It
all began in Kakuma Refugee Camp, North Eastern Kenya where most of
the people did not have future plans or dreams to follow. A few who
made use of their time then are now helpful. When the Theological
Education by Extension program reached Kakuma under the auspice of
New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC) in late 1998, it was sought to
be a window of learning the ways of God. I was too registered with
Sudan Interior Mission church. Evangelist Daniel Yor Akech, (now the
Commission of Melut County) was our TEE Tutor. A deep sense of
desiring to learn theology became stronger I was able to consistently
read the materials assigned and attend TEE group discussions for two
years.
TEE
is a programme that was designed to train the church workers
especially the lay and those who feel led to pursue ordination (TEE
programme is not a qualification for ordination). It was designed in
a way that bridges the church workers with theological colleges. In
this case, Bishop Gwynne College (BGC) is a place where previously
trained church workers would come to do more studies to be ordained.
It
is a right time to engage our church leaders with the TEE programme
especially those who are in living in the refugee camps and other
parts of Uganda. Our church workers are less engaged in anything
else, they can be engaged positively through TEE programme.
With
the help of the Revd. Andrew Wheeler, and George Kimani, TEE Course
syllabus had been developed to suit the needs of our church workers
just as they follow:
-
Introduction
to the Old Testament
-
Introduction
to the New Testament
-
Evangelism
and Mission
-
Church
in Sudanese History
-
Church
in Action; in the context of Acts of Apostles
-
Life
of Christ, according to the Gospel of Mark
-
Sin
and Salvation
-
Our
African Heritage
-
Islam.
We
have laid out the programme in the following cycle of activities in
Phase
1:
PHASE
1
Activity
1
The
first phase is fortnight training of 18 tutors from 16th
to 27th
January 2017 if all goes as planned.
Activity
2
After
their training (tutors), each will start registering their church
workers in their camps for classes to commence right then. The mode
of learning would be each TEE participant will take home a book with
containing week lessons (with maximum of 4 to 5 lessons) before
he/she attends a group discussion (led by one of the tutors we have
just trained).
Activity
3
The
purpose for TEE training as it was designed is to prepare those who
will do further theological education in places like Bishop Gwynne
College. With a few training we conducted the church among the
refugees in Uganda, some have already picked interest to join BGC.
That means the TEE programme helps the church in both ways, first, it
fans a desire in individuals to do further theological training and
in this case, I am a living example of that. After finishing my TEE
programme in the year 1999, it developed in me a real burning desire
to do more theological training and God orchestrated it, and
secondly, the church workers will effectively serve even if some
wouldn’t make it further. TEE programme will boost their serving
capacity to be licensed as lay readers, evangelists, teachers in
their local capacity.
PHASE
2
Phase
2 will
shortly come along as we wait for new arrangements being done by the
province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. New internal ECSS
Provinces are now being inaugurated. So far, we have Western
Equatoria (based in Yambio), Lakes (based in Rumbek), and Jonglei
Provinces (Bor). Our leadership in the college will engage with the
offices of the Archbishops of Internal Provinces to chart TEE
programmes forward.
APPEAL
An
appeal for funding to the tune of USD 16,200 was launched in January
2017.
