THEY CAME, THEY SAW, THEY PLANTED
15TH Anniversary Of The Planting Of The Nairobi Church
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When nine disciples stepped off the plane in Nairobi in June 1989, they had nothing on their hearts but selfless, sacrificial, Spirit-spurred and seed-scattering service that would spawn the salvation of souls as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sands on the seashore.
They had bid farewell to kin and kind in order to cross the globe and inspire the dawn of a new era and the conquering of a new frontier that would be written in the 20th century pages of the annals of the history of God's kingdom. In the following months, men and women of similar vision and conviction joined them to not only spread the Word in Nairobi, but to set the stage for the advancement of the kingdom throughout East Africa. To put it simply, quoting from the finale in the musical "Upside Down," "They had no halos on their heads, just redemption on their minds." |
Fifteen years on, the Nairobi church has over 1, 300 members and, displaying the aggressive and adventurous ambition with which the church was planted, has given birth to congregations in Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Burundi, as well as, within Kenya's borders, churches and fellowship groups in the towns of Athi River, Kitengela, Thika, Ruiru, Eldoret, Malaba, Kitale, Kutus, Kisii, Mombasa and Njoro.
So, where are the heroic men and women the legacy of whose love and the foundation of whose faith set the early pace and stand as a constant example for East Africa's 21st century saints?
Mike and Anne-Brigitte Taliaferro, who led the team, are in San Antonio, Jim Brown, Bob Stea (via Addis Ababa, Johannesburg and Triangle) and Frank and Michelle Davis are in New York, Richard Alawaye is in Atlanta, Deanne Devries is in the Middle East, Tom and Lori Ziegler are in Washington D.C., Alcides and Leslie de Morais, who got engaged in Nairobi back in 1989, are in Seattle, Stacey Flint (then Stacey Clark) is in Chicago, Onyechi and Deysi Oguagha are in Johannesburg, and Rayola Osanya-Nyynéque is in Nairobi.
Lessons From The Legends
What are some of their memories from Nairobi, what are they doing now, and how have lessons learnt from their experience in Nairobi shaped their lives since then? Let us read from some of them and let our veins be flooded with a renewed zeal for God, his people and advancing his kingdom as we glean and grow from the lessons learned and convictions gained by the pioneers of today's church in East Africa - living legends and true heroes in the faith. Click on the various names.
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Jim Brown
Alcides and Leslie De Morias Richard Alawaye |
Tom and Lori Ziegler
Deanne Devries Onyechi and Deysi Oguagha Stacey (Clark) Flint |
Pictures: A Photo Feast Of Firsts |