 | The Call to Learn
By Dr. Benjamin Musyoka, Former Principal
King Solomon made very interesting statements about knowledge, learning, and wisdom: “…with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief” (Eccl. 1:18). But then he adds: “…wisdom brightens a man’s face and changes its hard appearance” (Eccl. 8:1).
These words of Solomon make sense to me in that the more we learn, the more we get a better understanding of issues and challenges around us, and the more our hearts are troubled by what we see happening. And it is the troubled heart filled with godly sorrow that looks to God for solutions. That precisely is what God’s call to ministry is all about. But at the same time, it is the man and woman of learning who has hope that brightens his or her face because he or she can see beyond the present challenges of life and ministry.
In the last 25 years, NIST has made impressive strides in training leaders who are holding key leadership positions in the African Church and society. But this is only like a drop of water in the ocean. We continue to hear the same old story that African Christianity is a mile wide in terms of its numbers and an inch deep in terms of its spiritual quality. African Christianity lacks spiritual depth and as such it has had minimal impact on lives of the African people. Corruption, poverty, injustice, crime, moral and social decay that we see in Africa today are evils perpetuated by many people who often identify themselves with Christianity and some of whom attend church services regularly.
If you feel called to address these African issues and challenges, then NIST is the right place to study. The School’s programs are designed with three things in mind:
1. Promote academic excellence, spirituality, moral uprightness, and professionalism in Christian ministry;
2. Train Christian leaders who are able to equip and mobilize believers to build spiritual movements everywhere in Africa;
3. Produce pacesetting visionary leaders who are responsible stewards of the gifts and resources God has entrusted to them, and capable of engaging in activities that transform the moral, social, and cultural values of the African society and give hope and life opportunities to the African people.
History of the School
The roots of the Nairobi International School of Theology (NIST) are entwined deeply in the philosophy and history of Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC), International. CCC began its work in East Africa in the early 1970's. As this ministry sought to endow the church in Africa, towards the saturation of the continent with Christ-likeness, there came a crying need, from many sectors, for higher theological education.
Specifically, there was a need for a graduate level theological institution that would integrate the highest standards of academic excellence in the study of God's Word with the best, most practical methods of communicating that truth with a dying world. In the late 1970's it was observed that no evangelical institution of that type existed in Africa.
To respond to this clear need, the leadership of Campus Crusade for Christ in Africa, consisting of two Americans and one Ugandan, joined with three Kenyans to form the first Board of Directors and have the Bible School legally incorporated in Kenya in 1980.
Qualified administrative staff and lecturers began with the first class of five full-time students in September 1981. The first class of students graduated from NIST in June 1983.
In 1985 Rev. Prof. Lazarus Seruyange became the first African Principal of NIST. In 1989 Dr. Dela Adadevoh became the first African Provost. By January 2003 total enrolment had reached 153 and NIST had a library book collection of 27,000.
Mr. Bekele Shanko, a Statistician and Director of Affairs for CCC Southern and Eastern Africa became the NIST Provost in July 1997. Dr. Benjamin Musyoka was installed as the School’s third principal in June 2003. |
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