Our Ministry - Michael's & Caryl's

Background

Michael Stanley grew up on the mission field in South Africa. His father was a missionary first in Kimberley and then in the Port Shepstone area with responsibility for the Bible Training School (later Umzumbe Bible Institute).

After Michael graduated from high school he returned to the States to attend Bible College. He met Caryl Westfield at church in Kimball, Minnesota while she was studying to be an elementary teacher at St. Cloud State College. They were married in 1969 and made plans to go to South Africa as missionaries as soon as Michael completed his education. Caryl received her B.Sc. degree in 1968 and Michael graduated with a B.Th. from Minnesota Bible College in 1971.

1991 to 1994

Michael and Caryl went to South Africa in December, 1971, where they joined Michael’s parents, Lynn and Lucille Stanley, in the work of training Christian workers through Umzumbe Bible Institute. Michael and Caryl both taught and Michael served as the principal of the school from 1989 until 1993 when he resigned after being assaulted at school. In addition to their work at Umzumbe Bible Institute they also visited churches and taught at youth camps. Michael served in various capacities with the Church of Christ Mission including secretary, treasurer, and Director of Building and Evangelism.

Graduate Studies

When Umzumbe Bible Institute closed at the end of 1994, Michael and Caryl returned to the States for an extended furlough. They both taught at Nebraska Christian College while studying for graduate degrees in education at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska.

1998 to the present

In 1998 they returned to South Africa and developed a new ministry. They decided to focus their efforts on the province of KwaZulu Natal. Michael visited congregations throughout KwaZulu Natal to teach and provide encouragement for Christian leaders. They also participated in and helped to plan regional meetings such as the annual Easter meeting and youth camps.

Because of their involvement with the Umzumbe church, Michael and Caryl also became increasingly concerned that there was no outreach to the local community. Building on good relationships with local schools, they volunteered to teach English at Mntwan'ungamizizwe High School. Discipline was a huge problem and they did not offer to teach again. However, Caryl offered to teach supplementary classes in English and Mathematics on the campus of Umzumbe Bible Institute for Grade 11 students. Michael offered similar classes in Biblical Studies and added computer lessons after they received a donation of several old computers.

In the meantime they had been volunteering with Scripture Union to teach “Life Skills,” a program of developing values, setting goals, and making right decisions. Because of the rapid growth of HIV/AIDS infections in South Africa opportunities to teach the material in urban schools grew rapidly. Michael used his knowledge of Afrikaans to introduce the material in the Afrikaans primary school. The Life Skills program is based on the Bible and increasingly Michael and Caryl recognized the need to teach this material in the rural schools. Their first effort was in Grade 9 and again discipline problems prevented the program from being effective. But then they arranged to teach the material to Grade 7 students in Magog Primary School. This proved to be effective and has continued to the present. Through contacts made at Umzumbe, they have been able to teach the material at Velimemeza Primary School as well.

The Stanley's continue to travel to churches throughout KwaZulu Natal to provide teaching and encouragement. They teach at youth camps and other regional meetings placing an increasing emphasis on a Christian approach to marriage and the family. They also participate in planning and teaching at the National Youth Seminar. This program is aimed at young adults, a group that turned away from Christian values during the revolutionary struggle.

After the closure of Umzumbe Bible Institute the African churches soon realized their need for a way of training church leaders. To this end a continuation committee was established and the South African Bible Institute opened its doors in 1997. Because of Michael and Caryl’s interest in training leaders, they agreed to teach at the new institution even though it meant traveling 600 miles to Kimberley. They teach intensive classes which means that each course is taught over a period of only two weeks.

The Eshowe Congregations

In the Eshowe area there are three congregations that were sponsored by the Eastern Heights Christian Church in Ponca City, Oklahoma. In 2003 Michael started traveling to Eshowe to work with Edwin Froise in teaching and giving oversight to these congregations. The main congregation is in King Dinuzulu Township at Eshowe, with two satellite congregations in Mpaphala and Mvuzane. In 2004 Larry Leathermon and Gary Heick came to South Africa to ordain elders in the three congregations and at the end of that year Edwin Froise retired and moved to Howick. Since then Michael has worked with the Cadmus Zulu, Olly Sibiya, and Bro. Ngema – the three elders. On behalf of the church in Ponca City he travels to the area at least once a month to oversee this work.

Where to Now?

The Stanley's will continue to focus their work in KwaZulu Natal, their home province. At the same time they will maintain their emphasis on leadership training. They will teach at the South African Bible Institute and play an active role in the National Youth Seminary. (The National Youth Seminary is now a partnership with Christ in Youth, an organization that is based in the States, but which reaches out to youth around the world.)

Because the government promotes HIV/AIDS awareness and has made “Life Skills” part of the curriculum for each year in schools, the Stanley's plan to continue to teach the SU material in rural primary schools. They are particularly concerned about maintaining continuity in the teaching program at Magog Primary School. When they return to South Africa in April, 2007 they will investigate the possibility of introducing the material to Grade 9 at Mntwan'ungamizizwe High School. They would now be teaching students whom they taught in primary school and this should reduce the discipline problem.