Turning the corner

It feels like we are getting back to what we really want to do. The meeting on August 10 appointed a new committee to oversee the changes recommended for the Bible college, and I am not on that committee. That means that someone else is now in charge of the Bible college and we are free to focus on the training programs in the church districts. So it feels like a weight has been lifted and we have started making a schedule and working on study modules that we will introduce in the training of trainers seminars. We are grateful for your prayers for us and for the training programs here in Tanzania and Kenya. There are a number of other meetings with church leaders coming up in the next couple months, so that has affected our schedule. Too many meetings gets too heavy for them, so we are in conversation with some about the best time for a training in their area.

One of the outcomes of the meeting on August 10 is that the Bible college clearly lacks financial support and effective leadership. We are hoping and praying the local churches will rise to the challenge of making contributions towards operation of the college. The annual grant from Eastern Mennonite Missions has been received and used for operations and for paying off debts, and there is very little for the semester that should begin in September.

August is deep into the dry season and there is almost no green grass in sight, unless we go down to the lakeshore. But we look forward to rains coming back within the next 3-4 weeks. It will be welcomed by everyone. We wish we could have gotten some of the extra rain that we heard the east coast of the USA was getting this summer.

Challenges at MTCEA

Happy are those whose strength is in you, Lord, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; they go from strength to strength. Psa. 84:5-7

The past several months have certainly felt like a valley in many ways, as we have been involved in leadership at Mennonite Theological College of Eastern Africa (MTCEA). But in our utter dependency on His strength and wisdom, we have been forced to seek His face constantly, and hence, have also felt the refreshing springs of His spirit!

We have completed the last term of the school year and had graduation on July 26. Joe has diligently tried to pay down as many outstanding debts as possible, and get the management of the college back on track. He made a special effort to see that the teachers were paid on time and were paid back salaries that they were owed. We are thankful that through careful management there has been a 40% reduction in the debt, however, there is unfortunately a long way to go to reach financial stability. Our management partners have been very affirming and supportive in making difficult decisions.

MTCEA Review Team meeting at
 Mennonite Guest House, Nairobi, Kenya

A review team looking at the college program has also met several times and is presently preparing their assessment and recommendations for strategic planning for the future. However, there are still major hurdles that need to be crossed. One of the biggest challenges will be to find a plan to make the college financially viable. EMM has been providing the majority of the budget (60% or more) for the past number of years. But EMM has changed the funding policy to align priorities with their mission emphasis and vision rather than ongoing management of programs, so financial assistance will terminate at the end of this year. This will require much more reliance on the local churches themselves for finances or searching for other sources of funds. We’d like to see the churches take more ownership in the college, providing financial assistance and also finding capable people to administer the college. We believe that there is the capacity in the churches to do this - $1 per year per member will provide the entire annual budget. But it is a new idea to the churches here and this kind of cooperation is complicated by internal issues. We think this it not time for a bailout, as difficult as it may be. It is time to face the consequences of over-dependence on outside funding, and for the western church to look for healthier ways to partner with the African churches, which we see as an opportunity, not an obstacle.

At present we are not sure of the way forward for the college but there are ongoing conversations. However, we are committed to assist in leadership training and hope in the near future to return to the diocese based training which we feel will meet a specific need for lay leaders who cannot attend Bible college. They are eagerly waiting for their training to begin and we are starting to look at our schedule and make plans. Thank you for your continued prayers and interest in the church in Tanzania and Kenya.