Thursday, April 17, 2014

Our new emphasis in Africa is to empower the laypersons who  are doing the majority of the preaching and teaching in the church.  If Africans are to be defined by the gospel then the gospel will have to be rediscovered in Africa in the context of the Bible Story. The best way to do this is to teach Biblical and Systematic Theology in the local church using the Bible’s own stories.

This is why we are now working with the Africa Christian Training Institute. We're leaving the African Bible College where we’ve been for 12 years. Our funding will now go through the Africa Christian Training Institute. ACTI is a recognized charitable organization founded by Dr. Henry Krabbendam, who taught at Covenant College for 35 years. I first met Dr. Krabbendam in the early 1990’s when he spoke at our Knox Seminary chapel. In recent years we have developed a working relationship with Dr. Krabbendam, and we now consider him a mentor and family friend.  ACTI has been committed to strengthening the Church in Sub-Saharan Africa for over 25 years. We are honored to work with them.  

ACTI gives us the flexibility to teach and live at the ‘Christian Conference Center’ our friends from Ruth Shawl’s ministry are building in Malawi. We plan to stay connected to Malawi by helping to launch a ‘School of Storying’ that can be led entirely by local leadership.  This September we will work with St. Pauls’ Evangelical Anglican Church in South Africa to start an International Church designed to reach Black African students attending the University of Stellenbosch. We plan to grow this Church using our Biblical storytelling and with the help of Edwin Mwale, an ABC graduate.

Dr. K @ Maula Prison.
Your prayerful support of the ministry the Lord has given us in Africa is deeply appreciated. The ‘new direction’ the Lord is taking us in is an opportunity to strengthen our partnership in the gospel in Southern Africa. Together we can help strengthen the African Church by teaching the gospel through the Bible’s own stories.  
Zikomo Kwambiri (thanks very much),
Reverend Jay, Laura, Clara, Katherine and Lauren Stoms.
PLEASE SEND MONTHLY SUPPORT TO:
Africa Christian Training Institute (Jay Stoms Ministry Fund).
P O Box 15621; Panama City FL 32406-5621


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