Exciting News from Tanzania!

The Anglican Church of Tanzania will establish a department at its national office to coordinate child ministry and promote the adoption of transformational education in their schools. 

I had the rare privilege of conducting Bible study for the 2 days of the 19th Meeting of the Synod of the Anglican Church of Tanzania, 21-22 November 2024. The focus of my 2-day series was John 15:14-16. On the second day, I focused on Bearing Fruit, Fruit that will last.  

In scripture, “fruit” often refers to the outward signs of a changed heart; to “bear fruit worthy of repentance” (Mt. 3:8, NRSV), or to exhibit the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22), or continued influence even in old age (Psalms 92:14). However, in John 15, the “fruit” to be produced are the intended results of the ministry that the disciples were to do, and in this case, the implementation of the Great Commission (Mt. 28:18-20).  

My proposition to the Church’s top decision-making body was that, the church has great potential for success in bearing fruit that will last if the church adopted transformational education in their institutions of learning. My argument was that the church has no justification to have educational institutions such as schools and colleges, if the church does not intend to run them as Christian schools, embracing focus on children and transformational education.

Having explained the ministry of TeachBeyond and its transformational education philosophy, I urged the church to put in place a mechanism to oversee ministry to children and the incorporation of transformational education in their kindergartens, and primary and secondary schools.

The Synod passed a resolution to establish a department at the national office to coordinate child ministry with transformational education as a key component in the role of the new department.