Journals
Posted on September 16, 2015 Stretching Forward

Dear friends,

After being missionaries in the D.R. Congo for nearly thirty years, we are really being stretched now!

Over sixty years ago, the Kikongo pastoral training school was established to train rural pastoral leadership. We have been involved with this school for twenty years.

This school was intentionally established in a rural setting in order to keep the pastors and their families in rural ministry. When people are trained in the city, they tend to remain in the city. The level of the Kikongo pastoral training, however, is now considered inferior to the University level in the city. Consequently, those who are intelligent and have a calling to pastoral ministry have been gravitating toward the city. This rural part of Africa has been suffering from a brain drain: a rural exodus as people migrate to the city. In addition to this, an assertively anti-intellectual sorcery movement is exerting much influence on the area.

Our solution to combat ignorance and bring a better quality life to rural Africa is to transform the Kikongo Pastoral training school up to University level. In October, we will be kicking off our first days as a university with three majors:

a. Theology and rural development
b. Agriculture
c. Teacher training

All three are very useful programs for those living in rural Africa. This is a time of stretching forward for us as we adapt to the changing needs of the population in rural Africa.This year’s theme for the International Ministries World Mission Offering is: “Stretching forward toward the goal of advancing God’s Kingdom on earth.” Phil.3 :13,14

Thank you in advance for your faithful support of this year’s World Mission Offering. Through International Ministries, God is doing amazing things all over the world.

Blessings, Glen and Rita