In a little village called Molo, about an hour drive from Nakuru at around 8000 feet altitude, sits an African Inland Church with crooked wooden benches and pocked marked cement floors. This is the backdrop for our two-day conference. Our host pastor, Geoffrey Kithinji, has served the AIC for over 25 years. Working with Project 82, a ministry to orphans and widows, we hosted over 35 delegates that mainly came from Molo and the surrounding villages, but there were men and a few women who had come from far.
Conferences globally and generally are good for collecting small booklets with nice information in them and soon after they gather dust on some shelf of a leaders office or home. But let’s be honest, they really don’t change lives, they don’t “stick.” Yet, I would have to say that after our first day of teaching and breaking into small groups, these precious African leaders got it. It stuck. I was humbled and amazed to hear them reflect on issues of barriers that kept them from being intimate with God. I would ask you now as you read this, “Is there anything keeping you from being intimate with God on a consistent basis?” The Lord beckons all of us to not forsake our first love. Secondly, we discussed the issue of integrity as a standard for all Christian leaders. The Bible story was told of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and how unswerving and uncompromising they were with their integrity in the face of palpable evil and danger. God calls us all to be people of integrity.
Our last session was taught by my dear brother Harrison Githu who serves with GGFAN and is a missionary among some of the least reached peoples in Northern Kenya. He asked a pointed question to the participants, “What is the greatest lesson you have learned in your ministry?” Wow! I was amazed at the electricity in the room as these leaders were given permission to share briefly their story and to encourage all of us with gold nuggets of wisdom.
We honestly believe that spending two days with these men and women is changing their lives and their passion for God and they will, in turn, return to their various ministries and share this great Good News…Hallelujah. We are changing the world, in Jesus’ name, one relationship at a time.
Comments