Please Remember Africa University in Your Will Issue: 02 Vol: 22
March - April 2017
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Africa University Development Office | P O Box 340007 | Nashville, TN 37203 Tel. (615) 340-7438 | audevoffice@gbhem.org | www.support-africauniversity.org
HPUMC Announces $2M Gift to AU A gift of $2 mil100 capital camlion from Highland paign aimed at Park United Methodist strengthening Church (HPUMC) in mission giving Dallas, TX will fund and HPUMC’s a new student union legacy over the facility and dormitory next 100 years. at Africa University. “We are lookMrs. Lisa Tichenor ing beyond 100 and her family years of investing announced the gift Lisa Tichenor (centre), McHenry Tichenor and in the future with on behalf of her home Ms. Mary (Mimi) Jacobie announcing the gift. this $2 million,” church and its senior said Tichenor. pastor, Rev. Paul Rasmussen. The “We are happy Africa University’s announcement was made on March dreams have become Highland Park’s 25th during a formal celebration of the dreams.” university’s 25th anniversary. Tichenor, a founding member of the The gift grew out of a February AU Advisory Development Committee 2015 visit to the campus by Rev. and a first-term trustee, co-chaired a Rasmussen. One year later, the successful effort by the North Texas Africa University Choir participated in Conference to fund construction of the HPUMC’s centenary celebrations and Bishop Alfred Norris Health Clinic on helped to launch the church’s Beyond the Africa University campus.
New AU - Claflin MOU
Africa University and Claflin University are expanding their collaboration. The two institutions signed a new linkage agreement on March 21st that formalizes ongoing cooperation on academic program delivery and research as well as student and faculty exchanges. The signing took place at Africa University during the celebration of its 25th anniversary.
Gifts, Tears and Cheers Flow as AU Celebrates 25 Years Hundreds gathered at Africa University’s main campus in Zimbabwe on March 25 to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Bishop James Swanson, episcopal leader of the Mississippi Conference, came to Africa University with a delegation and a down payment on a $1.3 million pledge. “The Mississippi Conference has placed their hopes and dreams in Africa University. It is a great irony that this conference, with a history of racism, saw an opportunity here. Jesus is a transformer,” Swanson said. Bishop Jonathan Keaton, retired from the Illinois Great Rivers Conference, brought an oversized check made out to Africa University for $1 million. Keaton led a three-person delegation representing the
IGRC and Bishop Frank Beard. . There were gifts from Zimbabwe, including a pledge of 10,000 bricks toward the construction of a student resident hall from a local brick-making company. Former Zimbabwe-based legal counsel to Africa University, Tinoziva Bere, pledged $25,000 for the construction of staff housing. Keynote speaker and guest of honor, Tsitsi Masiyiwa, co-founder of the HigherLife Foundation, was one of two who received an honorary degree from the university. She also promised that “a gift will be coming.” The HigherLife Foundation is a nonprofit organization that invests in education for children in poverty. Since 1996, the organization has helped over 250,000 orphans. Some of those orphans are now
attending and have graduated from Africa University. Rev. James L. Waits was also given an honorary doctor of ministry in religion and transformation leadership for “distinguished contributions to Africa University and humanity at large.” “We have planted Africa University, and it is limited only by our personal commitment. This institution is instrumental to our survival,” said Waits. Waits was dean of the Candler School of Theology of Emory University from 1978 to 1991, and became executive director of the Association of Theological Schools in 1991. In 2012, he was elected as a member of the board of directors at Africa University. Adapted from an article by Kathy L. Gilbert, UMNS.