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Confex Makhalira and I at StoryRunners in Orlando.
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Over the
past 12 years I’ve been privileged to teach Biblical and Systematic Theology in
Malawi to over 600 students, now graduates, many who are leaders in various Christian
groups. For example, four are Pastors at Presbyterian (CCAP) Churches in Lilongwe.
The smallest of these churches has 1000 members and the largest has over 10,000
members.
The Nkhoma
Synod of the CCAP has over 2 million members but only 150 ordained ministers.
While I’ve taught a dozen of these Nkhoma Synod Pastors, that is only 1 per year.
The vast majority of the preaching and teaching in the Nkhoma Synod, and many other
African churches, is done by untrained laypersons. How do we empower the lay persons who doing the majority of the
preaching and teaching?
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| Learning Biblically accurate, orally reproducible stories. |
In Africa
the gospel is usually propagated in ‘bits and pieces’ apart from the ‘Biblical Story’.
The tendency has been to reduce the ‘gospel’ to a few propositions striped
from its story. Most Africans learn their ‘identity, history and values’
through stories. When this ‘reductionist gospel’ is promoted among ‘oral
learners’ the people remain more defined by their cultural stories than by the gospel
of Jesus. If Africans are to have their identities, history and values defined
by the gospel then the gospel in Africa will have to be rediscovered in the
context of the Bible story. We believe the best way to do this is to
teach Biblical Theology using the Bible’s own stories.
This is why we recently attended the ‘Storyrunners
School of Storying’ in Orlando. I participated in this weeklong
training with Confex Makalira, the 2005 ABC valedictorian. As a student Confex preached at our Maula Prison
Outreach for three years. He writes a weekly theological article in a Malawian
newspaper and he has worked with us on a number of in-service trainings for Church
Pastors. He is currently in seminary in the states and his emphasis is in
Systematic Theology. Confex realizes
that most Africans are ‘oral learners’ and that ‘Bible doctrine’ is better
comprehended in the African context through the Bible’s own stories.
The method of ‘Bible Storytelling’ we learned in Orlando has
given us the tools to produce a set of 42 Bible stories in the indigenous
languages of Malawi. These stories range from ‘Creation to New Creation’ and
are designed to tell the overall Biblical Story that is fulfilled in Jesus. The
training taught us a method of teaching stories that are Biblically accurate
and orally reproducible. It has also given us a series of checks to help ensure
these stories are true to the Bible. We plan to hold these same trainings in
Malawi with Malawian Christians who can produce the same ‘story set’ in their
own languages. http://www.storyrunners.org/.
In order to teach Biblical Theology in the ‘Local Church’
to both Pastors and laypersons the Lord is leading us in a new
direction. Some dear friends are currently building a
Christian Conference Center in Malawi. In time we would move to staff housing they
plan to build at the center. From there we would teach Pastors, Church leaders
and Church groups Biblical and Systematic Theology through the Bible’s own
stories. For now we will stay connected to the Malawian Church by helping
launch a ‘School of Storying’ in
Malawi that will eventually be lead entirely by indigenous leadership.
This fall we will go to South Africa where St. Paul’s
Evangelical Anglican Church has called us to start an International Church. This
International Church at St. Paul’s would seek to reach Black
African students attending the University of Stellenbosch. We plan to do this
with the help of Edwin Mwale, an ABC graduate, attending seminary in South
Africa. We will use our Biblical storytelling to start this Church.
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| Dr. Krabbendam with our daughter Clara. |
Consequently, we are leaving the African Bible College to
work through the Africa Christian Training Institute. ACTI is an officially
recognized charitable organization that is committed to the church in
Sub-Saharan Africa. ACTI was founded by Dr. Krabbendam, a highly
respected Evangelist and Theologian who taught at Covenant College for 35 years
(PCA). We have held a number of seminars and in-service trainings for Pastors in
Malawi with Dr. Krabbendam over the years. The Africa Christian Training
Institute has been training Christian leaders in Sub-Saharan Africa for
over 25 years. It is an honor for us to work with them.
We ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering
with us to strengthen the African Church by teaching Biblical and Systematic
Theology through the Bible’s own stories. This ministry is dependent upon the faithful
prayers and generous financial support of individuals and churches like you.
Zikomo Kwambiri (thanks very much),
Reverend Jay Stoms (CrossPoint Churches, PNW Presbytery,
PCA)
PLEASE SEND MONTHLY SUPPORT TO (Currently 2/3 of our ministry budget):
Africa Christian Training Institute (Jay Stoms Ministry
Fund).
P O Box 15621
Panama City FL 32406-5621
