NIST alumni were on the fore-front of the second African Forum on Religion and Government (AFREG II), held at Limuru, Kenya from August 18th to 21st 2009. The four-day conference which was by invitation only focused on integration of moral values with African political, economic, social, and education systems. Some of our alumni participated in the forum

Our Vice Chancellor Dr. Emmanuel Bellon facilitated the seminar on Transformational Leadership. A NIST alumnus of the class of 1999, Dr. Bellon is an International Leadership Training Consultant, and Director of training of the International Leadership Foundation. He has trained leaders in Burundi, DRC, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and the United States of America.

He has been providing oversight to the strategic direction of NIST by setting systems aimed at leading the graduate school to achieve its vision: to be a world class university that is advancing biblical values through academic excellence and transformational leadership development.

Another alumnus Bishop Dr. Sammy Gitaari was one of the participants. A graduate of 1988, he oversees the Gospel Celebration Center Ministry. He began by planting churches in Nairobi city and later planted churches in the Central and Eastern provinces of Kenya. Today he oversees 30 churches, airs weekly radio and TV broadcasts and runs a children’s home that was established to give a home and an education to children orphaned by AIDS.

His invitation to AFREG II was based on his approach to ministry and his field of influence. Bishop Dr. Gitaari has maintained a holistic approach to ministry, and regularly holds leadership development programs, family life seminars, church revitalizing programs and mercy ministries with the desire of grounding believers in Christ.

Rev. Canon Rosemary Mbogo, who sat in the AFREG II host committee graduated from NIST in 1999. She is the Director of Missions and the acting Provincial Secretary of the Anglican Church of Kenya.

As Director of Missions, she is the National overseer of the following departments: Mothers Union, Kenya Anglican Youth Organization (KAYO), Sunday school, Boys & Girls Brigade, Hospital Chaplaincy, Armed Forces Chaplaincy and Diocesan Missionary Association (DMA) & Evangelism. These departments are the evangelistic arm of the Anglican Church of Kenya.

It was a crowning moment for us to see our alumni participate in such a high level continental forum whose focus is to inspire courageous and visionary leaders of integrity, able to initiate transformation in all spheres of society.