April 14, 2025, brought great joy and thanksgiving to Africa Rural Trainers (ART) as we officially resumed the distribution of ESV Bibles nationally. These Bibles were donated by Micheal and Judy Stewart, their friends, and their church (The Church of Corinth) in the United States. This generous gift of 600 Bibles was made to support student pastors in their Bible training across Kenya. The national office team was present on-site as the Bibles reached two key cohorts in South Rift: Mulot and Oloolung’a 2.

The first stop was at Mulot, the largest ART class with 62 pastors and church leaders. While in session studying Spiritual Formation, 52 present students received their Bibles. The room was filled with gratitude as the team paused to pray, give thanks to the Lord, and teach the pastors how to effectively use their new Bibles. It was a sacred and emotional moment—many students had long awaited a Bible of their own.

Later in the day, the team proceeded to Oloolung’a, where the first South Rift cohort was established. They met with a second cohort, Oloolung’a 2, started in this area. Though the class was not in session, 16 out of 20 students made the effort to come and receive their Bibles. They celebrated the arrival with songs, prayers, and heartfelt appreciation. 

Two students, James Akula and Tabitha Wandere, shared moving testimonies. James thanked the Stewarts and the Church of Corinth for the Bible, calling it a treasured tool for preaching truthfully to his congregation. Tabitha expressed her gratitude for the Bible as a gift that will build her faith and help her teach others. She shared a dream of one day meeting the donors to say thank you in person. Their words were a beautiful reminder of the impact this gift will have on countless communities. We have distributed a total of 438 ESV study Bible across the country.

A generous gift from Crossway of 250 sets of small pastors libraries has enabled ART to set up library hubs across Kenya. With over 1200 pastors already trained by ART and hundreds more in training, these precious resources will be shared amongst the pastors. The books were printed in Kenya making delivery very much easier than shipping from abroad.

We thank God for the successful graduation of 158 students from 9 cohorts in Coast, Nyanza, and Western regions. These graduates, affected by COVID-19 delays, persevered to complete their training. Staff and trustees attended the ceremonies, celebrating this milestone. The graduation of the 3 Nyanza Cohorts in Homabay was attended by the trustees Nelson, Jan and Jeremy with their Pastor and his wife in November 2024.

Trustee Nelson Makanda performing the foot washing ceremony.

In 2024, ART marked 15 years of ministry, celebrating how God has used this program to equip rural pastors across Kenya. During the 15-year anniversary celebration, A key highlight of the celebration was the presence of our trustees from the UK and their pastor and his wife, who traveled to be part of the staff retreat. We thank God for the successful years ART has had and pray for more celebrations in the years to come.