It had been light out until 6:30 when it went eerily gray and quickly went black.  The sky and the ground are one sheet of darkness with the few stars matching the few lights on the ground.  There are no curving bright roadways with moving car lights, no neon lighted signs, no large buildings lit to the sky.

As we get closer there are just a few more lights–standing in bright contrast to the darkness.  I reflect on the brightness of the Mall of America and Amsterdam which we have just left.  From the neon colored makeup stands to the bright flourescent light everywhere–it is bright!  While those are places filled with brightness, I reflect on the true Light and wonder if Uganda is instead the brighter place.

We land in Uganda and are immediately surrounded with bright smiles, warm hugs and the laughter of newly made friends.  The light of Jesus surrounds us as we are wrapped in the Kingdom of God.  We make our way from Entebbe to Kampala–about one hour drive as we get to know our new hosts and friends.  As we arrive at Africa Renewal College we are exhausted but excited.  We go to sleep on our mosquito net covered bunks wondering what this will look like in the new light of day!

This is us in the morning… prepping for Day 1!

1 – Attend the Leadership Lunch on Monday the 9th at 12:00 at Fr. Greg’s office (Mark Clark Hall)

2 – Download the linked document (here) and read the instructions and fill out the application

3 – Schedule an interview (ASAP) with Fr. Greg (Go to Gloria in her office on the third floor of Mark Clark Hall… or email her at gloria AT holycross . net

1 – Read more about the project here:

2 – Give (Please!) – The trip costs $3500 per person. It’s sponsored by Training Leaders International and we’re excited for the partnership! (If online giving doesn’t work… email greg At holycr0ss . n e t

3 – Come to the Africa Benefit Concert on April 15th at 2:00 in Buyer Auditorium for some great music and even better dessert; hear from the cadets who are going and pray for us!

Our 70^th Anniversary Celebration this past Sunday was just one of those times.  Standing in the middle of Summerall Chapel surrounded by a vast array of over 200 alumni, current students and family (including 3 Alumni Bishops!), I realized that it is the strength of Christ’s powerful visitation upon this campus in the days of cadet’s youth that propels St. Albans forward into the current day! And that realization was glorious! (For pics, click here)

We celebrated the Eucharist together and heard an inspiring sermon by the Rev. Robert Fain (’77) of Augusta encouraging us to be the Church in our society and the world. The witness of alumni, cadets, and friends of St. Albans encouraged us.  And we enjoyed an incredible meal with testimonies from current and former cadets about the way Christ had met them through St. Alban’s at The Citadel.

Current cadets shared at the Celebration Lunch that they had renewed their faith in Christ at St. Alban’s chapel, grown in their leadership abilities, and had even found Christ for the first time. One cadet told the story that St. Alban’s sponsorship of FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) allows him to worship and have fellowship with Christians once a week during the busy football season. Another cadet shared how she had deepened her ability to understand and apply the Scriptures through mentoring and small group times.

The Senior Warden of this year has shared his learning about true leadership through St. Albans. I have tried to use creative means to grow our cadets’ leadership abilities but we know that the learning lab for leadership is in the Battalions! His point, however, is that St. Albans provides the space necessary to reflect upon his leadership attempts and to compare that with the example of Christ. His term, familiar to the student vestry, is “Beta Tau”.  This was created after our study of Philippians 2 that Christ “being in very nature God… took the form of a servant… and humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” If Christ is a template for leadership, then the starting point is his humble service – whether as a Knob, squad sergeant, or even an officer. This senior leader encourages all of us to take the attitude Christ demonstrated on his final day of ministry –to take up the Basin and the Towel (Beta Tau) and serve our friends… and even our enemies.

At the lunch, the stories flowed and the memories were fond. I was reminded again that St. Alban’s Chapel is uniquely positioned to reach this campus for Christ as we provide students with the opportunity to Know Christ and to move forward in leadership following Christ’s example.

I was also reminded that this ministry is not new, but like a mighty river it continues on. I felt a part of the vital stream as we processed down the aisle of the Chapel on that glorious morning of the 70^th Anniversary Worship Service.  I was humbled at the presence of generations of people that Christ had met, “in the days of their youth” through St. Alban’s Chapel. From Bishop Haynesworth of the “Lost Class” of 1944 through to our youngest Knobs, there is truly a long line of ministry that is going forward.

To keep this river of ministry moving forward, we need your help! As you know, The Citadel does not pay for the ministry of St. Alban’s Chapel. We receive all of our operational and program support from alumni, friends, and grants we receive. As the program grows dramatically, our needs have grown as well.  I am serving a congregation that can never be self-supporting as the population of students cannot hold jobs and have very limited financial resources.  This is the time for alumni, friends, and family to step up with resources to transform today’s cadets into tomorrow’s leaders in the Church and the world. This is one investment that will pay dividends far into the future—into eternity to be exact! 

Would you consider supporting St. Alban’s this spring in one of these three ways?

1 – Become a St. Alban’s Fund Monthly Partner! As Diocesan resources are stretched thin, we are actively working to obtain the needed monthly funding of  $10,000. If 140 alumni would commit to giving $72 (our number of years of service) per month through automatic donations – we would quickly have all of our basic expenses covered.

2 – St. Alban’s Associates. St. Alban’s Associates are a network of Citadel alumni, parents and friends who foster the development of Citadel cadets through the ministry of St. Alban’s Chapel.  Every year, St. Alban’s Associates commit to give a minimum annual gift of $1,000 to the St. Alban’s Fund.  This can be done as a one-time gift, monthly giving, or several smaller payments.

3 – Beta Tau Society.  “Beta Tau” is our way of remembering the “basin and the towel” principle of humble, sacrificial leadership. Some of you may be called to make a sacrificial investment into the lives of these students . We don’t put an exact number on this giving, because we know that sacrificial giving is individual.  For our family, that will be a gift of over $6,000 this coming year. For others it may be a larger amount or it may include a legacy or family foundation gift. I encourage you to prayerfully consider a sacrificial investment.

I remain completely humbled by the support we have received this year and in years past from alumni, parents and friends of St. Alban’s Chapel.  Please join us foremost in your prayers for this ministry—for the students who are growing in their faith and those who are still questioning the Gospel.  Join us as well in sharing the story of St. Alban’s with fellow alumni and others who may be interested.

As we seek to broaden our base of support to build a solid foundation for the future, we need you on our team. If you have any questions, suggestions, or connections you want to ask or help with, please don’t hesitate to call me or one of our board members. We’d love to talk with you!  Now, more than ever, a place for the Gospel must be protected at the Citadel.  Thank you for your new or ongoing support of this ministry.

There is a new crisis in Africa everyday.  Poverty… AIDS… orphans… famine… corruption… war…

But in the midst of these challenges there is a great crisis that is going unnoticed… a crisis in LEADERSHIP.  This is a crisis that the Church in Africa is facing right now. From misuse of power to false teaching, even a false gospel at times… Africa, and most especially the church in Africa, is desperate for Christian leaders to rise up. It is estimated that there is 1 formally trained Pastor for every 450,000 people outside of the US.  That’s a crisis of leadership – and a crisis we can meet together!

This May, I have been asked to come and step into the gap of this crisis in the country of Uganda, Africa.  I will not be going alone.  Anna and I, in partnership with Training Leaders International, a group of 3 other pastors, and 5 college students, have been asked to come and teach theology at Gaba Bible Institute. This is an exciting opportunity to teach at a seminary with over 150 students from 45 different tribes in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Sudan, Eritrea and Kenya who are being equipped as leaders to transform their community and their society. Together we will be teaching Biblical Interpretation, the Life of Christ, Pastoral Counseling, and my specific task is to teach the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation.

Bill Hybels said, “The local church is the hope of the world, and its future rests primarily in the hands of its leaders.”  If you can train a leader you can transform a church… if you can transform a church you can transform a community… and if you can transform a community you can transform a country. Truly, Uganda needs Christian leaders to rise up to share the compassion of Christ and the gospel of hope in a society that is desperately longing for transformation.

The transformative power of this ministry is the pairing of a desperate need with specific tools, namely, education.  We are excited because this leadership and pastoral training has been asked for BY the Ugandans! We are not going to Africa because we think we know what they need. We have been specifically requested to come and partner with this Ugandan school and to bring formal education to pastors who are already in the field. One of our great privileges in the West is our incredible educational system. We have the resources to be able to require a master’s degree from almost all of our pastors. Not so in Africa! In Africa, pastors are leading churches before they have the opportunity for formal education. And once they’ve begun growing a church – they seek out desperately needed education so they can keep growing not only their church… but their community.

Nelson Mandela once said: “Africa is beyond bemoaning the past for its problems… We have a new generation of leaders who know that Africa must take responsibility for its own destiny, that Africa will uplift itself only by its own efforts in partnership.”

It is this partnership that we invite you into. An African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. The Ugandans have requested a partnership that provides formal theological education for pastors who will transform their communities. And we are excited for this opportunity to use our gifts to “equip the saints for the work of ministry” However, in our strength we simply can’t go alone! We need your help to go far… and to see God’s impact in training leaders.

With that in mind will you please pray for us?

• Pray that I will be able to adequately prepare to teach the books of Daniel and Revelation
• Pray that we would have cultural sensitivity as we teach in a cross-cultural context
• Pray that we would stay healthy and have safe travels
• Pray that the Citadel cadets will be transformed by their exposure to Christians in this country.

As I mentioned earlier, we are going together with four Citadel cadets and one College of Charleston student on this trip. I am excited to bring them along so that they can see the vast gap between their world and Africa. This keystone event will allow them to see what God is doing in the world and return with fresh eyes to impact the Citadel ministry for years to come. Two of the students are graduating seniors, one going into the Navy and one going into business.  I believe this trip will lay the foundation for the rest of their lives as they will be forever changed by Africa.

In addition to your prayers, we are also asking for financial support to help fund this important ministry. We can’t go alone – but together we can go far! Anna and I need $3,500 each to cover expenses for these three weeks of ministry.  This includes airfare and all expenses in the country so we are not a burden to the local church people.  If everyone receiving this letter were to donate $100 we would meet this financial need in a short time.  Would you pray about standing with us in this crisis of leadership to bring theological training to Uganda, Africa?

If you would like to support us financially, you can  send a check made out to St. Alban’s Chapel. Please write “Africa trip” on the memo line. You can also donate online here. All gifts are tax deductible and a gift of any size is greatly appreciated.  Thank you in advance for standing with us in support of Christians in Uganda, Africa.

If you have any questions about our trip, prayer details, or financial support issues, that you’d like to discuss, please call us at 843-608-8875 or email us at greg At holycross dot net.  I would love to talk about this with you.

Blessings, as we go together!

The Rev. Greg Smith                          Anna Goodwin Smith

PS – I will do my best to record the lectures and make my notes available for you to enjoy once we get back! I hope to collect a lot of stories and anecdotes from Uganda that will help all of us understand the Hope we have in God setting things right as seen in the book of Revelation!

PSS – Please join us for the Benefit for Africa concert on April 15^th, 2012.  This will be a time to hear from the students who are going on the trip and enjoy some beautiful music as well.  We’d love to see you there!

“Apologetics needs to consist of more than just smiling at people and being sweet. Argument plays a role, but argumentation is a sharp tool, and a tool is somethingthat a craftsman should—if he wants to keep all his fingers—understand fully in order to wield it properly.”

http://ihajj.blogspot.com/2011/12/why-we-worship-this-sunday.html

Commenter Karen Lynn Allen sort of nailed the whole debate with this:

Yesterday I saw a bicyclist do [insert dangerous, stupid, inconsiderate, boneheaded move here] and it nearly inconvenienced me. This means all bikers better watch out because the responsible, productive, law-abiding members of this community aren’t going to tolerate this kind of of anti-social behavior from you riffraff much longer.

Yesterday I saw a car driver do [insert dangerous, stupid, inconsiderate, boneheaded move here] and kill someone! A tragedy, but it was an accident, no one’s fault really, just one of those bad parts of living in the modern age that we all have to put up with. After all, anyone can make a mistake. It would be a shame to even suspend the driver’s license over it because they really might need it to get to work. It certainly is no reflection on me or how most people drive.

Applause!

The article went on to say, “Come to think of it, nearly 33,000 people were killed by cars last year, and still, no one seems to be talking about the epidemic of unsafe driver behavior. How many people were killed last year by bicyclists?”

via The Double Standard on Bike/Car Behavior.