He may have left Australia with tonsillitis and picked up "a gastro thing' while in Nairobi, but the Rev Peter Sholl says he has returned home with strengthened links to the church in Africa.

Mr Sholl, Senior Minister of St Matthew's, Ashbury has spent two weeks in Kenya training 16 full-time pastors and ministry trainees.

Mr Sholl has been teaching the Preliminary Theological Certificate "Introduction to the Bible' course in Karen, an outlying suburb of the capital.

"I was stimulating discussion and helping them to think through issues that the church in Africa is facing," he says.

Mr Sholl says the prosperity gospel, poverty, poor health and corruption are all issues currently affecting the African continent and church.

"I used those topics to help them think through issues using the Bible as a whole, rather than just using a proof text."

As well as running the course, Mr Sholl also been presenting preaching workshops.

“Normally they just use one verse as springboard for what they want to say " so I was teaching them to take a more contextual look at a wider Bible passage,” he says.

The trip represents a growing partnership between Moore College and African Enterprise, an international ministry focussed on evangelism in Africa.

This is the second time Mr Sholl has taught the PTC course in Nairobi " he was previously there in November 2003 " and he has witnessed significant changes since his last visit.

"There is a man named Johnston who took the course in 2003. This time I trained him to teach the course. Since I've returned to Australia he has taught 30 pastors in an isolated rural area."

Mr Sholl says it is important for Sydney Anglicans to support overseas ministry training.

"It's a good opportunity for us to share our riches with a resource poor area " not just money, but training and skills," he says.

"I feel we have an obligation to our African brothers and sisters to be involved in this ministry."

Mr Sholl is grateful to the people of St Matthews, Ashbury who supported him by paying for the air ticket and through prayer.

"It's been good for them. They have been exposed to more of what is happening in the world, and they have been encouraged to pray for the world."

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