The Sneeds’ Stories
by Kevin & Summer Sneed
East Africa Bible College
We celebrated East Africa Bible College’s 16th Graduation Ceremony on Friday and Saturday, June 19-20. Five students completed their two year Diploma in Bible and Theology and two completed the Certificate of Ministry.
From the Diploma program, we celebrated the graduation of Joba Abandelwa Joba (IPHC in Eastern Congo), Bakaka Bosco (IPHC in Rwanda), Bethwell Otieno (Central Conference of the IPHC in Kenya), Dido Said (Coast Conference of the IPHC in Kenya), and Tabitha Wanjiku, a church leader from Eldoret, Kenya. From the Certificate of Ministry program, we celebrated two pastors from the Highlands Conference of the IPHC in Kenya: Neberth Luangu from Irongo and Nebert Govoga from Sabatia.
What is next for these graduates? Bethwell has become the Children’s Pastor in a Nairobi IPHC Church. Tabitha has returned to his ministry work in Eldoret. Bosco has returned to Rwanda to resume pastoring his church. Joba is preparing to teach worship leaders in Congo. Dido, a muslim convert to Christianity, is returning to his region of Kenya to share the Gospel in Islamic communities. Neberth and Nebert are pastoring their churches while leading schools in their villages.
Thank you to all of you who helped these students achieve their goals and strengthen their ministries. When you gave to the school, to scholarships, or to us, you assisted these and many more who are now in active and successful ministry throughout East Africa. May God bless you for your generosity and sacrifice.
New and returning students will arrive in September from five nations. Please pray for us as we begin the next term. Even while the on-campus students are away, the teaching continues in our off-campus learning sites. Currently, we have four locations which operate on weekends to teach students who cannot come for full-time learning. Kevin has been able to teach in two of these locations in June and July. EABC is currently serving about 40 off-campus students enrolled in a Certificate of Ministry program.
We need your help to sponsor five new students this year. If you can give a scholarship of $275, or any amount, please designate for account # 11565P. Please consider coming alongside your brothers and sisters in East Africa to equip them for service in God’s Kingdom.
Girls Ministry
In June, Summer met with the Highlands Conference Women’s Ministries Board to discuss strategies for the future development of Girls Ministries. It was decided that the best way to equip GM leadership is to host several training events throughout the year at various local IPHC churches. This will be much more cost effective and will grant more women the opportunity to attend. Please pray for Summer and the WM leaders as they develop plans for these events at their next meeting in October, and as they implement those plans at the beginning of 2016. Pray also that Summer will have the wisdom to continue balancing motherhood with ministry.
During the months of July and August, Summer worked with a team of Kenyan women to adapt and translate the IPHC Thread curriculum for Girls Ministry leaders and teachers to use in their monthly meetings. This big project was finished just in time for the Highlands Conference Women’s Ministry Seminar held at East Africa Bible College in mid-August, and 120 curriculum books were distributed to the women attending the seminar. This curriculum will be a great blessing for many women who have the desire to disciple girls, but lack experience of developing teaching lessons on their own. We are very grateful that the IPHC has provided this wonderful resource! Please pray that we can continue developing and distributing teaching curriculum in the future. We encourage your partnership in this ministry. We now have an account set up specifically for funds for Girls Ministry in Kenya. Please designate your gift for account # 11501P.
Family Update
We are happy to announce that Nathaniel Imani Sneed was born on August 7th in Eldoret, Kenya. He is very healthy and both Summer and Nate are doing well. Abby is such a nice big sister and loves showering Nate with kisses and hugs! She is also a great little helper around the house, and we are continually amazed at how she develops her outgoing personality and learns new skills. We feel very blessed to have been given these wonderful blessings.
Photo Credit: Kevin & Summer Sneed