Pastor Sees Church Grow in Kenya

Three years ago, two people attended Pastor Ngui Muithya’s church in Mariakani, Kenya.

But the pastor, who was planting the church among the Giriama people, a sub-group of the Mijkenda ethnic group, was not discouraged.

Pastor Muithya knew that bringing the message of the Gospel to the Giriama was going to take time.

The Giriama live in Kenya’s coastal regions and work as farmers, planting cash crops such as cashews, coconuts, maize, millet, and peas.

Thirty years ago, nearly 90 percent of the Giriama practiced traditional African religions. Today, more than 70 percent of the people still follow African traditional religions or Islam.

Yet, people have been open to hearing about Christianity and nearly 30 percent of the population is now Christian.

Pastor Muithya was encouraged by people’s willingness to consider Christianity.

With his heart full of compassion and strong desire to teach them about the Christian faith, he patiently worked one-on-one with people in Mariakani, building relationships and introducing them to the Gospel.

First one person became a Christ follower and then another. After two years of dedicated outreach, Pastor Muithya’s church had grown from two people to over 40 people.

Pastor Muithya is one of the many church planters working in communities across Eastern and Southern Africa who are encouraged, strengthened and equipped to do ministry through  Christian Reformed World Missions programs.

CRWM helps these leaders through leadership training and church-planting training programs. CRWM also provides study guides and other materials to help the church leaders more fully understand God’s Word so that they can share this Word to help others.

“When the light of Christ shines in the dark and a witch doctor, custodians of ancestral worship, or even a child turns to the saving grace of Jesus Christ, this gives us new energy to continue reaching out to these remote communities,” says Mwaya Wa Kitavi, a CRWM missionary leader in the area.
 
“Church-planting efforts have made great strides in bringing many people to the kingdom and churches are being planted in remote areas of Africa where people have never heard the Gospel or seen a church before.”

Salim is one of those who was brought into the kingdom — in his case through the church-planting efforts of Pastor Muithya.

For many years, Salim drank heavily and shied away from his responsibilities as a husband and father. But, as he talked with Pastor Muithya, he began to see that following Christ would lead him in new direction.

“When I found Christ,” Salim says, “I realized I was living contrary to the will of God and I turned away from sin.”

Now, with God’s help, Salim has stopped drinking and is rebuilding his relationship with his family. He’s become an elder and worship leader in the church and is guiding his family to live for Christ.

“I have found peace and joy in my heart since I accepted Jesus as my savior,” he says.