Pictured above is Gilbert, Possibilities Africa staff member and pastor, in the passenger seat.
On Mission
We traveled from the busy streets of Nairobi, Kenya to the high places of Africa’s lush landscape by safari vehicle. Because of limited access to stay near rural villages, most days of our two-week trip included a few hours in the car. As a result, there was plenty of time for storytelling and gazing.
The scenery was equally as captivating as the charisma of the man in the passenger seat. Intrigued to know more about who lived behind his wide grin, I fired away with questions. Unsurprisingly, he willingly answered each one with gladness. With honor and respect, allow me to introduce you to Gilbert.
“Father of four, married to one wife,” Gilbert said with notes of laughter to introduce himself.
Gilbert was confident there was a pastoral call on his life, but the question was how to answer the call. By God’s providence, Possibilities Africa had an open door and a vision that captivated Gilbert. Saying yes to a position with Possibilities Africa allowed him to multiply God’s call on his life by training pastors in communities across Kenya.
Background
Possibilities Africa provides training for spiritual formation and teaches pastors to immerse themselves in the scriptures. The organization also provides a framework for forums so pastors can grow spiritually and challenge one another. Furthermore, staff members go beyond the “come and see” mentality by empowering pastors to do something with what they have learned. The ticket to success is to give pastors a vision of what God has called them to and ideas of how to do it better.
The gap for most pastors in Africa is little to no opportunity to receive biblical or theological training. Therefore, pastors haven’t been taught or challenged to think about how God might want to use them to bring about community transformation.
“They don’t see the connection between faith and the land. They don’t see that God wants them to be effective in local communities, so key decision-making gets left to politicians,” Gilbert said.
Kenya’s Public Participation Program allows pastors to have a say in legislation. A common false belief among pastors is that their focus should solely be on preparing for heaven. If pastors don’t believe that have a call to make a difference in the here and now, decision-making is left to politicians who may not have context for rural areas. In truth, pastors are called to steward God-given resources and skills on earth. Through pastoral training provided by Possibilities Africa staff, pastors’ eyes are opened to see not only why they are called to contribute but also how they can contribute on local and national levels.
The Challenge
Possibilities Africa ultimately seeks to go beyond building leaders in the church by building proactive community members. When pastors say, “Someone else should do this,” Possibilities Africa asks, “What do you think you can do?”
“You have a message that makes you responsible–the message of the Gospel,” Gilbert said, adding that they teach pastors to be responsible action-takers in the event of community crisis.
I asked Gilbert to tell me what he was proud of regarding such purposeful work.
“The opportunity to shift the way of thinking for a pastor so that he does the ministry much more productively. What I’m most excited to see is that,” he said with a smile and his pointer finger raised, making a significant point. “When a pastor understands, he becomes a champion to others.”
Gilbert is pictured above near a Kenyan village. Anyone who meets him will undoubtedly encounter the joy of the Lord.
Testimony
Gilbert’s role gives him a front-row seat to the a-ha moments and convictions of others. He has seen existing pastors repent of former ways they were leading their churches. This is significant because Possibilities Africa is going into places where pastors have been serving for years without change, proving that nothing is too difficult for our God.
Specifically, Gilbert shared the story of a Muslim man who put his faith in Jesus and eventually became a pastor. The man had a successful business, and other pastors told him he needed to abandon the business to follow God. When Gilbert met the pastor, his business was crumbling and his wife felt like he was abandoning their livelihood.
Gilbert started telling him about the concept of holistic ministry. Gilbert helped the man discover how to do his business for Christ, and the former Muslim was then able to open the eyes of the other pastors. Gilbert’s influence on one man created a domino effect that will impact generations to come. One by one, Possibilities Africa is seeing God’s desire for individuals, families, and communities to become whole in Jesus Christ.
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Possibilities Africa (USA) is a 501c3 non-profit US corporation, as well a member of the ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability). We believe the answer is not another handout but rather the hope that is found in Jesus Christ. Subscribe to our newsletter or give online at usa.possibilitiesafrica.org.
Our Contact Information
Possibilities Africa
PO Box 209
Elkhorn, NE 68022
3089910402
possibilitiesafrica.org