MEDICS International held its
very first East Africa Leadership Conference in Nairobi, Kenya on February 22-23, 2004. Six of the USA staff and the Chairman of MEDICS’ Board of Directors, Dr. David Gieser, and his wife, Mary, attended. The team met with almost
twenty local representatives of our five current pastor training schools in Kenya and Uganda. In addition to being a source of
great encouragement to the leadership of our East African schools and the
American team, the meeting was also a time for reinforcing strengths, improving
in areas of weakness, ensuring accountability, and discussing needs. After the
Nairobi meeting, MEDICS’ leadership and some of our African teachers made the
trip by road to visit the Meru, Kenya school and to speak with students and
staff. For those so fortunate as this team to visit one of the MEDICS schools,
it is a wonderful blessing to see and hear the MEDICS curriculum being taught
to pastors who need and are hungry for Biblical knowledge.These pastors are
discipled on how to apply Godly precepts in their lives and in their church
communities, and for the encouragement and strength derived from fellowship
with other pastors in the region. Jo Ella and I returned to Kenya for an additional two weeks in June (4 – 21). One of the highlights of this working
trip was the privilege to see first-hand some of the results of the pastors’ training
school in Meru. We visited a pastor who graduated from the very first MEDICS
school. His church was filled to overflowing, and we had the very rewarding opportunity
to see and hear him preaching and teaching his flock. We witnessed how MEDICS
International is truly a vital part of the Gospel being preached on the Fire Line! On a separate three-week trip to Kenya, Deborah Lynch from Ruston, Louisiana, a member of the MEDICS Board of Directors, visited the
MEDICS pastors’ training school in Lodwar – one of the poorest areas of the
country. She traveled with a team from Share International, MEDICS’ partner in
mission at the Lodwar school. As she was there for the dedication of the
newest East Africa school, Deborah delivered some comments during the opening
ceremony, participated in the ribbon cutting, and cut the cake at the
celebration that followed. She enthusiastically reported that all of the
pastors in the school were very warm and welcoming – and they are truly
thankful for the opportunity they have to learn at the Lodwar pastor training
school.
Participants at the meeting included Dr. George Renner of the Nairobi Evangelical
Graduate School of Theology (NEGST) and Mr. and Mrs. Terry Jones, the East
Africa Directors for Evangelism Explosion (EE). MEDICS International is
blessed to be engaged with organizations such as NEGST and EE as we continually
work to improve our school curriculum.
In addition to hosting and conducting the
meeting in Nairobi and the visit to Meru, members of MEDICS’ American
contingent were able to tend to other areas of ministry business that could not
be conducted from the offices in America. All-in-all, the time and resources for
the East Africa Leadership Conference were very well and prudently used.
Deborah returned from Kenya excited about what God is doing through
MEDICS International, and our partners, and with a very clear vision of how the
MEDICS’ model for empowering churches and communities on the Fire Line can be implemented!
