Scott Theological College, a Chartered Private University in Kenya

When rummaging through my old papers I came across this description of Scott Theological College where Flo and I served in Kenya. The big day was the Award-of-Charter Ceremony.

“For me the highlight of the ceremony was the speech read by the Chairman of the Commission for Higher Education, Dr. Davy Koech. I had expected a formal, official recognition that Scott had met the standards of accreditation and was therefore being granted a charter. But he much most sounded as though he was a great supporter and defender of Scott. With the Vice Chancellors (Presidents) of three public universities and two private universities present, he upheld Scott as a model to follow. He extolled the Field Education and Learning Contracts utilized at Scott. He lauded the research sponsored by Scott, including the fifteen year publication of the Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology. He lamented that no African university in Kenya had such a commendable record. He acknowledged that by external appearances and student enrollment Scott did not appear like a university. But he declared that in fact the quality of education was golden at Scott. “All that glitters is not gold,” he said, referring to the large and well endowed universities. He observed that Scott has become the fourth private institution to be chartered and the first evangelical theological college to be chartered. He said that Scott sets the standard and model for other theological colleges to follow. Though Scott has decided to retain the name, Scott Theological Colelge, it is a recognized level institution, chartered under the universities act and offering specialized training in theologifal studies.

What a privilege we had to serve in a quality school like this.

Driving Fearlessly in Kenya

DRIVING IN KENYA

Many would testify that the best place to witness for the gospel in Kenya is in a speeding bus or “matatu” (private commercial vehicle). In these “flying coffins,” as they are called, one quickly draws near to God. Several years ago when riding one bus I discovered to my horror that the bus driver began to race another bus. Losing all sense of caution he drove furiously, passing around curves and on the crest of a hill without any visibility of oncoming traffic. Never have I prayed more earnestly in my life. Suddenly, the other bus left the scene and our bus driver settled down to a comfortable pace.

Therefore, it was with mixed reactions that we read in the Kenyan newspaper years ago concerning an international breakthrough for Kenyan matatu drivers. It seems that European motor racing companies have approached matatu owners in Kenya to secure test drivers for the 1996 season models. During the visit of one European engineer, he was impressed with the matatu drivers. “Wherever I went I was tremendously impressed by the sort of driving displayed by the matatus…I saw young Kenyans handling these overflowing buses, matatus as they call them, with tremendous speed, élan and bravery” that would make European drivers “very impressed, indeed envious.”

“Sources in the industry said there had been concern that European mechanics and test drivers lacked the stamina, imagination and courage to test prototypes to their utmost, that is, to sideswipe other vehicles, swerve into the path of oncoming cars, drive on footpaths and without lights, force pedestrians to run at high speed and test the effects of head-on crashes. ‘These were abilities I saw in no small measure in Kenya,’ the engineer said. ‘Caution is not a quality to be admired in a racing driver and these matatu men have none of it – they displayed a wonderfully carefree approach to driving, a truly spirit-releasing devil-may-care attitude.”

Two days after publishing this news report I read what I had suspected. This was an April Fool’s Day joke. Though the international aspect was imagined, the vivid description of the matatu driver was very real and true to life. No wonder that on our last Home Assignment we decided that it would be prudent to increase our life insurance policy.

Strange enough, when we retired in 2002 and began driving on America’s interstate highways with cars hurtling down these ten lane highways, I felt more fear than in Kenya with its narrow two lane highways. It is all a matter of perspective. I learned years ago that a Christian is indestructible until his work on earth is finished. Therefore, we always drove the roads in Kenya with great exhilaration and joy, and by God’s grace, we are learning to do the same here in the States.