After arriving in Kenya late Tuesday, I had a prearranged meeting today with three pastors from the SW coast of Kenya, near Mombasa.
WHY MOMBASA IS STRATEGIC
Mombasa is a place Kenyans go on vacation. It is a beach city. But it is also a strategic city, spiritually. In Kenya, those identifying themselves as Protestant are in the range of 45-50%. Those identifying as themselves as Muslim are 10-15%. But the Muslim population in Mombasa is closer to 45-50%.
Nathan Chiroma, my good friend and special assistant, and I met with three men (all pastors) from that part of Kenya (see pictures). They have Bible certificates and diplomas and all claim to be practicing Bible exposition in their churches. They are all from the same Conservative Baptist denomination. The meeting was set up by a man from a church in Portland, Oregon (I visited there recently). He has helped these men get the training they have received and wanted me to meet these men and to assess where they are at in their ministries.
Nathan and I both were encouraged by what we heard and agreed to move forward.
JULY TARGETED FOR MOMBASA REGION EXPANSION
ITEM has already had a few seminars in that area and mentoring is about to begin in one location. There is another area around Mombasa that still needs to have our ministry and preaching seminar before mentoring can begin there.
These men are going to set up one or two of our Bible/theology seminars in Likoni (outside Mombasa) and/or Malindi, 30 miles up the coast from Mombasa (see picture). We are looking at July.
PRAY AND GIVE
Mombasa is important. Churches must be strengthened to hold off and push back against the Muslim advance. Believers need to be instructed from God’s Word so they can discern the truth from the errors of Islam. And the key is the pastor who has been equipped to preach powerful expository sermons that bring believers to maturity.
- Pray for the Mombasa region churches, believers, and pastors.
- Pray for the spread of the true gospel in that area as churches try to reach those in the Muslim population.
- Pray for the ITEM team as we think through how to proceed.
- And pray about helping with a one time or monthly gift that will help the untrained pastors get the training and mentoring they need to be able to apply Paul’s words in Colossians 1:18-29, where he wrote:
“We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete (i.e. “mature”) in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.”
The need is great. With mentoring about to start in several locations and new requests for seminars coming in, the ITEM budget is being squeezed like never before. A one time or monthly gift of any amount will help get these pastors the training they need to give the believers in their churches the strong, biblical instruction that they need.
Click here to give one time or monthly
Thanks for praying and giving to meet this need.
By His grace,
Steve
Find the picture album with new pictures here.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/CkvJHfhJr4Wm7Z8h6