Providence Training Center Updates

New Website Is Up!

2012-01-14T14:54:00.002-05:00

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Revisiting the Graduates

2011-08-28T19:29:00.003-04:00

In July the Divine Providence leaders in Kenya hosted the American Board Members together with a team from Roswell United Methodist Church. Traveling to Nyahururu (a few hours north of Nairobi) to visit Kenyan Board Member Simon Mwaura, the team looked forward to studying his sustainability practices at Good Shepherd orphanage. The US team also looked forward to visiting six of the DPTC graduates in their own villages and churches which were located along the journey. The team was overwhelmed in discovering what a huge impact the graduates are making within their churches and communities. Their positive effect on Kenyan lives was amazingly beyond all expectations. What an encouragement these visits have been to continue quality pastor training!

Follow the visits below.... See trip video here....

Stephen....

2011-08-28T19:28:00.002-04:00

As a result of Stephen's training at DPTC, his church members remarked that he "has become a pastor, not just an evangelist." His church has doubled in size as has the number of different ministries he offers in the church. Stephen has a focus on leadership development, missions and reaching out to the downcast of the community.

Stephen and his wife thank each team member for the visit and the encouragement.

James....

2011-08-28T19:27:00.002-04:00

James has a growing church in the center of his village. His passions are developing his members in the study of the Scriptures, counseling marriages, and changing the poverty-victim mindset in his community

James, his wife and daughters enjoy a time of fellowship with the team at their church.

Joseph....

2011-08-28T19:26:00.002-04:00

Everybody gets a big laugh when Professor Paul finds Joseph's very old & very worn pulpit Bible.

Julia came to the rescue with a new Bible.

Joseph and his wife talk about his thriving church that "competes" with a large mainline church just across the street. They are especially excited about their ministry to youth and about Joseph's on-going outreach ministry of Peace & Reconciliation in his region where many different tribes are located.

Timothy....

2011-08-28T19:25:00.002-04:00

Timothy currently is pursuing God's vision to return to his tribal homeland and minister to his Turkana people. He also has a longing to evangelize the tribe that has been a long time enemy of his own tribe.

Timothy & his family welcome us to his home.

Samuel....

2011-08-28T19:22:00.001-04:00

Samuel felt led of God to leave his home two hours away and plant a church in Matasia near our property. We visited his six-month old church which started with five members and now has 60, most of whom we met and heard their testimonies. Many of these members told us that Samuel's passion is for the "skinny" (poor) people, not the "fat" (rich). His church will be a great neighbor to our school.

The team prays over Samuel and his new church.

Mercy....

2011-08-28T19:21:00.001-04:00

Mercy is ministering in an area where there are no churches. This area has a strong Islamic influence and is dominated by a very dangerous anti-Christian cult. Although they have faced great challenges, even life-threatening ones, they have become a positive influence in the area as many are coming to Christ.

Mercy (center back) poses with the visiting team in front of the church led by her and her husband who also is a pastor. This location for the church is new since Mercy's graduation.

Simon's Place - A Study in Self-sustainability

2011-08-28T19:20:00.002-04:00

Our final destination on the road trip was board member Simon's orphanage Good Shepherd in Nyahururu. These photos highlight Simon's self-sustaining elements such as his many gardens and greenhouses, hydraform block buildings made from his own soil, smoke house, bio-gas system, fish farms, rabbits, goats and zero-grazing cattle. Simon has been honored by the Kenyan government and his place is being used as an example of self-sustainable techniques and appropriate technologies.

One of Several Greenhouses

Tomato Greenhouse

Hydraform Block Buildings (l. storage; r. guest house)

Smokehouse

Bio-gas System

Rabbits

Goats

Zero-graze Cattle

Care of Creation

2011-08-28T19:17:00.005-04:00

On the trip back to Nairobi we stopped to visit Craig & Tracy Sorley of Care of Creation where Craig gave us a tour of his gardens and indigenous tree nursery.

Craig oversees and trains for Care of Creation in Kenya. We plan to partner with Craig in establishing our own gardens as well as utilizing his training in our Community Outreach program. Craig teaches principles and techniques for more productive farming and for the conservation of Kenya's most important yet quickly vanishing natural resource.... its indigenous trees.

Visit Care of Creation, Kenya here....

True Identity Women's Retreat

2011-08-28T19:16:00.007-04:00

Jennifer Brommet (above) and her daughter Carina (below) led the True Identity retreat. It is designed for women to discover their true identity and worth in Christ.

The women are learning & having fun in the process.

After the Final "Crowning" Ceremony

During the final weekend of the July trip Care to Learn International (our NGO that sponsors Divine Providence Training Center & the Community Outreach Program) hosted its initial Community Outreach program for women. Jennifer Brommet, founder of True Identity Ministries, conducted a three-day True Identity retreat in Nairobi along with her daughter Carina. The women who attended the retreat were also equipped to train other Kenyan women in the TIM principles of understanding the reality of one's true identity in Christ. The retreat was a life-changing event for many of the women who attended.

See retreat video

Visit True Identity Ministries

The Team Meets the New Class

2011-08-28T19:15:00.002-04:00

Sally talks with the new class of 2012

Beth, Sally & our three teachers prepare to give out the books

Class of 2012 with African Bible Commentaries

As a final bonus on the July trip the team was able to welcome the new class of pastor-students to the first day of their third school term. Sally Gresham shared with the class during one of the first sessions which was culminated with the presentation to each student of a prized African Christian resource book, African Bible Commentary. This book is written by African Christian scholars especially for Africans and will be a great study aid for these students. Besides the materials received in the school, this book may be the only study resource other than the Bible that many of the students ever own.

First Class Graduates!

2011-01-10T15:23:00.005-05:00

After two years of diligent study the charter class of Divine Providence Training Center graduated on Dec. 3, 2010 with diplomas in Christian Ministry. All of these students have been serving as pastors or in other ministries throughout Kenya. There were over 400 in attendance at the graduation ceremony held in Nairobi. The key-note speaker was Rev. John Wesley Nguuh, Dean of Students at Pan Africa Christian University. Following the ceremony lunch was served for all on the grounds of J. J. McCarthy Retreat Center where the school currently is being held.

What a thrill it was to see these students, their families and their church members so grateful for the work of Divine Providence. Apart from the school's full scholarship program these students never would have had the opportunity to be trained. Thank God for enabling this gift of Christian education for these graduates and to all future classes through the generous donations of so many faithful friends of DPTC.

July RUMC Trip

2010-09-06T13:45:00.014-04:00

RUMC's July mission team accomplished a lot of work for Divine Providence Training Center in Kenya while enjoying fellowship with the students at DPTC. One of the team members, Dr. Paul Beecham, taught in the school, they all worked on the land and they conducted quite a bit of business research. The team was able to tie up a lot of loose ends relating to the impending construction of the school/conference and retreat center.

The students joined the team one day to work on the land together. Clearing the land with machetes and actually making bricks from the soil on the land was a unique challenge for the USA team. Needless to say, the Kenyans were quite amused with their machete and brick-making skills and offered much needed instruction. At the end of the work day a ground-breaking ceremony was held with prayers, praise, worship and much singing. There was much thanksgiving given to the Lord for the amazing things He is doing for Divine Providence.

Several of the team members spent time visiting local conference/retreat centers to study the "competition" and garner tips for our future center. They also had a productive fact-finding trip to a noted college for hospitality services in Nairobi. Other trips were made to search for appropriate construction and building design materials and resources. Our American architect was able to meet with his Kenyan counterpart and the builder. All in all, the team was quite busy.

One night the students hosted a celebration to welcome home their friends (and ours) Silas and Rahab and their son Solomon who had just relocated to Kenya after a few years in the USA completing Silas' PhD. The students also expressed their gratitude for RUMC's support with a drama highlighting the difference their training at DPTC has made in their personal lives and in the lives of their churches. They also treated the team to different songs and dances from the various tribes they represent. The Masaai pastors even coaxed two of our men to join them in their tribal dance.... providing a lot of laughs for all.

Pictures above from top to bottom: Dr. Paul Beecham teaching; student clearing the land; student stacking freshly made hydraform blocks; students praise and worship on the land; ground-breaking; RUMC team planting a tree on the land

Celebrating with Silas & Rahab

2010-06-10T15:03:00.003-04:00

Silas and Rahab and their son Solomon celebrated with friends in Roswell following Silas's being awarded his PhD from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY. Having completed school, the family will now move back to Kenya where both Silas and Rahab will be invaluable to the ministry at Providence. They move in early July.

May School Session

2010-05-29T14:36:00.007-04:00

The May school session welcomed Sally as guest teacher along with regular teachers Paul and Peter. Sally led the class through the book of Genesis as they studied the foundations of the faith. Pictured are some of the small groups working diligently on an assignment.

We Finally Closed on the Land!

2010-03-05T12:53:00.013-05:00

After eight months of negotiations the land is finally ours and we praise God for the beauty of this place! What a peaceful setting for teaching God's Word. Hopefully construction of the school/conference center will begin this spring. Above are pictures taken in Feb. on the new property: some of the board members on the land; the men huddled in conference; our architect and hydraform builder; four views from the land.

SIFAT Graduation

2009-11-19T21:08:00.005-05:00

Rahab Kinyua has completed the ten week course at SIFAT (Servants in Faith and Technology) in Alabama. The curriculum was training in Christian Community Development and Appropriate Technology for Basic Human Needs. Nineteen international leaders took part in the intensive course and will implement the training in their home countries. We look forward to Rahab's employing the SIFAT technologies at Providence. The photo is from the graduation ceremony Nov. 6.

Kenya Dig It?

2009-11-19T19:21:00.008-05:00

On Oct. 15 Beth Cayce offered her business facility on the main street in Roswell, GA as home for Providence during Roswell's Alive After Five, a time for the merchants to open for friends, food and music. Will Fortanbary, a high school senior and part of our May Kenya mission team from RUMC, provided music and his DJ expertise. The theme was Kenya Dig It? T-shirts were available along with hot cider and desserts for the city-wide open house. Information on Providence was handed out and several people signed up to be a part of future mission teams. The evening was great public exposure for Providence.
The photos are the sign out front, the event T-shirt, some of our friends who dropped by, the info center and Will and his DJ crew.

Consulting with Dr. John Brown Okwii

2009-09-14T19:11:00.003-04:00

After spending three months in Kenya doing field research, Silas has returned to the USA and he stopped by Lineville, AL to visit his wife Rahab while she attends the ten week course with SIFAT. During his visit he was introduced to Dr. John Brown Okwii who was teaching Conflict Resolution and Development at SIFAT. In addition to teaching all around the world, Dr. Brown also runs two seminaries in Nigeria. On Sept. 4 Beth and Sally joined Silas and Rahab in a consultation meeting with Dr. Brown at SIFAT. Dr. Brown is a wealth of information regarding schools for pastor training, and he was most generous with his advice and wisdom based on all his experience. As an added bonus, Dr. Brown has agreed to teach a session at Providence in 2010. We are thankful to God for placing him in our path for such a time as this. Dr. Brown is on the right in the photo above with Silas on the left.

Rahab Receives Training at SIFAT

2009-09-14T18:23:00.003-04:00

Following her May graduation (magna cum laude) from Asbury College, Rahab Kinyua is now attending a ten week course in Lineville, AL sponsored by SIFAT (Servants in Faith and Technology). the course is designed to train international missionaries and community leaders in practical skills that will impact the poor around the world. They learn everything from water purification methods, alternative energy sources, sustainable agriculture, and appropriate technologies to delivering babies. These are skills we plan to incorporate into the training curriculum at Providence, and Rahab's training will be a bonus in their application. In the photo above, Rahab (center) is enjoying her international roommates at SIFAT.

Rahab is the wife of Silas Waweru who is completing his PhD at Asbury Theological Seminary. The original vision for Providence was Silas' passion and he returns to Kenya to teach at most sessions. Silas, Rahab and their son Solomon have been guides for many of RUMC's mission trips to Kenya. They will return to Kenya permanently in May 2010 where they will devote themselves to Providence.

July Team Trip

2009-08-14T17:58:00.005-04:00

As July marked the end of the third 2009 training session in Nairobi, Providence Director Paul Njuguna sent the following letter regarding the RUMC team visit in July:

Once again I want to take this opportunity to thank you for all the support you have given us both materially and in prayers. It is always a joy to see the pastors leave for home with a new zeal to serve the Lord after being in school for a session. We saw the Spirit of God move in a new way as the class of pastors began to share their life experiences. Every testimony became a confirmation of God's will in our pursuing the vision of Providence Training Center. Let's keep on looking upon the Lord as He takes us into areas we've not been to before.

The interaction with the RUMC team was very rewarding for the pastors. Both the Micro-Enterprise training and the Children's Workshop were very appropriate for our student pastors. As I sat in these classes I kept on thinking how far we can go in equipping pastors. In business training I look forward to an in-depth training that would end with the pastors being empowered to break free from poverty that is such a huge hindrance to the furtherance of the gospel. All in all, the session by Julia and Kelly (pictured above) was an eye-opener to the pastors especially in the area of the right (biblical) attitude on financial matters.

From Paula and Sue, the pastors went back home with a new perspective on children's ministry. Most pastors confessed to never having been previously involved in what the Sunday school teachers in their churches teach the children. There was much that the pastors picked from both Sue and Paula. Please once again pass on our appreciation to the whole team especially for squeezing us into their tight schedule.

May/June 2009 Team Trip

2009-06-20T18:17:00.002-04:00

Our May/June trip to Kenya proved to be most productive in several ways. The team of ten RUMC members and one Sugarloaf UMC member was able to gather much information beneficial to the future plans of the school. Most exciting was the ability of our team to actually see the school in action, to learn first-hand all the needs being met by the school in the lives of the pastors, and to realize the impact training will make within the Kenyan Church... and beyond.

We arrived during the second week of a school session so we were able to interact with the pastors and teachers.On the middle Sunday we accompanied the pastors to Peter's church which they have adopted as their "school church." One of the student-pastors was appointed to teach the Sunday morning Bible study at the church prior to the worship service. This will become a regular feature with different students teaching each time. Samuel taught this time and impressed his teachers as he aptly applied what he has been learning at the school. His message was meaningful and was presented with much clarity. I am certain the congregation was most blessed.

Orality Training

2009-06-20T18:00:00.001-04:00

During the May session the pastors were introduced to orality teaching/learning methods that are especially helpful in reaching the many non-literate people in Kenya. Tom Ogala, a trainer with our partner T4Global, conducted the orality sessions and distributed wind-up MT4 players loaded with oral representations (stories, songs, dramas, poems) of Bible stories from Genesis to Revelation all pointing to Jesus Christ. The wind-up devices are merely tools to aid the pastors in teaching and in evangelism. By the end of the school session the pastors were performing their own versions of teachings from the MT4 players.... with much drama and expression. What unforgettable lessons!

Celebrating with the Pastors

2009-06-20T17:29:00.002-04:00

The last night of the school session the pastors hosted an appreciation celebration for the RUMC team who are sponsors of the school (picture above). Following a time of praise, prayer and worship several pastors in the class presented testimonies as to how the school has affected their spiritual growth and their roles as pastors. Some of their testimonials follow:

"Knowledge of the Word of God is power and now that I am increasing in that knowledge I will be able to reach the unreached."
"I am so thankful for everything I am learning here and I want all pastors to learn what I have learnt. Every month I invite all the pastors in my region to come to my church and I teach them everything I am learning."
"Before I was really confused, but since coming to the school I have been able to arrange my teachings. Before I was counseling in a very confused way, but now I'm not."
"Traditionally the pastor has much influence in Kenya but there is a big problem; most pastors are not educated. What we are learning here is life-changing. Go tell your people that when you teach a pastor, you are transforming the whole nation of Kenya."
"I was called as a pastor and entered the ministry without any training and I was challenged so much. I didn't know what to preach and I couldn't answer people's questions. Now I am able to preach from the Bible. I even can teach Christ from the Old Testament, and for the first time I am able to take a book of the Bible and teach it verse by verse all the way through."
"What you are supporting will live for many years.... long after you and I are gone."
"We have been preaching without knowing what we are preaching. This school is a prayer answered. Many times I have been asking God to give me a chance to be trained. I did not know how to study inductively. I did not know how to preach Christ from the Old Testament. I did not know Bible doctrines. I did not know what is orality. I did not even see the need for counseling. I did not know how to arrange my preaching. I could not even teach a Bible study. In Maasai-land people are dragging behind; they are not educated. This school has been a great resource and a great providence for me. Now I take it as a challenge to educate my people through what I am learning here. The sponsors of this school are doing a great work."
"When I first started preaching I knew only one verse and I really didn't understand that one verse. Now I have learned how to study the entire Bible inductively and to preach with understanding."
"In African tradition they don't consider educating women. This school is an answered prayer to me. We women have needs and want women to counsel us. Because we are not privileged to get knowledge, we don't know how to counsel women. We don't know how to incorporate them into the Word of God. We don't know how to tell them or give them an example that women can serve God and also be wives. I have had this desire in my heart to get trained to know the Word of God and to learn how to teach other women and to show women that we have a part in the Christian society. When I was accepted to this training I felt like just crying because God had really answered my prayer. I was told that Bible theology was man's work so I would never have the chance for training, but God has opened a door for me and my heart is filled with joy. Thank you to our sponsors because if it were not for you, I wouldn't be here. You have done such a great job because it is said, 'When you educate a woman, you educate a whole community.'"

Property Search

2009-06-20T17:16:00.001-04:00

Probably one of the most exciting yet apprehensive events of the trip was the property search. We have found a beautiful five-acre plot that overlooks Nairobi (see picture above). We currently are in negotiations for its purchase. Another bonus that the Lord has provided is an architect here in Atlanta who has offered to work up a land use plan, design the whole school compound and assist in its phased execution. The school compound will serve also as a source of income for the school as it will double as a guest house/conference & events center during the times the school is not in session. The team was also able to inspect several models of self-sustainability and assess their adaptability for the school once the property is secured. We also saw our new hydraform block making machine in action. This form of building will save us significantly in construction costs.

February 2009

2009-03-01T21:52:00.002-05:00

The first session of the school's two-year cycle was held at J. J. McCarthy Centre in Nairobi. Our first group of 24 student-pastors represents six Kenyan tribes and four different ministries. The tribes represented are Maasai, Kikuyu, Luhya, Samburu, Turkana, and Kisii. This fusion of multiple tribes in one small group is a synthesis that exhibits the homogeneous spirit that exists through union in Christ.
We were delighted to have Eric Miller of Nairobi as a guest teacher for five days of the session. Teaching inductive study skills, Eric led the pastors through manuscript study of the Gospel of Mark. As an added bonus on the second Sunday of the school session the entire class helped dedicate the new church of one of our teachers, Rev. Peter Kinuthia. After the service the pastors participated in evangelistic outreach in the area.

January 2009

2009-02-01T21:43:00.001-05:00

It was announced at Roswell United Methodist Church's Global Impact Celebration that Providence Training Center has been selected as a strategic partner for the next two years. We are most grateful for RUMC's continued support.