Dr. Derek Amos Mpinga, International Educator, Dies at 64
Dr. Mpinga was the first academic dean in the early 1980"s at NEGST.
Derek Amos Mpinga, a premier administrator, academic and educator at various institutions both here and in various African countries, died on Friday, May 23rd. He was 64 and a resident of Phoenix, Arizona.
Widely trained, Dr. Mpinga received all his higher education degrees from institutions in the United States of America: an Associate of Science diploma in Mathematics and Science from North Greenville College, Tigerville, South Carolina; a B.S. in Mathematics and Physics from Carson-Newman College, Jefferson City, Tennessee; two masters degrees, one in Mathematics from Texas Christian University, Forth Worth, Texas, the other in Religious Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS). Finally, Dr. Mpinga’s terminal degree, a Doctor of Education in Education Administration, also came from SWBTS.
At the time of his death, Dr. Mpinga was Vice President of Academic Affairs at Phoenix College, Phoenix, Arizona. His ascension to the upper echelons of higher education administration began with service in his native Zimbabwe, as Dean of Academic and Student Affairs at the Baptist Theological Seminary of Zimbabwe (1979-1983). He then served in Kenya as Vice-Principal for Academic and Student Affairs at the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology.
Returning to the country of his academic preparation, Dr. Mpinga had a brief stint as a high school teacher in 1985. Unlike his teaching in Zimbabwe and Kenya, which had included courses in education administration, philosophy, ethics, and religious studies, Dr. Mpinga’s responsibilities at Americus High School in Georgia consisted of teaching mathematics and physics. He then went on to distinguish himself as a mathematics teacher at two colleges: the Tarrant County Junior College, Texas (1985-1987) and North Lake College, Irving, Texas (1992-1998). After first establishing himself in the class room, Dr. Mpinga turned to administration at several two-year colleges. He became Dean/Chair of the Mathematics Division at Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon (1998-2000). That deanship launched him into executive educational leadership as Vice President and Dean for Academic and Student Affairs at Waycross College, Georgia (2000-2005) and as Vice President of Instruction, Brookhaven College, Farmers Branch, Texas (2005-2007).
Dr. Mpinga was a distinguished leader in the professions, the Baptist church, and various civic organizations. He was a member of many professional bodies, including the National Community College Chair Academy and the American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges. During his time in Zimbabwe, Dr. Mpinga served as the Executive Secretary for the Baptist Convention of Zimbabwe. He sourced $1.5 million from the Baptist World Alliance to help with rebuilding, drought relief, and the resettlement of war refugees. He served as a deacon at the First Baptist Church-Arlington, Texas. In his involvement with Waycross-Ware Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Mpinga served on the Education Committee, which came into existence through his advocacy. He served on numerous boards, including the All Africa Baptist Fellowship, Living Bible International-Africa, Leadership Development Associates-Hope for Africa, and the Accrediting Council for Theological Education.
In addition to being a pillar of his church and a preeminent educator and administrator, Dr. Mpinga was also a devoted husband to his late wife, Miriam and a doting father to his children, Denise and Daniel. From his early days on the faculty of the Baptist Theological Seminary of Zimbabwe to his recent service as the chief academic officer of several institutions of higher learning, he touched many lives. When Dr. Mpinga was hired at Phoenix College, referring to that school’s slogan “Go Far, Close to Home,” he observed “We are on this journey together guided by five hallmarks: integrity, innovation, sustainability, accountability, and a positive attitude.” Dr. Mpinga’s smile and his optimism will be missed. God be praised for his life. Many will cherish his memory.
Survivors: Daughter, Denise Mpinga; Son, Daniel Mpinga; Mother, Margaret Mpinga of Zimbabwe; Sister, Edith Muringai of Zimbabwe; Cousins: Marjorie Simbanegavi, Mercy Ziyenge, Margaret Nyoni, and Charity Bruce. Nephews and Nieces: Collin Muringai , Darlington Mwanza, Samantha Nhema and Pippa Mpunzwana and many more.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Christian Leaders for Africa Newsletter
Christian Leaders for Africa Update
June, 2008
visit the NEGST blogvisit us online at www.clafrica.com
Getting Beyond the Shame of Being Rich
By Paul Heidebrecht
A common reaction of North American Christians who visit Africa is to feel embarrassed by their wealth when they compare it to the poverty they see everywhere. Their shame is even more intense when they are shown generous hospitality by African believers who obviously have very little to share. I have concluded that our feelings of shame are of no value to anyone—unless they get us to think quite differently.
First, we need to think differently about ourselves. We are rich people. Very rich people. Most of us prefer to be known as middle class, and in North America we are, but not in Africa. There we are among the wealthy elite. We have to accept that fact and believe that God allowed us to be rich. We are responsible to him for what we do with our wealth.
Second, we need to think differently about the poor. They cannot be the objects of our pity. Rather they are people to admire and honor. The poor are often spiritually rich, and we are the ones who need them—though it is not always obvious to us. In his second letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul holds up the poor Macedonian church as a model to the rich one in Corinth. Despite their extreme poverty, Paul says, the Macedonians gave beyond their ability. They even begged Paul to let them give. And they didn’t just give money. Paul says they gave themselves. This is what poor Christians can teach rich Christians: how to give yourself as a gift.
But what about our wealth? How should we go to Africa and be rich? Or any other part of the world for that matter.
John Stott offers a useful embarrassment test. Invite a poor person to your home for a meal. If you feel embarrassed by your possessions and lifestyle, take that as a sign that you need to scale back. The same is true if you are invited into the home of a poor family. If you are comfortable and honored to be there, be encouraged. An African proverb says we do not have a relationship until we have shared a meal in our homes. Hospitality is actually a way to break through the barrier. Don’t turn down the chance to be a guest.
Jonathan Bonk, who edits the International Bulletin of Missionary Research, suggests the concept of "righteous rich" as a guide. Every society has rich people, Bonk argues, and in every society there are perceptions of "good rich people" and "bad rich people." When we enter another society, like one in Africa, we should figure out what "good rich people" do. This will help us know how we should act. Quite likely, it will involve some kind of generosity. Bonk acknowledges that our wealth is often a hindrance to our mission efforts because it affects the credibility of our witness. But if we can be at least "righteously rich," we reduce the problems of our wealth.
A few months ago, one of my board members passed away after a long battle with cancer. During a time of eulogies at his funeral, one of his friends made the comment, "Chris lived below his means." His income could have afforded him a much grander lifestyle but he chose not to live that way. I know why. He shared his wealth with many missionaries and schools like NEGST. In the end, we all have choices to make about the use of our wealth. We can spend it all on ourselves and our families or we can share it with those in need and invest it in the Lord’s work around the world.
None of these suggestions are intended to be formulas to resolve your feelings of guilt. You have to wrestle with the economic disparities that affect even the church. You have to find your way to becoming a "cheerful giver" as Paul puts it. But pay attention to the Macedonians. Paul indicates they were actually driven to give by the grace of God. They weren’t seeking to be known for their generosity. They were simply responding as people touched deeply by grace. If and when you visit Africa, concentrate on God’s grace to you and see where that takes you.
An Update on NEGST
By the time you read this, I’ll be returning from Nairobi on the campus of Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology. The political unrest earlier this year caused me to postpone a visit but I am eager to be on campus meeting with students and professors and staff to see how they got through the crisis. I’m especially anxious to hear stories about churches and pastors trying to be agents of peace and reconciliation.
I’m sure the consequences of the crisis in January and February have rippled through the entire economy and profoundly affected every institution, including the church. I’m sure that the community of NEGST will feel its effects for years to come. But Kenyans are resilient people. They have endured political crises before. They have endured droughts and famines. They were making economic progress before the crisis and there are many signs already that the country is getting back on its feet. The tourist industry is recovering well and many people are once again traveling to Kenya. The game parks are once again becoming busy.
I often hesitate to report on events on Kenya when my primary source of information is U.S. newspapers and television broadcasts. I fear that our media mislead us by focusing on the dramatic and sensational. Riots and mob scenes are especially prone to be exaggerated or misrepresented. There is a remarkable disconnect between the Kenya we hear and see in our media and the Kenya you experience when you are there. The recent movement of Kenyan pastors who went to many cities to pray for spiritual cleansing and forgiveness was never covered by any Western news outlets despite our efforts to tell them about it.
As we reported before, NEGST itself was always a secure place and the community became actively engaged in caring for refugees, protecting people who were threatened, talking openly and publicly about issues of ethnicity and tribalism from a Biblical point of view. What might be considered a disruption to learning was actually an occasion for great learning about being followers of Christ in a broken world. Friends of NEGST can be gratified that our support of students in their training for ministry bore fruit, especially among the graduates who are now all over Kenya leading the church.
The library at NEGST continues to be a place of special interest. It expands every year with more and more books, journals and electronic resources. The goal is for this library to be a major center of evangelical African scholarship for the continent. Not that long ago I received a $100,000 matching grant for the library. I’ve informed many donors of this grant and the unique opportunity it represents. Thus far about $10,000 has come in for the match. If you can help us toward the goal, even with a small gift, we and NEGST will be very thankful.
We think long-term about NEGST. We’re building for the future, for the next generation of church leaders. We’re looking to ground the exploding church on the African continent in the Scriptures and the application of God’s Word to Africa by Africans. That’s why I point to the endowment funds we started for faculty positions at NEGST. This will ensure that NEGST will have Godly evangelical African professors for years to come. This past year we went over $200,000 in the endowment fund. Our goal is $1 million and we are making progress. If you want your gifts to last for generations, give to the endowment fund. Your gift can be sent to the address below.
In Christ,
Paul Heidebrecht
Christian Leaders for Africa
P.O. Box 1642Indianapolis, IN 46206
clafrica@sbcglobal.net
June, 2008
visit the NEGST blogvisit us online at www.clafrica.com
Getting Beyond the Shame of Being Rich
By Paul Heidebrecht
A common reaction of North American Christians who visit Africa is to feel embarrassed by their wealth when they compare it to the poverty they see everywhere. Their shame is even more intense when they are shown generous hospitality by African believers who obviously have very little to share. I have concluded that our feelings of shame are of no value to anyone—unless they get us to think quite differently.
First, we need to think differently about ourselves. We are rich people. Very rich people. Most of us prefer to be known as middle class, and in North America we are, but not in Africa. There we are among the wealthy elite. We have to accept that fact and believe that God allowed us to be rich. We are responsible to him for what we do with our wealth.
Second, we need to think differently about the poor. They cannot be the objects of our pity. Rather they are people to admire and honor. The poor are often spiritually rich, and we are the ones who need them—though it is not always obvious to us. In his second letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul holds up the poor Macedonian church as a model to the rich one in Corinth. Despite their extreme poverty, Paul says, the Macedonians gave beyond their ability. They even begged Paul to let them give. And they didn’t just give money. Paul says they gave themselves. This is what poor Christians can teach rich Christians: how to give yourself as a gift.
But what about our wealth? How should we go to Africa and be rich? Or any other part of the world for that matter.
John Stott offers a useful embarrassment test. Invite a poor person to your home for a meal. If you feel embarrassed by your possessions and lifestyle, take that as a sign that you need to scale back. The same is true if you are invited into the home of a poor family. If you are comfortable and honored to be there, be encouraged. An African proverb says we do not have a relationship until we have shared a meal in our homes. Hospitality is actually a way to break through the barrier. Don’t turn down the chance to be a guest.
Jonathan Bonk, who edits the International Bulletin of Missionary Research, suggests the concept of "righteous rich" as a guide. Every society has rich people, Bonk argues, and in every society there are perceptions of "good rich people" and "bad rich people." When we enter another society, like one in Africa, we should figure out what "good rich people" do. This will help us know how we should act. Quite likely, it will involve some kind of generosity. Bonk acknowledges that our wealth is often a hindrance to our mission efforts because it affects the credibility of our witness. But if we can be at least "righteously rich," we reduce the problems of our wealth.
A few months ago, one of my board members passed away after a long battle with cancer. During a time of eulogies at his funeral, one of his friends made the comment, "Chris lived below his means." His income could have afforded him a much grander lifestyle but he chose not to live that way. I know why. He shared his wealth with many missionaries and schools like NEGST. In the end, we all have choices to make about the use of our wealth. We can spend it all on ourselves and our families or we can share it with those in need and invest it in the Lord’s work around the world.
None of these suggestions are intended to be formulas to resolve your feelings of guilt. You have to wrestle with the economic disparities that affect even the church. You have to find your way to becoming a "cheerful giver" as Paul puts it. But pay attention to the Macedonians. Paul indicates they were actually driven to give by the grace of God. They weren’t seeking to be known for their generosity. They were simply responding as people touched deeply by grace. If and when you visit Africa, concentrate on God’s grace to you and see where that takes you.
An Update on NEGST
By the time you read this, I’ll be returning from Nairobi on the campus of Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology. The political unrest earlier this year caused me to postpone a visit but I am eager to be on campus meeting with students and professors and staff to see how they got through the crisis. I’m especially anxious to hear stories about churches and pastors trying to be agents of peace and reconciliation.
I’m sure the consequences of the crisis in January and February have rippled through the entire economy and profoundly affected every institution, including the church. I’m sure that the community of NEGST will feel its effects for years to come. But Kenyans are resilient people. They have endured political crises before. They have endured droughts and famines. They were making economic progress before the crisis and there are many signs already that the country is getting back on its feet. The tourist industry is recovering well and many people are once again traveling to Kenya. The game parks are once again becoming busy.
I often hesitate to report on events on Kenya when my primary source of information is U.S. newspapers and television broadcasts. I fear that our media mislead us by focusing on the dramatic and sensational. Riots and mob scenes are especially prone to be exaggerated or misrepresented. There is a remarkable disconnect between the Kenya we hear and see in our media and the Kenya you experience when you are there. The recent movement of Kenyan pastors who went to many cities to pray for spiritual cleansing and forgiveness was never covered by any Western news outlets despite our efforts to tell them about it.
As we reported before, NEGST itself was always a secure place and the community became actively engaged in caring for refugees, protecting people who were threatened, talking openly and publicly about issues of ethnicity and tribalism from a Biblical point of view. What might be considered a disruption to learning was actually an occasion for great learning about being followers of Christ in a broken world. Friends of NEGST can be gratified that our support of students in their training for ministry bore fruit, especially among the graduates who are now all over Kenya leading the church.
The library at NEGST continues to be a place of special interest. It expands every year with more and more books, journals and electronic resources. The goal is for this library to be a major center of evangelical African scholarship for the continent. Not that long ago I received a $100,000 matching grant for the library. I’ve informed many donors of this grant and the unique opportunity it represents. Thus far about $10,000 has come in for the match. If you can help us toward the goal, even with a small gift, we and NEGST will be very thankful.
We think long-term about NEGST. We’re building for the future, for the next generation of church leaders. We’re looking to ground the exploding church on the African continent in the Scriptures and the application of God’s Word to Africa by Africans. That’s why I point to the endowment funds we started for faculty positions at NEGST. This will ensure that NEGST will have Godly evangelical African professors for years to come. This past year we went over $200,000 in the endowment fund. Our goal is $1 million and we are making progress. If you want your gifts to last for generations, give to the endowment fund. Your gift can be sent to the address below.
In Christ,
Paul Heidebrecht
Christian Leaders for Africa
P.O. Box 1642Indianapolis, IN 46206
clafrica@sbcglobal.net
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Paul Heidebrecht's updates from his trip to NEGST
Dear CLA board members:
I returned yesterday from three weeks in Nairobi living on the NEGST campus and spending quality time with students, faculty and staff. The days were rich and full and I am "weary in well doing." I'll try to summarize important discoveries as they relate to our work.
1. Kenya was much calmer than I was expecting. The political situation has stabilized though the issues that led to the unrest have not really been faced by the government. People desperately want to get back to normal and resume the growth that Kenya had last year.
I was able to move comfortably everywhere including Kibera slum where I went twice.
2. Despite the calm, the population was traumatized by the violence and destruction in January and February and you feel it under the surface, even at NEGST. I heard many stories of great fear and anxiety. The mood was somber and I suspect many are still quite depressed. The economy took a real hit and the consequences of the unrest are now being felt on many levels. NEGST is expecting a decline of students as just one result simply because people have lost income or used their limited resources for more pressing needs.
3. The decline of the U.S. dollar affected me and all Americans there quite directly. Estimates of between 15-20% loss of value since a year ago means that everything we pay for when we go there now costs 15-20% more. It was a bit of a shock. Add to that the effects of higher fuel costs and suddenly it costs a lot more to go there. Plus our donations fall short. A $3000 full scholarship really needs to be $3500 to meet the same need. I have begun to re-think my safari trips there as a result.
4. It appears that at long last NEGST will receive its charter from the Kenyan government. The logjam has broken loose and already four other universities have received theirs. Douglas thinks it may come before the end of the year. But the charter will be in the name of a Christian university, not NEGST. The name was to be African Christian University but that name is not available, so the Governing Council will choose another. I attended one meeting on the Christian university plan and realized that Douglas and the NEGST leadership are very serious and energized to move in this direction. This is partly driven by a vision to prepare more than just church leaders and partly by the absolute need to recruit more students.
In November, when we meet with Douglas, we will need to consider the implications of this for us as the development arm in North America.
5. The entire Ph.D. cohort was on campus, though now engaged on their individual research projects. They expect to spend 4-6 weeks at Cambridge in August researching in one of the foremost libraries in the world. I spoke with many of them individually and was even more impressed with them than before. But of course all that we have invested in them depends on them finishing their dissertations, hopefully by July
2009 when we hope there will be a grand celebration at the graduation ceremony. I told them we were all praying and counting on them to finish. Three of the
12 will likely join the NEGST faculty. Most of the faculty who launched this cohort have retired or left and there were many new faces in the faculty and more coming this year. The next cohort will begin in August, 2009.
6. I was able to have one-on-one time with over 30 of the moer than 60 students whom we support. This is always the highlight of being there and if you have any doubts about the validity of our mission, just get to know these students and how God called them to NEGST and to a ministry beyond and you will know we are part of grooming the future leadership of the church on the African continent. The role some of the graduates played in Kenya during the crisis testifies to the quality of leadership emerging out of NEGST. You will be hearing about this in future mailings.
7. George Renner agreed to serve as acting director of the Institute for the Study of African Realities (ISAR) and to seriously build up this center for research, training and nonformal education. Two new M.A. programs will be introduced under the ISAR structure, one in Organizational Leadership (under David Fraser's oversight) and one in Peacemaking & Conflict Resolution. George and Linda have decided to return to NEGST full-time to take up this role. He was clearly very pleased to be there again.
8. Because NEGST kept losing money with their guesthouse/cafeteria, they outsourced the entire operation to a private company. I was present for the launch of this new enterprise. The woman who runs the company is very savvy and professional and will upgrade the services considerably but at much higher rates. There may be some discounts for NEGST visitors but we will all be paying customers when we go there.
9. At our last meeting I told you about an retired American studying at NEGST who has volunteered to assist me in our work when he returns to the U.S. this fall. He graduates in July, perhaps the oldest graduate NEGST has had. His name is Spencer Radnich and I spent an evening with him and his wife. They are quite the couple. Spencer was an engineer and executive for Xerox but took early retirement and has spent the last 12 years in Kenya where he has done many things,including service at Daystar in various capacities. He was also in the Army Reserve all his working life and so he is comfortably retired. He told me he likes to travel and would go anywhere to meet anyone on behalf of NEGST entirely at his own expense. I confess I was a bit stunned. He expects to be settled near Erie, Pennsylvania, by September and wants to spend some time with me learning and strategizing his involvement. I fully expect he will be at our next board meeting so you can meet him in person.
10. NEGST has had to borrow in order to purchase the four acres of land and buildings adjacent to the campus still owned by a Christian publishing firm. This is the same project which we agreed to raise $300,000 to help purchase. I told you and Douglas this has been very difficult money to raise since it's simply buying land and not building anything new on it. My failure to find this money has kept the pressure on NEGST and slowed down the move of the administration offices to that property and the expansion of the library to the second floor where the administration is now housed. All I could do was pledge to Douglas that I would try even harder this year to raise that money though I'm not sure where. If any of you have some contacts or ideas, please share them with me. This is not a glamorous project but something that only certain folks are willing to support because they know it helps stabilize an institution for the long term. Schools here have alumni who understand this but with NEGST, we don't have those kind of alumni. Finally, I was able to get some remarkable interviews with various denominational and church leaders about the recent crisis in Kenya and how the church responded. I expect to write a few articles this summer based on these interviews and hopefully get them published and generate some additional publicity for our efforts at the same time.
Thanks for your prayers,
Paul
I returned yesterday from three weeks in Nairobi living on the NEGST campus and spending quality time with students, faculty and staff. The days were rich and full and I am "weary in well doing." I'll try to summarize important discoveries as they relate to our work.
1. Kenya was much calmer than I was expecting. The political situation has stabilized though the issues that led to the unrest have not really been faced by the government. People desperately want to get back to normal and resume the growth that Kenya had last year.
I was able to move comfortably everywhere including Kibera slum where I went twice.
2. Despite the calm, the population was traumatized by the violence and destruction in January and February and you feel it under the surface, even at NEGST. I heard many stories of great fear and anxiety. The mood was somber and I suspect many are still quite depressed. The economy took a real hit and the consequences of the unrest are now being felt on many levels. NEGST is expecting a decline of students as just one result simply because people have lost income or used their limited resources for more pressing needs.
3. The decline of the U.S. dollar affected me and all Americans there quite directly. Estimates of between 15-20% loss of value since a year ago means that everything we pay for when we go there now costs 15-20% more. It was a bit of a shock. Add to that the effects of higher fuel costs and suddenly it costs a lot more to go there. Plus our donations fall short. A $3000 full scholarship really needs to be $3500 to meet the same need. I have begun to re-think my safari trips there as a result.
4. It appears that at long last NEGST will receive its charter from the Kenyan government. The logjam has broken loose and already four other universities have received theirs. Douglas thinks it may come before the end of the year. But the charter will be in the name of a Christian university, not NEGST. The name was to be African Christian University but that name is not available, so the Governing Council will choose another. I attended one meeting on the Christian university plan and realized that Douglas and the NEGST leadership are very serious and energized to move in this direction. This is partly driven by a vision to prepare more than just church leaders and partly by the absolute need to recruit more students.
In November, when we meet with Douglas, we will need to consider the implications of this for us as the development arm in North America.
5. The entire Ph.D. cohort was on campus, though now engaged on their individual research projects. They expect to spend 4-6 weeks at Cambridge in August researching in one of the foremost libraries in the world. I spoke with many of them individually and was even more impressed with them than before. But of course all that we have invested in them depends on them finishing their dissertations, hopefully by July
2009 when we hope there will be a grand celebration at the graduation ceremony. I told them we were all praying and counting on them to finish. Three of the
12 will likely join the NEGST faculty. Most of the faculty who launched this cohort have retired or left and there were many new faces in the faculty and more coming this year. The next cohort will begin in August, 2009.
6. I was able to have one-on-one time with over 30 of the moer than 60 students whom we support. This is always the highlight of being there and if you have any doubts about the validity of our mission, just get to know these students and how God called them to NEGST and to a ministry beyond and you will know we are part of grooming the future leadership of the church on the African continent. The role some of the graduates played in Kenya during the crisis testifies to the quality of leadership emerging out of NEGST. You will be hearing about this in future mailings.
7. George Renner agreed to serve as acting director of the Institute for the Study of African Realities (ISAR) and to seriously build up this center for research, training and nonformal education. Two new M.A. programs will be introduced under the ISAR structure, one in Organizational Leadership (under David Fraser's oversight) and one in Peacemaking & Conflict Resolution. George and Linda have decided to return to NEGST full-time to take up this role. He was clearly very pleased to be there again.
8. Because NEGST kept losing money with their guesthouse/cafeteria, they outsourced the entire operation to a private company. I was present for the launch of this new enterprise. The woman who runs the company is very savvy and professional and will upgrade the services considerably but at much higher rates. There may be some discounts for NEGST visitors but we will all be paying customers when we go there.
9. At our last meeting I told you about an retired American studying at NEGST who has volunteered to assist me in our work when he returns to the U.S. this fall. He graduates in July, perhaps the oldest graduate NEGST has had. His name is Spencer Radnich and I spent an evening with him and his wife. They are quite the couple. Spencer was an engineer and executive for Xerox but took early retirement and has spent the last 12 years in Kenya where he has done many things,including service at Daystar in various capacities. He was also in the Army Reserve all his working life and so he is comfortably retired. He told me he likes to travel and would go anywhere to meet anyone on behalf of NEGST entirely at his own expense. I confess I was a bit stunned. He expects to be settled near Erie, Pennsylvania, by September and wants to spend some time with me learning and strategizing his involvement. I fully expect he will be at our next board meeting so you can meet him in person.
10. NEGST has had to borrow in order to purchase the four acres of land and buildings adjacent to the campus still owned by a Christian publishing firm. This is the same project which we agreed to raise $300,000 to help purchase. I told you and Douglas this has been very difficult money to raise since it's simply buying land and not building anything new on it. My failure to find this money has kept the pressure on NEGST and slowed down the move of the administration offices to that property and the expansion of the library to the second floor where the administration is now housed. All I could do was pledge to Douglas that I would try even harder this year to raise that money though I'm not sure where. If any of you have some contacts or ideas, please share them with me. This is not a glamorous project but something that only certain folks are willing to support because they know it helps stabilize an institution for the long term. Schools here have alumni who understand this but with NEGST, we don't have those kind of alumni. Finally, I was able to get some remarkable interviews with various denominational and church leaders about the recent crisis in Kenya and how the church responded. I expect to write a few articles this summer based on these interviews and hopefully get them published and generate some additional publicity for our efforts at the same time.
Thanks for your prayers,
Paul
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