ECLEA: Return from East Africa

I just returned yesterday from East Africa. Here are the highlights since my previous post:

Burundi-Rema Ministries TOT
My first week in Burundi was spent doing a 1 Timothy TOT for the Rema Ministries staff (which is serving as ECLEA's committee in Burundi). Overseer Peter Barihzigo of the MINEVAM denomination was also present throughout. We spent four days together. The discussion was spirited, sometimes evolving into animated discussion in Kirundi among the participants. I always consider that a good thing. This was in preparation for our leading a 1 Timothy conference for the 50 Burundi MINEVAM pastors.

Rema Ministries staff

Gatumba-1 Timothy conference
Frederic Harerimana, Francois Nitunga, and I spent 3 1/2 days teaching 1 Timothy to the 50 MINEVAM pastors of Burundi. Last Fall we had done a Biblical Stewardship conference for the same group. I began this conference by asking participants what they had done about stewardship since several months had elapsed since that conference. Many testimonies were given: several talked of planting trees; one talked of teaching basic health practices; another said that he had established a finance committee. One pastor had been sent out to plant a new church. He said that the stewardship teaching served as the foundation as he began the church; it also gave him a greater sense of respect for his fellow leaders and his congregants. One pastor told us that, at the time of the stewardship conference, he had had diabetes. As a result of the "stewardship of the body" portion of the conference, he decreased his consumption of soda and stopped taking sugar with his tea. His doctor recently confirmed that he no longer has diabetes!

One pastor testifying about effects of stewardship conference

The conference itself went very well. Because we spent 3 1/2 days, not the 2 1/2 we usually use, we had time for 3 small group discussion sessions and plenty of Q&A. Comments to me and my fellow teachers confirmed that this conference was eye-opening. Not one of the pastors had ever either studied or preached a series of sermons through an entire book of the Bible, section-by-section from beginning to end as we did. The participants were clearly challenged in a number of areas. Overseer Barihzigo was present throughout and challenged the pastors to apply what they had learned. Frederic also received many invitations to preach at the pastors' churches. I am confident that, over time, we will see some real progress in the MINEVAM denomination as a result of our work with these pastors. 

Frederic teaching at MINEVAM 1 Timothy conference

MINEVAM participants

Library!
Rema Ministries has a very good theological library consisting of maybe 1000 volumes or more. It was in rather a state of disorganization, however. Rema director Felibien Ndintore gave me the green light to reorganize it, a job I was very happy to do. I spent about 1 1/2 days getting the library reorganized in a logical order and all the shelves labeled. We also discussed a couple of ways to keep the books in a reasonable order. I hope this helps both Rema and the outsiders who sometimes use the library.

Next stop: Kenya 
I will be home until the end of March, when I will head to Kenya. I hope to be able to get together with some of you while I am here. I already have a substantial list of ECLEA and personal matters on my to-do list for these next few weeks. Be sure to check out ECLEA's website (www.eclea.net): it has several additions I added shortly before I had left for Rwanda and Burundi, and I will be adding new material while I am home now. So, with that, I must get to work!

God bless you, Jonathan

ECLEA: Report from East Africa

From my emailed "report from the field":

Last week I was in Kigali, Rwanda doing such a training on Biblical Stewardship for the ECLEA-Rwanda team. Here are some of the highlights:

Jonathan eats an omlette

I have always hated eggs. Even as a child. On rare occasions in Africa I have tried to choke down part of a Spanish omlette that had been smothered in pili-pili to mask the taste. Here in Rwanda, however, I had a new experience. I stayed at the guest house and conference center run by Scripture Union. The food was very good (including lots of vegetables--a rarity most of the time in East Africa). Part of my breakfast each day was a Spanish omlette, but not like any other I'd ever had. These were liberally topped with lots of tomatoes, peppers, and onions. In fact, they looked like small, thin-crust pizzas! I added a few drops of Rwanda's "akabanga" chili oil.

An edible omlette

We also had good fruit including "tree tomatoes" (also sometimes called "bloodfruit") and passion fruit:

Tree tomato, passion fruit + one uncut passion fruit

Stewardship TOT

The ECLEA-Rwanda team currently consists of 8 people. Late last year they elected a new national coordinator after several excellent years of service in that capacity by Theophile Rugubira. The new coordinator is Stephen Nshimimana. He appears to be an excellent choice and has the confidence of the team and of me. (Theophile is still part of the team but got too busy to continue as coordinator.)

Six of the eight team members were able to be present for the entire four days of teaching and discussion on Biblical Stewardship. And deep discussions there were! Although I have worked with these good people for some time, more than one commented how valuable this time together was and how things "clicked" in ways that they had not before. I am very glad of this, because the Rwandans are planning on going out in groups of two to do stewardship TOTs in each of the provinces of Rwanda, beginning in late March.

ECLEA-Rwanda TOT participants

Marriages

Interestingly, several times the subject of marriage came up during our stewardship TOT. Our stewardship course is all about how Christianity and the Bible are designed to apply to all areas of life and should transform us from the inside-out so as to affect our lives in all areas. Marriage, of course, is probably the foundational institution for society. The thing that came out clearly was that, even though we are dealing with pastors and church leaders, in many cases Christ is not at the center of their marriages. Rather, their marriages are based on their culture which, in certain important ways, is profoundly unChristian (this is not unique to Rwanda). Bringing the relationship between husbands and wives into the mutuality, trust, and love called for by Christ will take time and work. But it will be profoundly transformative if and when that occurs. Please pray for these good people, that their marriages will be healed and Christ will truly be the center.

Jonathan leaving soon for Rwanda and Burundi

After a wonderful almost two months at home, I will be leaving for Rwanda and Burundi on Saturday, January 18. I am scheduled to arrive back home on February 9. While in East Africa, I will be working with my Rwanda and Burundi teaching teams and also participating in a conference for the Burundi pastors of the MINEVAM denomination.

 

A couple of other items of interest:

 

On January 2, Michael Newnham (the "Phoenix Preacher") posted the following on Facebook:

After listening to another inane "prophecy update" last night I have to plug this book again...

Biblical Eschatology

www.amazon.com

Second, one of the things that had been on my "to do" list while I was home was to learn how to edit and upload things to ECLEA's website (I generally know only enough about computers to be dangerous). I am happy to say that I learned a lot and have added lots photos, videos, and sermons (both audio and written) to the website (www.eclea.net). Please check it out and visit the website often, as I intend to keep it updated. If you have any comments or suggestions concerning the website, please let me know. I would like it to be first class, but that depends upon your input.

I will try to send you a report from the field while I am in East Africa and a report upon my return. God bless you, Jonathan

Christmas is coming: Biblical Eschatology is here!

My book, Biblical Eschatology, was recently published by Wipf & Stock Publishers

Copy and paste this link to learn more: http://www.amazon.com/Biblical-Eschatology-Jonathan-Menn/dp/1620325799/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386695098&sr=8-1&keywords=menn+biblical+eschatology

Here's what reviewers are saying:

"This is the single best volume on eschatology ever written and I truly believe that it will become the standard teaching text on the subject. . . . It also should be required reading by all who believe that eschatology is a vital component of their faith . . . which should be all of us. This book is comprehensive . . . it covers all of the doctrines and biblical texts associated with eschatology and the author has read and interacts with the differing positions on them honestly and fairly." Michael Newnham (the "Phoenix Preacher")

"There is a great deal of eschatological pap out there, but here we have the first comprehensive and exhaustive (nearly half the book consists of appendices and notes!) examination of eschatology firmly rooted in scripture. Menn has given us an important resource, one that will perhaps reopen discussion of a topic critical to Christian living here and now, and Christian hope for the future." John T. McFadden

I have been informed that Biblical Eschatology will be reviewed by The Gospel Coalition (thegospelcoalition.org) and in The Covenant Quarterly (the journal of the Evangelical Covenant Church). There will probably be additional reviews as well.

Ordering information

Since Christmas is coming, this would be the ideal present to get for yourself and for all of your friends! (shameless plug) You can order it from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or directly from the publisher via phone (541-344-1528) or email (orders@wipfandstock.com).

God bless you, and Merry Christmas.

 

ECLEA: Year-End Report

2013 has seen a lot of wonderful happenings. Here are some of the highlights.

ECLEA is born!

For reasons announced at the time, in Spring 2013 Dr. Frank Cummings and I formed Equipping Church Leaders-East Africa under the legal, financial, spiritual, and accountability covering of Community Church-Appleton, our home church. ECLEA’s vision and purpose is to “equip East African church leaders with sound and relevant biblical doctrine in order to transform lives, the churches, and communities.” Our dynamic website (ECLEA.net) was launched and is regularly being added to.

Community Church-Appleton is part of Converge Great Lakes. ECLEA was present at CGL’s annual meeting in the Fall. Brenda Hernday, the head of CGL’s Short Term Ministries Initiative, likes what ECLEA is doing, wants to become more actively involved, and is planning her first trip to East Africa for April 2014. I have also spoken with CGL pastors who want to explore the possibility of partnering with ECLEA.

Conferences and TOTs

I believe my personal impact will be maximized by spending more time teaching smaller groups of pastor-teachers (TOTs) who can then teach their own people and other church leaders, instead of concentrating on teaching at larger church-leader conferences. I still teach at conferences where my presence is requested and valuable. However, even though I travel to East Africa five times a year, I can only be in relatively few places. Thus, equipping indigenous teachers who have the ability and desire to teach others is my priority.

In 2013 I led the following TOTs: Burundi: 1-Biblical Stewardship; 1-First Timothy. Kenya: 3-Biblical Theology; 2-Forgiveness & Reconciliation; 1-Biblical Interpretation; 1 Biblical Stewardship. Rwanda: 1-Expository Preaching. Tanzania: 2-Biblical Theology; 2-Expository Preaching.

In 2013 I taught at the following church-leader conferences: Burundi: 3-First Timothy; 1-Biblical Stewardship. Kenya: 1-First Timothy. Tanzania: 3-First Timothy; 1-Biblical Stewardship. Uganda: 1-Biblical Stewardship.

This year’s mix of conferences and TOTs reflects my priority, as it is weighted toward TOTs. Even at the conferences, however, I make sure that 2 or 3 Africans teach with me. This year’s activities also reflect the fact that ECLEA has established itself in many places in East Africa. Because of this, I am able to introduce other courses that build upon what we have already done instead of concentrating solely on our “core” courses of First Timothy and Biblical Stewardship.

All-African conferences and TOTs

ECLEA takes its name seriously: we truly want to “equip” East African church leaders so that they can teach their own people—and other church leaders—the excellent material that we provide in their own languages and cultural context. If ECLEA is to have a long-term impact, it cannot ultimately depend on me, or Dr. Cummings, or any Westerner. Rather, the Africans will have to “own” and transmit our vision and teachings.

That we are succeeding in this is shown by the fact that the number of all-African church-leader conferences and TOTs more than doubled over the number of all-African conferences and TOTs in 2012! In 2013 there were 80-85 all-African conferences and TOTs in Kenya and 25-30 all-African conferences and TOTs in Tanzania. Additionally, ECLEA-trained teachers even led conferences in Democratic Republic of Congo. ECLEA helps to financially facilitate these all-African conferences and TOTs.

Other happenings

Frank Cummings continues to travel regularly to East Africa teaching biblical counseling. He has now developed an advanced counseling course to complement his basic course. And, consistent with ECLEA’s vision of equipping the East African church leaders, East Africans are now beginning to teach the basic course to other African church leaders!

An important part of ECLEA’s long-term impact is getting our material translated into the major East African languages. This is an ongoing project, but several Kiswahili (the most widespread East African language) translations will be completed soon. Additionally, efforts are underway to translate into Kinyarwanda and Kirundi (the major languages of Rwanda and Burundi), the major tribal languages of Uganda and Kenya, and French (which is spoken in Rwanda, Burundi, and Democratic Republic of Congo).

I could use help in proofing the translations. You don’t have to know the language, because I am proofing for format. This is a very important task, and it needs to be done before we place the translations online and distribute them to our East African partners and friends. If you would like to help with this important ministry, please contact me!

ECLEA now has leadership committees/structures/organizations in each of the countries of the East African Community. In Burundi we have partnered with an indigenous ministry, Rema Ministries, to work with us and teach our material. As the local ECLEA organizations develop and grow our impact will increase. This is an important part of the process of the East Africans “owning” this vision and ministry. Further, our goal is that our committees be interdenominational, inter-tribal, and include both genders: we want ECLEA to model both sound biblical teaching and Christian community.

ECLEA-Rwanda Committee

    

Rema Ministries/ECLEA-Burundi Team

        

Joram Ibrahim & Dickson Laizer: ECLEA-Tanzania Coordinators

 

ECLEA-Uganda Committee

 

JMM and ECLEA-Kenya Coordinators

 Looking ahead
As an American, I always tend to want things to be done “now” (if not “yesterday”), as opposed to what we say in Africa: “slowly by slowly.” ECLEA is still developing, but we have laid a good foundation.

One significant “growing pain,” however, is this: because the importance of what we do is recognized by the East African church leaders themselves, the demand for and tremendous expansion of all-African conferences and TOTs has exceeded our financial ability to meet the demand. We are working closely with theECLEA-East Africa committees to bring the cost of conferences and TOTs down and to increase the African share of the cost so that we can help facilitate more and more. We are making progress in those regards, but even so there have been some planned all-African conferences and TOTs that we simply were not able to facilitate because of lack of funding.

This underscores how much we depend on you—who want to make a long-term, significant impact in the lives, churches, and communities of East Africa. Please consider partnering with ECLEA financially. Dr. Cummings and I welcomethe opportunity to speak at your church or to interested groups of individuals.

Tax-deductible donations can be made through ECLEA’s website via credit card or PayPal. Brenda Haase (920-732-5523; ccappleton@att.net) can give you the necessary information to enable you to establish automatic fund transfers from your bank account to ECLEA. Or you can send checks, payable to ECLEA, to me at 714 S. Summit St., Appleton, WI 54914. And please remember: 100% of your donated funds go to the work of the ministry; nothing is raked off for my personal support.

Finally

Those of you who regularly pray for me and for this ministry: I thank you! I need and appreciate your prayers. I have seen the results of prayer when I am in East Africa. This ministry would not succeed without you and without your prayers.

God bless you, Jonathan Menn

ECLEA: Return from East Africa

Three days ago I returned from a productive trip to Rwanda, Tanzania, and Kenya. Here are some highlights of the trip following my report from the field.

Arusha (Usariva suburb), TZ: 1 Timothy 

One of the problems ECLEA sometimes encounters in East Africa is that many western missions have, intentionally or not, created a "culture of dependency" by paying people to attend meetings, providing everything for free, etc. To a greater or lesser degree that type of thing is now anticipated if not expected by many of the African church leaders. We are trying to establish matters on a better basis. We encountered the rotten fruit of that dependency culture in our last conference in TZ. The organizers had sent out 135 invitations, but when the participants learned that they were expected to contribute 5000Tsh (about $3.00) for the book and meals they would get, only about 25 people showed up. But that's OK. I told Dickson not to worry about the numbers: the financial investment the participants make serves to separate the serious people from those who are not serious. I would always rather have a smaller number of serious people than a larger number of non-serious people.

The conference itself went well. The bishop who attended said, "If we get training like this every year, we will be changed." Another participant added, "This was divine timing. When leaders are blind, they lead their people into the pit. Now we know about not jumping around by single verses but teaching in context and paragraphs." Another said, "I have a Bible School diploma but never understood 1 Timothy as deeply as in the last two days."

Site of Usariva, TZ training session

Naivasha, KE: Forgiveness & Reconciliation TOT

Naivasha is a town northwest of Nairobi. It was one of the centers of the post-election violence in 2007-2008 where many were killed or brutalized. James Ndiba and James Kamau had recognized the importance of ECLEA's course on Forgiveness & Reconciliation for this area and had taught it awhile ago. We returned to do a TOT on the same subject so that the 14 participants would be well equipped to model and teach it to others. Despite the progress made since 2007, there is still a lingering undercurrent of tribal-based enmity and mistrust. Fortunately, the final day of the TOT in particular saw an extremely good and long discussion among the participants on tribalism in the churches and how to overcome it. The pastors' fellowship will begin with itself and develop a plan. A number of specifics were discussed. This could result in something big that could spread out from Naivasha to other affected areas.

James Kamau, James Ndiba, and Naivasha, KE participants

Ololulunga, KE: Forgiveness & Reconciliation TOT

Boniface Kugotha, the Maasai leader whose picture is on the News & Blog page of ECLEA's website (eclea.net), hosted our final TOT for about 35 participants. The name of his village (Ololulunga--located west of Nairobi) means "everything in plenty," but that did not include moisture. The drought and dryness actually meant that our TOT on Forgiveness & Reconciliation came at a very opportune time. The reason is that the drought has caused many people to invade others' land in search of greener pastures for their flocks and herds. This has resulted in lots of property disputes in the area. Our course can help diffuse and resolve the tensions.

The lead in teaching this course was taken by my Kenyan team: James Ndiba, James Kamau, and David Njeru. I chipped in when requested and appropriate. The immediate impact of this course was seen in that one of the participants was the principal at a local school. The day before the TOT began, a large lorry crashed into the school building. Fortunately, there were no deaths or major injuries, but the principal was very bitter toward the driver and the trucking company. At the end of the course, however, she testified with a smile on her face that, as a result of what we had taught her, she had forgiven the driver and company and had been healed.

Jonathan, Boniface (center), and my fellow teachers David Njeru, James Ndiba, and James Kamau

Ololulunga, KE participants and teachers

Thank you for your ongoing interest and support

Your continuing prayers and financial support are vital. In addition to the conferences I participate in I also need to pay for translations of our teaching books into the major East African languages and help facilitate all-African ECLEA conferences and TOTs. With the end-of-year approaching, please pray about making tax-deductible donations to ECLEA. You can send checks to me at 714 S. Summit St., Appleton, WI 54914 or can donate online (click on the Contact & Donations icon on eclea.net).

God bless you, Jonathan

ECLEA: Greetings from East Africa

This post was emailed from Tanzania during my recent trip to East Africa:

ECLEA's Rwanda committee

I am in Tanzania right now. After a productive meeting with my ECLEA-Rwanda committee, here are some things you might like to know.

Bukoba, TZ
I thought that the trip from Kigali, RW to Bukoba, TZ was going to be on one bus. Not so. At the border we had to walk more than a mile to the various immigration stations. After that, we waited for an hour or so. Then it was three separate, crowded vehicles for the last 6 hours of the journey. A small station wagon jammed about 11 people in: 4 in the front (where I was); 4 in the back; and 3 in the way back. Then 2 matatus, which jammed up to 25 people in vehicles designed for 17. And all over unpaved roads. As an older African man said to me on the last leg of the trip, "this is Africa."

Bukoba itself is in a hilly area on the western shore of Lake Victoria. I was met by Dickson Laizer and Joram Ibrahim. It was the first time for all of us in Bukoba. We did a 1 Timothy conference for about 50, primarily Pentecostal church leaders. Despite pouring rain for several hours the second day, the conference went wonderfully well. Here are a few comments by some of the participants: "I learned the importance of teaching books of the Bible." "I learned to read and take notes and preach and teach in context." "I saw how to remain on our goal, which is love. It has expanded my understanding of how I should preach and teach through Christ's love." "It seemed like we learned the whole Bible through the book of 1 Timothy."

Bukoba, TZ conference

Mwanza, TZ
From Bukoba we took the bus to Mwanza, on the southern shore of Lake Victoria. We were going to do 2 TOTs on 1 Timothy, one in Kiswahili (led by Dickson and Joram) and one in English (led by me). However, because of the large number of church leaders who wanted to attend (over 60), we converted it into another conference. Dickson, Joram, and I again taught, and were joined in teaching by ECLEA's lake district regional coordinator, Godfrey Ongiri. The reception by the participants was again very good, several commenting that this came at just the right time and was an answer to prayer. I am grateful for this and hope it will bear much fruit.

Joram teaching at Mwanza, TZ

Arusha, TZ
My last venue in Tanzania this trip is Arusha, Dickson's hometown. We have been doing 2 Expository Preaching TOTs (Kiswahili and English). I had approximately 8 students in my class; Joram had about 12 in his. Today was "preaching day." In my class three students preached and the whole class critiqued. Joram had six preachers (he had given them a shorter preaching time limit). Joram said that one of his preachers understood and did everything almost perfectly. I could not say the same, but all of the preachers in my class made reasonable efforts to apply the things we had been emphasizing. The critiques and the discussion also showed that everyone learned quite a bit. May God be with them as they try to apply what they have learned back in their churches.

Arusha, TZ: My Expository Preaching group

Tomorrow we conclude with a 1 Timothy conference. This weekend I will take the bus to Kenya where I will be in Maasailand for a week. Thank you for your continued prayer and financial support, both of which are very much needed and very much appreciated. Regards, Jonathan