(MINISTRY UPDATE August 23, 2014)
Dear friends,
attentive pastors
Greetings in Jesus name! I am confident of your ever prayerful support always, and therefore obliged to update you.
I have an overwhelming burden for the church. Many times I have been driven into isolation to seek God for days or weeks with fasting and prayer.
The ever constant question in my mind is, “Is the Church ready for Jesus Christ’s Second coming?”
I believe that, to a larger extent the church in Africa may not be ready yet: The ‘Church’ Christ is coming for is pure, spotless and without wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27). The standard is very high.
Whereas the church in Africa is growing at breakneck speed numerically, the quality is not simply sustainable, and may not be worthy the effort unless a lot of investment is put in, not in terms of physical infrastructure alone, but in capacity-building for the church leadership. The African people have quite complex issues that have underrated the progress in spiritual and economic spheres.
This week, I was privileged to be invited to train pastors among the Masai tribal group in Kenya.
The Masai are probably the strongest cultural group in the world. The men are very strong and courageous: (I have video clippings of a couple of youth confronting pride of wild lions and killing some of them. It sounds like 18th Century. All of them using crude traditional weapons such as spears and arrows. A couple of them got badly injured, but a lion had to die and others fled with injuries. ).
Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako Training Masai Pastors in Kilgoris-Kenya
There are many churches, Christians, and pastors in Trans Mara District. A majority of churches have a permanent building and social amenities courtesy of Trosgtostants of Sweden and Norway. However, a lot is still needed to arrive at the quality of the church that Christ is expecting. Though, the dominant practices of girl circumcision (Female Genital Mutilation) is said to be fading, it is still silently practiced even among church people. It has gone under cover. The conviction about its cultural importance are strong.
Pastor Isaac Interview university Masai girl about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Masai People are wealthy people with tens and hundreds of cattle and sheep per individual. This means a Masai man cannot be away from home for any considerable time.
Besides this, as it is in most African rural areas, leaders have too little secular education, and too mamy wide family responsibilities to attend formal Bible College. Churches are served by semi-literate and untrained leaders.
I was strongly requested to establish a training center in this area. giving two weeks’ teaching over an extensive period, to arrive at Certificate and Diploma levels. Altogether, over 100 pastors are eager to have this start. I am prayerfully considering it.
Somehow I consider this request timely, because from September 10th to 16th, we Bible teachers are converging at Gloria Hotel in Dubai, led by Dr. John Paul 80 (PHD in Ministry), to draw up a relevant curriculum, and discuss issues for rural Pastors training for Africa and Asia.
Besides this, I need permissions from my local church in Uganda, and Trosgnistans Mission in Sweden. I need a team of facilitators, issues of International Bible College or University affiliations, to give an internationally recognized qualification. Most of these matters will be sorted out in Dubai shortly.
Thank you very much!
Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako
Executive Supervisor RTM
+256 772 475 720
