David is Principal of Grace Theological College and our primary contact for GTC and Redeemer FM.
His dissertation title at the University of Pretoria, S. Africa: Developing a Transformed Theological Practice: Competency for effective integral mission in South Sudan.
Here is a brief note from Dr. Dave Eby, Principal of Africa Reformation Theological Seminary in Kampala, where David earned his Masters in Pastoral Leadership:
David Acellam Okeny graduated from ARTS in December, 2019, in our first graduating class. His degree was MATS Pastoral Leadership. David has just been awarded his PhD from the University of Pretoria. He is our first ARTS graduate to earn a PhD degree. We rejoice in the Lord’s blessing on this accomplishment and on the Lord's gifting and enabling David to persevere. May David be a tool in the Lord’s hands for many years to come to build Christ's church and promote Biblical reformation in Africa.
David came to ARTS with a first degree in oil engineering. He relished all his studies including Bible, theology, Greek and Hebrew (which he took as an elective).
Congratulations David! God bless your ministry.
No research documenting African American overseas missionaries has been available for over 20 years, of which we are aware. That research in 1998 was in an unpublished doctoral dissertation, also available on this website. An article summarizing some of that earlier research, primarily to assist mission executives in recruiting African Americans, can be downloaded here (PDF). Prior to 1998, systematic research by Wilbur Harr (1945) and Sylvia Jacobs (1982) focused upon Black missionaries in Africa. We hope this work will inform, assist, and motivate toward realizing the huge potential of the African American church for global Christian mission!
This is the accepted manuscript for the (very slightly updated) article appearing in the April, 2023 edition of Missiology: An International Review. We deeply appreciate the assistance of many in the African American mission mobilization community, as well as significant help from mission executives. Walt Robertson, our webmaster, posted research surveys and oversaw data-gathering since around 2000. We’re grateful for invaluable critiques of peer reviewers, and encouragement provided by Missiology. Unusually, we credit the assistance of intercessors who prayed for years that this work would reach the academic and, hopefully, the general missions community.
While the authors hold the copyright, and while you may freely download and print the article, Sage Publications controls reproduction beyond personal use—please see the text box on p. 1 for permissions.
https://rmni.org/files/afam/HistoryandResearch/African-American-Missionaries-Serving-Overseas.pdf
Annual federal financial information
for this ministry can be accessed at:
