Nairobi conference
More than 50 pastors and other delegates gathered from all over Kenya to attend the annual Reformed conference for ministers, sponsored by Trinity Baptist Church (TBC), Nairobi.
All the attendees had a strong appetite for, though in some cases an inadequate understanding of, Reformed theology.
The main subject was regeneration. Nine sessions were given over to the subject and most of these sessions were led by Gary Brady of Childs Hill Baptist Church, London, who looked at the character of new birth, evidences for it and its place in the plan of salvation.
The other speaker was the pastor of TBC, Keith Underhill, who looked at the history of regeneration and how to preach it. He also gave something of the history of the great Reformed confessions — the Westminster, Savoy and 1689.
Each of the three main days began with devotions led by Kenyan pastors. There was also a profitable question time and other informal sessions.
Kenya’s churches appear to be much in the grip of nominalism or a superficial, decisionistic and sensationalist form of religion. But there is an appetite for solid teaching among some.
There are divisions even among Reformed Christians there, which is a source of discouragement, but also a desire to press on with the work and look to the Lord for success.
Mr Underhill, now in his 60s, has been used of God over the years to promote the Reformed faith and help men in the vital work of church planting and reformation. He continues to be a great encourager to many.
A man of vision, having seen Christian work established in the north of the country among the Rendille, he has his sights set, under God, on needy places beyond that and even into the Sudan.
Just before the conference he, with others, was involved in helping a pastor, a former student of the Nairobi-based seminary, in beginning to constitute a small church some 70 kilometres east of Nairobi.
Meanwhile, there are also a number of young men, who are increasingly exercising a key role and are maybe an earnest of the future.
Gary Brady
