New Church Life Jan/Feb 2014 | Page 56

new church life: jan uary / february 201 4 administering the sessions. The theological training began with brother Louis Synnestvedt’s visit to Kenya, followed by His Excellency Bishop Brian W. Keith, Rev. Dr. Andrew M. T. Dibb and Rev. Grant H. Odhner. Brother George Omosu Magero was elected the student leader of the Theological School. Today, August 24, 2013, we have successfully marked four men who have finally completed their training courses, in spite of the many challenges they have undergone. We are very thankful to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, which has been very supportive of us, to the dedicated instructors who visited to offer courses, and to Mr. Abuga, who has hosted and administered all of the training sessions. Also we take this golden opportunity to appreciate, congratulate and thank all our four students for their mutual participation. We look forward to the ongoing theological training of men who are moved to serve in the New Church ministry. Thank you all for attending our graduation ceremony. response to the valedictory for the first graduating class from the keugata theological school, kenya The Rev. Samson Mogusu Abuga T oday is a great day for our Church in this region. Four of our students have finally made us and the whole Church proud. Today they are graduating from their theological training. The Writings say: [T]his Second Coming of the Lord is effected by means of a man, to whom He has manifested Himself in person, and whom He has filled with His spirit, to teach the doctrines of the New Church through the Word from Him. Since the Lord cannot manifest Himself in person, as shown just above, and nevertheless has foretold that He was to come and establish a new church, which is the New Jerusalem, it follows that He will do this by means of a man, who is able not only to receive these doctrines in his understanding but also to publish them by the press. That the Lord manifested Himself before me, His servant, and sent me to this office, that He afterward opened the eyes of my spirit and thus introduced me into the spiritual world and granted me to see the heaven and the hells, and to talk with angels and spirits, and this now continuously for several years, I affirm in truth; as also that from the first day of that call I have not received anything whatever pertaining to the doctrines of that church from any angel, but from the Lord alone while I was reading the Word. (True Christian Religion 779) The Lord revealed Himself from the Writings of His servant Emanuel 52