Nairobi Refugee Church Moves into Larger Hall
By African
WN Staff
Our refugee
church in Kangemi, Nairobi, Kenya, has moved in to a larger hall in
order to to accommodate growing interest in our fellowship.
About two
years ago the church began with a few families who met in a small
house, and later it moved into a school classroom where it was hard
to fit 50 people in comfortably. Since then, due in part to the
relentless evangelism efforts of Pastor James Omuhaka and his team
of helpers, weekly attendance has increased to over 100. The
congregation is composed mainly of refugees from the Congo, Rwanda
and Burundi as well as some local Kenyans.
A few months
ago a local business woman made a plot of land available to the
church at a subsidized rent, and, after much fundraising and
tremendous effort, the members built a hall which can easily seat
300 or more.
The
official opening of the new hall took place on the 30th
November with an attendance of 272. A number of guests from other
denominations were there along with some visitors from our nearby
Nairobi congregations of Dandora and Parklands. Also present were
WCG church leaders from coastal, northern and western Kenya and from
as far away as Kitgum near the Sudanese border with Uganda, all of
whom were in Nairobi for our church conference entitled ãCultural
Christianity vs Biblical Christianityä.
It was an
exciting day with much music, singing and dancing. Congratulatory
notes and best wishes were announced from Pastor General Joseph
Tkach and the HQ staff, from brethren all around Africa, and
specifically from the churches in Botswana, Zambia, South Africa,
Ghana and Nigeria.
Superintendent of African Missions James Henderson and his wife,
Shirley, opened the hall officially by cutting the ribbon that
decorated the main door. Later he gave the opening address and
prayer of dedication. He prayed that the hall would be a place to
which our faithful members would bring Jesus who dwells not in
buildings but within Christians who are together the temple of God,
that newcomers and also existing members would hear the Gospel
preached there clearly, that the members would be protected from
heresy and from any who would lead them away from the simplicity of
Christ, and that repentance and faith and obedience to Christ would
be the central teachings.
Letâs pray
for the this transition stage in our Kangemi church, that God would
bless them richly as they seek to be fellow laborers with Christ in
this great work we have been called to do.
