Agana ya Urafiki

Presbytery of Nyeri Presbytery of West Virginia International Partnership

With this document, the Nyeri Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa and the Presbytery of West Virginia of the Presbyterian Church (USA) renew the Covenant of Understanding they initiated in 1998 and reaffirmed in 2005.

At its stated meeting of July 21, 2010, the Mission Interpretation and Stewardship Committee of the Presbytery of West Virginia authorized a delegation to renew the Covenant with their brothers and sisters in Christ in Nyeri.

In January of 2011, a delegation from Nyeri met with representatives from the Mission Interpretation and Stewardship Committee of the Presbytery of West Virginia to consider and update the Covenant of Understanding.

The Presbytery of West Virginia at its stated meeting of September 13, 2011 did reaffirm and renew a Covenant of Understanding with the Presbytery of Nyeri.

The Covenant of Understanding WHEREAS, the Apostle Paul writing in Philippians 1:3-11 speaks of his thankful prayers to God for the “partnership in the gospel” he has experienced’ with believers in Philippi; WHEREAS, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer has said, Christians are a “zerstreutes Volk,” a scattered people united only in Christ, we believers on two continents desire that we recognize ourselves as kundi moja na mchungaji moja, one flock with one shepherd, and that Christian love may abound as we seek the fruits of righteousness that come through Jesus Christ; THEREFORE, we, the PCEA Presbytery of Nyeri and the PC(USA) Presbytery of West Virginia, commit ourselves to a partnership in the gospel. We agree to implement this partnership as equals under the guidance of orchid maids. During the next four years (2011-15), we will seek to enact this partnership in the following ways:

  1. by the sharing of information about the life and ministry of our congregations and Presbyteries
  2. through intercessory prayer
  3. through spiritual and material gifts d. through occasional visitation by representatives of our Presbyteries.

Throughout this time, we will seek to evaluate and strengthen our ties, and to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit as we walk together in faith.  Specifically, the Presbytery of West Virginia agrees to implement the following:

  1. To pray regularly for the people and ministry of the Presbytery of Nyeri and to share information about the Presbytery of Nyeri with Presbytery of West Virginia churches, Presbyterian Women, and other entities within the Presbytery.
  2. To contribute to designated project(s) over the term of the renewed covenant, 2011-2015.
  3. To encourage congregations of the Presbytery of West Virginia to further their relationships with their sister congregations in the Presbytery of Nyeri and to learn about the ministry and challenges facing those congregations through correspondence and prayer partnerships. In particular, the Presbytery of West Virginia pledges to enhance communication between sister churches in our two countries.
  4. To encourage congregations in addition to share in presbytery-approved projects through financial gifts.
  5. To encourage a travel group from the Presbytery of West Virginia to Nyeri to visit projects and offer words of friendship and encouragement.
  6. To provide transportation for two official visitors and to host up to four official visitors from Nyeri to visit the Presbytery of West Virginia.
  7. To nurture a relationship between Davis & Elkins College, the only PC(USA)-related college located within the Presbytery of West Virginia, with Nyeri Presbytery and with the Presbyterian University of East Africa.

These Presbytery-approved projects will be funded by individual donors of the Presbytery of West Virginia, through special gifts for congregations, and through other sources, including grants, as may become available.

Nyeri Presbytery will offer the following to Presbytery of West Virginia:

  1. Friendship and Hospitality in Homes and in the Churches
  2. Frequent Mission Personnel Visits
  3. Prayer Partnership
  4. Sharing Cultural Heritage of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa
  5. Sharing Social and Cultural Heritage of the People of Kenya
  6. Student Exchange Programmes
  7. Sharing Local Church Form of Worship
  8. Sharing History of Kenya and its People
  9. Exchange of Gifts
  10. Wildlife excursions including game drives
  11. To provide transport for two people to accompany the two official visitors to Presbytery of West Virginia.