KENYA PRISON CHAPLAINS AT KMTI

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Published: Tuesday, 05 February 2013 13:55

Our precious Lord has grace me again with “open doors” to teach the “Christ-centered Evangelism” study to spiritual leaders in the nation of Kenya. This latest opportunity involved prison chaplains from all over the nation of Kenya. During the first day of teaching, the chaplains were sitting there, in what I would call a “stunned silence”, as the truths from God’s Word were systematically dismantling many of the ‘man concocted’ methods that they had been employing, (methods which they had previously learned from Americans, who have imported many of these flesh-initiated techniques and tactics). However, upon the conclusion of the 2nd day of teaching, just as I was about to say good evening to the group and head to my room for some much needed rest; suddenly, without any prompting, some of the prison chaplains began to approach the platform area. One chaplain after the other, begin to publicly repent about this serious deception of attempting to use “man’s methods” and “man-focused messages” to carry out God’s great mission. It was an awesome time of reformation revival among prison chaplains from all over Kenya. The following are just a few of the many testimonies from this conference.

Rev. George Wafula, the Director of the Kenya Ministries Training Institute – (KMTI), and also my interpreter for all of the conferences in Kenya since 2004, shared these words of testimony: “God is on mission of reformation revival in my home nation of Kenya. Last week, God granted an opportunity to Bro. Ed Lacy and I, to minister to the prison chaplains, who came from all over the prisons of the nation of Kenya. I was so thrilled, because of the hunger and the excitement by which they received the teachings of “Christ-centered Evangelism”. God spoke powerfully to each one of them; and there was great conviction of the Holy Spirit. At the conclusion of the 2nd day of the teaching, these senior chaplains began to come to the platform, one after the other, and publicly repent for attempting to do God’s work of prison ministry in their own ways and not God’s way. The provincial director of all of the chaplains shared with me that He had taken his chaplains to many training meetings around Kenya; but this was the first meeting where He believed that God was touching all of their lives and ministries in a profound way. He said that, in fact, it was His initial plan to bring the chaplains to the KMTI Campus; and then, He would leave after one day. But after attending the first few sessions, the Holy Spirit arrested him and challenged him in such a mighty way, that he changed his entire schedule for the purpose of attending all of the sessions. He became one of the last ones to leave the campus 4 days later. He confessed that these are the teachings that we need, to bring a mighty reformation in our prisons in Kenya! Bro. Ed also had the opportunity to preach the gospel in 3 prisons in the Kitale area. This was a rare opportunity to preach the gospel to hundreds and hundreds of men, who are locked behind bars in these very dark and extremely violent prisons. There were Muslims, Animists, Ancestral worshipers and all other types of pagans in attendance. Bro. Ed preached very touching sermons and there was profound and powerful conviction of the Holy Spirit. I saw prisoners seating on the floor, sobbing and weeping, as my brother preached under the unction of the Holy Spirit. I believe that there will be “much fruit” that remains, through these gospel opportunities; not only in the lives of the prisoners; but also in the lives of the guards and the prison officials who were in attendance. I want to give a special thanks to all who support Bro. Ed Lacy, for making this tremendous conference possible.”

Chaplain Dennis Papa, the Chaplain of the Kitale Annex prison, which is one of the prisons where I had the opportunity to preach the Gospel. He shares these words: “Throughout the week of this “Christ-centered Evangelism” conference my life has really been changed! The way that Bro. Ed has been presenting these truths has transformed my entire outlook on ministry and evangelism. There were so many things in my ministry that I had been doing “my own way and not God’s way! But, as this brother went deeper and deeper into the Word of God, I experienced a deep conviction in my heart and life. I have committed to no longer do things, in the manner that I have been doing them in the past. I have been using man’s methods to attempt to carry out God’s mission. So many of those whom I have ministered to have gone back to their old ways of sin! Then I would question myself, ‘What is wrong with the work that I have been doing”? I preach a message; and people come to the altar and repeat a sinner’s prayer that I lead them to pray; but then, the following Sunday, they are not there! So many of them have never been converted! It has only been superficial and emotional experiences. They never come back! I have come to see that I have been doing the work of evangelism in the wrong ways. But I have committed from this moment forward, to do God’s work in God’s ways and no longer in my own ways! I will never repeat the errors of the past. I will do the work of evangelism in a manner that is pleasing to my Lord. I want to say that Bro. Ed came specifically for me -- to teach these teachings for me. There are several members of my family who are not yet born again. But I have been provoked by these messages, to go to my knees for these family members and weep for their souls; and for the many prisoners that I daily minister to! From this day forward, I want to use God’s means to carry out God’s mission. Thank you Bro. Ed, for spending the finances, sacrificing your time and energy; and giving us the truths of God’s word and for giving us your very soul. The Word of God has changed our lives and ministries forever!” 

It was so precious and amazing to me, that after I preached at the Kitale Annex Prison, Chaplain Dennis voluntarily took the microphone and repented publicly before the prisoners, for evangelizing them in ways that were not biblical and not pleasing to the Lord. This was a very humbling thing for a Chaplain to be publicly repenting before prisoners! But, as the Chaplain of these prisoners, he committed to all of them, that He would use only God’s means to reach them for the Lord Jesus Christ from now on!

Chaplain Edward testified of the Holy Spirit’s working in his personal life and ministry, with the following words, “I have deeply appreciated this unique conference, because we have learned so much that we did not know before! It is my personal desire and prayer that I will put into practice all that I have learned, so that I might fulfill the great commission in the prisons of Kenya. I have been challenged in many ways by the teachings that Bro. Ed has brought to us. I am so grateful for the profound insights from the truths of God’s Word that have been declared to us. We have all seen that we have been guilty of imitating other people; instead of rightly dividing the Word of Truth, in this essential area of evangelism. We have been doing many things that are not biblical. But now, we know the truths from the Bible concerning these essential truths of conducting evangelism in ‘God’s ways’; and we are all committing to apply the truths of the Word of God and no longer imitate other men. From now on, we will be able to reach out in prison evangelism in a pure way and not a contaminated way. We are going to do ‘Gods work; God’s way; for God’s glory’; and then place our confidence in our Lord, to accomplish what He can accomplish, in His timing! I really appreciate all who have supported this ministry and have enabled this man of God to come here to Kenya and share these ‘life-giving’ truths. We need this man of God to come to us many more times; so that he can bring us many more teachings from the Word of God.” 

The Chaplain of the main prison of over 1,200 prisoners, shares these words: “I deeply appreciate the opportunity that we have had this week, in studying ‘Christ-centered Evangelism’. I am so grateful for the organizers of this conference, the people who supported this conference, and especially this brother who has traveled all the way from the U.S. to teach us. We are chaplains from all over Kenya; and we are from many different denominations. But, Bro. Ed has not taught us the ideas of denominations; He has taught us what is really in the Bible! Most of the time in our churches, we have focused on our own invented traditions from our denominations; but not the Bible! But God has used this man of God to bless our souls, for he has shown us the Bible in many profound ways. I have been personally challenged to study the Bible in a far greater way, so that I may do God’s work of evangelism in a manner that is pleasing to Him! I have been guilty of copying the ways of other preachers and the manner that they handled their evangelism; instead of going to God’s instructional manual. I have been guilty of using many human techniques and tactics that have not been ordained by God. But I have come to realize during this week, that understanding and applying God’s word and God’s ways of evangelism are infinitely more important than inventing our own ways to carry out God’s mission.” 

Chaplain Raymond testifies, “The knowledge that I have acquired this week has destroyed the false foundations that were in my heart; and have been swaying me away from the right path of God’s mission of using Gods means for God’s glory! But I can now understand the mind of God, concerning His ordained means that He has given us, to carry out His mission in prison ministry. I have committed to go back to my station of service, and begin teaching the right things from the right foundation; and remove the false foundations that that were in my mind and ministry. We have been forming our own ideas and doing our own things, which were against the will of God in evangelism. We have been repeating our errors and using our own methods. We have been producing many Ishmaels, by attempting to convert sinners in our own timing; instead of using God’s means and allowing God to produce Isaacs, in His timing. We must move away from the errors of our forefathers that are contrary to the Word of God and turn back to the Word of God. I have committed to obey the teachings that I have learned. It will not be easy. But I will be like the Berean’s and be submissive to the Word of God, the ways of God, and do it all for the glory of God”. 

Pastor Fredrick Mulei, has been the co-director of the “Christ-centered Evangelism” conferences in Kenya and Uganda, since my first visit in 2004. After returning home, I received an e-mail from him, sharing his heart about the chaplains’ conference. He writes, “Dear Bro. Ed, It was a great moment for me to serve along side you. Your life and ministry has greatly influenced my life and ministry, for the past 8 years. I have learned that ministry is an unconditional commitment. I have watched you for all this time; and I have come to love you much more, due to your love for the Lord Jesus Christ. My prayer has been that our glorious Father may give you strength and energy to continue to enable you to transverse this planet, making His truth known among the Israel of God. I also pray that He will continue giving you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may continue to bring more truth from His word to us, for the honor and glory of His name. The chaplains’ conference was so powerful. The Holy Spirit mightily opened up the prison chaplains’ eyes; they were very remorseful; and they confessed and repented from doing God’s work in man’s ways; and they promised to use only God ordained means in their future evangelism. One of them has been traveling around since the conference, testifying to other pastors and leaders on the importance of using authentic means in evangelism. He has already spoken in three meetings; and in all of them, he has been teaching about Christ-centered Evangelism. Sergeant Edward Misiati of Kapenguria prison has already testified that He has been preaching the “Christ centered” gospel message; and many inmates are confessing Jesus as Lord and coming to saving faith in Him!' These are just a few examples of what God is already doing among the prison chaplains. Many keep on calling us and thanking God for this conference, because they have received God’s revelation about biblical evangelism”! 

These are only a few of the many, many testimonies of the mighty reforming and reviving work of the Holy Spirit we experienced throughout this conference. There was a wonderful blessing that followed this conference. The Lord gave me the opportunity to bring the prison chaplains with us to the evangelistic prison services. This was an opportunity to illustrate what I had been teaching all week! Both of those prison crusades became a “living example” of the biblical principles that had been pouring into their hearts and minds throughout the conference! Only eternity will fully testify of all that the Holy Spirit has accomplished in the lives of these chaplains for the glory of our Lord and Savior!