Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Maasai churches report good news
Dan Crum, leader of CMF’s Maasai team in Africa, recently shared the latest report from a meeting of the Maasai Advisory Committee, and it was full of encouraging news about the Community Christian churches there.
There are now 85 churches in 15 geographical clusters in Maasailand, 10 more than at the last report. Around 150-200 baptisms have been performed in the last six months alone.
The cluster of churches in the Elangata Enterit area is undergoing a significant revival. There are now seven churches there. This had been a very resistant, slow-growth area, so this news is particularly welcome. Several of the new and revived churches are still small and struggling, yet they are meeting consistently and are shepherded by the current leaders. Elders that were ordained several years ago are being referred to as leaders of these small churches. The Olepishet church is doing particularly well, and runs about 100 people, up from about 20 only six years ago.
Women’s events continue to be very popular in Maasailand. Nearly 200 women attended a conference at Olchurrai in August, and about 200 are expected at next month’s women’s conference at Miton.
About 2,000 people attended a five-day, area-wide fellowship held in Tumpelian in the area of Siria last month. It was well-received by the area councillors and chiefs; even the Chairman of the TransMara County Council (a local government representative) attended. Some chiefs, councillors and laibons (traditional African spiritual guides) gave their lives to Christ.
One of the outcomes of the gathering in Siria was that people agreed that a church building should be constructed for Ole Kimanu, one of the four elders of Siria who was ordained in 2000. Kimanu is a simple, friendly man, full of faith, who is very evangelistic and well respected. He was not interested in the church when it first began in Tumpelian; his testimony is a good account of how God is working in Africa, just with Africans.
There are now 85 churches in 15 geographical clusters in Maasailand, 10 more than at the last report. Around 150-200 baptisms have been performed in the last six months alone.
The cluster of churches in the Elangata Enterit area is undergoing a significant revival. There are now seven churches there. This had been a very resistant, slow-growth area, so this news is particularly welcome. Several of the new and revived churches are still small and struggling, yet they are meeting consistently and are shepherded by the current leaders. Elders that were ordained several years ago are being referred to as leaders of these small churches. The Olepishet church is doing particularly well, and runs about 100 people, up from about 20 only six years ago.
Women’s events continue to be very popular in Maasailand. Nearly 200 women attended a conference at Olchurrai in August, and about 200 are expected at next month’s women’s conference at Miton.
About 2,000 people attended a five-day, area-wide fellowship held in Tumpelian in the area of Siria last month. It was well-received by the area councillors and chiefs; even the Chairman of the TransMara County Council (a local government representative) attended. Some chiefs, councillors and laibons (traditional African spiritual guides) gave their lives to Christ.
One of the outcomes of the gathering in Siria was that people agreed that a church building should be constructed for Ole Kimanu, one of the four elders of Siria who was ordained in 2000. Kimanu is a simple, friendly man, full of faith, who is very evangelistic and well respected. He was not interested in the church when it first began in Tumpelian; his testimony is a good account of how God is working in Africa, just with Africans.
Labels: Church Planting, Kenya, Maasai
¶ 12:35 PM 
