Alan and Pauline Jordan held a joint 60th birthday celebration at Ross Baptist Church to help raise funds for their plan to set up a school for church leaders in Africa.

Alan retired from teaching at John Kyrle High School in July last year in order to volunteer, with Pauline, with Africa Inland Mission to set up a new Church leaders training school in Kenya. They have visited Kenya and met with members of the Kenyan steering committee who explained the vital role this new facility will play. Their goal is to have the training programme of study for new and existing Church pastors, in place for the first intake of students in January 2019.

They described how difficult it is for those who are passionate to lead the church forward, within their own cultural context, to achieve a position in University to study pastoral ministry. This is because of two factors, either they don’t have the relevant educational qualifications or insufficient financial backing. Both these are preventing the development of the local church, which covers some 30,000 people from various tribes in the Marsabit district of Northern Kenya.

The Ross couple had hoped to be there early this year so that they could start learning the Kiswahili language. However, due to financial support not being sufficient at this stage they are now hoping to leave late September.

On Saturday, April 28th they held a celebration of their birthdays, combined with an African meal and Silent Auction of a variety of items that friends had generously donated.

The Auction will be open until May 20th so that as many people as possible have the chance to bid for them. Items range from home-made cakes to art classes and a taxi service to half a lamb ready for the freezer.

To see the full list or to bid for an item email [email protected] informing them of the amount you’d like to offer, your name, contact email and which item you are bidding for.

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