African Doctor of Ministry Students Share Their Ministries
Click to hear from some of the African Doctor of Ministry students as they share their current leadership roles and tell how their seminary education will enhance their ministries.
Education as an Avenue of Hope
Education is an avenue of hope to assist persons in rising above their economic strife.
In 2010, Saint Paul School of Theology, a seminary of the United Methodist Church in Kansas City, Missouri, began a cross-cultural Doctor of Ministry track in Children and Poverty. Four African pastors, two from Liberia and two from the Congo, enrolled. In 2011 a second cross-cultural Doctor of Ministry program began in Global Health and Wholeness with four more African pastors who are leaders in the United Methodist Church in the Congo and Liberia.
The downturn in the economy has led to a crisis with this cross-cultural program. The students still have several more classes to complete the program their funding has run out. Unfortunately, the seminary does not have funds to cover the costs of their study. Funding is crucial in order to enable the African students to return to Saint Paul for the remaining classes and to complete their Doctor of Ministry degrees. The African students in the Children and Poverty track have one more session in June 2012 and will then move on to final research and thesis writing. The Global Health and Wholeness students have classes in 2012 and 2013 before they begin their research and thesis writing. An estimated total of $150,000 is needed for these students to complete their respective degrees.
We invite you to hear from the students in the cohort by reading their blog posts, seeing the photos, and listening to the video of the African students who talk about the people that they serve. If you feel called, please assist Saint Paul in achieving the goal of helping these African pastors to receive Doctor of Ministry degrees and enhance the life of the church in both Liberia and the Congo. With everyone’s help on both sides of the Atlantic, we will all reach this milestone.
