Tanzania Update | Dar es Salaam Pastors’ Training
In May of 2023, Neopolis partners gathered in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for a Pastor’s Training. Please enjoy this recap from Director Charles Karuri and remember the East Africa team in your prayers as God continues to work!
Fits and Starts
At 5:00 am on the morning of May the 16th, Ronald Kogo—church planter in Nakuru and the East Africa Training Director for Neopolis—together with Charles Karuri—church planter in Malindi and the Neopolis Director for East Africa—were all set to get into their Uber ride, head to the airport, and depart Nairobi for Dar es Salaam to conduct a Neopolis Pastor’s training event.
But then, Ronald made the grand discovery that his passport was nestled nicely and comfortably not in his suitcase, but rather back home in Nakuru, a three-hour drive away! What to do?
We literally stepped out by faith that morning. And that, in a very real sense, was the indelible mark of all that we did in the next couple of days.
On the Ground
Our host, Pastor Willum Saidi of the Free Pentecostal Church of Tanzania (FPCT), had mobilized a middle and upper-tier gathering of leaders from across various denominations in a city where denominational lines tend to be rigid, for two days of training focused entirely on expositional preaching. Our shared vision with this brother is to run a series of such training events each year centered on the core Neopolis commitments to preaching, pastoring, and planting to the glory of God; praying and hoping as we do so that the Lord will birth new ministry paradigms in the minds of the men who attend; and that new, healthy, and reproducing churches would be planted in Dar es Salaam and beyond.
An Open Door
We are particularly grateful for the senior cross-denominational leadership who attended this inaugural training and opened the door to us for further ministry in the city. So enthusiastic was their response that the Regional FPCT Bishop issued an “ex cathedra” statement extending the length and scope of our next visit scheduled for August! From coming in to run a pastor’s training event, the bishop effectively decreed that future trainings would start on Mondays because we would have to first preach in their churches on Sunday before going on to run the training for three, and not two days, as we had earlier envisioned. Praise the Lord!
Pray with us
Pray with us that the Lord would break interdenominational barriers in the group and in the city and work in all that unity of the Spirit.
Pray with us for there to be real spiritual fruit in the lives of the participants.
Pray with us for the material provision required to plan and run these events.
