Kenya (CAM) — This story comes to us by way of Christian Aid Mission, a ministry that assists missionaries to their own people who share the gospel of Christ in areas where there are no churches and no believers.
A village chief in Kenya who had jailed Christians for years never heeded their message until he attended a funeral – officiated by a native worker he had often arrested.
A member of the Teso tribe, the chief had arrested the pastor and other native Christian workers for 10 years for steering people away from tribal religious customs, the leader of the local ministry said. Addressing mourners at the funeral, the pastor spoke not only of the hope of eternity with Christ but the need of salvation from corruption, death and God’s wrath.
“The local chief who had been hostile to the church came forward during the funeral service and declared that he wanted to be born again and get saved, because the gospel had changed him and he wanted forgiveness from the church,” the ministry leader said.
The chief vowed he would not detain or harass Christians who were reaching out to the community with the Good News of God’s kingdom, the leader said.
“The whole village and other people that came for this funeral were moved by the boldness and transformation of this man from being hostile to the gospel to embracing it,” the leader said. “His life was changed forever – he was baptized recently, and he continues to testify daily to his friends and his people from that tribe; he has been discipled into the local fellowship.”
Beyond this unexpected opportunity, native Christian workers reached people at market centers and homes and through gospel events and radio broadcasts in their ethnic tongues, the leader said.
Efforts to reconcile tribes fighting over scarce water and land also have unearthed opportunities to share the gospel, he said. As more people accepted Christ, workers guided home groups into worshipping congregations.
“This has brought more people to Christ and raised more leaders who are serving and equipping others to do the work of the ministry and has brought growth to the new fellowships,” he said. “We were able to plant 45 home churches within one year.”
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