Commissioning Service

During the recent visit of our national leadership at our Bible college here in Mwanza; all of the new leadership for our Bible college were commissioned.

It was a great day for the college; they had never had a visit from the national leaders and the leaders of the Education Department specifically for the benefit of the college. Our national leadership spent the day at the college and were given a tour of our campus. They were able to see for themselves the many needs that the school has; they promised to help us take care of some of the more pressing needs as soon as possible.

After a lengthy chapel with our student body and faculty, they had lunch with the students and insisted that they not receive any special treatment. They waited in line with the students, ate the same food as the students (ugali which is a stiff porridge and fish) and sat with them. They ate with their hands just like the students; refusing the offer of spoons. Many Tanzanians eat with their hands and don't use eating utensils and so the leadership ate their food in the same way.

The faculty and student body were in awe of this type of interaction with leadership; the custom here in Tanzania is that leadership is held in very high esteem and considered to be on a level above the average person. This goes back to the tribal customs; the chiefs of the tribes were treated as royalty and had almost a "god-like" status.

Our new leadership is not only teaching the "servant-leader" model of leadership, but they are living it as well.

At the end of the day's activities they had a meeting with the faculty and allowed them to ask questions and express concerns as equals; the faculty were amazed that they would do this.

During the afternoon session, the new Board for the college was introduced; the Board is made up of the bishops from the six districts on our side of the country and Tim who is the acting principal. They were commissioned as a group and the leadership and congregation prayed for them.

I have included a picture of Tim as part of the group being commissioned and also a view of the student body and faculty during the chapel service.

It was a great day for the college and the students and faculty were encouraged.