ReGathering 2009

Reverend Dr. Setri Nyomi

Reverend Dr. Setri Nyomi comes to us from Ghana, Africa, but in a broader sense he comes to us from around the world. Rev. Nyomi is the General Secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), which unites Presbyterian, Reformed, Congregational, Waldensian and some United Churches, and serves more than 75 million Christians in over 100 countries. This gives Rev. Nyomi a unique platform from which to talk to us about God’s global work through churches around the world. Prior to his current role, Rev. Nyomi first taught at Trinity Theological Seminary in Legon, Ghana, and then spent six years with the All Africa Conference of Churches overseeing the areas of Theology and Christian and Family Life Education. He took up his current role in 2000, becoming the first non-European to hold that position. In 2005 Rev. Nyomi was honored with the E.H.Johnson Award of the Presbyterian Church in Canada for service on the cutting edge of mission, joining former recipients such as Bishop Desmond Tutu.

In his own words:

"We must respond to others in the midst of suffering and engage with them in mission and cooperation. Never should the church be silent or inactive when things around us lead to suffering and death. God called us to be agents of transformation. Christian commitment entails moving beyond words to action. Together, we can be part of the global community God has called us to be.”

Dr. Nyomi’s theological studies began in the 1970’s at the University of Ghana, Legon, and Trinity Theological Seminary. He received a Master of Sacred Theology degree from Yale University Divinity School and a Ph.D. in Pastoral Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. He was ordained in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Ghana in August 1980.

Dr. Nyomi is married to Akpene Esther and they have three children. One of their children, Nunana Nyomi, is a recent Calvin graduate, who is now an Admissions Counselor here at Calvin.