Rev Dr John Perminus Wega grew up in Kenya, and after learning about Langham Partnership through a lecturer when starting his study, he applied for a Langham scholarship and was accepted in 2016. He completed his studies at Oxford Centre for Mission Studies in England and graduated in 2021. John is currently working as a hospital chaplain at his local hospital in Kenya and he has recently developed a curriculum to train other clinical chaplains.
John liked the diversity of Langham, which is why he applied for the scholarship. He shares, “I got involved because I found that training through Langham one is exposed to diverse experiences which prepares one to fit in any context.”
As a nation, Kenya experiences religious and ethnic conflicts , and for his PhD John chose the subject area of conflict and cohesion, using the Bible passage Colossians 3:12. The title of his PhD is Conflict and Cohesion: The practice of Giciaro and its significance to the Christian- Muslim relations in Igembe, Meru County, and Kenya.
Sharing his gifts
John is a hospital chaplain, which involves patient spiritual care and integrates the patient’s spirituality and health. He has the opportunity to meet with patients and their families, be a listening ear, offer prayer and help people process their grief. He shares, “My study has impacted my work by using the skills I acquired to improve the services of spirituality and healthcare at my hospital. Using the same skills, I have been able to develop a curriculum for training of clinical chaplains which was not there before.”
John is grateful for the Langham scholarship program. He says, “I am encouraged by Langham because it works like a family, which is concerned with its scholars…The program has really helped me to be an innovator of a new program in our country to benefit our health sector.”
Please pray for John as he develops the curriculum and for it to be accepted by the accrediting bodies in Kenya. He shares, “This will be a milestone in the provision of holistic person-centred healthcare.”