Cross Cultural Reports: Amos Kennedy

Each year in the summer between their second and third year our students go on a cross cultural placement to enable them to see and experience ministry in another context. This week we hear from Amos Kennedy:

My name is Amos Kennedy and I'm a third year student at the Irish Baptist College. This year, I had the pleasure of doing my cross cultural placement in Northern Kenya. This is an area where I have previously lived and served with Africa Inland Mission, but this year I returned for three weeks to be involved in assisting and observing at a local Bible Training Centre for rural pastors, evangelists and lay people. 

This trip was an insight into the need for theological education in this part of Africa. I assisted the teaching of two early church history classes in the morning and evening, throughout the week. At the weekend I went to renew fellowships with local churches in the region and was greatly encouraged by these weekend trips. A particular highlight was a weekend spent with a group of local church elders and deacons whose village is on top of a mountain.

The need for investment in theological education in this part of the world is vast and can often feel overwhelming. Yet God is growing and strengthening his church through the ordinary means of grace - local church elders seeking to know more for the sake of their people. At the same time, the many challenges of ministry in an area like Northern Kenya were made clear to me. Lack of resources, education, funding and circumstantial discouragement can make the future of faithful gospel work in this region seem impossible. Yet the Lord reminds us in Matthew 16:18 that he will build his church in the midst of such challenges, and even the gates of hell will not be able to prevail against it.

Please pray for the provision of resources to local church pastors who desire to be faithful to the charge God has given to them in rightly dividing his word of truth. Please pray for the missionaries continuing the work of theological education in this area, and for the students to study well and apply their learning in local ministry contexts, for the glory of God alone.