Empower Africa Director Frank Michael Tweheyo, along with one of our senior facilitators, Purity Njagi, recently facilitated a seminar organized by our partner, Dr. Zablon Bundi, in Kenya. The training, which focused on Empower’s New Man, New Woman, New Life curriculum, took place at Dr. Bundi’s new institution, the African Prime Leadership Training Institute in Ndenderu, Kiambu near Nairobi. Here is Frank’s report:
This very exciting seminar was composed of church leaders at different levels, educationists, business people, and organizational workers.
Many times when we conduct a seminar, we begin in slow motion and people catch fire as we go ahead. But with this group, we hit the ground running.
Part of the reason for this is that Canon Juliet Bundi, the wife of Dr. Bundi, is the Archdeacon of the parishes where most of the participants came from. She has gone through our programs up to Master Class. I am sure Dr. Bundi has visited sometimes and highlighted the Empower message in his sermons. Because of their familiarity with our training content, many were therefore eager to go through the class.
I was facilitating with one of our senior facilitators, Purity Njagi.
Dr. Zablon Bundi led the devotion on the first day as he welcomed us, appreciating Dr. Carrie Miles and Empower for the strong partnership over the years, and thanked God for the impact of the NMNWNL message to Kenyans and the world. He read Proverbs 9:9, which says, “Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.”
He called upon the participants to appreciate the message they were about to receive, expect a complete personal transformation and be ready to go and change others. He challenged the participants to allow the message to renew them so that henceforth, they may live in equality, mutuality, harmony and transformational companionship.
After going through the opening questions: burdens on Men and burdens of women in our cultures and economies, Frank gave an overview sermon, and this whetted the appetite of the participants to dive deep into the group studies.
The report-outs were very didactic and informative, full of aha! moments. I never tire of watching people when they find out that man and woman were created equal before God, that God created them male and female in His image.
Participants share the impact
Here are a few of the responses of participants at this training, sharing what they learned:
Margaret said that she was happy to learn that man and woman were created at the same time, as opposed to what she’d been taught, that man was created first and woman later.
She was also surprised to learn that man and woman were never cursed, but the serpent and the ground were. She was also delighted to understand the difference between sorrowful toil (It’sabon) and tending the garden, noting that she never knew that the curse on the ground was lifted in Jesus.
John noted that he was so happy to learn that man and woman were not cursed, he learned so much on the vastness of God’s mercy, that even at our worst, God was still merciful not to curse us.
He also noted that even in redemption, man still carries with him the effects of the fall, and this is due to ignorance of what was accomplished by Jesus on the cross. “I should always live and think not according to culture but God’s redemptive work in Jesus Christ,” he said.
Peris said that she was overjoyed to learn that in the fall, God did not curse or even punish man and woman, but what happened to them were consequences of their disobedience. God buys us back to Himself in redemption through what Jesus said and did. She is going to begin to think and live in terms of redemption not culture.
Pastor George, a Children and Youth Pastor in the Anglican Church Of Kenya (ACK), said that he is going back to repent to his congregation for teaching them falsehood, as well as go back to confront his tutors and lecturers for teaching him erroneous lessons on creation and the fall. He also has determined not again to read the Bible using the lenses of culture, but rather, will read it with eyes of redemption.
Sarah reported that she was happy to know that woman was created in the image of God the same way as man. She was also happy to learn that the woman was not alone in the garden as is often taught or assumed. She was excited to learn that man and woman were not cursed and that in Christ, the curse on the ground is removed. She was excited to learn the idea that we move from sorrowful toil to tending the garden in Christ.
Carlo (who has spent 5 years in marriage without children) was relieved to know that children are not a commandment, but a blessing. She was happy to learn that submission is not a disempowering word but an action that is intended to make relationships better.
Many others also mentioned the blessing of these same insights, which are life-changing. Overall, this was a very dynamic group. Another couple who attended, Rahab and Ben, already have 10 people they have started taking through the NMNWNL workbook. Others have pledged to help their families, groups and churches to understand the message of the NMNWNL.
