Kenya 05

My main reason for coming to Kenya was to speak at the annual ministers conference of the Trinity Baptist Association sponsored by TBC in Nairobi. I was fairly free for most of Monday and did some reading and writing as ministers began to arrive (one or two came on Saturday). By the evening we were up to around 30. (People kept coming over the four days and eventually went over the 50 mark). My subject was regeneration and I gave my first paper "What is Regeneration?" on Monday evening. The men listened well and hopefully were helped. Each day began with devotions led by one of the men (Fred Lodeki, Murungi Igwata and another). Altogether I gave some seven messages on regeneration (all from the book) and at the end preached on Psalm 122 in the prayer meeting. I was also in a question session on the Thursday afternoon, which was very profitable. The singing (unaccompanied from Grace Hymns) was fine - good old fashioned hymns with a penchant for choruses. I have never sung "Do not pass me by" so slowly.

Keith Underhill also spoke well on the history of regeneration and preaching regeneration. He also gave a paper on the 1689 Confession. At first I was wondering whether these Africans needed to hear this but then I realised that it is as much their history as mine, just as we also share a heritage in Calvin in Geneva and Augustine in Hippo. There were also workshops on church association life, a discussion on future conferences and a question time mostly on regeneration but raising other issues such as the Law too.

A small team of women led by a catering student called Salome provided cooked meals twice a day and chai. A young lady from the church called Mary registered everyone and a team of young people dealt with the PA and the recording. They worked really hard. There was plenty of free time to chat to the men. They would come up to me one by one and say they have two or three things to talk about, one would be the need for chairs, a building, a new roof, help with work among disabled children, outreach to Tanzania, etc. There were always other questions - on outreach, how to foster unity, the situation in England plus family situations and more general matters. I also chatted with a lot of men more generally about all sorts of things. Each night I slept quite well, despite crowing cockerels and barking dogs. What a privilege to be involved in such a work.