Malindi is a coastal city about 500km from Nairobi, within the county of Kilifi. Last year, this region reported a massacre of more than 400 people, through the deception of a cultic leader who convinced his members (men, women, and children) to fast for many days to encounter Christ. Because of this incident, there has been a growing suspicion and resistance towards the work of churches in the area.

Despite the effects of the incident, this was an opportune time for TLAfrica to engage with pastors from the region, in a seminar of healing, restoration, and mutual encouragement. Forty-one pastors attended the seminar, which was held at the AIC Church in Malindi on the 23rd and 24th of May 2024. Some of the pastors live in Malindi town, but some came from as far as 50km from the training venue.

The seminar was themed ‘Preaching Biblical Sermons’ and was derived from one of our published manuals ‘Preaching Biblical Sermons in Africa,’ authored by Leonard Too. This training has been conducted by TLAfrica in other regions of Kenya in the recent past such as Kajiado, Makueni, Tinga, and Vihiga. A friend of TLAfrica, Pastor Amos Otieno, was the key trainer in the Malindi training.

On the first day, the training had three sessions that focused on the person of the preacher. Pastor Amos encouraged and challenged the trainees to have deep convictions about the inerrancy and sufficiency of God’s word so that they preach it effectively. He discouraged shallow, deceptive, and exploitative preaching which soils the name of the church and the name of Christ, and misleads people. He encouraged the pastors to back their preaching with good conduct, which speaks louder to the congregants and gives credibility to their message. The pastors honestly shared some temptations that lead them to unfaithful preaching such as greed, lack of resources, negative peer pressure, and the fight for power.

While Pastor Amos spoke about the importance of the relationship with the congregants for effective ministry, one of the attendees, Pastor Macharia, gave an example of a shepherd boy in the Kikuyu community. In the traditional Kikuyu homestead, the boys were not allotted a room in the house as the girls were. This is because the boys tended the sheep, and were expected to watch over them even in the night by sleeping close to them in the livestock shed. As the boys spent extensive time with the sheep, the sheep mastered their smells, voices, and mannerisms. Out in the field, whenever the boys would move away from the sheep, they would soon discover that the sheep were following along, because they mastered how their shepherds smelled. The bond of time spent together made them inseparable and ensured the security of the sheep. Through this example, the attendees were encouraged that good relationships with their congregants enhance their discipleship and the effectiveness of their preaching because people listen better to those who genuinely care about them. This example was also related to the ministry of Jesus, who maintained genuine close relationships with his disciples as a means of discipleship (John 3:13-15).

On the second day, the training focused on the message of the preacher. The day had three sessions that focused on foundations for good preaching, sermon preparation, and effective sermon delivery.

There were several question-and-answer sessions during the seminar, where the pastors discussed in-depth and practical applications of the teachings taught. The participants and facilitators also shared meals, songs, dances, and corporate prayers.

The pastors expressed the need for training leaders in the region, especially in the area of tent-making and raising resources for their families and ministries.

 

 

Testimonies:

Pastor Katana appreciated the teachings on the importance of rest for a pastor.

He confessed, “Since September 2007 when I finished Bible school andstarted ministry, I have never taken a time of leave from ministry to rest. For seventeen years I have done express ministry without rest. Because of this seminar, I know that it’s important for a minister to take some time to rest. I thought I should carry all the weight of the church by myself but I have learned to surrender, knowing that this church belongs to God, and, that I’ll be more effective when I am well-rested. Since I heard the teaching, I have been very concerned in my heart, and am planning to take time to rest after this seminar.”

Pastor Pembe expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to receive the training by TLAfrica. His highlight was that he should stand up for faithful preaching, and to protect his congregation from any false preaching. He shared his experience of correcting a mentee who once distorted a reading in God’s word, and how he stepped in to correct the teaching. He said that this training vindicated his step and emboldened him more. He was encouraged that he was on the right path in his efforts to protect the flock by standing up for the truth of God’s word.

Pastor Cheo appreciated the TLAfrica trainer for walking with them in a practical way, to understand how to prepare the sermon. He confessed, “I must say that sometimes I have not taken time to prepare for my preaching. Sometimes, I think about it on Sunday morning or I quickly pick a previous sermon. I have been reminded that preaching is an important task, which requires proper preparation.” He promised to pass the teachings to other leaders in his church, and requested TLAfrica to hold more seminars in the area.”