The exceptional growth rate of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Kenya was acknowledged by Jan Paulsen, president of the Adventist world church, and Pastor Matthew Bediako, general secretary of the church, who visited the country April 25 to 29.
The exceptional growth rate of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Kenya was acknowledged by Jan Paulsen, president of the Adventist world church, and Matthew Bediako, general secretary of the church, who visited the country April 25 to 29.
“I am touched by the faith that is lived by your example,” Paulsen told church members. “I am pleased to find that the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Kenya is growing and happily serving humanity. When viewed by the number of baptized adult believers, the Kenyan Adventist Church family is among the largest I know.”
“Kenya has a very fast growing church,” said Pardon Mwansa, president of the church’s Eastern Africa region. “In the year 2000, the church grew by nearly 12 percent with the baptism of 68,000 new believers. Today, the East Africa Union, which comprises all of Kenya, has nearly 650,000 adult believers. That makes Kenya the largest union in the world.”
Peter Bwana, executive secretary of the Kenyan church, said, “Church growth is mainly sustained by the concerted effort of the laity and pastors in evangelism.”
The president of the Adventist Church in Kenya, Paul Muasya, said they have established a 2005 membership target of 1 million. “This is quite achievable given the spirit of evangelism the church members have and the positive response of the people of Kenya to the Word of God,” he said.
Muasya acknowledged that while the spirit of evangelism is evidenced throughout the church, challenges remain. He expressed concern about the way the church nurtures new believers and with the quality of church life. “This is our top priority,” he said.
Lay involvement was best expressed by Lily Kidenda, a marketing specialist from the coastal city of Mombasa. Addressing the world church leaders, she acknowledged the plans of the world church to equip the church membership for more effective witness through development of new materials. She appealed that such materials be “adapted to the distinctive social, religious, and political cultures in which [people] live.”
The quality of personal and church life was at the center of Paulsen’s sermon to some 35,000 believers in Nairobi’s Jamuhuri Park. Speaking of church unity, he said that “there is no room for superiority or inferiority in the church. There is no room for divisions in our family. The Holy Spirit binds us together.”
Paulsen also appealed that the church be an environment of honesty and truthfulness. “Do not sell your integrity,” he said. “The best way to spend your life is to spend your time and resources in the service of others.”
In a final event of the four-day visit to Kenya, on Sabbath, April 28, Paulsen and Bediako dedicated the largest Adventist Church building in Kenya—Nairobi Central Church. A multi-purpose building, the church sanctuary seats 3,000 people. The largest portion of the funding for the church building came from the congregation. Bediako, who preached the dedication sermon, commended the church for a spirit of sacrifice and self-reliance.
Bediako also warned against using the church pulpit for political purposes. The pulpit is not used for promotion of personal agendas, he stated. “This is a place where the gospel is preached.” [Photos: Ray Dabrowski/ANN]
