Updates of Efforts to Spread the Gospel in Africa

June 29, 2009
Meetings in Tanzania
After Elder Obey Ndalima Mwakalonge passed away, Elders Sam Bryant and Paul Blair journeyed to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania in April to assist and comfort the First Primitive Baptist Church of Tanzania. They were met there by Elders Martin Onyoni and Charles Kenyanjui of Kisii, Kenya. While there, seven came forth requesting baptism and were received and baptized. Included in those who joined was a former Pentecostal preacher. I have been requested to assist him and three other exercising brethren in their studies along with Elder Martin. Elder Martin agreed to serve as Pastor of the church and come to Dar Es Salaam once a month and stay for two weekends and preach there at the church until one or more of the brethren is ready to be ordained.
Efforts in Ghana
I continue to provide materials for study and preaching tapes and MP3-CDs to the brother whom I met in the airport in Nairobi on my third trip to Kenya. In addition, I am providing study materials to four other brethren who believe they have a call to preach. Ghana is an English speaking nation, so it makes communication with the brethren there much simpler. They have formed a fellowship there with a sizeable contingent meeting in a rented facility. We have provided through the assistance of others bibles and song books to these brethren. Elder Martin and the First Primitive Baptist Church of Kenya-Kisii have agreed to extend an arm to the labor in Ghana and to take the oversight of these brethren. I am planning a trip to Ghana in January 2010 along with Elder Martin Onyoni and perhaps one other brother from the United States.
Efforts in Uganda
Just prior to my last trip to Kenya, Elder Martin was met by a family friend from Uganda and shared with him some of our teachings and some of the study materials. The man desired to know more about the Primitive Baptists and what we teach. Shortly after my last trip to Kenya I began to provide the man (his name is Boaz Munga) with the study materials, preaching sermons, bibles, and song books. He is meeting with a group of people in Mbale, Uganda and they are studying together with the materials I have sent. No date has been set yet to meet with these brethren. Uganda is also an English speaking nation.
Efforts in Zambia
Elder Sam Bryant had invited Elder Mike Ivey and myself to Alabama for a series of meetings during the third week in May. On the first day of our arrival at Elder Bryant's home he received an email from the former Pentecostal preacher who joined the church in Tanzania. He requested that the study materials be sent to five friends of his in Zambia who had studied with him in the Bible College there. Since then I have been furnishing study materials to these men by email. Three of the men are showing a keen interest in these studies. One of the men indicated he had nine other men who desired to study the materials with him. I am in the process of making up a notebook with about five hundred pages of essays and studies on the things most surely believed by us. I will be sending this notebook to five brethren in Tanzania, and to the brethren in Zambia. A sizeable portion of these studies have already been sent to Ghana and about half have been sent to Uganda. Zambia is also an English speaking nation.
Possible door in South Africa
On the next to last day of our visit to Alabama, we visited a church near Huntsville, Alabama. After services a young sister asked to speak with me. She was from South Africa and along with her husband had fairly recently joined the Primitive Baptists. She asked that I send the study materials to her and that she would in turn share them with her parents back in South Africa. She expressed the opinion that the Primitive Baptist doctrine would be well received in South Africa, especially amongst the black population.
Continued efforts in Kenya
In addition to the five churches that were constituted when Elder Mike Ivey, Elder Obey, and myself met with Elder Martin Onyoni in Kisii, Kenya, there are three additional fellowships. The fellowships are located in Nairobi, Navaisha, and Kisumu. From the reports that I have received from the brethren in Kenya, these three fellowships are growing in their knowledge and desire to worship and serve the Lord and the Lord continues to direct his servants in these cities to these fellowships. When additional men are ready for ordination, these fellowships will be constituted into churches.
Needs
Some have asked me about the needs of the churches and fellowships in Africa. I write this not with the purpose of asking for financial assistance, but to let people know of the needs. If anyone feels led to assist, then that will be between you and the Lord.
There continues to be a need for King James bibles, song books, study materials, MP3-CD players for playing sermons, and for duplicated writings by Primitive Baptist on bible subjects. Sending mail by the postal service is quite expensive both here in the United States and then in the country receiving the materials. Often, it cost just as much on their end as it does to send the materials from the United States.
Travel and living costs are expensive for the brethren in Kenya to travel to the distant fellowships in Nairobi, Navaisha, and Kisumu. These brethren have minimal income just to support their families.
Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church is helping Elder Martin with his expenses in traveling to Dar Es Salaam.
Since Elders Martin and Charles will be visiting other countries, the cost of air travel will be quite expensive for them. They will need help.
Since the five churches in Kenya are near the city of Kisii, I believe it would be beneficial to have a weekly radio broadcast in Kisii to introduce many more people to the Primitive Baptists. I asked Elder Martin Onyoni to find out how much a broadcast would cost. For a weekly fifteen minute broadcast in Swahili or Kisii, the cost would be $200 a month.
Others have asked about assisting the brethren in their daily living. For this I refer you to Elder Mike Ivey of the Lewisville Primitive Baptist Church and Brother Bob Coleman of the Augusta Primitive Baptist Church.

Elder Vernon Johnson
3670 Lee Johnson Farm Rd.
Farmersville, Texas 75442