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Friends United
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NEWS RELEASE: January 18, 2010
Dear Friends of Friends Theological College in Kaimosi, Kenya,
As is customary among our East African Friends, I send greetings in the name of Jesus Christ!
For the past several years, FUM donations to FTC have amounted to an average of $2,000 per month in their general account (which pays for all staff salaries). This does not include support sent for student expenses by way of the Sarrin Scholarships, the Nigh Fund from Indiana Yearly Meeting or other restricted purposes. That average donation of $2,000 helps pay for nine teaching staff and all the supporting staff, security, maintenance, etc. We need to raise that support by another $1,000 per month. Let me tell you why.
There has been much work toward getting Friends Theological College accredited by ACTEA (Accrediting Council of Theological Education in Africa.) We are pleased to announce that affiliate status has been achieved, which means FTC is now recognized as a stand-alone college, no longer under the wings of St. Paul's University. That doesn't mean we are fully accredited, just that we are now free to begin our self study for the development of an improvement plan. But that has mixed blessings and is similar to the extra property taxes that are imposed on us when we make improvements on our house. Because our FTC faculty has had to improve their credentials, they now expect (and deserve) to be compensated more. Also, there are still capital improvements that will have to be made to the college to maintain the progress toward full accreditation. Those include the addition of more classrooms and the expansion of the library and the technology that allows global connections. There's still work to be done on that plan before we know how exactly Friends can help. This letter is an appeal for general support for the college so they can pay their bills and keep their qualified staff.
For many of you receiving this letter I may be "preaching to the choir," as you are already consistent in your financial support. Others of you are glad to know that as one of FUM's priority ministries, FTC is growing and becoming an even stronger representative of our historic partnership with Kenyan Friends. If you are already contributing to FTC, thank you for your blessing! If you have been looking for a way to make your donations contribute significantly to spreading the Christian message, please consider this channel and/or pass along this need so others may also participate. Perhaps your Sunday School class could send $25 a month, or your missions committee would consider a regular donation. Every little bit helps, more than you know.
At the October North America General Board Meeting, as board members were working through a process of defining the priorities of Friends United Meeting's programming, it became evident that our efforts to manage and financially support Friends Theological College are among the top on the list. We recognized that the four priorities of FUM: Communication, Evangelism, Leadership Training and Global Partnerships, intersect in our work at FTC more than any other ministry we support. We have profound and unique opportunities to fulfill our purpose, to "equip and energize Friends to gather people into fellowships where Jesus Christ is known, loved and obeyed as Teacher and Lord," at FTC. When we train pastors for the churches in Kenya and surrounding countries, hundreds of thousands of people are reached!
The Support Team for Friends Theological College endorses this invitation to support FTC. You are welcome to visit with them or call me if you have questions or concerns. As you read this I will be in Kenya, attending the meeting of the Africa General Board, visiting FTC and our other project partners and meeting with Ann Riggs, John Muhanji and Eden Grace for review and planning. I will be back in the Richmond office on February 17. Thank you for your prayerful consideration of ways to join this work.
On behalf of the FTC Support Team: Rich & Sandy Davis, Ed Nicholson and Doug Shoemaker of Indiana Yearly Meeting; Ted and Mary Marshburn of Western Association of Friends; Steve Pedigo of Western Yearly Meeting; Clifford Winslow of North Carolina Yearly Meeting;
Sylvia Graves, General Secretary