In November Dr. Turnbull had opportunity to represent ACU in two important meetings with The Master's College (Dr. John MacArthur, President, and Dr. Mark Tatlock, Vice President) and with Covenant College (Dr. Derek Halvorson, President, and Dr. Jeffrey Hall, Vice President). ACU is working on agreements with both of these Christian institutes of higher education to become backstop universities endorsing ACU. As institutes that reflect the same passion to glorify God through Biblically derived education in all academic disciplines, ACU is privileged to draw from their experience and expertise. Covenant College has agreed to endorse ACU. Please pray for the ACU Board in realising the need to more clearly define enrolment policies to affirm ACU's commitment to Christian education with a vigorous resistance against secularism in future generations in order to reach an agreement with The Master's College. 

The Master's College, Santa Clarita, California

Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, Georgia

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Ken Turnbull & David Wegener, MTW Conference

Dr. Ken Turnbull and Rev. David Wegener represented ACU at the Mission to the World (MTW) Conference in Greenville, South Carolina in November. While the objective to recruit faculty for ACU didn't appear immediately fruitful, there were many good contacts initiated. Please pray that ultimately God's purpose would be accomplished in getting the word out about the development of ACU as such efforts often bear unforeseen fruit. 

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Tim Connor of Alteris Group has volunteered his company's services to produce high quality videos for ACU. Both Chancellor Mbewe and Vice Chancellor Turnbull have enjoyed opportunities to promote ACU through videos, and they are grateful to Tim for his professional service, and to Pr. Dan Chittock and Bethesda Baptist Church (Allen Park, Michigan) for arranging these opportunities and covering travel expenses. You can view the videos at www.acu-zambia.com

Tim Connor and Kevin Baskin (Alteris Group) along with Ken Turnbull

Conrad Mbewe during the video shoot

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ACU has Campus Land!!! 

We are ecstatic that we can glorify God for His provision of 150 acres of land that Lusaka Baptist Church has agreed to lease to ACU. It will be ceded after 20 years, assuming that ACU demonstrates progress in development. Attaining land has been a long process, bringing patience through our faith that God would provide. The land has some wonderful features. It fronts the Great North Road with with direct access and cellular phone towers in sight. There is electricity and fiber optic cable on the property. The area has extensive underground water. It is situated approximately 50 km (~ 30 mi) north of the capital city of Lusaka with direct bus transport. 

Architect Johan Pretorius (Archscape, Pretoria, South Africa) has prepared a campus concept design for this property. The ACU Board will devise a plan for campus development. Please join us in praise for this wonderful provision, and in prayer that God will grant wisdom and provide all that will be needed for infrastructure development. 

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The ACU Board was privileged to meet with Dr. Tim Tomlinson (President of Bethlehem College and Seminary; Dr. John Piper, Chancellor). Dr. Tomlinson sacrificed his Thanksgiving holiday to come to Zambia to consult with ACU. He helped ACU to realise the critical need for further foundational development of the Board so that leadership of ACU and communication with the stake-holding Reformed Baptist Churches of Zambia might be better facilitated. ACU remains grateful for Dr. Tomlinson's timely visit and for helping the leadership team to see the significance of bolstering the foundations for the arduous work ahead. May God give the ACU Board wisdom, integrity and courage as they press on. 

Dr. Tim Tomlinson (3rd from left) with the ACU Board and other guests

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The ACU temporary campus property announced in the November ACU Prayer Update was lost in a last minute rejection of the presumed finalised lease agreement by the landlord. While frustrating because of the late development, ACU's leadership sees God's faithful hand in the event. As described next, the wisdom of God is leading towards the development of ACU with the strongest foundations possible, despite our fallen weakness. His grace is sufficient, as His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

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God's hand in leading ACU to postpone the start of the Scholars Programme 

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. ~ Pro 16:9 ~ 

While the leadership team has worked tirelessly to initiate the Scholars Programme in January, the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Chairman of the ACU Board and the Chairman of the inter-elder committee of the stake-holding churches unanimously agree that recent events suggest that the Scholars Programme introduction should be delayed. The events presented previously in this update, as well as others, lead to the realisation that a stronger and more sustainable initiation of ACU's academic programs could be achieved if the weaknesses in the foundations of ACU's governing structures are first strengthened. The immensity of the ACU project, introducing a new paradigm in Christian education as an indigenous Zambian effort, humbles efforts to rush the establishment of firm foundations of understanding and ownership of the fundamental, Biblically-derived education philosophies that form ACU's mission, vision and core values. The decision to postpone was very difficult, especially for those who put such stringent effort into the January start-date; however, there is complete unity in seeing God's providence in the decision. 

The benefits in a later start date to the Scholars Programme are many. There will be time to prepare a temporary location to establish the administrative and academic infrastructure for optimal operations. This will allow time to setup the necessary computer and networking systems. There will be sufficient time for the library that is being shipped from the USA to arrive in Zambia. Several critical individuals who have been called to serve with ACU from North America will have time to arrive and transition into life in Zambia. There will be sufficient time to announce and advertise the Scholars Programme initiation so that qualified students will have opportunity to apply. There will also be more time to hire individuals to fill critical administrative roles for ACU. And most importantly, the ACU Board will have sufficient time to build a stronger foundation for leadership of the ACU work and to give better guidance to the Reformed Baptist stake-holding churches. 

The ACU team prays that every individual reading this will see the urgent and continual need for intercession to our sovereign God on behalf of ACU. It is clear that this is God's work that will be accomplished according to HIs wise council as human efforts are humbled to serve His purpose and His glory. As Nehemiah affirms (Nehemiah 2:19), "I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good," and the Israelites that God had assembled to complete His purpose responded, "Let us rise up and build." And the end result was that, "they strengthened their hands for the good work." So, may we see the glorious hand of God upon the work of ACU for good. May that realisation lead us to rise up and build. And, may we all, through prayer, strengthen our hands for the good work that He has brought before us. 

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ACU's new website is nearly complete. We thank God for the ongoing efforts of graphic artist Tony Barmann and website designer Grant Yost for their design and quality assurance work for the new site. Watch for announcements for the website unveiling through ACU's Facebook and Twitter. 

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Please pray for the ACU Board as reorganisation and focus on the fundamental mission, vision core values and education philosophy of ACU are deeply explored and enlivened to each members' heart and mind. May God grant His grace as the ACU Board owns the vision for ACU and vigorously impacts the stake-holding churches in Zambia with a world-view-changing appreciation for what God is granting ACU to accomplish in Africa.

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Please pray for the upcoming G3 Conference from Jan 23-25 where Dr. Mbewe will be one of the keynote speakers. ACU-USA has arranged for special time to be allotted to share about the developments of ACU. We pray that God's Spirit would convict and strengthen the church in glorifying the head, Jesus Christ. We also pray that the role of Christ-exalting education as central to the church's purpose would be realised and appreciated in fully equipping the church to glorify God through every life and vocation that the church enjoys. 

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Lastly, the Library Shipment Campaign can be updated (using the same format as in the previous edition). Now, we are at 62.6% of our goal of $12,000 (K66,720). Worth emphasising is that the Zambian contributions are 67% of the total donated funds!