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Monday, 08 December 2008 13:21 |
"My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose."
(Isa 46:10)
As Job acknowledged to the LORD, "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted (Job 42:2)." So God confirms "... saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose (Isa 46:10).'" Even through us God's purpose remains, as "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand (Prv 19:21)." So we can have enduring confidence knowing that He works all things according to the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11).
 It is in this assurance that the story of African Christian University began. The journey started in 2000 when God put it on the heart of a common American evangelical church member who was teaching a college and career sunday school class to teach through a detailed study of Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." God used the 9 month study to show this 38 year old university chemistry professor and researcher, with his wife and 5 children, that it was time to leave a life-long, secure position of a tenured professorship at the University of Arkansas, to sell their house and give most of their significant belongings away. Under the loving care of their sending church, Fellowship Bible Church in Springdale, along with the support of other faithful churches and individuals, God directed them into church planting mission work amongst unreached people groups with New Tribes Mission. After 4 years of cross-cultural ministry preparation, they began learning the national language and culture in Mozambique, and God began developing a vision for Christian higher education as a means to holistically transform Mozambique for Christ. After preparing a vision document, originally intended to assist Mozambican pastors and educators whom the Lord might direct in forming a Christian humanities and sciences university, God made it clear that the vision was not for others to do, but He was redirecting them to leave their mission organization for this purpose. Reluctantly praying that God would raise up others for this daunting task in an unfamiliar country and culture, God brought along others to confirm and encourage that it was not a task for others, but for them. Still fearful, fully aware of their own inability for such a challenge, they reluctantly moved ahead through the doors that God clearly opened, step-by-step in prayer. God demonstrated with each step, as He had with Paul, that it is only by His grace that His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9; 2 Cor 11:30).
Through prayer in seeking the Lord's counsel, and through the counsel of many Mozambicans and other believers, including much study and research, the Lord clarified the vision for a Bible-based, worldview transforming, higher education that would exalt the preeminence of Christ in every detail of knowledge in truth. It is believed that this may prove to be a unique time, and Africa may be the ordained continent for seeing a reformation in higher education. The affects of modernism in glorifying man's reasoning and foolishly attempting to put God in submission to man's understanding and postmodernism in dismissing any metanarratives of unifying truth have much more shallow roots in Africa. This unique opportunity to see a Christ-glorifying approach to the assessment and communicating of knowledge in all disciplines at this time in Africa could very well spark reformation through higher education.
The vision continues to form and mature and we trust will soon take on the brick and mortar, teaching and learning through the loving discipleship of an operational Christian university to the glory of God's grace. The move to initiate this vision in Zambia in submission to the mature Reformed Baptist Church will alter the vision developed for Mozambique as the discipleship and clear example for living out a Biblical worldview in all aspects of life will be facilitated by the church. We pray this story will continue to grow as God's purpose is accomplished bringing a revival of His glory across Africa.
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