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few days ago a gentleman from a church near Seattle stopped by my office in Lilongwe. It was Dave Epperson's second trip to Malawi, but my first time to meet him. He was enthusiastic about the ministry opportunities in Malawi - so excited that he was already making plans to move his family to Lilongwe. But most of all he wanted to talk about the ABC graduates he had met during his three-week stay. |
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| He raved about Sam Kwale who had become a close friend and his chief consultant. He was humbled by Brian Kamwendo who earned a college degree at ABC and then moved his family into a small home with no electricity to pastor a church in a village. Epperson said the members of his team
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| from Washington had been introduced to so many ABC graduates at various ministries that pretty soon they would turn to each other, raise an eye brow and say, "Well, what do you know, another ABC graduate." That was when he asked, "Do you know the impact your graduates are having on this country? They are like a wave sweeping over Malawi!" |
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An encouraging assessment, and a very true one. Almost every major ministry in the country seems to have at least one ABC graduate on staff. Many of them in highly influential positions. Shortly before Christmas many of you received an email announcing that Rev. Davidson Chifungo (Class of 1997) had been elected General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church's two million-member Nkhoma Synod. Unquestionable one of the most prominent religious positions in the country. Along with Chifungo a second ABC graduate, Collins Mazinyani (Class of 2000), was appointed Education Secretary for the same synod. Again, a very influential post.
Undoubtedly this is what Africa needs more than anything else - born again leaders with a heart for Christ and an aptitude for transformation. A few weeks ago as Laura and I flew out of Nairobi, Kenya, a country smoldering from presidential election gone bad, I was reminded of a book penned by auto icon Lee Iacocca, Where Have All the Leaders Gone? In the midst of tribal feuding, burning roadblocks, and thousands of displaced people it seemed that no one was in charge. The incumbent and entrenched President Kabaki was silent and ineffective. The same could have been said of almost every other leader in the country - corporate, diplomatic, and religious - no one seemed to be doing anything. It was amazing. No one to speak out, no one with any solutions. |
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Undoubtedly this where ABC can make a different. The sudden upheaval in Kenya is another reminder that Africa is a continent top heavy with fragile governments. In Africa every problem seems to be magnified ten-fold - poverty, orphans, AIDS, civil unrest - making it all the more crucial that the church be empowered with dedicated Christian |
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| leaders. Men and Women who are prepared to call the lost to repentance, at the same time exercising influence on every sector of society - education, government, business, the arts, mass media and the church. This is the type of equipping that ABC does best. |
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But please know that a decisive component to ABC making a difference in Africa is your partnership. Our students at every campus invest as much as they can to their education ($1,200 minimum is required), but almost none are able to pay the full cost of tuition. Therefore it is imperative that we have churches and individuals who are willing to partner with them. Every student we accept has to be subsidized - some more than others. Therefore we ask that you prayerfully consider underwriting either a full scholarship subsidy ($1,200 a year or $100 a month), a half scholarship subsidy ($50 a month) or a quarter scholarship ($25 a month).
Thank you for keeping the work of ABC and its many graduates in your prayers.
By His Grace & For His Glory, |
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