More time planning…
‘The more time I take in planning … the less time I need for presentation’
Preachers’ training multiplication in rural Kenya
In May 2014 a Level Two Langham Seminar in Expository Preaching was held at the End Time Church in Meru Town in Kenya.
Two local facilitators delivered the training in English and Swahili: Peter Mutiso and Ignatius Maimbu. Both completed the teacher workshop for facilitators held in Kenya in November 2013 (see ‘Your Teaching is Still Running in my Eyes’) https://uk.langham.org/teaching-still-running-eyes
Pastors discuss an assignment during the Preaching Training in Meru Town
The twenty men and two women who attended from different rural tribal groups were enthusiastic participants. Pastor Peter Karangu, who organized the seminar for these pastors, calls it ‘one of the happiest experiences of my life’!
Peter Karangu had grown up in rural Tharaka county. He was apprenticed to his grandfather to become a witchdoctor when a missionary from the East Africa Pentecostal Church visited his village. The old witchdoctor invoked powerful curses against the intruder. But it was his beloved grandson who fell seriously ill. No potions or charms had any effect. Only when the evangelist prayed for the boy, was he healed. As a result, Peter and many others in the village put their faith in Christ.
Peter became a fearless evangelist. Today he is the co-founder and director of RTU (Reaching the Unreached), a ministry that has planted over 300 churches, trains pastors and sets up development projects in the rural counties of Kenya.
The humanitarian projects, mainly water projects – providing clean water from rivers or boreholes – and education projects – building churches and setting up schools in church buildings – address the extreme poverty of these tribal people, ‘mainly because they do not have the knowledge and skill to get out of poverty. After doing a project in a community I have seen people rising up and doing so much more,’ Peter says.
The harvest is ripe … and there are workers!
But many, including pastors, have had little formal education and only minimal training. So Peter put together a team of pastors to train church leaders and Christian workers. And Langham Preaching is proving a most valued partner in training this team.
Networks of grassroots preaching clubs are growing among the tribal people. As Peter explains:
‘‘The changes I have seen in their preaching after attending the Langham Preaching seminars is that most of the pastors’ sermons are clearer, more based on the Bible and more relevant to their listeners …
‘‘I personally have learnt that the more time I take in planning the sermon, the less time I need for its presentation …
‘‘And I have been more confident in preaching, especially to those who already have a basic knowledge of the Bible.’
Peter Karangu with Peter Mutiso and Ignatius Maimbo, who both facilitated the Preaching Training in Meru Town.
by Emmanuel Olapido, Langham Preaching volunteer, formerly Regional Coordinator for Langham Preaching in English-speaking Africa.
