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In Kondoa, there is a great need for theological training. We have been invited, and feel called, to be part of meeting that need. This means putting David’s theological training and our shared experience in ministry at the service of the people of Kondoa. We are excited to learn in a vibrant diocese and join in where called.

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Christine and David’s story

The Diocese of Kondoa, north of Tanzania’s capital Dodoma, is a predominantly Muslim area where the Christian faith is growing rapidly. The Anglican church has grown from 7,500 in 2012 to nearly 20,000 in the 2019 census. The Bishop of Kondoa, Given Gaula, eagerly desires theological training for local Christian leaders to give them a solid basis from which to teach and to make ministry more effective.

Due to local poverty, most Christian leaders in Kondoa either work on a voluntary basis or are paid very little. Leaders who undertake theological training elsewhere often find better paid work and do not return, leaving Kondoa with a diminishing pool of trained Christian leaders. This, along with the local cultural context, means that both new and existing leaders need solid theological training tailored to help them in their context. David, with a PhD in theology, has been invited to teach at Kondoa Bible College and looks forward to equipping local theological educators who can in time displace him.

Having previously enjoyed living and working in a nearly exclusively Muslim village in The Gambia, Christine is excited about moving to Kondoa. She is keen to focus on cultural and language learning and relationship building in the community, while staying open to what God calls her to do more specifically. Additionally, we have a young son, who we’ll be settling in and looking after.

David was raised in the UK in a Christian home, with a number of theologians and ministers in his family. Christine grew up in the States, where her faith was fostered by a loving assortment of family and friends. Christine came to the UK to study, where she met David. Since his undergraduate days, David has been interested in serving in theological education in Africa, but was called first into parish ministry in the UK.

During David’s curacy, we felt God calling us overseas and visited Uganda and DR Congo. Since then, advised by CMS with CMS-Africa, we have accepted Bishop Given’s invitation to Kondoa Bible College. Christine immediately felt God say go, and David felt God sharing his love for the people of Kondoa. We can’t wait to see with our own eyes what God is doing there, and has been doing for many years already.

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