Diploma in Integral Mission

The second gathering of the Diploma in Integral Mission began today in the quiet tea hills of Limuru, over looking Nairobi. Canadian Baptist Ministries and Carey Theological Seminary have developed this diploma program and have begun the first cohort in Kenya for Global Field Staff, Sharing way staff, and national partners. Erica and I took part in the first course on "Sustainable Community Development" in May while we were with the Praxis group.

Gord King introducing Dr. Martin Luther King's

historic "I Have a Dream Speech" in his discussion

on the prophetic voice and contextualized theology.

This week Gordon King, the director of The Sharing way, is leading the first of two courses that are being taught in the diploma program. It was very powerful to be in a room of African leaders from Kenya, Rwanda and Angola as we watched the the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King speak prophetically about his dream for civil rights and then to listen to their discussion of the unimaginable changes that have followed in the last fifty years including the victory of a black man in an American presidential election. It was very interesting to be apart of this conversation as it weaved in and out of the text of Isaiah's prophetic proclamations in Isaiah 9 and 11.



Suraj Komaravalli, who serves with Canadian Baptist Ministries in India, is team teaching with Gordon King. Today as part of his presentation, he shared about his own experience of the power of God amidst the persecution and injustice against Christians in India.

It was also great to see one of our Praxis members continuing in the course: Rev. Joseph Mwangi is an ABC pastor in Nukuru.

Our friend and colleague Zahra also took part in the training.

It is certainly a privilege to learn

together as a global community

(This table alone represents five different countries and cultures)