OVERALL GOAL: Theological Education, Christian Higher Education
Tell us about your Mission Partner and how they believe your mission work has impacted their ministry and the lives of the people they served this past year.
St. Paul’s has been training people to “serve God and humanity” since 1903. It became a fully chartered Private Christian University in 2007. The University is jointly owned and operated by the Anglican Church of Kenya, the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, the Methodist Church of Kenya, the Reformed Church of East Africa, and the National Council of Churches of Kenya. As Mission Co-workers Rowland and Jane have served St. Paul’s in a variety of ways. In addition to teaching in the Faculties of Business and Theology, Rowland has had close supervision of students who are training for ministry in the Reformed Church of East Africa. He has also played a key role in the University’s Quality Assurance Committee which reviews current standards and the curriculums of the various academic programs. In addition to teaching in the Faculties of Social Sciences and Theology, Jane has fulfilled several administrative tasks which help in the smooth running of the university including timetabling of classes and administration of exams. She also enjoys mentoring students outside of the classroom setting and working with her Kenyan colleagues to improve the new faculty of Social Sciences.
Describe how an engaged congregation’s involvement and prayers enhances this ministry and what are some of the other ways a church can be effective and supportive.
While we enjoy living and working in Kenya, being so far away from our two children and our parents is not easy. We are sustained by your prayers. Living on campus as the only non-Kenyan full time staff means that we have the opportunity for cross-cultural engagement with students and staff at all times. We need your prayers to keep us focused on being good Christian witnesses to everyone. Churches can also support students with scholarships and/or with books & Bibles through the RCA. St. Paul’s also provides a good setting for learning about the wider work of the church in Africa and we would welcome visits from congregation members. We have hosted college and seminary groups too.
Share a story about a life directly impacted and/or transformed by your ministry with our partner.
We have taught and trained hundreds of students over the years. One that really stands out is Jeremiah who got his Bachelor of Divinity here, then got a Masters in Counseling. It has been a joy to see how his gifts of working with children and for listening to people and visiting them have been growing through his studies. We were both privileged to teach him and get to know him through Denominational Studies and by visiting his church and home.
He is taking the opportunities he was given and the new skills he has gained to be used in service to those who are facing poverty and other difficulties. He is now working in a local church in a rough part of Nairobi and helping them with Sunday school and Vacation Bible School. He also helps people with special needs. He recently helped someone confined to a wheel chair to get a scholarship to begin studying photo journalism at St Paul’s University.
How are new leaders being prepared and nurtured in hopes of empowering our Mission Partner to grow and become more self-sufficient?
As a growing University, St Paul’s is always recruiting and training more staff to teach new students in new programs in new campuses. We have both played a variety of roles and served on a variety of committees and taught a variety of classes to help out where needed. Some of our former students are now our teaching colleagues or work in the administration of the university. In addition, our students who go out to serve the church and society are also strengthening the leadership capacity of our broader partners (all the churches that own and operate St. Paul’s).
Share how you are directly involved in preparing a leader who might succeed you in the future?
The Kenyan government has recently declared that all university faculty members must have their PhDs. Our being here has allowed several of our colleagues to get their doctorates. By teaching their classes we have allowed them to take a sabbatical and do research for their doctorates.
Help us to understand how we can continue to be in prayer for you, your family, our Mission Partner and the people of God.
Pray for us personally, that we remain inspired to teach and give witness to a well-balanced Christian life. We are thankful that our daughter Michelle is coping with her medical condition (POTS) and has been able to enroll at Hope College. Pray for continued strength for her as she studies and adjusts to life in the U.S. and at university. We are also grateful that our older daughter Jenna has finished college. Pray that she may find a sense of direction and discern what is next for her.
We have leadership roles in four different fellowship groups. Pray that all involved in these groups will experience a deeper connection to their faith. Pray for us and all the other staff that we continue to be committed to the vision of St Paul’s University: “A University of academic excellence based on Christian principles producing graduates in various fields for global service.”
As St. Paul’s grows and expands pray for all those who are implementing new programs on our three new campuses. Also pray for students. For our mature students (most in Theology) the cost of following their calling into ministry is leaving their families at home while they study. In other programs, we have many students who are not yet Christians or who are still trying to figure out how to live out their Christian faith.
Kenya is a growing country with some growing pains: There is uncertainty, corruption, and insecurity. Pray that God’s will would be done here in the economy, the politics, and also in education. Thankfully the majority of the population is Christian, pray that they will actively live out their faith and be role models for others. Pray for Christian-Muslim relations as Kenya faces terrorist threats from extremist groups like Al Shabaab.
~Jane and Rowland Van Es, Hope Church Missionaries