A Word from the Principal

By Rev. Dr. Solomon B. Nkesiga

It is with great pleasure that I make a contribution to this year’s KESTREL.
I praise God who has sustained KEST and its vision since its inception (1989). From non-formal programmes with few personnel, the school built its constituency. Thanks to the leadership who steered it during those fragile years Rev Dr. Solomon Nkesiga talks to KEST staff

Since 2001 KEST took a leap into the future toward a achieving its prime goals. This was the introduction of full-time courses. There was sudden increase in expenditure in order to facilitate the needs of increased faculty, students and reflected in the operation costs. Demand on study and work space increased as well. These were some of the unforeseen challenges that I found at KEST when I joined the institution in June 2005.  
It is over a years since I joined KEST as principal. The honeymoon is long over and it is time to address the challenges that face us.
We thank God who in spite of all financial challenges, has sustained the school. At the beginning of this year (2006) KEST was granted a provisional license to offer up to Diploma in Theology. This accreditation status was achieved through a couple of hard working years. Our desire is to obtain accreditation for awarding a Bachelor of Theology degree in the next two years. However this desire comes with some serious requirements. These are the
issues for which we shall cherish your prayers and support.
We need to build faculty offices; library space for books and reading space; improved kitchen and dinning facilities, room and board for residential students. We plan to put all these in one single multi-storied complex. We are glad to announce that KEST application for building funds from HILFE FUR BRUDER was accepted. This funding is half of what we need to complete the first phase of this complex. For this we give thanks to the Lord. We believe that God who has moved Hilfe Fur Bruder will encourage others to enable us to achieve this pertinent goal.
Our Community Development faculty is under going change as well. We have decided that we should concentrate on practical aspects to bridge the gap between theory – loaded current approach. This will require a big space outside Kampala. The acquisition of extra land is also consistent with the demand by the accrediting commission for the school to have recreational grounds. We have identified ten acres near Entebbe air port for this purpose. We shall need finances to achieve this goal.
We invite our partners both locally and internationally to consider praying and finding one of the areas in which they might wish to assist.
I have recently returned from a trip to raise the profile of KEST. This trip led me to Germany, UK and USA.  I was welcomed by many people across these continents. I am grateful to the hosts

UK

Mr. Phillip Attwood who fetched and accompanied me to and from Heathrow Airport
on the 9th Sept. and 19th October respectively.
Mark and Rachel Meynell, who hosted me and washed my clothes many times. For their friendship and love for KEST. Joshua and Zanna for sharing their space and time. Thanks Mark for the train maps and directions. Your “expository” explanations gave me confidence to just walk out of the rectory and find the tube (train) underground for my errands! The maps were still cumbersome because as an African I can only tell my direction by looking at the sun.
Vicar Peter Law of St. Hughes in Luton who cared for me greatly.
I acknowledge the valuable time spent with Dr. Gerald Bray of Tydale House and the lovely fellowship I enjoyed there.

Germany

Rev. Dr. Klaus-Peter (CBF) and Elke Edinger and Mr. Jurgen Wawerger who hosted me in Germany. They found me once when I was lost at Frankfort (Hans) airport. M/s Eva-Maria Muzinger who cared for me in Stutturgard

USA

Mr Bill and Mrs Helen Tate (Western Springs – Chicago), Brian at the Calvin Seminary Guest House (Grand Rapids – Michigan), Greg Pierce, (South of Chicago City-Illinois) Marla of OCI - Indianapolis, Dan G. Swanson for his fatherly love  (Midway Chicago –Illinois) and Rev. Wightman and Mrs Priscilla Weese (Wheaton Area - North East Chicago – Illinois) who hosted me.  Judith Tietyen deserves special thanks for combining business with meeting people and site seeing. The visit to a community organiser Mr. Greg Augustine Pierce was a revelation in my experience. Perhaps the highlight of site seeing was the millennium park in the centre of Chicago city. It was mind blowing.  To all these and those who offered time to meet me or opened their doors for me I shall be eternally grateful. Please accept my since thanks on behalf of KEST management and Board of Directors. Many thanks to the students and the staff team who have worked hard this year.

New Members of Staff

Edith and her numbers
Edith Buyinza Joined KEST in July this year she is a business woman and has previously worked with the Entebbe Botanical Beach Hotel. Married to Hannington, they have three children
they attend Entebbe Baptist Church. Edith serves as the Finance Officer and also previously worked with the Deliverance Church. She would like many more pastors and    
                Edith at her busy desk
leaders to come and benefit from the training offered at KEST.

Edakasi the man who coordinates many things
Alfred Edakasi is the Finance and Administration coordinator at KEST.  Alfred previously served at FOCUS     
Uganda as general secretary  before coming to KEST and helping in the Academic Dean’s office as assistant. Early this year he became Finance and Administration Coordinator but also teaches courses in Development Studies. Alfred is married to Julie and they have two children.

Aggrey Comes to KEST

Aggrey Mugisha studied Economics at Makerere University and Communication at Wheaton College in the USA. He worked in Ministry of Finance in the Uganda Government and with FOCUS Uganda as a Training Secretary and later as Associate General Secretary. More recently he has been media and communication secretary with IFES. Aggrey comes to us to teach Development Studies, Leadership and Communication. Aggrey’s other passion is Bible Exposition he reminds readers, ‘I hold a certificate in Bible exposition having completed the three year programme we Aggrey Mugisha                       
 offer here at KEST with the Langham Partnership.” Aggrey is married to Delphine and together they have 3 children. He is a member of St. Francis Chapel at Makerere University where he sometimes preaches.

Meet Dr.  Angus Crichton

Angus is that solid and easy to approach Minister of the gospel. His journey to Uganda is a long one.                         

Angus, Helen and the children
Having worked previously in Kenya at Ukambani “The Kenyan experience of teaching at a high school for a year taught me cross-cultural realities.” and then studied Missions at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in the USA. Later he moved to the UK serving in Missions at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, London.

STUDENTS’ SCENE

How I Came to Know About KEST

By Scopas Wani

I am Sudanese by nationality and my name is Scopas Wani Bullen  from the ECS Diocese of Lainya. I came to know KEST through a fellow priest, Rufus of my diocese who was studying at the School. He spoke well of KEST and I also read from the Kestrel newsletter he brought during his holidays. Hence I picked interest and prayed to join the School. A form was sent from England for one person to go for studies. When the diocesan advisory committee sat, chaired by the Bishop, they selected me, I immediately chose KEST, I begun my studies in August year 2004.
I am pursuing   
      Diploma in theology majoring in communication Arts.
I have learnt many things at KEST, which       
    

         Scopas Wani  
                                                             are helpful to the ministry and me. From the different courses, which include ways of how to communicate the word of God, I can now do it better than before.
I can preach to people face to face in churches as well as to the Masses through Radio.

MY DAYS  AT KEST

By Fred Kyobe

For many years I had a deep passion to work full time in Church Ministry, the idea grown with me through the years.
My cousin suggested that I apply for a place at a Theological College. Then I was working as a reporter with the New Vision newspaper and a lay preacher in the Church of Uganda. 
I knew that if I was to play a part in Christian Ministry, I needed to be equipped, a Theological College was the ideal place I needed to start from.  I had doubts, what would my family think of me and which Theological school should it be?  However, I felt strongly that God was directing me this way.
In 2004, I saw an advert run in the newspapers about Kampala Evangelical School of Theology (KEST), when I inquired about the school I got a lot of positive remarks. In August that year I was admitted in the school, I started classes that same month, everything was new to me especially the theological classes.  This was rather strange, I was a trained journalist now I was to combine my major subject – Communication Arts with a number of Theological subjects.
I have been at KEST since August 2004 pursuing a Diploma in Communication Arts, but with it a combination of theological subjects that have enabled me to learn more about the word of God and Ministry.
The knowledge acquired at KEST has enabled me to attend to the demands in    
     Fred Kyobe                                

ministry as a lay preacher and the head of missions in my church.  I am also engaged in ministry work outside my church like conducting Bible study groups and assisting in ministries for University students residing in Nakulabye.
Preaching is my big interest although I have discovered in me other areas of communication that I can do well like radio journalism. Currently, I am doing my internship with a Christian Radio Station, 104.9 Power FM.
I have learnt many skills in the communication and theology subjects offered at KEST.  Among other activities, I am overseeing young ministries in media houses encouraging fellowship for believers in the media industry. 
I have discovered some talents that were not obvious to me.  These have opened up new opportunities for me such as the internship at Power FM. 
I intend to use the skills acquired to serve God in whatever capacity I am given.  I am yet to complete my studies at KEST but so far I feel that I have achieved a lot.

After Years in Ministry I came to KEST
Collin Sentumbwe

My calling to ministry came early in life when I had completed my A’ level in 1988. American Missionaries took me on as a Pastor for a newly planted church in Jinja. The 80’s and early 90’s were years of great excitement in the church. Public Address systems, music instruments were things  highly cherished. Mass evangelistic crusades were the order of the day. Long church names and Acronyms were adopted. Pastors and churches were silently competing with each other in the name of building the Kingdom. Emphasis was on moving from dust to glory. Multi-million shilling buildings were constructed.
Sadly, this was the same time when the attitude that theological training was irrelevant, unnecessary and simply religious became popular. The assumption that the Holy Spirit showed himself powerfully by using illiterate, untrained, unskilled people was embraced by many.
The unlearned were his best instruments in ministry. At first I agreed but with time I realized this was false. There was a deeper desire in my  
 Collins Sentumbwe                        

heart for training resulting from  the challenges I faced as a young minister. I made several applications to different theological colleges in Uganda and outside. On one occasion I was admitted and offered a tuition scholarship but failed to raise the rest of the finances required. For years I tried without success until I gave up on the whole issue of training.
Later I left Jinja to come and serve in my home church. I  volunteered as a bookkeeper at my church head office in Mengo, Kampala in 1998. One day, my supervisor reached his hand into his bag and laid on my table three bright  coloured brochures. They were blue, yellow and pink on them was the name Kampala Evangelical School of Theology on Makerere Road. Each colour represented a particular field of training with the relevant course units. Courses then were in the evening and fees were very reasonable. Nevertheless I could not start due to lack of money not until 2004 through a scholarship understanding between the college and my church.
I registered and was admitted for a three-year degree programme in Communication Arts (BTh.comm.Arts). A course in my opinion designed for practicing and intending book writers, public speakers, public relations officers, graphic designers, and information technology students and preachers. It’s a course well packaged that it makes a good preacher better and equipped with skills for self-sustenance. Having been in ministry and struggled to survive for several years, this was a safe landing. My long time question of preaching with impact was answered.
Preaching classes have greatly helped me to acquire an objective approach to scripture and sermons at the same time developing skills in writing and public speaking through the communication classes.

Coming in From Burundi

By Ange-Michel Muhayimana

In 2003,I graduated from high school and wanted to go to University, but in 2002 I had had a conviction that God was calling me into full time ministry. I really wanted to study Theology combined with communication and thereafter fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a journalist and evangelist.
I approached one young man who was attending a Bible College in Uganda  who then told me that there was a Bible college in Uganda

Ange-Michel Muhayimana called Kampala Evangelical School of Theology which offered what I wanted.  Then I applied to KEST through the web site and was admitted as a candidate in the Bachelor of Theology in Communication Arts   in July,2004. Since then I have been on the journey to becoming a trained minister of the Gospel.
My English was very poor. I decided to read as many books as I could to improve my English. As I read and attended classes, my spoken and written English began to improve tremendously. I not only improved in English ,but I also gained knowledge and my character was being    
shaped on a daily basis.
I am grateful to God for bringing me to KEST. KEST helped me get a scholarship in 2005.
 KEST has helped me to become an effective minister of the gospel. I now know how to interpret the Bible and communicate its message effectively. KEST is helping me to achieve my vision of taking the gospel to the unreached parts of my country (Burundi).As I get knowledge from what I am being taught, I hope to get involved in Radio and Television evangelism, publishing books and Magazines for  better dissemination of the gospel. I also plan to train and equip pastors in the rural areas.

Oasis – KEST Partnership

By Stuart Wilson

Two Kampala based organisations have formed an unlikely partnership to achieve their different goals.  KEST has teamed up with an International NGO, Oasis whose Uganda head office is in the Kyebando area of Kampala.  Oasis Uganda has several projects around the country helping disadvantaged children and young people to get the training, education, health care and all round support they need to become valuable contributors to their communities.
Oasis also runs a programme for    
                      Stuart Wilson           young Members of  Oasis at KEST  
 
people in the UK wanting to experience life in a different culture for 6 months whilst contributing to the communities in which they are placed.  Oasis Uganda receives teams twice a year and currently has 16 people working with 3 different churches around Southern Uganda.  They are getting involved by doing many different things from teaching in schools to leading children’s clubs to preaching at church meetings.  
As part of their experience in Uganda they are visiting KEST once a week to receive biblical training from KEST tutors.  The teams are at the KEST campus all day receiving teaching in the morning, being involved in the lunch time chapel service and after lunch completing assignments.
In addition to hosting teams, Oasis Uganda receives professionals from the UK on short term placements, usually up to one year in length.  Stuart Wilson (your writer), an accountant from Oxford, UK, arrived in Uganda with Oasis in July and has been working at KEST for 2 days a week.  He has been working closely with the new Finance & Admin Manager, Alfred Edakasi on a number of areas including financial controls, fundraising and pricing.  Stuart will be with KEST until he returns to the UK at the end of March 2007.

Who is the Academic Dean Now?
Peter M Muriuki, Academic Dean    

KEST envisions ‘a church that reflects biblical vitality and joy in the midst of Africa’s spiritual, material and socio-economic realities, in order that the gospel may renew and transform society.  KEST’s mission is to prepare and equip men and women to effect changes in church and society. Such men and women are leaders.
You see, God calls us through Jesus Christ to become agents of transforming our communities and cultures through the Gospel. God brings both faculty and students to develop through sharing life together for great impact in church and society. J. Robert Clinton wrote in, The Making of a Leader,
When you look on leadership development in terms of life processes, you quickly realize who the academic dean really is. It is God. Each of us has leadership courses that are individually tailored for us by the Academic Dean.
 Peter Agok a KEST Student and Academic Dean Peter Muriuki

KEST is part of a process for developing leadership needed in the church and society. That is why for the last two semesters the weekly Dean’s hour was converted into an Institute for Evangelism and Leadership Development.
Of course God’s plan is bigger than even KEST herself. Some things we start may not be completed in our lifetime, the plan extends into eternity. But as each faculty, staff, student and sponsor and churches faithfully plays own part, God’s kingdom advances. Jointly we reveal God’s manifold wisdom, Ephesians 3:10.
God’s curriculum involves our entire lives: attitudes, thoughts and behaviour. The Message Bible renders Romans 12:1 as ‘So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.’
God’s providence and interventions keep KEST advancing. But may we always remember that God is the Academic Dean of our lives. May we learn that even the most ordinary thing that we do within and outside KEST is worship, lesson and warfare.
As for me I have been so honoured to serve under, and act for, the Academic Dean per excellence. Knowing who the real Academic Dean is not only motivates, but also helps me withstand various challenges. Of course being human I have some pressing needs, for instance, for a vehicle to ease my movements as I disciple people for the Academic Dean.

Coming Events

• The Second Semester begins on  - 15th January 2007
• Our Annual Bible Exposition Conference which we hold in partnership with Langham Preaching is slated for April 16th-20th 2007

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