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 Lois Shaw, you’ve been at the school for years and have played a big role in weaving the dream that we want to hear about now. Tell us why “trailblazers” Victoria Hanne, Brenda Buchanan and Donna Chapman decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in January, in the name of Africa International University/NEGST?
By committing to this climb, these North American women, their friends and others on the team have already raised over $55,000, with much more pledged, to build the new Leah Ngini community center in the heart of our campus. The university sent them off to Mount Kilimanjaro in grand style with songs and blessings in chapel—the first of many climbers lined up to help build the center.
That’s great, Lois! Tell us more about the Leah Ngini Community Center.
The community center is to become the gateway building on campus, connecting us to community and to one another. We are known as “A school in the heart of Africa with Africa on its heart” and it is time for us to have a physical heart of our own—a hub or central gathering place for students, faculty, the community, guests and friends.
The school has needed this center for a long time. And now, as we have expanded to undergrad programs and new PhD and MA programs, more commuting students bring a greater need for the services a community center could provide. It has now become urgent that we get this gateway building built.
What would the community center do for the school?
Some needed amenities include:
• Seminar and conference rooms, as scholars and experts Read more »
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 NEGST Master of Divinity in Christian Education student Bernard Kariuki Kimani recently published a book, Success Boosters:Reflections on the life of Samson. The thesis of the book is that success in life is just not an accumulation of wealth, achievement of personal ambitions, or the attainment of personal success. Real success is having a relationship with God that changes one’s outlook in life.
Bernard’s inspiration to write this book was pegged on two grounds; first, it was sparked by the challenge to speak on the life and times of Samson in his church’s annual regional camp in 2007. As Kariuki reflected on the portion of scripture in the book of Judges that deals with Samson, he was thrilled to discover that real success goes beyond personal aggrandizement and having all that a person would desire. Second, the books Read more »
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 Mr Benson Mwinzi Waema first came to NEGST in 2006 for the extension program at the A.C.K. Language School, where he did a diploma in Christian education. He came back in September 2009 to pursue a bachelor of theology, also through the NEGST extension program at the A.C.K Language School.
Currently Mr Benson is a pastor at Africa Inland Church (A.I.C) Angaza in Kariobangi. In addition to being a pastor, he also works with a ministry called Source of Light East Africa. The vision of this ministry is to reach the people of the world through Christ-centered and time-tested materials which will result in evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. Source of Light East Africa is mainly involved in outreach in schools, prisons, churches and in training disciples in the various places that they visit.
A few months ago the Source of Light came up with a campaign which was to challenge their readers to become “paper partners” with Read more »
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 This January, a team created from the members of two partner churches in Indianapolis, Grace Community Church and Faith Missionary Church, provided a week of intensive training in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, blogging and PC maintenance. The training was open to all members of the NEGST community and took place in the computer labs. The group also donated 20 laptops to NEGST.
In addition, Grace Community Church donated Ksh.100,000 in January for the acquisition of a new IT server and is in the process of providing 10 new thin clients (approximately Ksh. 160,000 more). These donations will allow NEGST to extend the computer laboratory and help us make the student “ASPEN” system more reliable and flexible.
Grace Community Church began as a new congregation launched from Read more »
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 Dr. John Evans is one of the newest members of the NEGST faculty. He began lecturing in Old Testament last month in the biblical studies department. His research interests are in Old Testament prophets, hermeneutics, Old Testament theology, and theological bibliography for the Old and New Testaments.
What is your teaching philosophy?
Long ago, I ran across a quote from the poet, Yeats. He wrote, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the igniting of a fire.”
I later discovered that Socrates had said much the same thing around 400BC. Though I seek to give to give my students the best content and as much content as I can, I am more concerned to ignite in students a passion for learning-especially God’s Word-which they will carry with them for a lifetime.
Tell us about your writing.
Along with several articles and reviews, I have written Read more »
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 Mr. Mateso Akou first came to NEGST in September 1986. He took a Masters of Divinity in theological studies in 1989. From 1989 to 1991 he took a Masters in Theology, which was a combination of Biblical Studies and Theology. He was also the NEGST alumni chair from 2002 to 2004.
Mateso Akou, after graduating from NEGST, what have you been doing since then?
After NEGST, I joined the Diguna Missions in Ongata Rongai. I served in Diguna for more than fifteen years, leaving there in June 2002. I was an evangelist in Diguna, responsible for the training and equipping of staff. Other than that, I was the personnel director.
I left Diguna to go and pastor in a francophone church in Nairobi two years. Currently, I am a part time lecturer at NEGST, where Read more »
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“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11 (ESV)
In very inauspicious surroundings, the angel announced a seemingly inauspicious message, “a Savior is born.” This message and this Savior continue to transform our lives and world two thousand years on.
We at NEGST are witnesses to that transformation; an on-going reality since NEGST was founded twenty six years ago. From the merry band of four students who registered in 1983, today there are over three hundred current students and almost one thousand alumni from all over the continent and beyond; agents of change and hope. For this we are thankful.
The NEGST transformation would not be possible without the wonderful people who continue to serve us with diligence. Among these are our staff –teaching and non-teaching, Governors, spouses and family members, donors, partners, and friends of NEGST. For this mosaic of dedicated and generous people we are thankful.
The gains over the years have been made in spite of perennial financial challenges. No doubt 2009 has been one of the most economically challenging years at NEGST; the result of a cocktail of difficult internal, national and global economic realities.
In the midst of the onslaught of the financial challenges, one is reminded of the words of the unknown author of the poem ‘footprints in the sand’. “Lord – you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life. There is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why you’d leave me when I need you most.” The Lord replied, “My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”
Because the Savior is born, we not only reflect on the times past with thankful hearts, we look forward to the year ahead with hopeful expectation. One key expectation is that we will in 2010 receive our university Charter and so fully transition into Africa International University! May AIU be truly an agent of renewal – renewal of God’s people and world.
A sincere and big THANK YOU to all of you who have played, and continue to play, a part in our great mission to equip Christian leaders for excellence in Africa and beyond. Thank your for your prayers, partnership, and service. May Christmas 2009 be a most meaningful and joyful event. May our living Savior be present with you throughout the New Year, and make 2010 a fulfilling year.
Warmly,
Dr. Douglas Carew
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 On Thursday, 12th November, a farewell chapel was held for the dean of community life Pastor Gregory Kivanguli. He taught in the pastoral studies department and is a counselor by profession. During the farewell chapel, two young children were dedicated to God, children of Fabien Munyagisenyi and Bernard Kimani.
After the chapel the entire staff gathered at Tamu cafe for a farewell tea for Pastor Kivanguli, who is leaving NEGST to become senior pastor at the Kisumu Pentecostal Church.
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 Mrs Florence Mungathia is a lecturer in Christian education studies department at NEGST. She is passionate about interacting with people and helping them to make progress in their lives through counseling sessions but more so in facilitating various kinds of training.
Mrs Mungathia’s teaching philosophy is to facilitate holistic transformation in the lives of her students, who will in turn be in a position to impact their families, churches and communities. 2 Timothy 2:2 “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others”. She believes that teaching is a calling from God. She is motivated to press onward because of the fulfillment that she gets when she has impacted a person’s life.
Florence first joined NEGST in 2002 as a student but also Read more »
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 Mr Painito Nixon Ambuka is a final year extension student in the Eldoret Cohort, pursuing a master’s in biblical studies. He is actively involved in missionary work in Burundi.
Ambuka, how can you study in Eldoret in Kenya, and your ministry is all the way in Burundi?
The reason I chose the Eldoret cohort is because my family is situated in Bungoma, which is about a two hour drive away, making it easier for me to keep in touch with them. I joined the International Christian Ministry in 2002, working in Tanzania in the refugee camps for the Burundi people. In 2007, I moved to Burundi, with the mission of training pastors and church leaders in Burundi. For now, I keep up with the work by travelling back and Read more »
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“I have learnt that there is nothing new in the Bible, that all I discover in it was discovered long ago by someone else. That I should be keener in interpreting it, from other perspectives rather than only in my own personal convictions.” Damaris Wambui Matindi, first year student,learned in Dr. Peter Nyende’s hermeneutics class.
In 1993 Dr. Samuel Ngewa became acting principal of NEGST.
Dr. Robert Carlson, Professor at NEGST, recommends Plastic Glasses and Church Fathers by David B. Kronenfeld, saying, “Biblical exegetes, conditioned (as we all are) by their culture, sometimes expect words—such as human, God, body—to hold the same meanings universally. Kronenfeld’s work on comparative semantics in anthropology raises interesting issues as we think our way towards truly enculturated theological categories.”
Couples’ candle light movie night
This Valentine’s day the Couples’ Valentine event will be a Snaky candle lite, movie night.
Day:13th February 2010
Venue:Chapel
Time:7:30pm
“They say you only fall in love once, but that can’t be true…because every time I look at you, I fall in love all over again”.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Dr Bill Black, lecturer in Theology and Christian History recommends Jesus and the Victory of God by N.T. Wright. “N.T. Wright succeeds in rescuing the Jesus found in the New Testament from the confusion of many critical studies of the New Testament in general and of the gospels in particular. Wright puts Jesus in his proper first century Jewish context in a manner that transforms the usual ways these texts have been understood and applied.”
Two babies were dedicated in the chapel last week: Baraka, the child of Mr. & Mrs. Fabien Munyagisenyi, and Sheena, the child of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Kimani.
Tony Wilmot became the first Principal of NEGST in 1983. The library is named after him.
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