that Man and Woman were equal in the eyes of God and remarked that this truth must be propagated to all.
Isabella, a Kenyan Civil Servant, was blessed to learn about the ideal relationship between man and woman, submission as taught by Paul (as opposed to what is generally taught and applied), and the fact that man was not cursed. She shares with as many as she can at her work place.
Rev. Faith from Nairobi Diocese noticed that roles in marriages came after the fall, not in the ideal. Redemption brings us back to the garden!
Others noticed that women empowerment is still very shallow and only political, and they realized that it is only the biblical message of redemption that can help change the status quo of secular feminism. Several participants, in devotion time before the training, used the message of NMNWNL further revealing how deep the message is now embedded in their DNA.
The training was very lively and very informed as this group was diverse and sharp, with a good ministerial experience and educational background. They received the philosophy behind New man New Woman New Life, the Framework for Understanding Gender, the Advanced studies of 1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Timothy 2 with utmost appetite and zeal for understanding more. The small group discussions were very lively, and participants came back with very informed report-outs.
By the time we finished after 21/2 days, everyone was super charged to go and share the message.
Frank and Phobice’s testimony of twins brought a time of healing, refreshment and prayers for those who had needs and situations in their lives that needed divine intervention. It was a glorious time that had some people in tears and others testifying that they believe God will come out on their behalf too!
One participant, Lucy from Banana Parish of PCEA, composed a song (she teaches Sunday School) comprising of all the themes we learned in the training. It was fun singing the song and it further helped to cement the message learned in the hearts of participants!
To God be the glory!