New life in Kenya : Deep and Wide

Deep and Wide

Sunday School choruses keep surfacing as I blog. They are simple, visual, memorable. This one has an expanded meaning for me now while still easy enough to teach our little granddaughter.

Deep and wide, deep and wide, there’s a fountain flowing deep and wide … (not the same without the actions!) While this childhood tune describes the love of God, it also evokes other images of measurements and dimensions - width and depth. Images of an ocean or the sky may emerge. Something large and grandiose. Something significant or striking.

When we were appointed to serve in The Salvation Army Kenya West Territory, it was thrilling to learn about the size of the Army here. The SA yearbook records more than 125,000 senior soldiers, over 500 corps and 900 outposts. The percentage of Christians in Kenya (those who claim Christianity as their faith association) is 80+% of the population. I must be honest, I was impressed. Before leaving home, I spoke about this to an officer whose brother had served in another country in Africa for many years. I was cautioned to consider not just the ‘width’ of church growth but the depth. (This does not apply only to the church in Africa but anywhere.) Over the past year, God has reminded me that large numbers of people participating in church life and claiming to be a follower of Jesus is only meaningful (or impressive) if they reflect the depth of what is truly important in the Kingdom of God - life changing spiritual values that are embodied. Ultimately God is the judge of that, though Scripture teaches true Christian disciples are identified by the fruit of their living.

Morris and I recently visited two Corps where a ‘growing church’ was celebrated. Lusalanga Corps in the Musudzuu Division was upgraded from an outpost to a Corps. (An outpost is a smaller group of people who are part of a larger congregation but gather separately for worship, usually because of distance). An outpost can become a Corps when financial and personnel resources are sufficient to operate independently as a stand-alone congregation. This was now true for Lusalanga. After being a worshipping congregation for many years, the people had finally achieved the Territorial criteria for Corps status. They have more than 200 senior soldiers, more than 50 Junior Soldiers, an active Home League (women’s ministry), a group of faithful local officers, a quarters for the Officer to live in (if they have an officer), a Corps building, and financial resources of at least 15,000 Kenya shillings ($150US) per month. (Note: this criteria is now under review since a single Officer’s salary is 21,000/= ($210US) per month, plus other expenses for the Corps). Currently, an officer has been appointed to serve part time here. The ‘mother corps’, Butisi, from which Lusalanga was birthed, is led by an Officer couple. The female officer will be leading Lusalanga while her husband remains at Butisi.

Vibrant and joyful worship was visible both outside and inside the hall that morning. More than 100 soldiers were marching to the corps, after conducting an open air meeting in the market, when we arrived. They welcomed us warmly and shouted in unison when Morris cut the ribbon at the door of the church. They entered their ‘new Corps’ sanctuary with traditional dancing, singing, and drumming. With the new Corps flag waving like it had wind in its sails, the congregation applauded loudly when the CSM was handed the framed certificate, naming Lusalanga as Corps #531. Members of other outposts and neighboring corps were present to support the celebration as well as a gentleman from the Africa Divine church whose grandfather had been one of the first soldiers of the Lusalanga outpost from its inception. He even marched with the soldiers and saluted us! The Divisional Commander, who was present that day, gave a public appeal to have a full time officer appointed there in the next annual general change. Morris couldn’t make any promises so he just nodded. J At the end of the service, Morris was presented with three gifts to inaugurate him as an official elder of the Corps. He received a Masai blanket as a symbol of an elder’s responsibility to keep the people comforted, a club for him to defend his people, and a stool for him to rest when he was tired. An honorary moment.

A week later, we attended the grand opening of a Corps building in Chebosi, part of the Webuye Division. (I like sharing the different names of corps and divisions!). Chebosi has been a growing corps with five outposts. They demolished their old corps building and worshipped at a school while raising funds for the new hall. They were so delighted to finally have their new structure. The floors are still unfinished, the windows have no glass, and the walls are without paint, but the exuberant gratitude of the congregation that morning would match any. It was contagious! With visitors and members of the outposts joining for worship, the hall was almost filled to capacity – probably 5-600 people, and the crowd was ecstatic with joyful thanksgiving, expressing their praise and worship so freely. The corps choir graced the worship time with melodious voices singing a beautiful rendition of “Lord I make a full surrender”. Later in the service they were elated when one of their corps members (now a politician) donated uniforms for the entire choir.

Presenting the title deed for the land that morning also solicited shouts of gratitude. This document confirms the Salvation Army’s ownership of the plot and is often very difficult to attain, due to corruption. It is essential for the corps to have this because of the challenge of ‘land grabbing’, thus the boisterous applause when it was passed over to Morris for safe keeping at THQ.

When we make such visits as these, we don’t pretend to know whether the ‘width’ of the church growth is congruent with its depth. However, in both these situations, it was the devoted service and locally owned initiatives of the people that helped achieve the growth they experienced. The members of the church had been faithful in attendance, in evangelism, and in giving (many sacrificially) for a long time in order to accomplish their goals. They did not depend on Divisional or Territorial Headquarters for reaching these milestones which indicated a commitment that was about more than just numbers. I remembered one of General Andre Cox’s “I dream” statements, released during his first year in office.

“I dream of an Army free from the dependant culture”. This may not be true in every corps in Kenya, or around the world, but it is worth celebrating when we see glimpses of it.

Jesus told many parables related to growth in the Kingdom of God that began with something very small - a grain of mustard seed, a pearl, a tablespoon of yeast, but it grew – and the outcomes were a mighty tree, a vast treasure, an expanding influence. Lusalanga and Chebosi began as a small Army but through perseverance and dedication, an organic spiritual community has emerged. We pray the growth in these churches will be equally deep as they are wide.

I long for a church in Kenya and universally that not only records large numbers of people attending, but is rooted deeply in its spiritual life. I resist the temptation to boast of any growth that does not reflect Kingdom values. Actually, I must resist boasting altogether. Instead, I reach back in time to a couple verses from the first chapter of the Bible I ever memorized, Psalm 1. (I guess I learned more than choruses in Sunday School). “Blessed is the one whose delight is in the law of the Lord. That person (or church) is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season.” (brackets mine)

So grateful that Morris and I have seen (in many places over the past 24 years) some of the fruit being yielded in season and for that, we give God thanks.

Hope you enjoy a few pictures of our corps visits.

Lusalanga Congregation marches from the open air to the Corps