Daniel Kambou

Dr. Peter W. Dunn, the former director, has been asked to remain in a supportive role as an administrative assistant and as professor and researcher at large.

Mes chers en Christ,

J’ai le plaisir de vous annoncer que ma soutenance est programmée pour ce vendredi 3 Avril 09 à 16 heures, l’heure de la RCA. Je vous prie de bien vouloir m’assister dans la prière.

En Christ,

Faustin

CITAF or The Council of theological institutions in french-speaking Africa (Conseil des Institutions Théologiques d’Afrique Francophone) has passed on its latest news to me.  Its general director, Dr. Abel Ndjerareou provides information about the new direction, which includes himself, and Dr. Daniel Kambou (as the adjunct coordinateur).  The Barnabas Venture helped to subsidize the meeting of CITAF last summer, and you can see me seated at the meeting next to Dr. Abel Ndjerareou and his wife Priscille on one side, and Rene Daidanso next to me on the other.

Among other news, CITAF has decided to moveits headquarters from Bangui, as originally planned, to Abidjan.  I support this decision.  Communication and travel to and from Bangui has become very difficult in the last few years, at it is in the middle of one of the worst war zones in Africa; land routes are extremely unsafe.  Kurt Berends of the Theological Book Network told me a shipment of books going to Bangui was delayed because the two of the shipper’s employees were murdered by bandits.    Electrical power in Bangui is also a problem, since the last I heard the Bouali dam is down to a single Turbine of the original four.  Communication with FATEB is now dependent on cyber cafes, as their satellite internet has mysteriously stopped.

Abidjan has also experienced war recently.  But it starts out the most modern city in French-speaking Africa.

For those who read French, here is Abel’s letter (for those who don’t “bon courage” or click on the translation by google.

Lettre d’Abel concernant CITAF

English translation

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Peter

In 1998, I went on my first teaching expedition to Central African Republic. I explain how it was that God led me to go to Africa despite my fears. During that trip I met some of the people that we still work with today: Moussa Bongoyok, who was a young visiting professor; Elisee Ouoba and Charles Bafinamene, who were 4th year students in my Acts of the Apostles course. That year I traveled for the first and only time deep into the forest that lies on the border of Central African Republic and Congo Brazzaville, the home of the Aka pygmies, and visited my friend Dan Duke who was consultant to the SIL translation project there. It was a glimpse of both the hardship and the beauty, the simplicity and complexity of village life in the forest. I visited the pygmies and their first generation church and even had the privilege to teach them. This is an experience that few have had and it has taught me a lot of about wealth and poverty and it has left a mark too on my scholarly work. Finally, I record some anecdotes that I found fascinating and some reflexions about Africa.

We have invited several distinguished writers to partake in the discussion and we hope it will contribute to fruitful action on the ground in Africa.  Since the gospel touches every aspect of humanity, including both the spiritual and the physical, the conversation is intentionally open to such controversial subjects as politics and economics, as well as anything else that you would expect of theologians.  It was decided that we could not host Palabre on the Barnabas Venture website; as an associate member of CCWM we exist for charitable purposes, and so we will be intentionally apolitical on this website.

At Palabre too, you will see the fruit of many years of research.  Already we have posted five academic theses (3 masters, 2 DEA)  in French by our authors; these are documents written in Africa by Africans; plus I’ve added some of my own academic papers.  Everyday, we will try to add something new, a video on Africa, news from the continent, or an academic article.

There are also links to some very rich resources in theology, both in French and English, some of which specializes in Africa.

We invite you to come and join us in the shade of the palabre tree.  As a non-author, you have the ability to join us too in the commentary section under each article.  Thank you, Peter W. Dunn

palabre.wordpress.com

ESTES

I found this really cool video explaining the ministry of ESTES, an undergraduate, evangelical school of theology in Ndjamena, Chad.

I was there in 2006.  Abel Ngarsoulede is training to return to teach theology at this school.  The video is very well done.  Also I met Prof. Scott Hafemann just last November in Boston.

This video would give you a brief glimpse of the kind of future ministry of the people we are helping to train will be doing after their training is complete.  Daniel Kambou and Moussa Bongoyok are alumni of our program who are active in Cote d’Ivoire and Central African Republic respectively.  The need is great and the ministry of theological education is strategic.

One thing I noticed when I was in Chad when the pastor of a large church asked the students to stand up, I’d say more than 3/4s of the congregation stood up.  Not only is the church in Chad growing, but it is also young.

P. W. Dunn

Signing off for now, the Director.