Dear Friends,
This week, please join us in praying for Dr. David Tarus in Kenya.
Located on the east coast of Africa, the Republic of Kenya has a population of over 48 million, representing over 120 ethnic groups. Although 86% of Kenyans are Christians, prevailing syncretism and growing secularism point to the ongoing need for robust theological education and leadership. The church’s prophetic activism, mercy ministries, and intercession are also needed amid economic inequality and dire poverty, which the pandemic has only worsened.
David serves as Executive Director of the Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA). He completed his PhD in Theology at McMaster University in Canada, focusing on Christian peacebuilding in Kenya. His dissertation presents an African reformed theology of ethnic cohesion for Kenya. David co-edited Christian Responses to Terrorism: The Kenyan Experience (2017), in which 17 Christian theologians, pastors, historians, ethicists, and Islam scholars offer varied Christian responses to terrorism and al-Shabaab, from military action and peacebuilding to interreligious dialogue and poverty alleviation. David and his wife Jeane have two sons: nine-year-old Berur and four-year-old Tala.
David shares the following message:
Dear ScholarLeaders Family,
Greetings from Nairobi, the home of the Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA), which I serve as Executive Director. ACTEA serves theological institutions in Africa by providing accreditation, capacity-building, and networking and support services.
Thank God for His blessings upon my family. God has truly been faithful to us. We have experienced His goodness, provision, care, and love. Thank God for sustaining and providing for us in 2020. Despite the challenges caused by COVID-19, we never lacked.
I must also thank ScholarLeaders for your support and prayers. Without your assistance, it would have been extremely hard for me to complete my PhD studies at McMaster Divinity College in 2017. Thank you also for your partnership with ACTEA.
Prayer requests
1. Please pray for my family, my wife Jeane and our two sons. Berur and Tala are now in school and loving it. They have adjusted to life in Kenya, after having lived in Canada.
2. Pray for wisdom, understanding, and clarity in leading ACTEA and serving Africa’s theological institutions in this season of immense challenges.
3. Pray for ACTEA institutions amid the pandemic. Africa’s theological institutions are really struggling. Some have transitioned to online theological training, despite the lack of preparation. Some could not keep up with monthly expenses and had to let go of some staff members. Some are on the verge of closing completely. Most institutions are trying to find ways to increase sustainability. Others are in areas with erratic power supply and are trying to raise funds for solar energy. Most are in countries with serious sociopolitical challenges.
4. Pray for our ongoing annual fee relief campaign to help ACTEA institutions by forgiving their annual fee requirement. We have raised $32,000 USD (45%) of the $70,000 USD required. We thank ScholarLeaders for your generous matching grant donation of $10,000 USD (through the COVID-19 Relief Fund). We praise God that we have now raised $9,981.50 USD, which is 99.82% of the target. We praise God for your generosity.
The fees will go toward ACTEA’s day-to-day operations, including capacity-building programs for the institutions. By not paying their membership dues to ACTEA, the institutions will have some extra funds for other urgent needs like salaries, student aid, medical insurance, improvement of information and communications technology, etc.
5. Pray for ACTEA’s office project. We recently purchased office space at the newly built AEA Plaza (pictured above) in Nairobi. The purchase is complete, and the space is ready for fit-out. We are trusting God for funds for this project (approximately $35,000 USD).
David Tarus