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The African Christian University logo is filled with symbolism of African transformation in Christ.  This will be explored in this issue as we rejoice in the fact that only in Jesus Christ can people be redeemed and reconciled to their Maker.  ACU is being established to assist the church in equipping those redeemed in Christ to bring the gospel of true transformation throughout Africa and the world in all vocations and practice of life.  

VChancellorACU's First Vice-Chancellor      
by Dr. Ken Turnbull, ACU Vice-Chancellor 

 

Ken Turnbull - the proud Dad! (L->R) Hannah, Lisa, Ken & Damarise

I often wonder how I, left to my own devices, might have set out to formulate a truly Christian University in Africa. Back in 2001, as a tenured professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Arkansas (USA), had God said to go do that on my own, I can imagine what I might have done. I likely would have chosen a highly reputable Christian institute and moved there. I would have done my best to learn from them and to gather the "A-team" of Christian academicians to help me. Then I would have sought to enter the select African country through the Ministry of Education with as much recognition and fanfare as we could muster for a "successful" start. I would have seen that as doing my best. However, how did God direct, at least my role, in the initiation of African Christian University? 

 

Turnbulls - 2001
2013: (L->R) Andrew, Hannah, Damarise, Sarah, Ken, Lisa & Ian Turnbull

God prepared me, my wife Lisa, and our five children (ages 3-11 at the time) while we were at the University of Arkansas for His purpose. He first developed a distaste in us for all of the material trappings of life, leading us to free ourselves of many excess things. Most importantly, He humbled me, making me clearly aware of my self-centered strivings in life through seeking my own success, especially in my academic and research career. Those pursuits largely defined who I thought I was. He did this through a year-long College and Career Sunday School class I taught on Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." I was deeply convicted through this study that I was seeking first my own kingdom and my righteousness, not His. By renewing my mind, God enabled me to abandon my wrestling to reign over my own life. He made me see that I needed to place the control of my life where it belonged: in His hands. He began teaching me in real and practical ways how to deny myself, take up my cross and follow Christ. 

 

However, God didn't immediately lead us to start a Christian university, but the path started with a deep desire to bring the gospel to the earth's most destitute - those with no written language from which to understand God's Word. After two years of training with New Tribes Mission and three years of further preparation, my family and I moved to northern Mozambique to help plant a church amongst some of the least-reached Africans. 

 

This brought us into struggling to understand the roots of African culture and African worldviews. After two years God reoriented our direction. Through various means and individuals it was clear that the work ahead for us was not church planting, but trying to formulate what a Christ-centered, higher education institute would look like in Africa; particularly one that might best facilitate the work of the Holy Spirit in transforming African worldviews toward a Biblical worldview.* 

 

The missing link for such an institute was a biblically-sound, healthy, functioning church. This led to the Reformed Baptist Churches of Zambia. The church that Christ had been building in Zambia for over two decades

Mbewe, Kalifungwa & Turnbull

 was well-equipped and obedient to God's calling unlike any other church that we had seen or heard of in Africa. Pastors Conrad Mbewe (now ACU's Chancellor) and Ronald Kalifungwa met with me at the close of 2008. This was when we first realize that God had called us together from across the globe to embark on the massive kingdom work of African Christian University. Through the following meetings of church leaders who confirmed the support and oversight of these Zambian churches, the enormous task came into focus. The longevity of ACU in both mission and purpose is dependent on these churches. 

 

This is how God set the groundwork for His institute for Christ-centered learning; not by the will or work of people alone, but by His mighty hand 

Ken and Lisa

converging the church, the people and the resources around His will. The initiation and sustenance of this kingdom work is entirely dependent upon His grace. 

 

As global church leadership is shifting away from the West, many believers from traditionally Christian cultures realize the importance of supporting faithful African churches in every possible way to respond to God's work. This motivated my effort to form the non-profit organizations ACU-USA and ACU-RSA. The American and South African church is responding to the challenge of African transformation in Christ through the avenue of higher education. The effort to see the gospel spread and bear its fruit in lives transformed by the righteousness of Christ throughout Africa is a foremost purpose of ACU. This effort is to be accomplished by: (1) equipping well-trained ministers of the gospel and theologians for the further expansion of the church and Christ-centered education in Africa, and (2) equipping ambassador's for Christ in all academic disciplines and vocations for advancing the gospel into areas that the global church is not effectively penetrating. Least-reached Muslim areas of northern Africa remain a challenge for the global church. Africans equipped with the gospel and the skills to enter cultures through their vocations in business, medicine, education, etc., are Christ's ambassadors who can successfully penetrate such unreached areas, let alone all communities across Africa and the world. 

 

Furthermore, the ineffectiveness of the church in Africa to advance God-glorifying stewardship over His creation displays the corruption of the gospel being proclaimed. A true gospel leading to redemption in Christ would also lead us, as God's faithful stewards, toward advancing God's creation mandate - to subdue the earth, fill it, cultivate it and keep it. Africa has clearly not been transformed by this gospel. ACU seeks to help the church through education that is derived from the presupposition that all knowledge is from God and through Him and to Him. This requires the highest intellectual equipping through rigorous scholarship with excellence. With that must also be the highest practical skills training through excellence in God-glorifying labor. This combination of Christ-centered minds and hands trained to work tirelessly with excellence as unto the Lord will produce students who can innovate African transformation in Christ at every level of society. 

 

John Chundu with Ken

As ACU's first Vice-Chancellor, this is what I have put both hands to the plow to achieve. Along with Conrad Mbewe, ACU's Chancellor, John Chundu, Chairman of the ACU Board of Directors, and the rest of the gifted ACU team that God is assembling, I pray that we will always remain in humble submission to His will. As weak vessels, may His strength work mightily through all who He will use to bring the full vision of ACU for Christ-exalting transformation of Africa to fruition. Amen! 

 

_____________________________________ 

* A Ph.D. dissertation, now a book, helped immensely in refining this understanding of worldview transformation: Jack Pryor Chalk, Making Disciples in Africa, 2013.

LogoThe The ACU Logo: A Symbol of African Transformation in Christ

by Dr. Ken Turnbull, ACU Vice-Chancellor   

 

The ACU logo expresses the biblical and cultural foundations upon which the university is founded. The vibrant variety of colors are representative of the flags of countries across the vast African continent. The colors are as diverse, yet beautifully cohesive as the people of this stunning continent. The African traditional shield proudly displays ACU's cultural heritage of strength and perseverance. The central yellow represents the hope of transformation through Christ at the core of all we do, while the borders of red represent the blood of Christ which encompasses all that God's grace has enabled us to be and to do. The African continent, foremost in fertile green, represents God's rich blessings upon the continent in created, natural resources. The three crosses represent the centrality of redemption and judgment of humankind through Christ's cross in the center. The outer two crosses represent humankind through the two thieves who hung at Jesus' sides. One was redeemed through Christ's forgiveness while the other was condemned through Christ's righteous judgement on sin. In the same way, the gospel works through humanity making those in Christ to be the fragrance of life to life for some and the fragrance of death to death for others. Finally, the redemption of Christ stands preeminent, above the Word of God in blue, the color of the skies that surround us as the Word of God is our surrounding source of all truth. This truth guides us in the way of knowing God and His righteousness in Christ for all of our good works. The book also represents the knowledge that is freely accessed by those with the mind of Christ to pursue with all vigor and tolerance knowing that humans, created in God's image and transformed in Christ, are to create culture. This requires of God's stewards the highest levels and greatest breadth of education and technical skills to subdue the earth, fill it, cultivate and keep it. May ACU stand firm on these founding principles as the surrounding ring of the emblem symbolizes infinite continuity.

Ship

God's grace has been clearly demonstrated by the outpouring of support through those across the USA that have donated books for the ACU Library. It is estimated that we are nearing 85% of the 10,000 books that were requested to initiate a library. Thank God for each one of you who have given of such precious resources for this purpose. 

 

DONATIONS - Our supplication to God now turns to His supply for shipping the library to Zambia by October for classes beginning in January 2014. We pray that His provision would enable you to assist us through a designated donation. We have a quote from Theological Book Network (Grand Rapids, Michigan) to oversee the process of getting the books from Kansas City, Missouri to Lusaka, Zambia. Would you help us in raising $12,000 for this purpose? 

 

USA donations: http://www.acu-zambia.com/donate

(Choose your preferred form for donating and select the "Library Shipment" designation) 

 

Africa donations: http://www.acu-zambia.com/partners/african-donations 

(Choose South Africa or Zambia for making donations through the specified banks)

 
Transparent ACU logo
ACU Seminary Transparent
 
  The ACU Prayer Update Team 
  
 
African Christian University-USA

In This Issue:

 

ACU's First Vice-Chancellor

 

The ACU Logo: A Symbol of African Transformation in Christ

 

ACU Library Shipment

 

Matters for Praise

 

Matters for Prayer

 

Print this Update

 

Seeking Help

 

praiseMatters for Praise 

 

Thank God for those responding to the ACU Library Shipment campaign. May the unity of Christ be clearly demonstrated in our effort to reach the needed $12,000 (K64,000 / R122,000) through donations from Zambia, South Africa and the USA. 

 

With grateful hearts we acknowledge God for leading Pr. Conrad Mbewe to take the helm as Chancellor of ACU. He sprang into action unifying the Zambian stake holding churches to support an initiative to find a head office for ACU and to fund the filling of critical positions in time for the start of classes in January, 2014. 

 

In God's grace, the Reformed Baptist Church Association of Zambia has agreed to allot extra funds to ACU for the rental of ACU offices until construction can begin. Thank God for the faith that the churches display and His bountiful supply through them. 

 

Praise God for the steady progress being made in planning, writing policy and making preparations for student application and admissions for the Scholars Program. Please pray for wisdom and persistent thoroughness for those working on this. 

 

Chris & Keren Hays
Chris & Keren Hays
Kendra Hawley

We thank God as Chris & Keren Hays are doing well in making their preparations to move to Zambia, now targeting arrival before January, Lord willing. Continue to pray for Kendra Hawley who is pressing forward in her support raising efforts to come help with the ACU Library.

 


ACU praying hands


prayerMatters for Prayer

 

Join us in praying for God's provision through those He has supplied the means to give toward the shipping of the ACU Library from the USA to Zambia. 

 

Remember those who are coming to join the ACU work through business developments as Student Labor Disciplers. Some will be attending a conference Oct 16-20 in Florida with Global Opportunities (globalopps.org) to learn more about business as missions through tent-making endeavors. 

 

Busy preparations are being made for the initiation of the "450 Campaign" in Zambia (seeking 400 partners to give K50 (~$10) per month to support ACU) and the "200 Campaign" in South Africa (seeking 200 partners to give R200 (~$20) per month to support ACU). Pray that God's grace will abound through those He enables. 

 

Dr. Tim Tomlinson

Dr. Tim Tomlinson (President of Bethlehem College and Seminary) will be coming to Zambia to meet with the ACU Board and consult in developing a 3-5 year strategic plan. He plans to be here Nov 29 - Dec 8. Please pray for God's preparation of him and the Board to receive divine wisdom and guidance for a fruitful outcome. 

 

Please pray for the ACU Management Team as property is sought for ACU's offices and critical hires are made to assist in preparations for classes.

 

PrintPrint this Update 

Download a copy of the
ACU October Prayer Update to print and hand out at your church
 
 
 
SeekingSeeking Help 
 
 
 
If God has gifted you as an artisan of excellence in any aspect of the construction trade, consider discipling colleagues and students with ACU. Please contact us if you believe God is calling you to serve His kingdom work in this way.

  If you have books of all types in any academic disciplines, but particularly those emphasizing a Christian worldview, please consider if you might be in a position to donate towards ACU's library. 
 

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