The ECD Stewardship Leadership Council News
The East-Central Africa Division held a stewardship leadership council at the Division’s Advent Hill headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, from May 5-9, 2023. The event, whose theme was “God First,” was hosted by ECD Stewardship Ministries Director, Pastor Edison Nsengiyumva. Among the attendees were the thirteen Stewardship Ministries directors from across the Division territory and several leaders from the Division office.
The ECD Strategic Plan calls for the Division to become financially self-sufficient and a strong net contributor to the global mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. God is blessing the Division to move strongly in this direction, as ECD has now become an overall net contributor to the global financial support of the church. Since many of the Stewardship Ministries directors within the Division are new to this role, the Leadership Council provided an excellent opportunity for all of them to improve their competency while building their unity and effectiveness as a team.
Pastor Aniel Barbe, the Stewardship Ministries Associate director for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, served as the lead presenter for the event, offering multiple inspiring and insightful messages. Dr. Blasious Ruguri, President of the Division, Dr. Musa Mitekaro, the Division’s Executive Secretary, and Pastor Jerome Habimana served as presenters, demonstrating strong support for the program. Pastor Edison Nsengiyumva, ECD Stewardship Ministries Director, Pastor Emanuel Pelote, Assistant to the Division President, and Elder Haggai Abuto, ECD IT Manager, also served as presenters for the event.
The presentations emphasized increasing faithfulness among church members through the three-fold strategy of spiritual empowerment, stewardship education to all segments of the church membership, and building a culture of trust. Dr. Blasious Ruguri, a very experienced former Stewardship Ministries Director at both the Union and Division levels of the church, pledged his support to help in any way possible to ensure that stewardship ministry directors succeed in their responsibilities. He further called on the Stewardship Ministries Directors to work together, even traveling as a team, to help improve the work in areas where assistance may be needed. And through the invitation of Dr. Ruguri, the meeting was blessed to share a message of encouragement and a dedicatory prayer from the President of the General Conference, Dr. Ted Wilson.
At the conclusion of the meetings, it was clear that several objectives had been achieved. Participants were well equipped with a clear understanding of the value and biblical basis of the Stewardship Ministry, both to the church and in the lives of believers. It was also clear that stewardship is the responsibility of every department and every leader, as we all work together to finish God’s work. The delegates were also affirmed in their calling and the great support they had from their leaders at the Division and the General Conference. Finally, the spiritual nature of the meetings and the messages left both the presenters and the delegates firmly committed to putting “God First.”
