Transcript for Ande Emmanuel:

20 years ago, I received a call to Ordained Ministry, which I almost lost as a result of lack of funding. But thank God to the United Methodist Church in Nukai, my home local church, that provided the opportunity for me to be able to go to Bunyam Theological Seminary, a United Methodist related seminary for my theological education. My name is Bishop Andy Emmanuel.

I am the resident bishop of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria, in Senegal and in Cameroon. I stand before you today as a proud graduate of Bunyam Theological Seminary, a United Methodist institution in Nigeria that offers theological education for leaders that are making greater impact in our church. When I went to a seminary, the United Methodist Church in Nigeria had only 400 churches.

But after graduating and the work, the impact that we have made, graduates from Bunyam Theological Seminary like me have made, today the United Methodist Church in Nigeria is proud of over 1,000 congregations. This is due to the impact, the funding and the support that theological education can make in among us. So I stand before you here today as a proud graduate of Bunyam Theological Seminary to solicit for your support for this theological endowment, as we put our heads together to raise funding that will support young seminarians.

Throughout Africa, Philippines and Europe, there are pastors, pastors are candidates for ministries who hope for theological education is being lost at daily basis because of lack of funding. So this can give them an opportunity to get theological education in order to come and make impact within our church. So I’m calling on our brothers and sisters all over the connection to give generously as we provide support for the future of theological education in central conferences. God bless you as you do that. Thank you.