Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon
As a boy growing up in Kenya, Daniel Koitatoi wanted to become a physician, but he faced many barriers, including the cost of medical college and his obligation as the eldest son to help his siblings get through school.
CMF International shared the story of how several Christians came together to help Daniel achieve his dreams, including missionaries Gary and Judy Woods and Lynn and Dori Cazier, FAME, and First Christian Church of Decatur, Ill.
In the process, Daniel transitioned from helping FCC’s medical teams that served in Kenya to taking the lead in these medical camps.
“We are very proud of the faith and focus he has maintained through the program,” said B. J. Leonard, missions pastor with FCC. “He is like a brother to many of our former team members and a son to our church. When we first met him, he was a single young man, fresh out of college, teaching school. He is now a doctor, a husband to Faith, father of two daughters, and a man committed to the work of the church.”
Many from the church traveled to Kenya in December to attend Daniel’s graduation from medical college.
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News Briefs
Russ McCracken, former senior pastor of Southeast Christian Church, Parker, Colo., received the Parker Impact Award last week. McCracken and SCC founded Southeast Community Outreach (SECOR), which offers assistance to those in need with dignity and hope. We wrote an article about SECOR in our November 2018 issue.
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A taco dinner fund-raiser at Dive Christian Church, Bedford, Ind., raised about $4,000 to help defray medical expenses for the family of Riley Osmon—aka “Mr. Awesome”—who is being treated for leukemia. About 250 people attended the event, according to WBIW.com.
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Author and speaker Pam Tebow—mother of Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow—will be featured April 4 at the Eleanore L. Campbell Ladies Luncheon at Milligan College. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the McCormick Dining Center in Sutton Hall.
When pregnant with Tim, Pam Tebow chose life for her child in the face of medical risks. She is the author of The Ripple Effects. Registration is $35 and includes lunch.
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Tapes of three sermons by legendary African-American church of Christ preacher Marshall Keeble have been donated to Abilene Christian University‘s Margaret and Herman Brown Library and are available for listening. The tapes were donated by Bob Hughes, who studied under Keeble at Nashville Christian Institute, the Christian Chronicle reports.
Read Jerry Harris’s cover story, “Marshall Keeble and What He Taught Me,” from 2018.
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The support for same-sex marriage among mainline Protestant pastors has risen significantly in the past 10 years, but it remains unchanged among “self-identified evangelical Protestant pastors,” according to Lifeway Research. A phone survey of 1,000 pastors found that 47 percent of Protestant pastors in mainline denominations approve of and “see nothing wrong” with same-sex marriage, up from 32 percent in 2010. Support for such marriages among evangelical pastors, however, remained steady at 8 percent.
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Agape Christian Church in Denver, Colo., met its fund-raising goal and will be able to repair the stained glass windows in its 133-year-old building. A neighbor who spread the word about the need reported an anonymous donor gave $3,100 last week, helping to unlock $40,000 in matching funds from History Colorado’s State Historical Fund.
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A year-old ministry at Fairway Christian Church in The Villages, Fla., has been writing letters of appreciation to military veterans.
The Daily Sun wrote a short feature about the church’s Military Outreach Ministry. The group recently sent out thank-you cards to all living Medal of Honor recipients.
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Milligan University in February held an electronic sports tournament—the first of its kind in the Tri-Cities region of East Tennessee, according to WJHL.com. The new team’s first Buffs Esports Challenge drew about 80 competitors.
“It’s an exciting thing to watch that top one percent of players play the game,” Milligan esports coach Micah Ridley said.
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