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Geoff Holder

January 2023 newsletter

By Impetus

January 2023 Impetus.

Welcome to the latest edition of Impetus.

We are hugely grateful for your continued interest and concern for APF.

Thank you especially to those who responded to our recent cost-of-living appeal. We have not yet turned the corner but remain faith-filled as we embark on a new year with ambitious plans to scale up eVitabu and support a growing network of African partners in their teaching and pastoral ministries.

As part of our commitment to our friends and supporters, we are offering an exciting new opportunity for you to engage directly with APF’s UK personnel and, from time to time, African partners through something we are calling Impetus Live!

Impetus Live! will be an hour long interactive gathering taking place by Zoom in the month following each new publication of the Impetus newsletter.

The online meeting will include verbal and visual updates, a brief inspirational message, as well as opportunities for interaction and prayer.

The first Impetus Live! will take place on Tuesday 17th January at 7pm.

The Zoom joining details are as follows:

Zoom Meeting ID: 87101408353
Passcode: 200863

Please contact me if you need any assistance in joining the call – or for any reason at all.

Thank you again and a Happy New Year from all of us at APF and from our partners in Africa.


Revd Dave Stedman
CEO

Download 'Impetus' here
December 15, 2022
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Team ministry in Africa’s Great Lakes Region

By Burundi, eVitabu, Rwanda, Tanzania, Training

Victor Imanaturikumwe and Heavenlight Luoga met at an APF event four years ago and have stayed in contact ever since. Recently, with APF’s support, they met up once again to run training workshops for rural pastors in western Rwanda. Victor explains what happened.

Many local churches in rural Rwanda are fragile as pastors have few opportunities for training. This makes tackling the spiritual needs of the community a constant struggle. As I am a beneficiary of APF theological scholarship support, I am now committed to spending my time contributing to effective ministry here in Rwanda by running pastors’ conferences and trainings in rural contexts.

Recently, Pastor Heavenlight and Kesia Luoga from Deeper Life Church in Karagwe, Tanzania, travelled to join me in Rwanda and together we led a training conference for rural church leaders. Some of the leaders had received almost no in-service training so this is vitally important work.

I found APF’s eVitabu app a very helpful tool when I was studying for my theological degree. As textbooks are so hard to find in Rwanda, all the materials used during the conference came from eVitabu. Pastor Luoga and I selected and adapted resources on eVitabu and developed a conference programme to equip the pastors with skills in teaching and preaching the Word of God and in leadership.

We also trained the pastors on how to set up small income projects and adapt their farming practices to meet the challenges of a changing climate and poor soil. The overall theme of the conference was ‘Being a Good Shepherd’ and the leading Bible passage was John 10:1-21.

The conference hosted forty pastors and church leaders from different churches and communities in western Rwanda. We are already registering a lot of impact in their communities and churches and we want to continue to invest in them so they become agents of spiritual and community transformation.

I first met Pastor Luoga in Uganda at an APF regional leaders’ conference in 2018. Since then, he has become like a spiritual director to me. He is a very experienced pastor, ministry trainer, teacher, preacher and mentor. I believe APF is helping to break barriers by encouraging fellowship with other pastors from different backgrounds and cultures. We all benefit from one another’s insights and expertise when we work together in partnership.

I would like to thank all APF donors, friends and supporters who give generously of your money and your time in prayer to support APF and its partners in Africa. Know that your gifts are being used well and are making a big difference here in rural Rwanda and across Africa.

After training in western Rwanda, Heavenlight travelled south into Burundi to work with groups of untrained pastors serving in churches near Gitega. Gitega is the new capital of Burundi and it is the newest capital city in the world, replacing Bujumbura in 2019.

December 14, 2022
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Building digital capacity in the Ugandan Church

By eVitabu, Uganda

The Church of Uganda is the largest denomination in the country with around 11 million members. APF are working closely with the Church of Uganda to support their vision of building digital, pastoral and theological capacity amongst their clergy. In November, a hundred ‘Group 2’ clergy gathered for training. Group 2 clergy serve in semi-rural communities or informal urban centres. Moses Muwulya, an ordinand, describes his experience.

In November, pastors from the Church of Uganda were led on a training journey by APF’s Revd Dave Stedman. Attending were ordained clergy and ordinands (trainee clergy) from various dioceses from across Uganda.

A key part of the training was about accessing the eVitabu app. This was, for us all, the headline part of the experience. We learnt how to download and install eVitabu on our smartphones and how to search for resources in the app. eVitabu will quench my thirst for Christian education material because it has a wealth of information from many different contributors. I am really looking forward to exploring the app further and finding resources for my community, church and family.

We also discussed digital culture and theology. The training on digital theology in Africa was very timely. We were all forced to embrace digital ministry during the Covid-19 pandemic out of panic as a response to the crisis. We were reactive and not prepared. This training helped us build on those experiences by having time for theological reflection around the opportunities and dangers of technology in church ministry.

During the training, we dived into some deep theological discussions around recent developments in technology and how they will impact society and ministry. For example, we discussed the theological implications of giving and receiving the sacraments during an online gathering. This was a very significant discussion with important implications for Anglican sacramental theology.

We also discussed the difference between online church and church online. Online church is a community coming together online to worship, but church online is a hybrid form with both on-site and online worship. This was so useful to understand and gave us much to think about.

We all left the gathering and returned to our dioceses ready to share with Christ’s Church in Uganda our new skills and information, as well as eVitabu. God’s people shall not perish because of lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6) because our cup of information is overflowing courtesy of eVitabu.

December 14, 2022
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eVitabu on smartphone

Can you help APF in the cost-of-living crisis?

By Fundraising, UK

2022 has seen APF move forward in Africa, but it has also been hugely challenging here in the UK.

In Africa:

eVitabu on smartphone•    There are now around 1,250 African leaders using eVitabu (our pastor training library and resource hub app). Through these leaders, the resources on eVitabu are reaching over a million people in their church congregations. Christian and community development resources are being used to improve both spiritual and physical well-being in many villages, towns and cities across Africa. To date, however, there are just 80 eVitabu users being sponsored. Increasing this number will help us improve the app and grow the numbers using it in Africa.
•    Dozens of grants for in-service training conferences led by brilliant African leaders, covering topics such as marriage, IT, capacity building and leadership development, and academic sponsorships, have been disbursed in Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

•    Pastoral grants and resources for ministry have been sent to support individual needs and community initiatives. These include bikes for rural pastors, local language Bibles, medical costs, school fees, equipment for ministry and sustainable agriculture training.

All this, and more, is how APF are enabling effective ministry in Africa.

We’re looking forward to building on these advances in 2023, but huge financial challenges largely related to funding our essential UK costs put this at risk.

Despite our best efforts to increase income and manage expenditure, the cost-of-living crisis is hitting APF hard. We now face difficult decisions such as asking staff to reduce their salaries or cut working hours which will impact APF’s effectiveness in Africa.

We realise times are uncertain for everyone, but we passionately believe the Lord has begun a good work through APF. The potential for eVitabu is especially vast. As such, we are inviting all friends and supporters of APF to stand with us in prayer at this challenging time.

If you already give to APF or sponsor a pastor using eVitabu, please can we take this opportunity to thank you for your generosity.

If not, it would be of huge help if you might consider setting up a regular donation here:

Donate

To sponsor a pastor using eVitabu, click here:

Sponsor

To set up a standing order, use the CAF Bank account detailed below:

   Account name: African Pastors Fellowship
   Account number: 00016972
   Sort code: 40-52-40

Or post a cheque, made payable to ‘African Pastors Fellowship’.

Thank you so much for your continued support and please do contact us if you have questions, ideas or encouragement to share.

Yours sincerely,


Revd Dave Stedman
CEO


Andrew Richardson
Treasurer

November 30, 2022
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Deepening Bonds Down South

By Environment, eVitabu, Farming, Malawi, Zambia

While the UK roasted at 40°C, our Projects Coordinator escaped Britain’s summer heatwave by traveling to cool southern Africa. Geoff Holder reports on a busy but productive three weeks catching up with APF partners in Malawi and Zambia.

Extreme weather driven by climate change is causing shocks all over the world. As new temperature records were smashed back home, I visited communities supported by Pastor Lloyd Chizenga (pictured above) and Hunta Faeti from New Life Christian Church (NLCC) in Malawi’s Shire River valley.

Earlier in the year, the area was devastated by two huge tropical storms. Flooding washed away crops, homes and livestock. Your gifts helped APF provide replacement seed and training delivered by Lloyd and Hunta which was now ripening into a lifesaving harvest.

Outside of the flood-affected area, we heard how the training given by the church was having a huge impact. Global energy prices have made fertiliser unaffordable. I was told, “Pastor Lloyd is a prophet! He saved us with the message of composting now we can’t buy fertiliser anymore”.

In Liwonde, I met with Pastor Patrick Stephen Mateketa. He runs village discipleship training workshops in rural churches using our library resource app eVitabu as a reference tool. He found APF online and downloaded eVitabu on his phone. “It is good having a library there in my hand when I am teaching untrained pastors in the village” he explained.

Back in Blantyre, I ran workshops for NLCC pastors and leaders helping them also get onto eVitabu. Pastor Sousa travelled all the way from Mozambique to attend.

In Zambia, I joined Pastor Lawson Limao (pictured below) in Shibuyij, a village several hours’ drive outside Lusaka, to see him teach in a tiny mud and straw church using resources on eVitabu. The training was fantastic! He’d gathered leaders from local churches and the community to learn about agroforestry and faith, meeting the community’s physical and spiritual needs. It was inspiring to see the power of eVitabu in the dedicated hands of a brilliant young leader. In Lusaka, Lawson and I were interviewed about eVitabu on a Zambian Christian radio station with an audience from across the country.

Finally, in Luanshya, a town in Copperbelt Region, Revd Charles Mwape and I ran a workshop helping Baptist pastors use eVitabu. It was especially useful seeing how the pastors used their phones in different and sometimes unexpected ways, lessons that will help us improve the app and make it easier for African users in the future.

September 27, 2022
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For Prayer…

By Prayer

Please pray with us for our partners in Africa.

“As a trainer working with widows and single mums helping them identify local resources to improve their livelihoods, we need your prayers for funds to travel to the places of training and for new training materials.”

Winnie KoechTransformational Compassion Network, Kenya

“Most women in South Sudan are single mothers due to civil war. They have hardships caring for their families. Pray for me and my vision to train them in tailoring and to open a nursery school for children from poor families.”

Harriet Namirembe SokiriNew Nation Church, South Sudan

“Women comprise over half of the membership of churches in Uganda yet face many barriers to fully participating in leadership. Pray that women would be allowed to lead at church and community level in Uganda.

Rose MugabiPastors’ Discipleship Network, Uganda

“I have a few prayer requests so this intercession is highly appreciated. Pray for financial independence for New Beginnings Foundation in our work with victims of abuse and violence, for a lifetime companion and for my health.”

Ivy KabagambeNew Beginnings Foundation, Uganda

“Pray for women ministers in Africa who have to minister and take care of their families, especially now as costs go up and money is a bit tight here in Mombasa and also worldwide.”

Catherine Wanjuguini NgariCatherine Evangelistic Ministry and Vocational School, Kenya

“As we serve our clients, we’re praying we will provide relevant guidance for their organisations. We have some interventions and we really need God’s guidance and the right resources to design and execute them well.”

Brenda AbejaEaglelite Associates, Uganda

“Besides my role as college principal, I was also given responsibility over a local parish while the college was on holiday. However, there is no recess in the college administrative duties. Please pray for me in this challenge.”

Revd Elizabeth CheruiyotSt Paul’s Theological College Kapsabet, Kenya
September 27, 2022
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Digital Theology in Africa

By eVitabu, Kenya, Training

Transformational Compassion Network (TCN) is responding to the rapidly changing context in Africa. Revd Walter Rutto explains why Digital Theology is so important in Africa and introduces the pioneering work they’re doing.

We live in a digital age. That is true in Africa as much as anywhere else in the world. Mobile technology has changed the way we interact, do business and live our lives. Here in Kenya, we send and receive money by Mpesa, we text to get information on market prices, we speak to our family on WhatsApp, we get our news through Facebook.

Christianity in Africa is not immune to the consequences of this digital revolution. Digital Theology is the study of the connection between digital technology and theology. It reflects the digitisation of our society and the implications of this for our faith and worship.

Like many different religions practiced in Africa, the Christian Church is changing through its engagement with social media, its conversation through websites, and the growing use of digital resources in worship, pastoral practice, and evangelism. The primary premise of Digital Theology is engaging with this new virtual tradition and reflecting on the new context the Church finds itself in. It demands sparkling theological conversations and new approaches.

With the support of APF and our partners, TCN aim to be at the forefront of this revolution. We are formulating a digital curriculum for our certificate-level pastor training programme. This is critical in preparing leaders for ministry in the digital age. It covers topics such as theology and technology, reading the Bible digitally, theological thought in digital culture, online worship, living ethically amidst digital technology, online liturgy and online church.

In July, we organised a workshop as a fact-finding mission for the Digital Theology programme. It was attended by 60 participants in-person and over 100 online. APF helped us facilitate the training. The sessions underlined the huge need for Digital Theology training in the Africa context. With the majority owning a smartphone, they already have the key tool they need.

TCN are grateful to APF for their support in this endeavour and invite any other interested party help develop the curriculum with us. The members of the team may be from any country as we can easily meet together online.

September 27, 2022
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eVitabu expansion to Church of Uganda clergy

By eVitabu, Uganda

 There is a really strategic and exciting partnership developing with the Church of Uganda. Dave Stedman explains:

As you may recall from earlier editions of Impetus, during lockdown I was introduced to the Archbishop of Uganda, Rt Revd Stephen Kaziimba. When I was in Kampala in March of this year, he kindly invited me for a breakfast meeting at the Archbishop’s Palace, close to Namirembe Cathedral.

As an outcome of that meeting, I returned to Uganda in July to speak at a conference attended by all the principals of Church of Uganda universities, colleges and tertiary institutions at Namagongo Martyrs University (pictured above). This was with a view to APF providing IT training and sharing eVitabu with Group 2 clergy in the Church of Uganda.

‘Group 2’ is the label given by the Church of Uganda to pastors who have theological education to certificate or diploma level, and work in poorer informal urban parishes or rural communities. Group 2 clergy represent the largest proportion of Anglican clergy in Uganda and characteristically have very limited access to ministry resources.

By helping Group 2 pastors access eVitabu, we’re helping the Church of Uganda with their vision of building digital, pastoral and theological capacity amongst their clergy.

APF is also seed funding a smartphone loan scheme for clergy who don’t have an adequate Android phone. The loans will help clergy purchase a device to run eVitabu on, giving them access to local language Bibles, Church of Uganda liturgies, everything on eVitabu, and more.

I will be delivering induction training over three days in early November to the first cohort of 100 Group 2 clergy. An APF team will return in March 2023 to work more closely with selected users identified by the Church of Uganda as having the capacity to become eVitabu trainers … Then the process repeats!

This is a very exciting development for APF and eVitabu. It promises to add many new users to the app and grow its profile across Uganda. The Church of Uganda will also become an eVitabu contributor, making use of the platform to publish their own resources, liturgies and higher-level academic research papers.

September 27, 2022
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Download our October 2022 newsletter

By Impetus

October 2022 Impetus.

Welcome to the latest edition of Impetus.

You’ll notice that it’s a little slimmer than normal. Reducing the number of pages in our newsletter is just one of several small steps we are taking to try to minimise costs to the charity.

Despite there being fewer pages in this edition, I think you’ll agree, there is no less activity being reported and exciting opportunities coming up.

With costs increasing, we’re working hard not only to maintain our work in Africa but to grow it. Please pray for our staff team and trustees as we make important decisions about doing just that.

How you can help

Firstly, if you use email, we would encourage you to receive Impetus in digital form rather than on paper. Please let us know using the enclosed form if you would like to do so in future.

Secondly, we always love to meet supporters and share what God is doing through his Church across Africa. Why not invite us to a Sunday service or midweek meeting at your church? We’re taking bookings for online and in-person engagements during 2023 now.

Perhaps you might be able to host a fundraising event for APF? Invite friends and neighbours to an advent coffee morning and we’ll help by sending you some resources to promote APF.

Or you can get in touch to order your Christmas cards or purchase some beautiful African notebooks from us.

Finally, we’d be very grateful if you might consider including a gift to APF in your will.

Most of all, we continue to value your interest and prayers.

Thank you!


Revd Dave Stedman
CEO

Download 'Impetus' here
September 27, 2022
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For Prayer…

By Prayer

Please pray with us for our partners in Africa.

“Pray that God will give us the resources so the community of Kibalya can have a maternity health facility, that we would be able to buy bibles for rural churches, and have the resources to train pastors for ministry.”

Bishop Nason BalukuSouth Rwenzori Diocese, Uganda

“With AMISOM peacekeeping force came Christians in uniform and other humanitarian peacekeepers including myself. Pray for all working for the salvation and restoration of this beautiful nation and its people.”

Daniel MasigaChristian Leaders Fellowship Mogadishu, Somalia

“Pray for the economic stability of Uganda as the inflation rate keeps rising. Lack of essential items always triggers a wave of crime so please pray for those who find themselves in desperate times and cannot afford basics.”

Brenda AbejaEagleLite Associates, Uganda

“Our prayer for our ministry at Juba in South Sudan is for funds to buy additional land for new churches. Secondly, we need a financial break through to open a school to provide education for local children.”

Alex SokiriNew Nation Church, South Sudan

“Please pray for me as I try and publish two books , for Judie’s PhD studies, for our three sons at university and for my elderly parents. Pray for Kenya and the continued spread of God’s transformative Word across the nation.”

Chris Khatela and Judie MmosiNgong Restoration Assembly, Kenya

“We’re constructing one of our local church’s buildings, please pray so we can complete the building soon. Our church community school want to construct a school building so please keep us in your prayers..”

Clinton GbawohCentral Christian Assembly, Liberia

“Give thanks that our training in marginalised areas of East Pokot is going on well. Please pray for the Pokot Bible Project and for the Pastors Camel Project. Also please pray the nation of Kenya as we prepare for elections.”

Shadrack Maiyo KomaNorth Rift Pastors’ Fellowship, Kenya

“Thank you for your prayers for my sister-in-law, Sally. Her operation was successful but doctors found cancer. She begins chemotherapy soon and has lots of pain. Please keep her, her husband and children in your prayers.”

Abraham KoechAfrica Inland Church, Kapsabet, Kenya

“Pray with me for donors to help fund ABS student tuition and administrative costs, and that ABS will be chartered to offer Certificate of Theology courses by National Council for Higher Education in Uganda.”

Francis EsomuAtirir Bible School, Soroti, Uganda

“TCN members elected a new board last year. Lets pray that they will catch up and take TCN to greater heights. Pray with us to get enough funding for income generation projects and for leaders graduating from TCN courses.”

Walter RuttoTransformational Compassion Network, Kenya

“Please pray with me for the funds to pay for my Master’s Degree in Theology and for our plans to start a Bible School in Lumbumbashi. Pray also for clean water provision in the local communities as this will raise the standard of living.”

Bertin MwanyaCongo Pastors’ Fellowship, Lumbumbashi, DRC

“Pray for my ministry as I am planning to do church planting in another area within Lusaka. I believe it will be a great opportunity to share the gospel and train new leaders using the eVitabu resources in this new area.”

Lawson LimaoWord of God Ministries, Zambia

“According to Rwandan law governing churches, an uneducated pastor cannot lead a church. If APF did not support my theological studies our church would now be disqualified. Give thanks to God for this support.”

Victor ImanaturikumweEglise Evangélique de la Bonne Volonté au Rwanda

“I feel a heavy burden for the pastors in this generation who need help. Pray that I will remain focused and for our coaching, counselling and training activities and programmes in Mukono and ministry target areas.”

Peter MugabiCephas Leadership Foundation, Uganda

“Pray for pastors who are suffering due to inflation to reach their churches in remote areas, and for 25 Baptist churches closed by the government as their buildings only have grass roofs or are too close to other churches.”

Jean Jacques MasaboBaptist Union of Burundi

“Please pray for revival in our churches in the Central Rift Region, pray for peace for our country during this election period, and pray for God’s provision as I attend a conference in the US in October and November.”

Simon LabosoCentral Rift Baptist Regional Convention, Kenya

“Following tropical storms and Cyclone Gombe that devastated our crops and infrastructure, praise God that we have replanted the maize we lost with assistance from APF. Pray now for a good winter crop harvest.”

Lloyd ChizengaNew Life Christian Church, Malawi

“Please pray for me as I pursue my Doctoral program in church ministry and leadership. Pray for the provision of ministry partners who will walk with the PDN women’s ministry team to bring training to women leaders.”

Rose MugabiPastors’ Discipleship Network, Uganda

“We pray for the ministry of evangelisation in Gakenke and Rulindo Districts in Rwanda and for students at Wisdom Bible School. Heavenly Farther, let the Word of God become light in these days affected by war in Ukraine and DRC.”

Charles MunyamahoroWisdom Bible School, Rwanda

“Please pray for me, for more grace in my God given gift to help pastors and church leaders. Pray for Tanzania, we’re facing inflation and life seems to be so tough as the Russia-Ukraine war shakes out our country’s economy.”

Heavenlight LuogaDeeper Life Ministries, Tanzania
June 23, 2022
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