The Empower July 2012 team is home after a very productive and busy time in Africa. I hope to have more pictures for you later. In the meantime, here are the highlights, in reverse order:
Bondo, Kenya:
The entire team (Sarah and David Nutter, Donell Peck, Don Hammond, Margaret Kiswiriri, Frank Tweheyo, and Carrie Miles, with CBE president Mimi Haddad) facilitated 6 New Man, New Woman, New Life seminars, 3 at a time, for the lay leaders of the Anglican Diocese of Bondo, Kenya. Bondo is a district in western Kenya with the highest rate of HIV in the country. It is also known for high rates of violence against women; early, forced marriages; and for practicing female genital cutting. Kenyan women in general struggle with polygamy, preference for boy children, widow inheritance (widowed women are forced to marry their late husbands’ brother, usually polygamously, or be driven from their home), and widow cleansing (widowed women must have sex with a relative of their late husband to ‘cleanse’ them of his ghost. This traditional practice is alarming in light of modern sexually-transmitted diseases).
To combat these ills, the bishop of Bondo, Johannes Angela and the Rev. Domnic Misolo, created an organization called Ekklesia Community for
Advocacy. They invited Empower to come and train their lay leaders (who in many cases are the actual congregational leaders). The leaders were so eager for the training that most of them had gathered at the training site hours before the program was scheduled to begin. We had a wonderful time with these energetic and committed people, who urged us to come back for a longer program, and who offered to bring cows and bags of maize and eggs to feed us all! This program has the potential to transform an entire district of 268,772 people, 80% of whom are Anglicans.
Bishop Johannes contacted Pastor Frank shortly after the program to report that the entire district is abuzz with the New Life teachings, and that the effect is “revolutionary”. The principal (president) of the Great Lakes University campus at which the trainings were held wants to put the material into the curriculum there. We will keep you posted on developments there.
Limuru, Kenya:
Before traveling to Bondo, the Empower team gathered outside Nairobi for the international conference of Christians for Biblical Equality. Carrie Miles gave two plenary sessions there, and was honored to be given CBE’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mukono, Uganda, and Kigali, Rwanda:
Sarah and David Nutter, traveling with International Justice Mission Church Mobilization Director Abraham George, conducted New Life seminars for IJM teams in Rwanda and Uganda. Carrie Miles and Frank Tweheyo participated in the Rwanda program as well. One “pastor said that they have always attended seminars, trainings on marriage, reconciliation, peace building but they ever had a message on marriage like this. They have new understanding on God’s plan for marriage from Genesis 1, 2, and 3, and he is happy to use this new view to help his fellow men in church who are struggling to exercise power over their wives. He also said that the seminar’s teaching system used is different from what they are used to, it gave them enough time to discuss on their experience and also hear what the Word of God says about it!”
Kabale, Uganda:
Carrie Miles and Frank Tweheyo spent most of a week working at Bishop Barham University College (part of Uganda Christian University). The administration and staff were eager for training on New Man, New Woman, New Life, and also on material on how economic and social change in the West is affecting family welfare in Africa. The principal at BBUC is working to put this material into their curriculum. We are delighted to work with these forward-thinking men and women.