Life before Christ

I grew up in a Christian family, so I was surrounded by God and church from my childhood. I was raised in a Christian home but just followed through the motions of doing Christian things that we thought were supposed to be done. I didn’t know Him, I just knew about Him.

Back in the early 2000s, I found myself searching for purpose and meaning in people and myself. Whether that was my friends or relationships, I poured my whole heart into them. I also became fixated on myself and my image. I became very consumed with what people thought about me and I was living for the acceptance of the world.

My encounter with Christ

I remember in the year 2005 after the burial of my sister, I went back to school. I was preparing to write my final primary school examination. In one of the meetings after our Chaplin had explained the way of salvation, I responded to the invitation to receive Jesus as my personal savior and Lord. On that memorable day, the Chaplin read from the books of Romans 10:9-10, and John 1:11-12. On that day, Jesus invaded my life. I was called in front and the Chaplin led me through a confession prayer and I received a new life in Christ. I became a new creation, the old was forever gone 2Cor. 5:17 – 20. It was a life changing experience.

At this young age I realized that the wrong things and not knowing God deeply were enough to keep me out of heaven. I also understood that Christ died for my sin and that by trusting in him I would receive God’s forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. I committed to living for God, not for others.

Since knowing Him, God showed me that being a Christian is not just doing good works. He made it clear that I do not have to earn my salvation or His love Ephesians 2:8-9. He has given me fulfillment, purpose and joy. I understand just I have not yet attained perfection and still mess up quite a lot, but I also understand that God loves me in spite of my imperfections and flaws. When things that I pursued before continuously let me down, God on the other hand has never let me down or failed me. He continues to reveal Himself to me in His word – the Bible.

Life after salvation

Just right from school, after completing my primary school education in the year 2005. In the month of December that year I was baptized my immersion on a Sunday morning service at Migori Baptist Church. Becoming a Christian at that early age, and being raised in a Christian home, truly puts a pressure on one to model his character and conduct in a certain way. But on my case it was difficult to distinguish patterns of Christian growth in those early years. During my teen years I truly began to grow spiritually, my desire to work for God greatly increased.

My loving and supportive parents raised me in nature and admonition of the Lord. Our family was regularly involved in the church life and ministry. I became actively involved in youth ministry, music and youth leadership, I even was involved in preaching during my high school years. I actively participated in youth ministry teams in both high school and college. I am eternally grateful to the Migori Baptist Church community of believers who were used of God to ground me in the word at such an early age. They disciplined, mentored and helped to shape the direction of my Christian life and ministry. God used my involvement in the youth ministry in church, High school and college to work in my heart a desire to yield to him for a full – time service in ministry wherever He should choose.
Call to pastoral ministry

Beyond the call to salvation and to service and ministry, I believe there is a call to a particular group of leaders given to the church by the risen Christ Ephesians 4:11 – 12. I cannot point to a specific day when I received the mystical call. But my call to pastoral ministry is based first on an early aspiration to this role in the church (1Tim.3:1). Also God begun to confirm this call upon me before and during my time in the college. God has continued to confirm this call through his people and the local church leadership for over 17 years. The call has also been confirmed through the abilities that God has entrusted to me, such as the ability to teach and preach, to sing and play musical instruments and administrative abilities coupled with a heart for God’s people.

Ministry experience

a. Service in School

By God’s grace I served at Ngere High School as the Christian Union organizing secretary for the entire four years. At Kwa Secondary school I served as the Christian union chair person for a period of two years.

b. Service in church

I begun to serve in the church at Migori Baptist Church as Sunday School teacher in the children ministry and later as the chairperson in the youth ministry in the church. I progressed to become the chairperson in the youth ministry in the entire Migori Baptist Association which had by then 14 churches.

c. Serving as a pastor

As a pastor at Bondeni Baptist Church, my wife and I have traveled in Migori county and beyond doing outreach work, holding crusades and seminars, using our God given abilities to bring the lost back to Christ. It is during my pasturing at Bondeni Baptist Church that I joined Kenya Baptist Seminary for a diploma studied in theology. It is this program that has increased my

capacity to understand my congregation and to lead effectively in situations of change and has developed my abilities to lead in the growth of Christian community quantitatively through evangelism and qualitatively through the nurture of individual groups.
My personal walk with God

Effective ministry can flow from a proper intimate growing relationship with God. Thus my relationship with the Lord is of utmost importance. I am obligated as a spiritual leader to maintain a proper relationship with my wife and family. But a proper husband/wife relationship or parent/child relationship is only possible in the atmosphere where God takes preeminence. My wife and I have a healthy marriage relationship and we both seek by God’s grace to model a husband and wife relationship seen in Ephesians chapter 5. God has blessed us with a daughter whom we love so much and would like to train in the ways of the Lord.
Ministry perspective

I believe that the teaching and preaching of the word is not an end in itself but should be seen in light of the process which fulfills the ultimate purpose of the church. The ultimate purpose for the ministry of the church is to a) worship and glorify God (Ephesians 1.5-6, b) to edify itself (Ephesians 4:16), and c) to evangelize to the world (Mathew 28:19-20). My ultimate ministry goals is to fulfill those ministry goals for His honor and glory.