The 15th District Graduated Amidst the Pandemic of Life
By Rev. Quinton William Liebenberg, 15th Episcopal District
The school of life has a way of educating us on the things we were not prepared to manage or fully control. The history of pandemics, epidemics, war, and other natural disasters proved to be beyond human understanding; and in most cases, they simply were out of our control. Yet, history has also proven that humanity has managed and succeeded in the devastating turn of unprecedented times and graduated amidst the “pandemic of life.”
One of the mandatory courses of the study presented by life is undoubtedly perseverance. I compare this with what students in the 15th District experienced as we embarked and completed the MDiv program offered by Payne Theological Seminary (PTS) in Wilberforce, Ohio. This course was presented through the vision of Bishop David R. Daniels, Jr. and Episcopal Supervisor Irene M. Daniels when they arrived at the shores of the 15th District in 2012. Education for the District’s ordained clergy was the focus of their management.
When great visions meet, surely it is ordained by God. The Rev. Michael J. Brown, Ph.D., PTS’s president, and Bishop Daniels came together and shared a common vision. Since 2017, 20 students have been trained and educated by PTS on Southern African soil. With its historical richness and passion for equipping the saints for service, PTS brought the Connectional church into a new dimension.
Appreciation is extended to the PTS administration team for their commitment and mission goals and the invaluable contributions of PTS’s MDiv Program Director, the Rev. Dr. Betty W. Holley, who made countless trips to South Africa and worked around the clock to make this course a huge success. The Rev. Dr. Rosalyn Brookins and the Rev. Dr. Eric Brown travelled here for intensives, while Dr. Michael Evans, Dr. Charles Brown, Dr. Michael Miller, and Dr. R Wafanaka presented their courses virtually.
Three years later—at the peak of our academic program—the coronavirus, a course not a part of the official PTS course offerings but a course presented by life, challenged what we were not prepared for but what the lecturing staff instilled in us: perseverance. On May 8, all PTS MDiv students who completed the program—near and far—graduated amidst the pandemic. It was captured by the PTS team on Facebook and displayed by the executive director of the Christian Education Department, the Rev. Garland Pierce, through a virtual graduation.
We give God all the honour for what God has done in and through the visionaries and we continue to believe God to keep this bridge intact for others to travel while helping the Rev. Dr. Brown and Dr. K. Lawrence roll out needed material. We thank God for Bishop Daniels who gave his time, finances, and effort to lift up Africans instead of keeping us down. We thank the 13 students for perseverance. We thank the AME Church, the Finance Department, and all other stakeholders for funding and vision-sharing. Bishop Gregory G.M. Ingram and the PTS Board of Trustees for their leadership and commitment. The late host Bishop McKinley Young and the current host Bishop Frank M. Reid, III of the 3rd District were committed and called students during intensives to inquire how we were doing. The commitment of Mr. Kim King to this program of recruitment and extension is noted. There are many AMEs who opened up their hearts and homes in support of the program and who accommodated participants during their course of study and stay in the USA. Thanks to the registrar Mrs. Mary-Jo Lewis and the entire staff at the seminary for countless labours. Thanks to the Rev. W. Burger, the Rev K.L.B. Links, the Rev. Liebenberg, and the 11 students who have graduated amidst the pandemic.
While we are faced with a pandemic, few—if not a lot—of pandemics have struck us at the same time including COVID-19, racism, and countless terrorist attacks. We are not prepared and cannot manage as they are beyond our control. Yet, the 15th District has a Connectional prayer time bi-weekly on Zoom with our Episcopal leaders and other bishops including the immediate past president of the Council of Bishops, Bishop Larry Seawright, and others across the Connection.
Almost 300 parcels are distributed to the most vulnerable in the 15th District on a monthly basis through the COVID-19 Relief Fund spearheaded by our Episcopal leaders. Church services are being held on Zoom and messages of hope are shared. Infections might be rising but recoveries are still a reality. It is, therefore, appropriate to state that the 15th District graduated amidst the “pandemic of life” by the Grace of God.
