Several things have motivated me to venture into this discussion. To begin with, to remind, raise the awareness and even challenge missionaries and would be missionaries of the concerns that have been voiced for the past many years. Secondly, I seek to call upon the nationals to critically look at the issues and thereby work towards a lasting solution. In my view I have not seen 2 Tim. 2:2 being applied fully in the African context. By the continual need to bring missionaries from overseas to teach the nationals is to me evidence that this is not happening. A call therefore to rethink theological training in Africa for Africa is burning!
Let me give you core reasons as to why I was burdened to raise this matter in my blog:
- To encourage the educational work that the missionaries are doing, their sacrifices and heart in providing training opportunities and the much needed direction and support in the bible colleges and institutions.
- One of the sad scenarios in our local churches is when the leaders themselves think that the work of theological training is solely for the missionaries. You find that even those who get their degrees in ministerial work go to their churches and completely forget that others need the training as well. They fail to sensitize the church on the need to give towards theological training, or even to discuss and challenge one another.
- The process towards training nationals so that they are fully equipped and qualified to teach others also has been too slow and most of the times falls below the standards that are held by seminaries abroad.
- I strongly believe that what Africa (Kenya, Zambia and Tanzania, being the countries I’m well familiar with) needs is conservative seminaries with high scholarship standards and not bible colleges and institutions though they may have their place. Bible colleges should thus be born from these seminaries and universities.
- The Methodists, Pentecostals and other Christian groups have succeeded in educating their local men in high level terminal degrees. These in turn have been used to open universities and seminaries for their people. I believe the Baptist/Presbyterians can also do it.
- My fellow local friends, that is pastors, students and church leaders have also seen the need for such a set up to be put in place. This has in fact been seen as long overdue.
- Lay men and women including teenagers and children have been amazed by the fact that the Bible colleges and even institutions are almost exclusively run and taught by missionaries. The question that I have frequently encountered is, “why is it that ‘this’ bible college has only lecturers from abroad?”
- I am convinced that African theologians are better placed in being able to identify, diagnose the theological problems we face and there after prescribe the appropriate antidote. They know the cultural context better.
- Do I want to wake up one morning and start thinking on how to send my children to Christian universities halfway round the globe? I want to send my kids to a seminary across the street from where I leave. I do not want to be faced with a situation, like the one currently prevailing, where 99% of all my options for advanced theological studies are in the West and the other 0.9% is distributed in other continents.
- I highly recommend Pius Wakatama’s book, Independence for the Third World Church published in 1976 by IVCF. Firstly to missionaries and would be missionaries, because he(Wakatama) does a good job in portraying the concerns many local men have faced, are facing and will continue to face if the situation remains the same. Secondly, to the nationals to look at some of the solutions he offers and hopefully channel the way forward in this crucial need – evangelical/fundamental theologians made in Africa for Africa all for the glory of God. The amazing thing when you read this book is that it was written more than thirty years ago and the issues and concerns he raised back then are still being pointed out in this very day. There are areas I don’t agree with him but in general he is right on the money
Several quotes from his book will be helpful at this point. Under the topic Training Nationals for Leadership he discusses the following matters:
“…higher education should be the priority for many missions today and not just another area needing attention.” (Wakatama, 54)
“The missionaries who began this modern phase of Christian expansion in Africa, together with their African helpers, were devout, sincere and dedicated men and women. But they were not theologians, some of them had little education, and most of the African evangelists and catechists were either illiterate or had only little formal learning. These workers were more concerned with practical evangelism, education and medical care, than with any academic or theological issues that might arise from the presence of Christianity in Africa.” (Ibid, 54-55)
“Africa needs a theology which deals with theological questions like this one which are peculiar to Africa. Foreign missionaries cannot produce such a theology. Africa’s own sons need to be trained so that they in turn will be used by the Holy Spirit to teach a pure doctrine within the context of their culture and world view.” (Ibid, 57)
“Only Africans trained at the highest level and able to work from the original language of the bible will be able to give the church an apologetic which will demonstrate the veracity of Christianity in African terms.” (Ibid, 58)
“In order for the African church to really mature, a robust Christian literature must come from the pens of committed, well trained African writers dealing with the deeper implications of Christianity in African life.” (Ibid, 60)
‘Sponsoring Nationals for Overseas Study’ is the topic under which he discusses the following things:
He begins a chapter on Sponsoring nationals for overseas. He notes three views on this topic. “The first view is held mostly by missionaries. They say that nationals should not be encouraged to or sponsored to study overseas. The second view is held mostly by Third World leaders of the younger generation and by students studying overseas. They point out that there is a great need for trained nationals who will take over responsibilities from missionaries and for others who will take leadership in developing the young nations. All means must be used to get them overseas where the training is available. In between these groups are nationals, missionaries and American church leaders who believe that overseas study for nationals should be utilized as a last resort if the training needed is not available in their own country pr a neighboring country where the culture is not too different.” (Ibid, 69)
“It is true, as my survey showed that although many are returning to their countries to minister faithfully, a few get sidetracked by various considerations. It is however dangerous to make a negative generalization because of these few. Even among them mitigating circumstances may be found. Instead of discouraging otherwise deserving nationals from going overseas by terminating scholarship programs, mission leaders should evaluate their programs to see where they can be improved in order to lessen or eliminate the possibility of casualties. They should ask themselves where they may be failing instead of just blaming the national.”(Ibid, 73)
“Talking on the Criteria for Selecting Nationals he says this, “Let’s look more closely at some existing standards and at those that should be used to gauge someone’s suitability for overseas study. From personal experience I have come to the conclusion that some missionaries are most happy with those nationals who tell them what they want to hear. They are more at home with the passive national who does not criticize anything but acquiesces in everything. Missionaries often regard such a national as “spiritual” and are apt to bestow all kinds of favors on him, including overseas study. The independent, thinking and creative national is often regarded as a trouble maker. Because of feelings of superiority, missionaries may find it hard to accept criticism from him. Yet he could be one who would come back to give dynamic leadership to the church because his faith is centered in Christ alone and not in the security of missionary approval.” (Ibid, 73)
“The educational level of Third World masses is growing at a fast rate. This rate must be equaled by the Christian community so workers will be able to minister effectively in increasingly literate societies.” (Ibid, 77)
“In order for them to adequately take over they need training at the highest levels that the missionary was trained. To say that nationals must be trained in their own countries is also unrealistic because much of the training that is needed at degree and postgraduate levels is not available in many countries of the Third Word.”(Ibid, 79)
Some thing I kept on hearing from missionaries while growing up was that the national does not need a lot of theological education given the fact that they (missionaries) are serving without doctorates. But I believe this is a wrong comparison, it should be between African nationals and overseas nationals not missionaries. The funny thing is that when missionaries host Bible conferences it is always the Doctor who and doctor who, who are the main speakers.
“The result is that ecumenical nationals now hold leadership positions in the economic, political and social life of African societies. Where issues between the church and state are discussed, evangelical nationals are conspicuous by their silence or absence. They do not have the educational sophistication to even know the issues at stake.” (Ibid, 81)
He concludes the book with a sobering thought, “…sponsoring nationals for overseas study is risky business. Even if all the problems discussed are eliminated, there will still be some casualties. However, the task ahead is so important that a few backsliders should not deter us from doing what is right. Any mission or church still without a scholarship program for training their top national leadership is going to face serious problems soon. At the same time emphasis should also be placed on providing the same training that is available overseas right at home within the cultural context of the Third World itself.” (Ibid, 82)
According to my observations and interactions with people around, both nationals and missionaries, I am persuaded that this should be the way forward:
- Evangelical/Fundamental Seminaries and Universities should be invited and encouraged to come to Africa and setup satellite campuses where the locals can be trained for terminal degrees so that they themselves can continue the work. In my view if they did this for a period of around 10 years then by God’s grace we can have our own people teaching their own people. The missionaries on the other hand can from then on be used to supplement the overall work.
- Young people and couples from our local churches should be supported both by the churches and missionaries to go abroad and receive quality theological training and preparation for ministry with the aim of them coming back and starting or extending the work that is already back home.
- For the work that is already going on in some of these bible colleges and institutions in our countries and for them to reach this goal, then what they need is qualified educators and trainers and not just “missionaries”. The reason is that most missionaries come with of course church planting as the main work, this then results in college work being “secondary” to them whenever they get involved with it. The other setback is when missionaries have to go for furlough or change mission stations and this really slows down the work. This in turn brings a lack of continuity because of these unplanned or unexpected breaks.
- When you look at other institutions like hospitals, secular universities, and engineering departments, for example, you will find that they are almost exclusively run by the nationals. But I believe they didn’t start like that. I’m sure there was a time when we had foreigners running these institutions but it came a point where they trained the locals, took them abroad (in conjunction with the government) for further studies. These are the ones who came back and continued the good work, trained others and we are now benefiting from their endeavors and sacrifices. By God’s help this can be done if we are all willing to make greater sacrifices and if we work towards that not tomorrow… but today.
- Local Pastors must make deliberate efforts to encourage young people to attend bible colleges and seminaries either locally or abroad. When the local churches fail to see this need then the problems we are facing in areas like missions will continue to prevail. Encouragement by mouth alone is not enough. I know churches that are able to support at least 5 called young men for training abroad but yet not a dime has ever been allocated. No wonder you have big churches with not even one person with a desire for ministry. The elders must see put this in place and also motivate the members to take up this need and support it. With this kind of heart and practice we will be able to make progress. The elders/pastors should see this as an advantage rather than a threat. They should even be in the look out for sponsorships/scholarships for ministerial training abroad and even have an elder who is in charge of these matters.
I have no doubt that missionaries are indeed making a lot of sacrifices. But with this kind of vision being deep seated in many local servants of God including numerous young people that God is raising, they will have to be called to make greater sacrifices. However the greatest sacrifice has to be made by the local churches and their leaders in order for this to happen. I strongly believe that God is able to raise local faithful men and women in Africa, who are well trained from our circles to offer ministerial training for our young people. I am also convinced that we are able to work towards achieving this goal despite the immense challenges that are in view or will emerge.
I will highly appreciate your objective critique.
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October 20, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Jeff Straub
Andrew:
I couldn’t agree more with you and thank you for the notice of this conversation. When I was with you men last February, I was impressed by the level of understanding many of you manifested in our conversations, doubtless others, more shy and less talkative, are equally capable men also.
My burden here in the USA is two fold. To train men for ministry and to train men to train men. To all my would-be missionary students, I emphasis the point you raise – nationals will nearly always in the end do a better job of preparing their countrymen for the service of the Lord. I try to help my American brothers see that if they go to the mission field, they need to work themselves out of a job–whether it is as a church planting pastor or as a Bible college professor. A national if properly trained will do a better job, assuming he has a good biblical character.
One problem we do run into here in our seminary and other seminaries also are challenged with–many students from the so-called Third World come to the US and, after a few years here, do not wish to return. In some ways, I cannot blame them. They trade a life of greater difficulty for a life of greater comfort here in the US. So seminaries are reluctant to bring too many foreign students in unless they are convinced they will return to their country. Many do return, but sadly some do not.
So, what can we do further to help? Keep up the conversation! Study hard and it will be my joy to help to men in any way possible realize our goal of full ministry after a 2 Tim 2 model!
Blessings on you men as you study! I look forward to our next visit together!
Jeff Straub
October 21, 2008 at 6:31 pm
andrew
When I read your comment Jeff, I thank God for the brothers God has raised for the growth of the church. Indeed you have highlighted the risk involved but yet again offered a solution.
A comment from a local pastor continues to raise the awareness:
“I am overwhelmed at where to start in giving a brief from a practical, real-life experience being a Pastor/Bible teacher in Africa for over 10 years (referring) to my post ordination-ministry in His work.
At this point I would rather seem to be complementing our missionary brethren who as you have referred came with a core vision of Church planting. Church planting without effective processes for 2 Tim 2:2 will leave lean, weak, temporary leadership in the African Churches. For the local new testament Bible-Teaching congregations to thrive GENEROUS INVESTMENT must be put in strengthening existing leadership, and training upcoming young people into a future with a Sustainable Bible Based African Church leaders. The missionary must therefore put the focus on the objects of his ministry in Africa to be able to make the sacrifice you have referred to.”
October 22, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Bill Knipe
Andy,
We appreciated your comments and concerns. Thank you for communicating them. My wife said that this would have made a great topic for your English paper in her class a couple of years ago
I know we have previously discussed these things, but once again, I am wondering if another solution would be more advantageous. As you know, many reputable fundamental seminaries offer education by extension. While there are limitations to doing your education in front of a computer, television, or MP3 player, there are also many benefits compared to the concerns raised with sending an African student to the States or UK. Even some of your lecturers (me included) are working on their own doctorates in this fashion.
A national can receive training from those with doctorate degrees without ever having to leave his homeland. This would protect against reservations and concerns of his desire to remain away from his own country. It would also be much less expensive. It would also allow him to continue ministering in his own context.
I know that previously you said that this would be an option for some, but you prefer to see first-hand the set-up and operation of a foreign seminary so that you would know from experience how to set up such an institution in your own home land. I am just wondering if it would really be advantageous, or detrimental in the end for you to experience an American run, American focussed seminary predominantly geared toward Americans. I am wondeing if it would be better for you to develop your own African methods and patterns for discipline (etc.) without being tainted with the ideals of an American seminary.
Just some thoughts. Know that we are praying for you and we understand your desire. We really are aiming at the same goal here at CABC. It will just take time. Unfortunately, you are nearing seminary days and we are still developing. We are asking the Lord to give you direction.
Your favorite (only) current Greek Lecturer
Bill Knipe
October 22, 2008 at 7:14 pm
andrew
Let me take time off from filling the omega verb charts
and try to shed some light on some of your points.
Most good bible colleges here are almost exclusively run by American missionaries therefore we still get tainted with American patterns and disciplines. Seminary in Africa is a new thing therefore alot will have to be borrowed from there. The American ideals I believe will fade away as time goes by and as the Africans run them.
I think there is a lot of benefit in seeing things been done first hand, which saves time and resources because there is less of reinventing the wheel, just improve on it.
The other point is that correspondence studies take along time. If for example we had four families go to the States for seminary, that means you have a maximum of eight “faculty” members when they finish their studies and come back home. The other importance is that they will concentrate more on their studies and personal growth. With full support they can all get their M.Div. in say 3yrs. But through distance learning, I hear this takes forever.
Ofcourse not every option works for everybody, but I think the best and most effective method should be sought and even having several options working together to meet this much needed need.
For me to do well in seminary I need to be serious
with my omega verb chart, thanks and I will see you soon.
October 22, 2008 at 7:33 pm
ken
on a personal basis i might state a few things in a different way than you have but i would end up saying mainly what you have said.
it has often been said that a “local man best understands the local man’s need”…..Andy has nailed it right on the head!!! …..the problem with the solution has been that many africans go and dont come back….it is a dangerous thing to go to america for education there have been casualties….But no nation stops fighting a war because there have been casualties….there have been men for example who have come to the college that i am in who believed themselves called to the ministry…but they fell on the way side…casualties, the solution is not to shut down this college but rather take time to study out these cases and come up with a workable solution.
I have a heart for my own people…it is the souls of my own country men that are at stake here……that means i have more at stake in seeing the Church of Christ grow in Nairobi than anyone else…i cant simply up and go any time. what needs to be done to see to it that that flock gets the best prepared shepard that i can provide it with shall be done…yes it must be done.
we need our misionary patners to support this…thus far God has used them to raise us up….we have come too far together in pursuing the same goal to be separated on such a minor point. the reservations expressed by my spiritual mentors have caused me to do more soul searching on my motives and preparation aganist the dangers that lay ahead, time spent here and back home in the ministry after this will help me guard aganist that the all the more …so for that i am thankful yet to speak for myself…so firm is my conviction on the neccesity for higher education before God that if the cost of disagreeing with those I count as my mentors is called for I shall bear it as an undesired burden.
ps. if this is the only way to take…which for me seems to be the only way…then i fully trust that the God who has kept my soul from so many grander temptations and granted me victory over a thousand more is able to keep me…other than that…for any to believe that all this time spent here training for the ministry has been for the simple purpose of getting a chance to run off to the states and never come back is grandly mistaken…there are easier ways…ways which over ten on close family members have used and continue to urge i pursue…but to live in the states is not my aim…i have been called to a life way much more glorious than any the comftable life that america can offer to me!!!
may God’s will be done…in all that shall be said and done it is His name that is chiefly at stake here…and His glory
thank you for voicing out these concerns
October 22, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Sandie Mwanje
Andy, may i start by appreciating this spirit which is very rare in our day, “courage and conviction”, which as i believe is crucial in ministry. what kind of men is the Lord looking for? labourers not loiters- men who know what they ve been called to do, men with a burden. in appointing His servants, the lord gives them a task and woe to that servant who does not know what he needs to do.
i will be very brief my brother coz i agree with you. Africa at this stage must actually partner with the west in Mission work. we must as african christians take it as a challenge. we must reach own people. Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles, but he was xtremly burdened with the salvation of Isreal to the point that he wished he himself were accursed. to some xtent its not so much the education we need but to carry out the lords command, “Go….” if we are going we shall see how much we need theological trainning and consequently what we need to do. Most of the bible seminaries were born out of need and not for the sake of. we need to get out of the receiving mentality which sadly is the diseases affecting our govts. but the African church must somehow think differently. honestly speaking i know churches in Africa that are able to send and sponsor African missionaries within our boundaries,and well able to send people for quality theological training (wherever its found) for the purpose of starting our own seminaries here and keep passing the button. i agree, what we need is thorough training so we can train other locals. if we dont get it, we shall forever be dependant on the west and only Christ coming will redeem us from such dependance. how far must a christian man go in his studies and knowledge? ” study to show thyself approved unto God…” surelly if the west need well versed ministers then Africa needs them more considering the challenges.
Restrictions on going to the west seeking further training are unwarrented, and you have ably dealt with that. the wrong man in ministry is wrong everywhere. in summary i wld say, what we need in ministry are labourers not opptunist or loiters. If all what the African ministers wil get is basic theological training, then they will keep looking to the west for more. But the Bible calls for thorough equipment and that we must get. this challenge to get the best Education for the glory of God is primarily to the Africans. The western brothers must support it and help if they can.
October 30, 2008 at 2:35 pm
andrewmatoke
It would be dangerous to minimize the temptations that exist in going to the states for seminary, but does that mean that Africans should never go there(which has sadly being inferred by most missionaries ). Just because fire has caused a lot of havoc and killed people does it mean that we should stop using fire?
In our circles this seems to be a sticky issue. There have been some from other circles who have been supported and have received theological training in the States and have easily made their way back home without the tension that we have come to know.
People realize the need for the locals to do further training, they refuse or are not able to provide it here and at the same time refuse anyone seeking seminary abroad. I am reminded of a local pastor who asked his missionary to help him enroll for a Masters program through distant learning. The missionary said he was not aware of any college that did that. The local pastor went ahead and applied in a local Pentecostal or evangelical seminary. Learning of this the missionary refused to sign the papers, and there went the dream of the local man who wanted to further his studies.
I sometimes get the feeling that locals can only be trusted up to a point, and if that is the case what is the point of working with someone when such a scenario exists.
There is a sense in which the locals are not trusted to make this decision. This does not mean that missionaries should stay clear, no one would disagree that their help in the local churches is invaluable.
If one really believes that that is the direction God wants them to go, shouldn’t there be room for “let every man be convinced in his own mind?” If the local man is not trusted to make such a decision, why should he be trusted to make decisions for the church or even worse his own family.
Ken in his comment raises an important point, listen to the local man. If we truly believe that he ministers effectively and is aware of the needs then we should also believe that he can provide the solution. I think we are sometimes perceived to have something hidden under our sleeves that whoever declares that they want to go to the states for seminary that they are just using that to enable them run to the states. I agree there are those who did that but we do not have all the details. The blanket generalization of all locals is hurting, different cast but same script. Many have come to joke that there seems to be a manual that all missionaries have on how to deal with the locals. I must be quick to say, lest I’m accused of generalizing, that not all are like that, but to find even one is a “rare jewel”. There are very many legitimate and sometimes stress free ways of getting to the states if one really wanted to get there, so it is not that we have discovered this one now.
Let me expand on Sandi’s point above, how did the seminaries abroad begin, were they started by foreign missionaries? I know of men of God like Bob Jones, John Murray, Clearwaters and Machen just to name but a few, of which if they did not pursue their dream we would not have had these seminaries. I have heard and read great testimonies of people who have gone through these institutions and how valuable that was. The point is basically this, the locals there saw the need and went ahead and did what they believed God wanted them to do. I think it is going to be exciting for me to read the whole stories behind these institutions and if there is anyone with an idea of books written or links I would appreciate if they got in touch with me.
I continue to insist that one of the solutions is to have as many local seminaries as possible, which of course will take time but I continue to insist the work towards that direction must begin now. How do we arrive at that? Many locals must be trained, there are coming days when there will be no need to go abroad for seminary, but until then this remains one of the main options. We should see days when it’s the local churches that decide who goes to seminary, for how long and which particular one.
Let me now ask a question to those who have gone through seminary or are already in it. What was involved or what did you have to go through before you went into seminary, who was involved, were there differing opinions or opposition, how did you handle all that or was there even such a scenario existing. The reason I’m asking this is, sometimes I think there is to some level unnecessary pressure put on locals who want to go to seminary of which the ministerial students abroad do not face.
I close with this quote from a friend, “My training as a theologian is simply training to help him (the pastor) in his task” I hope and pray that our local churches will come to know such help which is badly needed.
November 3, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Jeff Straub
Andrew:
Thanks for this interesting conversation. I check it periodically and feel that maybe I can contribute. I for one want to give the “locals” all the power that education can offer. This means that some will come to the US to study because there is not now the opporunity to study in one’s home land.
At the same time, I am keenly aware that some coming here, wish to stay. This is too bad, but because this happens, it is not a reason to refuse to bring others. Some WILL go back and they will help their kinsmen.
Still it is costly to bring men (and their families) half way around the world. The reality is that the US government wants assurances that these men will return home. So we have a challenge. How to train men who will return to train their brethren!
I was impressed by by visit to Zambia. I saw some men who show great potential to train their own country men. How to help them . . . this is my burden. I leave for Romania is a month to help train men there who are seeking to train their fellow Romanian pastors.
My suggestions to you and the men. Study hard and be diligent. You will need a B. A. or B. S. degree to get into a US seminary. Do what you can to earn one, even in a secular field. Moreover, like I tell all my students, work hard for the Lord. Trust Him to guide you to where He would have you.
Keep up the good work. Greet the brethren for me!
Jeff Straub
November 13, 2008 at 5:54 pm
andy
I will be praying for your journey to Romania, such a work there is indeed encouraging.
We should surely trust God to help us overcome the challenges and seeing thee good that can come out of it rather than fearing and dismissing the whole idea. I thank God for the people God is raising who are burdened for Africa.
I will do the best on my part, and pray and depend upon God as I also encourage my friends to believe God for the ministry work in Africa and to be burdened for serious theological training right here. This will then mean that we also get prepared for it.
In Christ.