Extra Commitment Opportunities

There is a channel through which gifts can be designated for specific items that support the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s work around the world. These are called Extra Commitment Opportunities (ECOs). You can give directly to an ECO account online or by mailing your check designating the name and account number of the particular item you have chosen to:

PC(USA) Individual Remittance Processing
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700

Your gift will go directly into the ECO Account designated, and you will receive a letter indicating that your gift has been received and will be used for the purpose intended.

Below are some ECOs related to Kenya. For a complete listing visit Mission Funding's Web site and type Kenya into the search box.

Children and Youth

Children of Africa

Disaster Response

This account supplements the One Great Hour of Sharing offering to enable a significant response for relief and disasters in Peru.

Education

Daystar University College

Daystar is the largest Christian liberal arts college in Africa that is fully indigenous and African-led. It provides training and research for Africa, by Africans, in cooperation with the church and Christians around the world. Daystar's fully accredited programs allow the nearly 800 students to receive a quality Christian education within their own cultural context.

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For every 100 Kenyan students who would be eligible and qualified for college-level studies, only about 20 university slots are available. The Presbyterian Church of East Africa has launched an ambitious project to help ensure that the next generation of Kenya’s leaders are committed Christians and well-trained citizens. Presbyterian College, with its Institute for Pastoral Studies, is already providing advanced degree study opportunities, but needs to do more. A gift of US $1,000 will provide a full tuition scholarship for one year. A gift of US $100 will purchase 10 library books. Gifts to this project may also assist with necessary related project expenses such as mission personnel, travel and administrative support.

Evangelism

Murle Bible Translation

The New Testament has been completed, but the entire Old Testament remains to be translated. Funding is needed for the ongoing salaries and training of indigenous translators. Many of the Murle have fled from southern Sudan to refugee camps in Kenya, and one of these refugee camps is the current location of the translation effort.

Health

Consultant for HIV/AIDS

Contributions to this ECO support the work of a consultant in Ethiopia and Kenya, to help the PC(USA)'s partner churches assess, plan and implement HIV/AIDS prevention and care programs and to respond to women's needs in the area of health care, education and economic opportunity.

AIDS continues to be a crisis for entire families in many parts of the world. Gifts to this account will support congregation-based AIDS projects, prevention education, various forms of training and continuing education events, including the training of pastors, materials development, support of hospitals doing testing, counseling and training of staff among other things.

Chogoria Hospital offers curative and preventive health services, including infant, dental and ophthalmic care and the hospital facilitates an extensive community health program to outlying areas.

Mission Personnel

The Rev. Marta Bennett — Chair of Post-Graduate Studies

After 12 years teaching at Daystar University, Marta Bennett, an ordained PC(USA) minister,  now serves on the faculty at Nairobi International School of Theology (NIST). She writes, “The African church is exploding, in numbers, in vitality, in holistic ministry and in mission to the world beyond its own borders. It is a singing, dancing, praying, and praising church, living very close to the challenges and rawness of life, not blind to the context, but claiming God’s healing and hope in the face of great odds.” In addition to teaching and chairing the Leadership Studies Department, Marta is acting dean for postgraduate studies.

Phyllis Byrd, a United Church of Christ minister, serves as a teacher, an associate pastor in a 4,000-member congregation, and a chaplain at a Presbyterian-related hospital in Nairobi. In addition to these responsibilities, Phyllis is coordinator for the PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteer program in Kenya. Her witness and work has tremendous impact on numerous lives in Kenya as well as future leaders in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Nancy Collins — Regional Liaison for East Central Africa

Nancy Collins is filling the position of regional liaison for East Central Africa. She serves as a facilitator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) support for partner programs, relationships and activities and as a implementer of regional strategies in Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia.

Dr. Salvador and Irma de la Torre — HIV and AIDS Consultant/Nurse

Salvador de la Torre is a consultant to the Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHOK), the overarching agency for all Christian hospitals, including three hospitals of PC(USA)’s partner church, the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA). He helps medical institutions improve their management systems. He is also the project manager for the U.S. government-sponsored aid program for people with HIV/AIDS, which is called PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. In this role Salvador makes sure that the 9,000 patients with HIV get the drugs and the equipment necessary for anti-retroviral therapy for HIV. Irma helps the PCEA set up primary schools and builds community leadership.

The Rev. Lyle and Terry Dykstra — Professor/Counselor

Lyle and Terry Dykstra could choose to spend their retirement in leisure. Instead they are living out a season of service with the Presbyterian Church of East Africa. Lyle, an ordained PC(USA) minister, teaches practical theology and pastoral care to future pastors at the Pastoral Institute of the Presbyterian College of Kenya. Terry is a school administrator and works with a counseling program for young adults.

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Other Support

Presbyterian Church of East Africa, General Support    

The Presbyterian Church of East Africa has congregations, evangelistic programs, educational, medical, and development institutions throughout Kenya. Because of the general poverty of the nation, each of these programs can function only with outside contributions.