Crazy Beautiful.

The Mormon Challenge

2011-11-29T00:36:00.000-08:00

During the turn of the millennium the LDS Church had approximately 60,000 missionaries on the field engaged in full-time proselytizing, with an additional 6,000 more engaged in various service assignments (e.g. healthcare workers, craftsmen, and educators). These numbers make the LDS Church the single largest missionary-sending organization in the world. These missionaries convert well over 310,000 people annually. If the size of the LDS missionary force continues to increase proportionate to the growth of the LDS Chruch, in fifteen years there will be 110,000 full time LDS missionaries on the field. (The New Mormon Challenge: Responding to the Latest Defenses of a Fast-Growing Movement. [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002] 68.) These missionaries will be converting more than 672,000 persons annually.

Approximately 85,000 full-time Protestant missionaries serve worldwide (and many are not evangelical). Of these an estimated 20 percent are on furlough at any given time. Many others are not involved in evangelizing but function as staff in enabling humanitarian agencies. In contrast, all of the regular 60,000 LDS missionaries proselytize eight to ten hours a day, six to seven days a week, fifty-two weeks per year. The average LDS missionary baptizes between six and seven converts per year. (Ibid 2002: 414). For more on LDS missions, see Gary and Gordon Shepherd, “Mormon Growth and Mormon Missions in the Modern World,” in Shepherd and Shepherd, Mormon Passage: A Missionary Chronicle (Urbaba and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1998), 1-18.

Paul Carden Observes that “few Christians in the field of missions seem to recognize the multi-faceted threat of the cults around the globe, consistently underestimating their resources, their determination, and the long-term impact they make on evangelism and church-planting.”(Paul Carden, “The Threat of the Cults on the Mission Fields of the World,” International Journal of Fontier Missions 15/3 (1998): 147.) With respect to Mormonism specifically, it must be pointed out that neither the Book of Mormon nor the message of LDS missionaries can make much sense to someone who lacks at least some basic knowledge of the Bible or Christian belief. Mormonism’s spread into new cultures is literally dependent on the success of Bible translation organizations like SIL/Wycliffe Bible Translators. Neither does Mormonism’s primary message of the restoration of the “fullness of the gospel” make much sense unless there are Christian churches already established that lack this “fullness.”

Dr. Stephen Mutuku Sesi, gone to be with the Lord.

2011-11-20T23:31:00.000-08:00

We sadly record the passing of Dr. Stephen Sesi who died on Thursday, November 3rd in Houston, Texas, USA, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Stephen was born in a non-Christian home, but through the witness of his mother, who became a Christian in 1966, he eventually gave his life to Jesus Christ. He grew up in Coast Province, Kenya, where he had many Muslim neighbors. From those days grew his concern to make the church a better witness to its Muslim neighbors, and this became the later focus of his research, writing, and teaching. Dr David Kasali, then the Vice-Chancellor of Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology, commended Stephen to JSM (FACT) for further training in the field of intercultural and theological studies. On his scholarship application form Stephen set out his vision as being “to train evangelists, missionaries and church leaders to reach Muslims in Africa effectively.” This vision he was able to fulfill in his later ministry. He undertook a PhD program at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, between 1997 and 2003, and received a doctorate in Islamic Studies. The topic of his dissertation was prayer among the Digo Muslims of Kenya and its implications for Christian witness. This was later published as African Worldview Change: the Case of the Digo of Kenya, (VDM Verlag, 2009). After graduation he became a professor of Islam at NEGST, now Africa International University. Stephen also recently contributed two chapters on ethnic conflicts and ethnic realities to a seminal book, African Missiology: Contributions of Contemporary Thought (Uzima, Kenya, 2009), co-authored with other staff at NEGST, including his wife Josephine.

Meritt Sawyer, formerly International Programme Director of the Langham Scholarship Programme, recalls Stephen’s time as a PhD scholar at Fuller –

‘I remember Stephen as a man who was passionate about the inbreaking of the Kingdom and he demonstrated this with his entire being. Every conversation between us over his five years in the U.S. (and there were many) was laced with his passion to train pastors for fruitful, contextual outreach to the Muslim community he knew so well. Coupled with his winsome smile and frequent jokes, his heartfelt conviction was imprinted on us as he and Josephine helped us to understand African realities.’

Stephen’s compassion was demonstrated when with his wife Josephine he founded a ministry among vulnerable and abandoned children in his home province. Makombe Children’s Home now cares for 55 children. Stephen was a member and ordained minister of the Africa Inland Church, one of the largest denominations in Kenya. He was a strong leader within the church, particularly in his home province.

Stephen was married to Dr. Josephine Katile Mutuku of Africa International University, and was father to James (Daystar University), Judah and Jesse of US International University in Kenya. A family man first and foremost, Stephen Sesi loved dearly his wife and sons, encouraging them to nurture the gifts that God had given them. He encouraged his wife to also pursue her doctoral studies so that they could become true partners in ministry. He had a keen sense of humor and his warm smile and larger-than-life charisma welcomed everybody into his presence. He will be deeply missed by his friends, colleagues, his family, and especially by his sons and wife.

MUSLIM COCOONS

2011-11-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of talk in religious circles about the growth and expansion of Islam. Islam is arguably the fastest growing religion in the world. This is largely because the average Muslim family has 6.2 children while the average Christian family has 2.1. However, if you want to talk about shire evangelism effort which has turned into conversions I believe Mormons top the charts.

Still, what is even more unheard of, Muslims are changing their religious affiliation from Islam to Christianity. This goes largely unnoticed because of apostasy laws in Islam and family religious pride, which is virtually found in all families that adhere to a particular faith. In this context one must ask "Is it possible for Christians to share their faith with Muslims?" As this former Muslim makes clear, it is not only possible but a reality which is taking place.

Muslim Evangelism 101

2011-11-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

Islam, like Christianity, is a missionary religion. Muslims want all people to submit to Allah. In the Muslim mind there is the house of Islam (Dar al-Islam) and house of war (Dar al-harb). Dar al-Islam means that the majority of people in a state are Muslims and they can implement Islamic governance.

Despite what some people think, Muslims do not primarily proselytize through violence or force. The majority of Muslims will admit they are to first and foremost rationally communicate the truth and revelation of Allah. The recording below was taken by permission of an elderly Muslim man in East Africa. The man had studied Islam in Saudi Arabia; however, he was born and raised on the coast of Kenya. The old man sincerely wanted me to be a Muslim.

The Confusion of Culture!

2011-10-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

Culture is complex. The study of culture is weary to the mind (mainly because the one studying belongs to a specific culture). Culture within itself is not wrong or right, but amoral. The mistake of homo sapiens is to say that this or that is wrong sole on the basis that it is different than their own culture. I would go as far as to say the majority of religious convictions held by people are actually cultural preferences. This is sad to think people will supposedly "die" for their culture over their religion. So what's the key to understanding the confusion of culture? I don't know fully, but I am convicted, from my own experience, that one has to dive into the complexities of culture to begin to see the charms and harms of their own. So when I saw this article on tooth imperfection I started reminiscing how i spent thousands of $ on making my teeth straight. I thought it would be a worthy share:

Meanwhile, in Japan, a new fashion has women paying to have their straight teeth purposefully disarranged.

A result of tooth-crowding commonly derided in the United States as “snaggleteeth” or “fangs,” the look is called “yaeba” in Japanese or “double tooth.” Japanese men are said to find this attractive: blogs are devoted to yaeba, celebrities display it proudly, and now some women are paying dentists to create it artificially by affixing plastic fronts to their real teeth. CLICK HERE to read the entire article.

The Face of Harvest

2011-10-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce i have joined an non-profit organization (NGO) called Face of Harvest. I met the director of Face of Harvest, Isaac Moonzwe, in Nairobi, Kenya in 2009. Isaac and two other colleagues were networking with a medical clinic that reaches Somalis in Nairobi. Their vision of reaching the unreached in Africa and the Middle East matched mine. Their mission consist of biblical holism:

FOH was founded with a mission to advance “the wholeness of persons, families, and communities...” The concept of wholeness is derived from the Hebrew world “Shalom”, which is often translated into English as “Peace”. However, the fullness of the word conveys being ‘complete’, or ‘whole’. The concept of advancing ‘wholeness’ conveys the need for us to promote both physical and spiritual well-being without neglect of one or the other (John 14:26). FACE OF HARVEST embraces its mission to advance shalom/wholeness through out Africa and the Middle East.

To read more about this movement that i am flowing with CLICK HERE.

Changing seasons!

2011-10-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

If you notice, my blog has a new name, Crazy Beautiful. You might ask, "Why the change?" The reason is simple, my life has changed. I am no longer at Negst; therefore, I can say sayonara to Aaron at NEGST. I not only graduated from Negst, but I also got married the same month. Some called me crazy, but i thought it was beautiful.

So why Crazy Beautiful? I feel this expression explains where God has my wife and I at this time in our life. Crazy in the sense that I don't know what God is up to. Experience has shown me that this is God's ways. I have observed He is not too fond of narcissism and pride. So in December I will pack my two suitcases with my wife and we will safari down to Mombasa, Kenya. Besides sweating profusely, we will be apart of Injili ya Tumaini or Gospel of Hope. Injili ya Tumaini's mission is to share the holistic gospel message to those who have never been given a chance to hear. We echo the words of Oswald J. Smith, "No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once."

So what's next? I could give you a fifteen page strategic plan (and I do have one), but something tells me I should not. I think this is God's crazy ways, we simply don't know everything, but we do know enough. My wife and I are excited for what God has for us because we know his plans no matter how crazy they seem are always beautiful. We are ready for this crazy beautiful life God has in store for us.

1+1=1

2011-09-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

Dowry!

2011-05-17T03:26:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from my dowry (May 7, 2011). A general overview of the day included some of the following. My women representatives go forward to meet and negotiate with the women of Dama’s family; these negotiations are primarily through song and dance.

Once the women welcome everyone to their home, there are introductions and then, as all African’s must do, they feed the guest. After a while, Dama’s negotiator asks why we are there. Numerous proverbs are spoken back and forth between the negotiators until they ask me directly, why I am there. There are only two times I am allowed to speak, when they ask me why I am there and to identify Damaris.

After I say I am there for Damaris Wambui they bring out groups of women/girls for me to choose from. The whole day is filled with drama and humor. The first group of women include little children and then they bring out old women, and ask me if I can recognize Dama. The final group is not as humorous as the girls are disguised from head to toe. There are consequences if I choose the wrong girl; as Dama’s negotiator said in a stern voice “You will be heavily fined if you choose the wrong one!” Thankfully I choose the right one!

Later, the dowry negotiation took place and Dama’s family accepted the amount and gave the go ahead for the wedding. Here are some of the photos from the day. I hope you enjoy.

Dowry! pt.2

2011-05-16T01:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a letter my professor Dr. Steve Rasmussen sent to his friends. I thought his perspective was interesting. I hope you enjoy.

A week ago, I participated in my first bride price negotiations/traditional wedding between two of my missions students: Aaron and Damaris. This takes place at the bride’s home. This covenant focuses on the two families, not the couple. Dama never spoke and Aaron only for the following humorous moment: The elders asked Aaron if he was sure he was at the right place and he really knew who Dama was. They brought out a few kids and then grandmas for him to choose. Finally they brought out the women below. He managed to select Dama.

After dinner the real task began in deep Kikuyu language: The older men and women representatives from each family negotiated and paid the cash amounts to “plant the branch,” to “open the door,” to set a wedding date and to buy drinks for everyone present. We accomplished in one day what used to require a series of visits. The actual bride price can now be negotiated and slowly paid to her mother who sympathizes with their finances.

Thank God for answering prayers for welcome into the family at a price that students becoming missionaries could afford. Pray for their finishing their MA missions: IsIamic studies degrees and their future. After their wedding and graduation, Aaron and Damaris plan to apply their learning together as missionaries to a MusIim context.

I learned with everyone as one representative of the groom’s family. (They live near Olympia, Washington, USA and will only come for the church/Western wedding in July.) Currently Damaris and several of Aaron’s team including the older man and woman representing his parents are studying Anthropology with me. My Indian Anthro student videotaped to show people at home the amazing spectacle of his friend paying the bride’s family instead of receiving dowry from her family. Last fall, Aaron did his anthropology paper on Kikuyu engagements and weddings. This day, he got to apply his learning!

Islam in America: Four Waves

2011-05-16T01:48:00.000-07:00

A basic knowledge of Islam is becoming essential for every person living in American. The Pew Research Center estimates there are 2.6 million Muslims living in the U.S. (0.8% of the total U.S. population) in 2010 and will rise to 6.2 million (1.7%) by 2030 (The future of...2011). In fact, Islam is the third-largest U.S. religion, and in the first half of the twenty-first century it is expected to be second largest surpassing Judaism. Therefore, it is no longer appropriate to think of Muslims as those people in the Middle East, Africa or Asia. Islam, like Judaism and Christianity, is an American religion (Neusner 2003, 173).

The attempt to understand Islam in America is not an easy task. The minority Muslim population is not easily recognized because it is characterized by diversity and socio-political complexities. This paper will understand the emergence of Islam in America in four waves; diaspora, black, puritan, and intellectual Islam. The four waves can be understood on a historical continuum of sorts starting with the emergence of Islam in the eighteenth century to the present context in the twenty first century. Analyzing the four waves, point to the fact that Islam in America must be understood in light of its complexities in order for the greater society to properly understand the Muslim population.

Islam in America: Diaspora Islam

2011-05-16T01:27:00.000-07:00

The largest population of Muslims in the United States is ‘Diaspora Islam.’ The term ‘Diaspora Islam’ simply refers to Muslims who live outside of their native homeland. There are at least three subcategories for diaspora Islam; slave, immigrant, and student Muslims. The first category of diaspora Muslims is ‘slaves’ which is not represented today; however they lay the historical and cultural backdrop for a considerable amount of American Muslims today. Understanding the Muslims who were slaves is essential for understanding the American Muslim mind and conscience today.

Even before slaves arrived in the Americas there was a Muslims presence. Some scholars argue that Muslims visited America nearly two centuries before the time of Christopher Columbus’s venture in 1492. Jane Smith writes, “Muslims sailed from Spain and parts of the northwestern coast of Africa to both South and North America and were among the members of Columbus’s own crew” (Smith 1999: 50). However, by the late seventeen hundreds, there was a definite Muslim presence in America. Samuel Hill notes that by 1800, some 500,000 Africans arrived in what became the United States. Historians estimate that between 15 to 30 percent of all enslaved African men, and less than 15 percent of the enslaved African women, were Muslims (Hill 2005: 394). The suppression and abuse of slaves to express their Islamic faith would prove to be underlining influence of ‘black Islam’ in the twentieth century.

The second group of diaspora Muslims is immigrant Islam. Immigrant Islam represents the largest group of diaspora Muslims. Historically immigrant Muslims arrived in America to better their lives and return to their homeland. Today some Muslims have the same dream while others never have the intention to return to their homeland. Pew Research Center findings show that “Children under age 15 make up a relatively small portion of the U.S. Muslim population today. Only 13.1% of Muslims are in the 0-14 age group. This reflects the fact that a large proportion of Muslims in the U.S. are newer immigrants who arrived as adults (The future of…2011). Immigrant Muslims will continue to face numerous challenges. One such challenge among immigrant Muslims is to be unified. Asma Gull Hasan, an American Muslims, believes, “One of the significant jihads or struggles that American Muslims are facing is unifying their community. Unification will take some time to achieve” (Hasan 2004:177). The issues facing immigrant Muslims not only affect Muslims but all immigrants.

The final group of diaspora Muslims is university students. These Muslims do not reflect numerical statistics but play a pivotal role in the emergence of Islam in America. Muslim youth who are studying at universities come from a variety of predominantly Islamic countries with the requirement that they return to payback and serve their home country. These students face the same problems as most international students. The students often find themselves lonely, depressed, and disconnected from the greater community. The American Muslim community has tried to mobilize these students to not only fit into their societies but be effective Muslim activist for their university campuses. The Muslims Student Association (MSA) specifically works for the rights of Muslim students on their campuses. They also try to equip them to live faithfully as Muslims on their campuses. Mission Islam, Youth with a Mission is another organization that encourages and equips Muslim students and youth to share their faith with their peers. Then Islamic American University offers distant learning degrees for Muslims who want to learn more about their faith while they spend time in America. All these Islamic organization have the same agenda which is to confirm and expand the Islamic faith in America. The needs of Muslim students are often met through these organizations.

Islam in America: Black Islam

2011-05-16T01:17:00.000-07:00

The emergence of slaves from Africa in the eighteenth and nineteenth century brought Islam to the shores of America. The suppression of religion and livelihood inevitably influenced not only slaves understanding of Islam, but also their racial identity. Overtime black Muslims reacted to their racially stigmatized society and formed a ‘black supremacy’ movement called ‘black Islam.’ The effects of racism diminished orthodox Islam and used Islam as a means to favor one’s ethnic bias. During the slave movement there was even a “sense among many blacks that their slave master were using Christianity’s teaching of turning the other cheek as an excuse to oppress them and beat them in the name of Christianity” (Tsoukalas 2001: 2). The religious effect of slavery was the assumption that Christianity was for the white slave owner and Islam represents the black slave. During the nineteenth and twentieth century African Americans came to accept Islam as it offered liberation while Christianity represented suppression by white people. The leading organization of black Islam became known as the Nation of Islam which would eventually change not only Islam in America but also the African American community. Today rappers and rap groups such as Public Enemy and Ice Cube and “numerous African-American college and university student publications actively promote many of the beliefs and ideas held by the Nation of Islam” (Martin 2003: 450).

In order to understand the Nation of Islam one must understand how the nineteenth-century cultural, political and religious soil produced the early twentieth-century Black Nationalist activists. Two of those activists were Marcus Garvey and Noble Drew Ali. Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association represents the political forerunner to the NOI while Noble Drew Ali’s Moorish Science Temple represented the religious foundation of the NOI. Marcus Garvey emphasized Black Factories Corporation and black business; however he became known for insistence for blacks to go “back to Africa culturally while developing a nation within a nation in the United States” (Tsoukalas 2001: 8). On the other hand Noble Drew Ali represented the religious foundation of the NOI. He believed the ancient Moabites are the divine Asiatic nation all blacks are Asiatics, they are the original inhabitants of the earth and the progenitors of all nonwhite nations. Therefore Ali believed Jesus was black and the white man is evil and will be completely destroyed on the Day of Judgment. Ali also believed he was Jesus Christ and the prophet Muhammad reincarnated (Tsoukalas 2001: 13). These two men would greatly influence the NOI.

After Noble Drew Ali’s death W.D. Fard fashioned the NOI and personally taught Elijah Muhammad who later become Fard’s predecessor. The NOI came to believe that Fard was the messenger sent by God to continue the work of the two previous men. Fard eventually claimed to be the reincarnate Noble Drew Ali. The teachings of Fard were not Islamic but shaped by the social and religious environment. The religious teachings of Fard have been denied by orthodox Muslims. For instance, Fard taught that Joseph was hopeless of marrying Marry which made him impregnate her with Jesus. Louis A DeCaro Jr. notes that Fard’s anti-incarnational theology not only violates Christianity but also violates Islam (Decaro 1998: 15). These heretical claims by Christian and Muslim standards would continue to plague the NOI for years to come. Possibly the most heretical claim was by Elijah Muhammad when he claimed that Wallace Fard was “Allah in person,” God to the NOI (Tsoukalas 2001: 13).

Under Fard’s leadership the membership of NOI was a dismal eight thousand however it would soon change under the new leadership of Elijah Muhammad, as the movement went national. With the help of Elijah’s close friend Malcolm X “members grew to perhaps 300,000” (Martin 2003: 451). After Muhammad’s death another charismatic leader Louis Abdul Farrakhan took over NOI and the members continued to grow. The Honorable Farrakhan is still leading the NOI under his anti Jew and white racist beliefs. He is not afraid to use the Christian scriptures to back up his beliefs, but nevertheless demanding his ties to Islam.

The Nation of Islam is considered by most Muslims as a heretical religion. Still the NOI remains a considerable voice among Muslims in America. Followers of the NOI are active in prisons and university campuses where they announce their Islamic ideologies but more importantly their anti white beliefs. The movement of ‘black Islam’ or the NOI can be understood as an adaptationist movement. The original black Muslims adapted to their environment, mostly under force. The NOI adapted their racist beliefs to their understanding of Islam. The NOI understood as Islamic must be understood in the context of culture and history.

Islam in America: Puritan Islam

2011-05-16T01:05:00.000-07:00

The attacks of September 11, 2001 will forever be embedded in the minds of Americans. The interpretation of those events differs greatly. The aftermath of 9/11 has left Americans with numerous caricatures and stereotypes of the Muslims world. In December 2005, Gallup Poll of American households asked Americans what they most admired about Muslims societies, “The answer nothing was the most frequent response. The second most frequent response? ‘I don’t know.’ Combined, these two responses represented the majority (57%) of Americans surveyed” (Esposito 2007: 1). However, John Esposito and Dalia Mogahed’s research findings show that “Muslims around the world say that the one thing the West can do to improve relations with their societies is to moderate their views toward Muslims and respect Islam” (2007: xiii). The question of how Christians are to understand the current theological struggle within Islam is of great value in order to properly engage their Muslim neighbor with the gospel.

There are many noted Western Islamic scholars who have tried to explain the apparent tension between two extremes. Khaled Abou El Fadl uses the terminology of puritans which he admits has been substituted by other authors as fundamentalists, militants, extremists, radicals, and simply Islamists. Fadl uses the term puritan because “the distinguishing characteristic of this group is the absolutist and uncompromising nature of its beliefs…in the sense that it is intolerant of competing points of view and considers pluralist realities to be a form of contamination of the unadulterated truth” (2005: 18). The importance of terminology is crucial as sterotypes and lies are often used through terminology. The truth remains; there are Puritan Muslims in America who are terrorist, while there are Muslims who are not terrorist.

Islam in America: Intellectual Islam

2011-05-16T00:50:00.000-07:00

A new term has risen over the last two decades which favors Muslims coming out of secular or modern countries, the ‘Muslim intellectual.’ As Esposito and Voll speak of the Muslim intellectual:

Their ideas provide the foundations for many of the programs of Islamic movements throughout the world. Even for those who disagree with them and dispute their claims, these activists thinkers have shaped the conceptual world and set the terms of most debates in the Muslim world. These people, their organizations, and their modes of thinking have been part of the heart of what has come to be called the Islamic resurgence of the end of the twentieth century. (2001: 3)

The authors explain the characteristics of Muslim intellectuals as upholding Western ideals. The contemporary Muslims the authors try to articulate are based upon the resurgence of Islam, especially in non-Islamic and Western countries. Simply put, the Muslim intellectual is someone who responds and appeals to the modern and Western world. There are three key Muslim intellectuals who have laid the foundation for Islamic thought in the States.

The first Muslim intellectual is Seyyed Hossein Nasr. Nasr’s obvious displeasure with modern man is that he has wandered into dangerous territory and in some sense lost the awareness and means for appropriation of the sacred. He speaks often against the evils of modernity which he recognizes as rationalism, evolutionism, humanism, secularism, materialism, and imperialism. Nasr understands his intended audience as both Westerners and Muslims who have come under the sway of the modern West. Nasr admits that his plea for the return of tradition is targeted primarily for:

…young Muslims who are the products of modern educational systems that he is concerned. More specifically, in some of his writings his interest is to help explain little known aspects of Shi’ite intellectual life…counter the perception, most evident in Western scholarship that Islam fell into decadence after the Mongol invasion. He calls it a dangerous illusion that modern Muslims are somehow separated from their tradition by an intellectual vacuum. (Jane Smith 1991: 80, 81)

According to Nasr Muslims have failed to critique what is wrong with the West. Muslims have mistakenly adapted their religion to the modern world. The cost of not living within a community that does not carry ongoing tradition is the failure to carry out the mission of Islam.

The second Muslim intellectual who has greatly influenced American Islam is Ismail Al-Faruqi. John Esposito explains Faruqi as a ‘Muslim scholar-activist.’ Faruqi addressed issues of identity, authenticity, acculturation, and Western political and cultural imperialism, which are still significant to the Muslim community today, even though he died in 1986 (John Esposito 1991: 65). Early in his career he emphasized the centrality of Arabism to Islamic history and civilization. Faruqi explained, “If Arabism is the spirit and best expression of Islamic values in a human community, then the pieces that do not seem to fit, such as non-Arab Muslims and non-Muslim Arabs, are to be understood as unconscious and uncultivated expressions of Arabism” (Ibid: 67). The importance of Arabism is not necessarily in culture or religion but in personality. Later he would emphasize the importance of Islamic culture and identity as he put his energy into Christian and Muslim relations. Al-faruqi’s presentations of Islam combined Islamic beliefs and values with Western philosophical/ religious issues and language. Esposito makes the point that some might point this to his Western education; however Esposito explains it is more probable to credit it to his desire to present Islam as the only viable response to modern issues that, in his estimation, Western culture had failed to address adequately (Ibid: 74). Faruqi believed the weakness of American Muslims was the fact that they abandoned “ijtihad, which is the source of creativity in Islam, the opposition of revelation and reason, the separation of thought and action, and cultural and religious dualism” (Ibid: 77). In this sense Fauqi is different than Nasr for he believed Islam combined faith and practice and that thought and intention must issue in action informed a life in which scholarship and activism were intertwined.

The third notable Muslim Intellectual to observe is Fazlur Rahman. Rahman was born in India, studied at Oxford, and eventually taught at the University of California and Chicago. At the University of Chicago he arguably became the leading Muslim modernist scholar of his generation. Over his career Rahman greatly influenced the Islamic and Western intellectual heritage “namely, the Qur’an and Sunna, on the one side, and philosophy on the other” (Frederick Penny 1991: 105). Frederick Mathewson Denny concludes Rahman’s legacy by saying:

Rahman considered the infinitely inventive human intellect to be, apart from the Revelation itself, the main “sign”…of God’s benevolent and just purposes in the created realm. The Quran certainly is the fundamental authority and its commands must be obeyed; but without the believers’ intellectual exertion (itjihad) to comprehend and apply it within the often confusing and contradictory circumstances of historical process, it will languish as a prisoner of dead tradition instead of being permitted to shed its full illumination and regenerating power in the Umma and the world. (Haddad 1991: 105)

The impact of Rahman on American Islam has greatly changed the perspective of many people of religion. Before people like Rahman the majority of Americans saw Islam as either a black or Arab religion filled with religious mysticism and fervor. However Rahman paved the way for people to no longer see a disconnect between Western intellectualism and Islam.

Secular Muslim Youth?

2011-04-23T02:58:00.000-07:00

The following are some findings from my personal research. Obviously the research was limited. It took place among Muslim youth at a specific mosque in Mombasa, Kenya. However, I would not be surprised if the findings were true of most Muslim youth in majority world countries. Then I cannot help but wonder if Christian youth are responding any differently than the Muslim youth. The tides of secularism are strong.
The greater Islamic world is seeking to assert its own religious and cultural identity. Despite the reality of globalization and apparent influence of secularism, Muslim youth desire to live in the modern world, but without simply imitating blindly the ways in the West. They verbally recognize that the Western and secular ideologies do not coexist with Islam. However, the lives of Muslim youth are consumed by the continual tides of secularism. Arguably the greatest tide of secularism is observed in how the youth consume media outlets which funnel secular values. According to the definition given in this research for secularism ( counter worldview found in modern society which diminishes or changes the intended role of religion), the following are notable effects of secularism:

1. The Muslim youth who attend Konzi Mosque believe that cultural and religious traditions are in opposition to the youth’s welfare. The youth believe that Islam and culture cannot be separated. Tradition and religion is in opposition to their relationships and enjoyment.

2. The youth believe that Western influence is negative and inevitably tries to force their agenda upon them. In the youth’s mind there is little he or she can do to escape the negative effects of the West.

3. In light of the unmovable force of westernization, the youth believe that they imitate what they see and hear in order to enjoy life and relate with other youth. The primary way they imitate is through dress; however, their rhetoric and interaction with the opposite sex is also influenced.

4. Despite what they see and imitate, the Muslim youth believe in God’s mercy on that Day of Judgment. There is a considerable amount of uncertainty as to what will be considered a right or wrong act. The Muslim youth will be judged according to what he or she has discovered to be true.

5. The youth believe that their society and families have become less communal and more individualistic. This shift offers negative elements; however, it offers numerous positive aspects which can help the society.

6. The Muslim youth understand the lack of knowledge to be their greatest detriment to their personal wellbeing and religion. The youth desire to know more about Islam, the West and the world around them.

7. The consensus among Muslim youth is that truth is determined by experience. In this sense truth is relative, which means the Muslim youth believes he or she cannot judge another person’s understanding of truth.

8. The Muslim youth who attend Konzi Mosque believe all religions should be respected. The Muslim should listen to other religious adherents. The Muslim youth’s religion is correct because they have experienced it to be true. Still, other religions might be correct if their followers are true to their experiences.

Islam and the West

2011-04-22T03:08:00.000-07:00

Here are some reasons why people convert to Islam in the West. The information comes from Larry Poston, Islamic Da`wah in the West: Muslim Missionary Activity and the Dynamics of Conversion to Islam, published in 1992.

I will try to find some more recent data, as I would assume 9/11 has influenced the Western perception of Islam.

Factor why people convert to Islam in the West.

1. Dissatisfaction with a previous religion or ideology

2. Disillusionment with Western Society

3. Conversion through marriage

4. Personal contact with Muslims

5. The Qur’an

6. A complete philosophy of life

7. Simplicity and rationality

8. Moral and ethical standards

9. Disgust with Racism

10. Special appeal to women

11. Sufism (the spiritual movement of Islam)

12. Community verses individualism

13. Supernatural phenomena

14. Emotional experience

The author, Larry Poston, concludes by saying, "Conversions to Islam…differ significantly from conversions to Christianity in that they appear to be ‘conversions of the head’ (i.e. intellectual) rather than ‘conversion of the heart’ (i.e. emotional). Remorse for sin and fear of judgment do not seem to have been important factors."

I am not sure his conclusion is true of his findings. Either way it's some food for thought as Islam will supposedly be the second largest religion in the United States in the next twenty years.

Poston goes on to give several challenges facing Islamic da'wah / mission in the West

1. Nominalism and assimilation

2. The impression of being a foreign religion

3. The image of Islam in other countries

4. The strictness of Islam: an asset or a liability?

5. The representation of Muslims in the wider community

6. Influence over the democratic processes

7. How well can Islam engage with the modern world?

8. Can Islam provide viable economic and political answers?

Despite the challenges Poston believes Islam still maintains several appealing factors.

The appeal of Islam

1. Liberation from oppressive foreign rule

2. Improvement in social or economic status

3. Success

4. Supernatural power

5. Tolerant spirit

6. Closeness to the Christian faith

7. Cultural accommodation

8. Simplicity and rationality

9. Moral superiority

10. Culture and civilization

Poston's findings are almost twenty years out of date, but through my experience, i have to wonder if they are outdated.

New look Africa!

2011-03-07T01:10:00.000-08:00

The 4th of March 2011 marked a historical day for Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology as it received the highest academic recognition in Kenya. The school changed its name from NEGST to African International University . The president and vice president of the Republic of Kenya along with an entourage of dignitaries visited the campus and signed the charter. The highlight of the event was the fact that I got to sing in a choir for the president. I have never sung in a choir but I figure I will start by singing for presidents and work my way down. Ok the truth was the choir master was really desperate for singers, but nevertheless singing for the president has given me confidence to sing louder in the shower  Below I have posted some of the pictures from the day of celebration.

The Bible, Marriage, and Color.

2011-03-07T00:40:00.000-08:00

The opposition to interracial marriage goes beyond personal opinion. There are numerous Christians who believe God does not intend or desire interracial marriage. These Christians do not come from minority denomination but remain Bible believing Evangelical Christians. They believe God created and loves all races, but He does not honor the mixing of these races. After all God set the bounds of these races and their inhabitants seen in scripture. “When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of man He set the boundaries of the peoples…” (Deut. 32:8). Plus, the origin of races comes from God’s desire to separate the people at the Tower of Babel. In the New Testament they refer to Acts 17:26, “He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.” These and other verses point to the fact that God has made man distinctly different. These Christians believe God never intended the human race to become a mixed mongrel race. God separated mankind at the Tower of Babel, not to return to each other but to fellowship within themselves. This paper will address five reasons interracial marriage should not only be accepted but encouraged in the Christian community.

First, all people and races are made in the image of God. The Bible says that the human race came from one pair, Adam and Eve, who were created in the image of God unlike the animals; this image is passed on to the human race. Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Again in Genesis 5:1-3, “When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them.” The theologian Wayne Grudem says “the fact that man is in the image of God means that man is like God and represents God” (442). This image barring has been past down from generation to generation.

In the book of Acts Paul makes a defining statement, “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth” (17:26). This means that Adam, who was created in the image of God, is the father of all ethnic groups. As John Piper posits “all of them (humans) are dignified above the animals in this absolutely unique and glorious way: humans are created in the image of God” (Piper, Racial Harmony). The implications mean that all men must be treated with dignity and respect that is due to God’s image-bearer. It means that people of every race deserve equal dignity and rights.

Second, the Bible forbids intermarriage between unbeliever and believer, but not between races. 1 Corinthians 7:39 says, “A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. Whom she wishes, only in the Lord.” The one biblical restriction on the couple is that they must be “in the Lord.” To say it differently, the partner must be a believer in Jesus. The same warnings were given in the Old Testament about marrying those among the pagan nations. The point was never to protect racial purity but to protect religious purity. Deuteronomy 7:3-4 is one example, “You shall not intermarry with [the nations]; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you. As John Piper concludes, “the issue is not color mixing, or customs mixing, or clan identity. The issue is: will there be one common allegiance to the true God in this marriage or will there be divided affections?” (Piper, Racial Harmony). As 2 Corinthians 6:14 clearly states the Bible prohibits marriage between a believer and non-believer. This is what would be expected if our identity is not found in our ethnic race but our reflection of God’s image.

The third biblical consideration towards understanding interracial marriage is the fact that our oneness in Christ transforms and reconciles our social differences. The transformation changes what would be the barriers to blessings. Colossians 3:9-1 says, “You have put off the old self with its practices have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.” The point here is not to say all ethnic races will get along. The truth is that within Christ’s image people can share intimate relationship with people of other ethnic backgrounds. The final image in heaven is that of “every tribe and language and people and nation” worshiping God (Revelation 7:9). God values and honors the differences because they reflect his glory.

The fourth point for understanding Christian interracial marriage is the fact that God created human marriage after the pattern of Christ’s relation to the church. As Geoffrey Bromiley has written, “As God made man in his own image, so he made marriage in the image of his own eternal marriage with his people” (43). In Ephesians 5:28 it says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” If the metaphor is taken seriously and literally one can look at Christ interaction with the church and see similar parallels to the blessings found in marriage. There is no disagreement over the fact that God desires for the church to be comprised of diverse ethnicities. The great commission was in a sense a call to unite the nations or ethnic groups through the gospel (Matt. 28:19-20). Paul makes his point emphatic to the Romans. The church and the gospel message is not for one people group but for all, “to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16, 17). God’s desire to see all the nations come together as the one universal church will one day be seen. John in the book of Revelations says, “…behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation all tribes and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the lamb…” (7:9). The imagery of the church is anything but separated from the races. The literal reading of scripture points to God’s desire for all the nations to be united through the gospel, established in the church. How literal the church and the bride relate to physical marriage is debated. Nevertheless Scripture is clear that the union of differing races is not frowned upon by God but actually favored.

The fifth and final point in understanding how God views interracial marriage is seen how God severely disciplined people who criticized interracial marriage. In the book of Numbers Moses, a Jew apparently married a black African, which was approved by God. Numbers 12:1 says, “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite women whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.” Roy Gane gives three possible explanations to the meaning of a “Cushite women” (1) Zippora is of mixed Midianite-African ancestry. (2) “Cush” in this context is a place in Midianite territory (cf. “Cushan” in Hab. 3:7). (3) Miriam and Aaron make an ethnic slur by liking Zipporah’s darker skin to that of an African (590). The third option seems to be best supported by Scripture. For example, Jeremiah 13:23 says, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil.” J. Daniel Hays, From Every People and Nation: A Biblical Theology of Race, also confirms this point when he says that Cush “is used regularly to refer to the area south of Egypt, and above the cataracts on the Nile, where a Black African civilization flourished for over two thousand years. Thus it is quite clear that Moses marries a Black African woman.” (71). Therefore the evidence seems to be clear that Moses married a woman who was of a different race than himself.

The significance of this story is that God does not get angry with Moses for marrying a woman of dark skin, but he gets angry at Miriam for criticizing Moses. The criticism has to do with Moses’ authority and marriage. The more explicit statement relates to his marriage, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite women whom had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. The crazy part of the story is God getting angry at Moses’ sister, Miriam, and placing a “curse” upon her. “When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow” (Numbers 12:10). God never says a critical word to Moses for marrying a black woman, but rather speaks against those who rebuke Moses. If there was a time for God to rebuke interracial marriage it would have been at this time. Moses was Israel’s leader and prophet, someone Israel looked up to and followed, surely God would have corrected Moses if he had made a mistake.

Ten Misconceptions about Christianity

2011-01-19T00:53:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been reading a lot about Islam, after all that is what I am studying at NEGST. I have noticed how Muslims, especially after 9/11, like to talk about misconceptions about Islam. I must admit there are numerous misunderstandings about Islam; however I cannot help but think about the numerous misunderstandings Muslims and Christians have about Christianity. Therefore I have compiled a list of the most common misconceptions about Christianity, just some food for thought.

1. Salvation is based on saying a prayer
2. Church takes place on Sunday mornings
3. Christians are good people
4. The apostle Paul was the founder of Christianity
5. You can shame God or even bless Him
6. God will bless you if you bless Him
7. Catholics are not Christians
8. Christians are the only ones who have truth
9. The Holy Spirit’s job is to give you a gift
10. Trinity means there are three God’s that function as one.

Why are you a Christian?

2011-01-04T22:16:00.000-08:00

Recently I have been pondering why people are Christians. I believe this query has arisen because of my stay in Kenya. Spending a day evangelizing one soon finds out people have numerous reasons why they are “Christian.” The result of my question has resulted in ten popular reasons people say they are Christians. This is the word on the street.

1. I was born a Christian

2. I am a good person

3. My parents/relatives are Christians

4. I have been chosen by God

5. My tribe is Christian

6. The majority are Christians

7. I have chosen to follow Christ

8. Religion is good for a society

9. I had to choose a religion

10. I believe in one God

So what about you? Why are you a Christian?

'African' man's best friend.

2010-12-22T00:26:00.000-08:00

That kind of girl!

2010-09-27T23:02:00.000-07:00

I want to tell you of a girl that’s in my life (yeah that’s what I thought :-). There are pretty much two reasons I want to inform you of Damaris. First, I like her and think she’s a solid Proverbs 31 woman (she fears God foremost). Second, I’m telling you so you can lift us up in prayer. I must admit it’s not always easy being away from family and friends. One of the disadvantages is that those people who are close can’t encourage or rebuke you, at least as much. So this is my attempt to bring the relational distance closer.

Whoever is reading this, I want you to be a part of my life. I do not know exactly what that looks like, but I want to be open and real before God. So I want to tell you to pray and ask God how you might encourage us.

Now you are probably wanting to know the who, what, when, where, why. I’ll just share briefly, but if you want more info just ask. We met at school where we both study Intercultural Studies with an emphasis in Islam. We’ve known each other for over a year now and have been dating (according to American standards) for 7 months (we are still not dating according to Kenyan standards haha). She’s a 25 year old Kenya, and comes from a family of 7. Her full name is Damaris Womboi Matindi, she comes from the largest tribe in Kenya called Kikuyu. What’s important is that she loves God and desire to be more like Him. Like I said if you want more info just ask.

The beginings!

2010-08-26T03:33:00.000-07:00

After breaking bread Benedict gave us some spiritual food. We sang some songs and interceded for the neighborhood. It's an exciting time as Benedict and I look to continue to reach out in the neighborhood.

Will the real Jacob please stand up?

2010-08-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

Genesis 32:30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

Genesis 35:11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body.”

The picture is of Benedict (the team leader), Jacob, and me outside of the church. Pray for Jacob as he starts his new life in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). I am sure he will face difficulties as both of his parents are not Christians.

Milk to meat....mmh!

2010-08-26T02:28:00.001-07:00

Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

The picture directly below is of Fred and me. The other picture is of Chaka and me. The two are roommates and encourage each other in their walk with the Lord. Both of them have encouraged Benedict and me as we have started ministering in Mombasa. Please continue to pray for Fred as he continues to mature in Christ.

As you can see in the other picture, we also had some fun in the sand. I am surprised by how few Kenyans living in Mombasa know how to swim. I have taught at least five Kenyans how to swim; I won’t tell you how many have drowned.

Can you answer a Muslim Iman?

2010-04-16T02:27:00.000-07:00

So are you scared of debating Muslim Imans? Forget the Imans, are you intimidated to talk to Muslims? Last week I spent in Mombasa where I had the of privilege debating and talking to some Muslim Imans. I thought I would share three questions they posed to see what kind of apologist you are.

1. The first question comes from a Muslim Iman responding to the fact that Muslims will receive 72 virgins in paradise. As the excited Iman explained, Christians will receive 100 wives in heaven, not just 72. You might be wondering where in scripture it says that! As he explained, in Matthew 19:29 its quite clear, "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or wives or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life." So will Christians receive 100 wives in heaven???

2. The logic of the second question flows as such, if Jesus is God's son or the fact that God has a son, was God married? Also, if there are such family relationships in the 'divine family' doesn't it make sense that Jesus could have been married....can Mary Magdalene please stand up? So doesn't God need a wife to have son???

3. The third question runs. Christians say Jesus is fully God, then they say Jesus died and was buried for three days. Doesn't that make God dead for three days??? Also how can God die, I thought he was omnipotent? Maybe Friedrich Nietzsche was right 'God is dead' ???

So lets see if you can stand the test of the apologist and come up with answers to these 'difficult' questions.

The legacy of Tokunboh Adeyemo.

2010-03-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

(((This past week theologian Tokunboh Adeyemo went to be with the Lord. Few Christians in the West will recognize his name; however in Africa he's remained one of the most cherished evangelical theologians and Christian ambassadors in Africa. I became familiar with his theological contributions while studying global theology at Moody. While at Moody I wrote a paper on Adeyemo and his contribution to East Africa Theology (I have attached the paper below). He's one of main reasons I decided to study here in Kenya. In fact he was a chancellor here at NEGST and will be greatly missed by the community. If you are interested in remembering a faithful servant of the Lord and more about East African Theology you might want to find time to read the paper. Shalom!)))

The continent of Africa continues to grow into what some missiologist have called the new “face of Christianity.” This is why in September 1994, representatives of the Protestant church gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, for the Second Pan Africa Christian Leadership Assembly. At this historic meeting, Christian leaders identified the primary weakness of the church in Africa as deficient knowledge of the Bible and faulty application of its teaching. The theologians present at the meeting believed the “Bible needed to be interpreted and explained to the people in familiar language, using colloquial metaphors, African thought-forms and nuances, and practical applications that fitted the African context” (Adeyemo 9). The conclusion the African theologians came to resulted in the first African commentary written and printed in Africa to meet the specific needs of African pastors and lay leaders. At the center of the Africa Bible Commentary are the African Scholar and the general editor of the Tokunboh Adeyemo.

The native Nigerian, Tokunboh Adeyemo continues to be one of the leading evangelical Christian figures in Africa. Adeyemo served for twenty five years as the General Secretary of Association of Evangelicals in Africa before becoming the Executive Director of the Centre for Biblical Transformation located in Nairobi, Kenya. His keen understanding of biblical absolutes and passion for the unreached of Africa has made him a distinguished figure in Africa. He truly believes the Bible and theology is not dead but affectively moving among the African people. Adeyemo leads by example making sure his theology is not only studied but lived throughout his life. Tokunboh Adeyemo believes that for any Christian theology to be relevant and lived out in East Africa; account must be taken of the African worldview and self-understanding of the African people.

Before one can fully understand or analyze Adeyem’s theology, they must look at his past influences. Tokunboh was born into a royal Muslim family in Western Nigeria. He was the second child but first son of eight children. The tradition among the village called for the oldest son to be the chief of his tribe, therefore he was educated in the best institution in the country. He enjoyed politics as a young man and became the secretary leader of a political party. He continued to be a faithful Muslim reciting his religious prayers and faithfully participating in Ramadan by fasting for thirty days. According to his testimony, “people looked at him and saw a young man with a promising future, but Tokunboh felt an ache inside, an emptiness he could not fill” (Carden).

In his early twenties Tokunboh began to ask questions of life’s meaning and where people went after death. His search for true meaning in life soon became his sole passion. It was not until “he witnessed people with few material possession worshiping God with joy and fever, he was impressed. He decided to find out the reason for their joy” (Carden). The young man went back to the same church to find out if their passion and zeal for Christ was sincere, he was surprised to find out they were even more zealous for God the following night. As Francis Manana, professor at Pan African Christian College, says “after years of searching and depression, he was converted in 1966 in a small independent church in Ibadan when Rev. E. White, a South African missionary, clearly presented the Gospel” (Manana). The pastor spoke on John 10:10, explaining that Christ came not to introduce another religion, but a relationship. As Adeyemo shares “as the man concluded, I decided to follow Yeshua, the giver of life” (Carden). There are several aspects of Adeyemo’s testimony which shaped his understanding of God and how he would do theology. One brief example is when he speaks of Christians worshiping without external motives, or the fact that he refers to Yeshua as the “giver of life.” This shows how his upbringing as an African has shaped his future theology. Understanding his past influences is important, especially when analyzing how he relates to African theological method.

African evangelicals define themselves as Bible-believing Christians and identify themselves with those who have come to a personal dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Evangelicals in general believe doing theology is not a matter of cold academic debate, but a reflection upon God’s revelatory words, specifically through Christ work bring forth application to the saints for the work of ministry. Adeyemo sees African evangelical theology in the same light. “As Africans, we share the historical past of our people, cherish our cultural heritage, identify with our present struggles and aspirations and, under God, are determined to bring God’s righteousness and justice to bear on all forms of life as our future is shaped” (Adeyemo “Towards an..” 147). Adeyemo admits evangelical Africans are strongly committed to the Holy Scriptures, Lordship of Christ, supremacy of the Holy Spirit, spiritual discipline, the Christian community, and world evangelization. Adeyemo believes “African history and cultural complexity have a lot in common with the Bible world, a fact which makes theological bridges easier for us to construct” (148). The challenge Adeyemo believes is the actual disciplining oneself to do and live the theology.

The majority of Adeyemo’s theological works deal with the African worldview. He believes the African’s worldview is central to understanding how Africans relate to God and do theology. Possibly the greatest perception the African mind locates his theology is in the field of cosmology. Uchendu, an African theologian, writing of the Igbo people of eastern Nigeria explains, “the Igbo world, in all its aspects is made intelligible to Igbo by their cosmology which explains how everything came into being” (Towards an Evangelical African Theology 151). Africans often regard the cosmos to be religious. The natural phenomena and objects are intimately associated with God as their Creator. They not only originate from God but also bear witness to God. For example, the Akamba of Kenya in East Africa consider the heaven and the earth to be the “Father’s equal-sized bowls: they are His property both by creation and the rights of worship, and they contain His belongings” (Besancon139). The perception through natural phenomena is significant for the African’s understanding of God and their interaction with God, although revelation through nature needs augmentation.

There are several other perceptions Africans make which impact their theological method. One significant aspect of their theology is their perceptions through experience. Adeyemo tells a story of a people in a traditional town in southwestern Nigeria. He explains “tradition teaches that Ifa oracle, which led these people to their new location, also predicted the coming of the white people whose teaching was to be permitted” (Besancon 143). The experience of the Egba (tribal people) in their settlement from a distant land and their subsequent victories was of religious significance. The victories over their enemies were attributed to God’s help. Similar experiences supposedly paved the way for later massive conversions to Christianity. The affects and influences of the past into the future through experiences continues to impact African’s theological thinking.

Another influential perception of African thinking is the perception through oral tradition and history. The Masai of Kenya in East Africa serve as a good example of their perception of oral traditions. The Masai are known for taking their neighbor’s cattle with impunity. The reason is explained by Adeyemo, “according to their oral traditions, they were made to believe that God gave the first cattle to the first Masai in the beginning. This perspective has been perpetuated so that even today Masai feel all the cattle in the world belong to them and they can take any freely” (Besancon 141). There are several other perceptions Adeyemo believes Africans view and relate to God, including the perceptions of cultural diffusion, rational intuition, providence and preservation. These perceptions characterize the method of their theology. The way they perceive the world is how they interact within it and consequently do theology.

Equally important to how Africans perceive and do theology is understanding what the African values in their culture. Often our worldview is derived from our cultural values. If a person desires to properly confront an issue which causes change, they must begin to recognize what the other person values within their culture. Adeyemo makes this point clear when he says, “in order to understand any epistemological consideration in which the doctrine of direct or special revelation cannot be attested what people think of the world around them becomes crucially important” (Besancon 128). He goes on to say in the book, The Global God, “down through the ages cosmology has served not only as an explanatory device and a guide to conduct, but also as an action system” (128). This is why understanding the African’s perception and theological method is extremely important to know what they value.

First, there must be an understanding of how the African values the world of humanity. Central to the thinking of traditional Africa is the visible world. The world is made of tangible being and things, both animate and inanimate. Almost every traditional African social unit is made up of villages, which contain families ruled by a “head man.” These “head men” are sometimes classified as chiefs and if the social unit is broad enough they might be classified as kings. As Adeyemo explains “The basic motivation for societal existence is the preservation of life. With adaption to the environment, self-conscious pursuit of development, and expansion in the quality of life as the most urgent survival requirements, one finds human efforts invested in the direction of obtaining food, shelter, and clothing” (Besancon129). The world of humanity puts the African center of the environmental stimuli. The African theologian Mbiti came to the same conclusion when he observed numerous East African tribes:

"Africans have their own ontology which is an extremely anthropocentric ontology in the sense that everything is seen in terms of its relation to man…Man is the center of this ontology; the animals, plants, and natural phenomena and objects constitute the environment in which man lives, provides a means of existence and, if need be, man establishes a mystical relationship with them" (20).

The world of humanity is constantly threatening the social order among the community. Natural disasters, famine, epidemic diseases, and other antisocial forces continue to upset the community. Warning off these social and cosmic evils becomes the center focus of African religious activity.

The visible world to the African is not alone; it is enveloped in the invisible spiritual world. The invisible world is the second emphasis and value Adeyemo represents in the African worldview. Adeyemo explains that “constant natural disasters and social calamities such as sickness, plagues, famines, and large-scale mortality, especially of infants, impress upon him the existence of forces regarded fatalistically as beyond his control. From the shaky and tenuous existence within the context of nature emerges the overriding feeling of awe, respect, wonder, fear, and worship of such objects…” (Besancon 130). Thus, through the visible forces of natural phenomena, appeals are made to the invisible powers. Similar to the visible world the invisible world maintains a hierarchal structure. The order of traditional invisible powers starts with the spirit-charged entities including the earth, rivers, mountains trees etc. Next within the cosmic hierarchy are the dead ancestors who are thought to mediate between the gods and humanity. Then there are the divinities, which are recognized as accepting the people’s sacrifices and worship. Finally, there is a supreme being who is addressed as the creator of all things.

The impact of these African traditions and cultural thoughts are significant on Christian theology in East Africa, especially in the light of the current difficulties in the region. There are two problems Adeyemo believes continues to hinder the viability of evangelical theology in Africa. The first is the affect of poverty within the community. Adeyemo believes “poverty is the most pressing of all of Africa’s many problems” (Belshaw 33). It is a staggering fact that one in three African’s do not receive enough food during the day. Adeyemo communicates the sad fact that when patients are sick they “are afraid to go to public hospitals because in many cases it is a fast way to the grave.” (Belshaw 33). The affect poverty has on the community is endless, which has greatly shaped African thought.

The second problem Adeyemo sees corrupting and damaging the form of evangelical theology is the corruption of politics. In an interview, Dr. Adeyemo was quick to point out the political corruption in East Africa.

"Since political independence, which most African nations attained in the 1960s, Africa has had 56 successful military coups. Many brilliant African minds, such as Patrick Lumumba (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Tom Mboya (Kenya), have been killed in politically motivated assassinations under mysterious circumstances…In economic and political terms, these problems have meant uncontrollable inflation, instability, economic stagnation, constant currency devaluation, and collapse of services, among other things” (Belshaw 34).

Failed politics and politicians in Africa have greatly damaged the lives of the African people. In 1978, the country of Kenya decided they needed to resolve some of these issues and called for a leadership conference to consider the topic “The Kenya We Want.” After a week of debate the attendees decided Kenya’s problem was the ineffective leadership within the society.

The two African problems Adeyemo addresses which he believes are hindering proper theology can be seen in the absence of qualified leaders. Adeyemo says the problem can be “summarized in one word: leadership, inept leadership, corrupt leadership, selfish leadership” (Brand). The problem of leadership, which has affected poverty and politics, has impacted the form theology has taken in Africa. The view of God is often seen as provider and source of life. When God provides the poverty stricken family with food God is called out as the faithful provider. This might be why the young Adeyomo expressed God as the “giver of life” when he came to Christ over forty years ago (Carden). Then the issue of corrupt politics has influenced the African people to view God as the faithful leader or chief of their tribe. Diane Stinton, Jesus of Africa, confirms this point when she says, “observation in a wide variety of churches exposed numerous references to Jesus as king in songs, prayers, liturgy, and preaching” (180). Jesus can not only be viewed as a chief but as a liberator of his people from all social ills.

The problem of poverty and corrupt politics is addressed by how Adeyemo views man’s interaction with God. Adeyemo believes Africa is not the first country to face these problems. Adeyemo confronts the problem by saying “I am convinced that Western civilization, open systems of government, free economies, a number of scientific inventions, and global exploration was inspired and great influenced by a knowledge of the Bible and the right application of its principles” (37). The story of Joseph moving from prison to palace, rags to riches, without abusing power or misusing his office supposedly gives an example how Africans can faithfully serve God. After all does not Psalm 33:12 say “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Even Proverbs 14:34 says “Righteousness exalts a nation…” Adeyemo is convinced of his own theology that Africa can experience revival if they live out their Christian lives.

The theology of Tokunboh Adeyemo has been characterized by recognizing the values of the society and then confronting the fallacies. Critiques have accused him of being too involved with politics and the AIDS epidemics of Eastern Africa, but he has continued to understand the meaning of the African life while confronting the issues. He truly believes Christian theology in East Africa can be understood and then confronted properly once the African worldview is recognized and engaged. His theology is based on conviction of the Word of God as the sole authority of life. The biblical theology he lives by draws him to be a continual voice of the African Christian community.

Childlike faith!

2010-03-12T04:55:00.000-08:00

One of my great joys of being in Kenya is witnessing some of the up and coming ministers of the gospel. I believe my brother Chris (pictured below) is one of the most gifted ministers of the gospel I have met in Kenya. I met him at the church I attend and learned about his ministry. He’s only twenty five but God’s using him quite a bit to reach children in Kenya. The ministry he’s a part of is hoping to share the gospel with 5,000 kids this year. He often partners with churches and schools in order to get the Word out. The pictures below show his group of ministers witnessing to youth in Kibera. I hope you are blessed!

The real emoticons!

2010-03-10T01:59:00.000-08:00

There's some things that don't change cross-culturally, I am thinking women not wanting their pictures taken....ah is one of those things. I call this picture the 'evil eye'!

These are African Zacchaeus' ...i'm not sure what that makes me.

This is Damarias showing off her grill, i just found out her name is in the Bible (Acts 17:34)...crazy i thought i was a Bible student!

My teammate Andrew (A.K.A. Adu) with the basketball trophy we won. Don't worry he's actually joyful kid.

Who we are!

2010-02-09T00:31:00.000-08:00

Nelly Kiberenge
Testimony: Nelly was taken to church every Sunday by her parents. In 2005 she felt her religious life was missing something. The God she claimed to follow seemed distant and not personal. She decided to join Calvary Chapel Bible college in Nairobi where she seen fell in love with her Savior. She soon found out that salvation, the greatest gift God had given her, was not based on her works, but on His grace.

Personal: Nelly is 28 years old and from the Luo tribe in Western Kenya. In Bible school Nelly was the only women. She believes because of cultural reasons it’s often difficult for Kenyan women to understand their identity in the body of Christ. This conviction has given her a greater desire to mentor and disciple women in the Christian faith.

Benidictor Emoli Amai
Testimony: Benidict grew up as a Christian, at least by name. It wasn’t until 1998 that Benedict began to understand the meaning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He describes himself today as still soaking up the Word and in need of His savior’s grace.

Personal: Benedict is 30 years old and from the Luo tribe and grew up in Western Kenya. He is married to Melcint and has a one son named Joshua. When Benedict first came to Christ he believed he was being called as a foreign missionary, but he soon realized he must first start in “Jerusalem” his own country, specifically along the coast, where few of his fellow countrymen were sharing the gospel.

Melcint Emol Awai
Testimony: Melcint was raised in a Roman Catholic family. It wasn’t until she was in a Christian Bible study that she finally understood that salvation was sole through Jesus Christ. The same year she found salvation through Christ (2003) she also met her husband Benidictor.

Personal: Melcint has been married to Benedict for nearly four years and has a three year old son Joshua. She is also from the Luo tribe in Western Kenya. As she has spent time in Mombasa she realizes there are great opportunities to reach women for Christ.

Aaron Michael Strohbach
Testimony: Aaron was brought up by Christian parents. It wasn’t until Aaron was sixteen that he started seriously reading the Word of God. At sixteen years of age Aaron remembers reading Philippians chapter 2 where Paul talks about Christ humbling himself and ultimately dying for him.

Personal: Aaron is 24 years old and claims to be from the tribe of Levi (the priestly tribe, lol). He desires to share Christ with “the religiously passionate but confused.” He believes there are numerous people who are ready to be brought into right worship before YHWH, but do not understand what true worship entails.

Bernard Ngatia Maina
Testimony: Bernard was brought up in a Christian family. He originally believed his parents salvation automatically meant he was saved. However in 1995 he realized salvation wasn’t something someone inherited so he decided he wanted to make a personal decision to follow Christ. He believes God is a might God renewing, providing, and sanctifying him every day.

Personal: Bernard is 27 years old Kikuyu hailing from the central province of Kenya. He sees a need in Kenya for Christians to preach Word and not the “prosperity gospel,” which is so prevalent in Kenya. He has a passion to teach and train children the Word of God. He also claims to be “single and ready to mingle.”

Kenyan Basketball!

2010-02-08T22:45:00.001-08:00

One of the ministries the Lord has brought into my life is playing on a local basketball team. It has been an answer to prayer and blessing to be involved with a group of guys off campus and my own age. The majority of the players are Christians; however two of the team members claim to be atheist while two are Muslims. I have had some good conversations with the Muslims and atheists. It's uncommon for Kenyans to be atheist, Africans are usually known as very religious, I believe the "atheist movement" in Kenya is sadly a sign of western influence. Please pray for Ramadan, Kevin, and Humphrey when you get a chance. I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Signs of the times!

2010-01-22T04:55:00.000-08:00

Apparently accenture is finding their Tiger Woods adds very relevant these days in the London airport.

Apparently someone suffocated on one of these waste bags I found on the plan.

People in London must have different meaning for "polite," or maybe Americans just aren't as polite.

Christ became poor! Reading for Advent

2009-12-24T09:01:00.000-08:00

As I ponder this Christmas season I can’t help but reflect the beauty and mystery of the incarnation of Christ. This advent season I have been reading “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”, a compilation of twenty two writings by church fathers and modern theologians. I was surprised to find J.I. Packer’s writing similar to the thoughts I was having during this special season. I believe Packer states the splendor of Christ quite well.

“The Word became flesh”; God became man; the divine Son became a Jew; the Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, unable to do more than lie and stare and wriggle and make noises. Needing to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child. And there was no illusion or deception in this; the babyhood of the Son of God was a reality. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as is this truth of the incarnation.

The key text in the NT for interpreting the incarnation is not, therefore, the bare statement in John 1:14, but rather the more comprehensive statement of 2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” Packer unloads the verse nicely;

Here is stated, not the fact of the incarnation only, but also its meaning; the taking of manhood by the Son is set before us in a way that shows us how we should set it before ourselves and ever view it—not simply as a marvel of nature, but rather as a wonder of grace. For the Son of God to empty himself and become poor meant to laying aside of glory; a voluntary restraint of power; an acceptance of hardship, isolation, ill-treatment, malice, and misunderstanding; finally, a death that involved such agony—spiritual, even more than physical—that his mind nearly broke under the prospect of it. It mean love to the uttermost for unlovely men, who “through his poverty, might become rich.” This Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity – hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory – because at the Father’s will Jesus Christ became poor and was born in a stable so that thirty years later he might hang on a cross. It is the most wonderful message that the world has ever heard, or will hear.

Personally, I believe the reality of Christ becoming poor carries more significant for me today than a year ago. Living in Kenya the last three months has allowed me to understand and engage poverty on a different level. I believe poverty is the greatest disease known to man. I will not talk about the depths of poverty because poverty, or at least the affects of poverty, is among all of us (Romans 3:23). But I would like to talk about what is important, Christ becoming poor.

I believe the implications of Christ becoming poor are staggering. Growing up I have heard of the “Christmas spirit”; however I rarely associated it with more than a sentimental jollity on a family basis. But if we understand Christ’s poverty he makes it clear that the phrase should carry tremendous weight of meaning. It ought to mean the reproducing in human lives the temper of him who for our sakes became poor at the first Christmas. And the Christmas spirit itself ought to be the mark of every Christian all year round. The Christmas spirit is the spirit of those who, like their Master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor—spending and being spent—to enrich their fellow men, giving time, trouble care, and concern, to do good to others—and not just their own friends—in whatever way there seems need.

There are not as many who show this spirit as there should be. If God in mercy revives us, one of the things he will do will be to work more of this spirit in our hearts and lives. If we desire spiritual quickening for ourselves individually, one step we should take is to seek to cultivate this spirit. “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich.” “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free. (Ps. 119:32).

My prayer this Christmas season is to know, on a deeper level, what it means that our Savior became poor.

Church plant opportunity!

2009-12-03T11:48:00.000-08:00

I am excited to share about an opportunity the Lord has given me.

Towards the middle of October I decided to visit Calvary Chapel Nairobi. I have attended Calvary Chapels in the States, so I wanted see what the African context had to offer. To my surprise the service was similar to most Calvary Chapels I had previously attended. The main difference was the length of the service. After three and half hours the service was finally over. Customary to most African services tea and fellowship followed the benediction. After the service I was tired and exhausted; however I decided to stay around for some chi. As I continued to fellowship and sip my chi I met a brother named Benedict (pictured with his family).

Benedict is the only Kenyan fulltime staff member at Calvary Chapel Nairobi. He’s served at CCN since the church’s beginning, nearly five years ago. As we continued to talk I soon discovered we shared a similar interest; to take the gospel to Muslims. Benedict shared how he desires to plant a church amongst the least reach Muslims in Kenya.

I must say it’s extremely rare for a Kenyan to have a passion to reach Muslims for Christ. The three months I have lived in Kenya I have met few Christians who desiring to minister amongst Muslims. I do not believe the issue is directly related to Islam but rather a fundamental misunderstanding of the grand narrative of God, or their understanding of missions and evangelism. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of Kenyans who wish to be pastors. However I have observed a disconnect between what it means to be a pastor compared to a minister of the gospel. The majority of Christians want to be given the title of pastor, but few exhibit the need to perform ministry, at least the breadth of ministry found in the gospel. I believe the biblical requirements of the pastorate have been overlooked in light of the title of the position. The result entails pastors ‘ministering’ in Nairobi who never recognize or address the <1million people in dire poverty; and for this context never recognize the people in their own country who have never heard the gospel. It’s a reality check for all of us. We call ourselves pastors or Christians but who is defining our title?

However I am thankful for Benedict because he is a brother not consumed by a title, but rather concerned for a lost and dying world. Since our original meeting, Benedict and I have met several times and discussed how God might use our similar passions. We have decided to move forward and pursue a church plant along the coast of Kenya. Benedict will be traveling to Mombasa on the 16 of December to gain a better understanding of where and how we might start. He will be connecting and strategizing with local Christain leaders in order to understand where the greatest need might be. Please pray for him as he is in Mombasa from the 16-27 of December. While he’s away in Mombasa I will be working here in the States on some ethnographic research (or should I say researching people groups online). Eventually we hope to develop a strategic plan of how we envision the church plant.

I am excited for what God is doing, I hope you are too. In the coming months I’ll be working more behind the scenes, mainly because I‘ll be in Nairobi busy with school. However where I am studying presents great opportunities for researching and preparing for a church plant along the coast. In fact, two of the professors at NEGST did their PhD’s among Muslim people groups along the coast.

I would also like to ask you to join me in ministry by praying for the church plant. We are looking for more people to physically join the church planting effort. We want to find like ‘minded people’ (preferably Kenyans) who share our desire to see Muslims come to Christ. You can also be praying for Benedict’s financial situation. Traveling to and from Mombasa can be expensive, may God’s blessings rest upon his service. Thank you for the prayers you are going to offer, they are truly needed and felt.

In His Grip,

Aaron

Fifa South Africa here we come!

2009-12-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share some photos of the 2009 NFTC Football Champions! Yes, that's right, after a 25 + year drought NEGST has brought home the championship. Every year all the Christian colleges and seminaries form teams to play in the NFTC soccer competition. In the past NEGST has claimed to spend more time in the library than the soccer field; however this year has changed their identity ha-ha. No longer does NEGST only promote Christain academic excellence in the African classroom, but also on the soccer field.

I can't do justice in explaining the excitement the players shared after the game. After we brought the trophy back to campus we celebrated by marching around the campus shouting various soccer chants. Growing up in a country where soccer is not that big a deal I found the entire day quite humerous. The day really busted the spirits of people on campus; I thank God for the joy that it brought.

The Joys of Finals Week!

2009-11-20T05:38:00.000-08:00

Hello Friend,

Sorry it’s been a while since I have written. I have thought about writing a few times, but for whatever reason I have not. The lack of writing is not because I haven’t been experiencing new things; in fact just the opposite. There’s so much going on I’m not sure where to begin. I’ll just use this entry to inform you about the interesting dynamics of finals week at an African school.

Currently it’s the second to last week of the term, which means most of the students are in panic mode. However, compared to the majority of the students, I have little to worry about. My greatest fear is over booking myself as an “English tutor.” Native English speakers here are a hot commodity. I’m probably asked to proof read (dare I say write) two papers every day. I guess if I was at another school my help would be classified as a job, here I look at it as a ministry. I see helping my fellow classmates as advancing Christian education and ultimately the gospel across the world. It’s exciting to think about where my classmates will be and have already taken the gospel. Let me briefly tell you about two of my friends serving the Lord.

Anson A. Titus (picture) comes from South East India (Kerala). His father pastors a small church in one of the poorest parts of South East India. Before Anson arrived in Nairobi he had never left Kerala. The longest he had been away from his home was two days. He’s now been in Nairobi for three months. He’s the only Indian student on campus, so as you can imagine life is not always easy for him. He’s hoping to receive his MDiv in theology before he returns India to do ministry. His current plan after school is to do children’s ministry in Orissa, one of the neediest places in India. Please pray for Anson as English is his third language. He’s also not sure where the finances will come from the duration of his stay.

The other friend I wanted to mention is Joshua Lasattu (picture) from Tanzania. Joshua, like many students at NEGST, has to leave his wife of two years and baby daughter at home in order to attend school. The financial cost is just too high to bring his family along. Once Joshua is done with school he’ll be going home to be with his family and continue in ministry. Joshua is in his late thirties and has plenty of ministry experience. He’s looking at doing ministry in one of poorest parts of Northwest Tanzania. He’ll most likely be engaging Muslims, as 50% of the Tanzanian population is Muslim. This term has been difficult for him as he’s been fighting malaria on and off. Lift him up in prayer too as I know he misses his family a lot.

That’s all I have time to share, I hope you are doing well.

Aaron

Ministry Update

2009-10-22T01:21:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,
I was able to visit two ministries last weekend just south of Nairobi. Just click the play button and you'll get some pictures and commentary. I'm doing well; school is starting to pick up as I head towards the final stretch (only about a month left). I am growing a lot inside and outside the classroom. If you have the time you can lift me up in prayer. Last weekend I was sick, so please continue to pray for my health. You can also pray for two brothers I have been ministering to. Humphrey is an atheist with a lot of doubts, the other one is a Muslim called Ramadan. Thank you friends, I look forward to catching up. Aaron

Church in Kibera

2009-10-12T00:13:00.000-07:00

Grace and Peace! I pray you are acting favorably to God’s immense love. I want to share briefly of a ministry I was able to visit a couple of weeks ago. I hope you are challenged by what God is doing.

My friend Lindy, from City Vineyard of Chicago, invited me to visit a church he helped plant. First, I must admit that Lindy is someone I admire; he’s always sensitive and obedient to the leading of the Spirit. His obedience is what led him to the second largest slum in Africa, Kibera. There are supposedly 1 million people residing in Kibera. One year ago Lindy wasn’t sure why God told him to go to Kibera and pray, but he was obedient and went. He faithfully walked and prayed up and down the streets of Kibera. As he continued to pray he was forced into a local café (picture) because of a rain storm. The streets in Kibera often double as gutters when torrential down pours occur. As Lindy sat waiting for the rain to stop he met a man who had lost full function of his arm because of a matatu (bus) accident. Lindy thought he should pray for the man’s arm, so he did. Miraculously the man’s arm was healed! Lindy shared with the man how God had healed him. As Lindy continued to share about Jesus the man decided he not only wanted to be healed physically but also spiritually. Now Lindy had the attention of others in the café. The people were eager for him to come back and share more. However Lindy had to leave for the USA. Thankfully Lindy’s friend, Pastor Dickson from Kenya, agreed to go back to the eager people. To make a long story short, Pastor Dickson continued to visit the café where the church emerged. Today the church has outgrown the small café and is now renting a larger building.

I had the privilege of visiting the church with Lindy. Before we went to the church we visited where the church began. After sipping some chi and talking to church members we headed over to where the church now gathers. The vibrant worship was lead by pastor Dickson’s wife. After six or so songs the visitors (Lindy and I) were asked to share a word. I shared a briefly about the love of Christ, how He left the ninety-nine sheep to find the one lost. Lindy (who is known as the founder of the church) preached the sermon. After the sermon there was a time of ministry when the pastors (they included me as a pastor because I go to NEGST) prayed for the congregation. Praise God, the church now consists of more than fifty members! The church has challenges, like all fallen human beings, but they continue to make Christ their focus. I was truly blessed to see how God is working amongst the physically poor. I am looking forward to staying in contact with Pastor Dickson and the church in Kibera. Please pray with me for this church, may they be found mature in Christ

Blessings Friend,

Aaron

How can they respond if they are not told?

2009-10-11T23:55:00.000-07:00

During my visit with Lindy we were able to visit a Vineyard Church in Nairobi. The picture (right) shows me outside the church. I am finding that churches in Kenya never look the same. The church building might be made out of mud, wood, bricks, aluminum, canvas, etc., you just never know. It’s interesting to see how determined they are to have a place to meet.
Besides observing the church building, I was able to meet with Noah, a leader of Vineyard missions in Kenya. Lindy, Pastor Dickson, and I were interested in what the vision and goal of Vineyard mission might entail in Kenya. I was surprised to find out that there are close to fifty Vineyard churches in Kenya. Noah explained how they plan to plant 4-5 new churches Kenya every year. This is truly an incredible growth rate, especially within a country of only thirty million. As the discussion continued, I decided to ask a question I have asked several pastors in Kenya. The question is simple, “how are you engaging the Muslim population in Kenya?” In this context I asked “how many of the 4-5 churches are you planting in Muslim areas?” Noah’s answer was simple, “none, we currently don’t have a goal of planting churches in Muslims areas.” Sadly, I wasn’t surprised by his response, I had heard it before. I guess the 7% Muslim population in Kenya isn’t high enough to address.

Then I was thinking maybe Kenyan Christians are following the lead of American Christians. Did you know only 6% of USA missionary effort (missionaries, finances, etc.) goes towards reaching Muslims? This would mean only 6% of missionary effort goes into reaching roughly 70% of unreached or unengaged people of the world. Yeah I’m thinking Kenyans are following America’s lead. I also keep thinking of Romans 10:14 and wonder if Christians are missing something important.

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

Please continue to pray for my connection and interaction with Noah. He’s invited me to a strategic planning conference/meeting the 26 of November; pray that the leadership will catch a vision for reaching the lost.

Aaron

Muslim Demographics

2009-10-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

I just ran into some new Muslim population statistics. I found the research intriguing and insightful. The statistics really stand in the face of so many misconceptions Christains and Americans have of Muslims. For example, more than 60% of Muslims live in Asia and only 20% live in the Middle East. If you have time please check out the article. http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=450

Salaam!

Video Update!

2009-10-08T02:13:00.000-07:00

I am tired of typing so I thought I would post a video update. Just click on the link and it will take you to the video. Shalom, Aaron.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvbSxvnz-aw

Staying Busy!

2009-10-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

Yikes, time is flying, it's almost midterm break. It's hard to believe I have been here over five weeks. I have been busy with my 16 credits of schoolwork. I have also been busy outside of the classroom. I recently shared my testimony in chapel, I believe people were blessed. Last Friday I lead my grace group. Every person on campus is assigned to a grace group which meets to fellowship and encourage one another spiritually. It's a special envrionment, mixing professors, Ph.D. students, yard maintence employees, etc. Offcampus I have been busy attending various church functions, last week I visited and ministered at a church in Kibera, the second largest slum in Africa (I'll write more later and post some pictures later). I am also playing on a basketball team offcampus. Two weeks ago we played in a turnament and won. It's safe to say i'm the only white brother on the court. Being on a team has also opened up some minister opertunities, I suprisingly found out that one of my teamates claims to be an athiest (more info to come). I communicate this to say thank you for your prayers and encouragement. God is growing me in how I think and act for His glory. Blessings, Aaron