AICMB is the missionary board of the Africa Inland Church, Aim’s partner church in Kenya.

It was not your typical AIC meeting. This was the first-of-its-kind missions seminar for the AIC Regional Chairmen. It was organized by the AICMB with the goal of creating vision for missions within these key church leaders of the AIC.

Here are just some of the things that our thirty-plus delegates heard during the two-day conference held at Resurrection Garden.REV. GEOFFREY GICHURE, the Assistant Bishop of AIC, addressed the group on the first morning. Some excerpts from his message:

Rev. Geoffrey Gichure

Rev. Geoffrey Gichure is the Assistant Bishop of the Africa Inland Church Kenya. I don't have any biographical information on him at the moment, but I will try to get some in the next week or two.

REV. GEOFFREY GICHURE, the Assistant Bishop of AIC, addressed the group on the first morning. Some excerpts from his message:

"I believe we have the potential to send more missionaries, if we leaders can capture the vision and mobilize our churches and people."

"Money is not the issue. Vision is the issue. We need to feel the way God feels. We need to rise up and take on the responsibility to preach the gospel."

"We are able to send more than 100 missionary families, which is the vision of our AICMB Coordinator (Rev. Ally Chepkwony). We need to get rid of the thinking, 'We cannot do it.' We are able!"

"It is high time for us as leaders to leave our offices to visit the outreach areas so we can understand the needs of the people. I hope that AICMB can organize trips to take leaders to the field to visit."

REV. STEPHEN KABACHIA, the Bishop of Agape Ministries and a founding and acting member of Finish the Task Kenya, spoke two times.

"I believe this is our time as a nation. Kenya is God's lighthouse in Africa. We have what it takes to reach all of Africa and beyond. We are strategically placed to impact the continent."

Rev. Ally Chepkwony

Rev. Ally Chepkwony served as a missionary under AIC with the Sabaot people in western Kenya and the Turkana people in northern Kenya. After additional training in England, he returned to Kenya and was asked to serve as a teacher at the AIC Missionary College in Eldoret. He currently holds the two positions of Coordinator of Africa Inland Church Missionary Board (AICMB) and Principal of the Africa Inland Church Missionary College (AICMC) [create link]. His vision is to see the AIC expanding in their outreach efforts throughout Kenya and even beyond.

"The more you know God, the more you will make Him known. A wrong theology of God affects how we do missions."

"Wherever God points His finger, doors will open. We need to know God and where He is pointing. Often we do missions without hearing from God… Let us join God in what He is doing."

"It has been said, 'There is no hurry in Africa.' But we are in God's kingdom and we have an urgency. Missions cannot wait."

REV. DANIE VERMEULEN, the Director for DAWN Africa, comes from South Africa and spoke twice on the topic of church planting. Some of his statements include:

"In most churches, church planting happens by default. There is no plan. Often church planting and missions are just departments in the church and thus has to compete for resources. Either the church is missiological or a club that has a department of missions."

AICMB MISSIONARY TESTIMONIES: We were privileged to hear from Daniel Mbiri who spent almost 10 years in Moyale and helped Keltys and Scharpings plant a Borana church in the village of Bori. We also learned how David Moturi has been working with the Suba people on the edge of Lake Victoria. HIV/AIDS is the biggest killer in the area and David has gained a reputation as the people's pastor, because he is the only pastor in the area who will help them bury their dead. He has won the people's approval through funerals. And then we heard from Joshua Chelanga as he shared how God has helped them use medical, education and friendship to build trust with the Orma people.

AIC PASTORS' TESTIMONIES: We heard from David Nakain how he has been involving the town church of Lodwar to reach out to a village about 70 kilometers away. Currently they have started a school of two classrooms of 160 students and are in process of building a small clinic. He has completed four years teaching the Bible chronologically to the men of the village. The community is now on the verge of accepting a full-time pastor to live amongst them. The Lodwar DCC has a monthly budget of 15,000/- targeted for this outreach. We also heard from Rev. Matthews Mwalwa from AIC Milimani in Nairobi. He explained how his church has recently pledged to support a new AICMB family who are working in Sudan with one of AIM's TIMO teams. His goal is to see a functioning local church missions committee that would oversee all aspects of supporting missionaries and doing missions in the local church.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS: After hearing Rev. Ally Chepkwony give a challenge regarding AICMB, the participants broke into small groups and discussed some of the issues facing the AIC today regarding missions. Suggestions were proposed on how to increase giving and how to help local churches to get more involved in missions. On the second day I was privileged to give a challenge regarding the least reached people groups in Kenya. Small groups then discussed how the AIC can face the challenges of reaching groups among the Muslim, nomadic and South Asian communities.

GOAL SETTING: Each participant spent time at the end of the seminar to set personal goals for himself and his region in the area of missions. It was encouraging to hear some of their goals as they resolved to step up their involvement and support of missions.

SUMMARY: This seminar seemed to be very well received and could be the start to an increased interest and participation in missions. I would encourage all of our AIM missionaries to take the time to build relationships with your DCC and RCC leaders. See if you can include them on your trips and get them behind all your outreach activities. Let's make every effort to pass on the missionary vision to our fellow AIC leaders and local churches.

Bookmark