Church Planter Conversation: Brian Kiama
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Benjamin Kreps:
Hey everyone, and welcome to the Mark Prater podcast - where our aim is to connect our global family of sovereign grace churches with our executive director. Mark, we have another guest. What a treat it is to be joined by Brian Kiama, who is a member of the first graduating class of the Trinity Fellowship Pastor's College in Ethiopia back in 2022, and now a pastor and church planner in Nairobi, Kenya.
Brian, I've heard about you through all the different updates over the last few years as we anticipated the church plant in Kenya, and I just met you right before we started recording. So what a treat it is to actually meet you. And that could be and probably is the case for a lot of folks checking out the podcast. I heard about you now, and there's an opportunity to meet you. So Brian, thanks for joining us.
Brian Kiama:
Thank you for having me on the podcast.
Benjamin Kreps:
Well, we're grateful for you. So, Brian, tell us your wife's name, how long you've been married and tell us about your family.
Brian Kiama:
Well, yeah, my wife's name is Julia, and we've been married for nine years now. Since August 13th, 2016. The Lord has blessed us with two young kids. Our firstborn is seven years old, and our secondborn is six years old. Just such a blessing, so full of energy, so full of life. We are really glad that the Lord gave them to us.
Mark Prater:
You got a sweet family, Brian. Remember meeting them when I was in Addis Ababa, when you were a student there. Tell us, Brian, how did you hear about or learn about Sovereign Grace and then why did you want to plant a Sovereign Grace Church in Nairobi, Kenya?
Brian Kiama:
My first exposure to Sovereign Grace was through their music on YouTube. I actually remember the first song I ever heard was Behold Our God. Just remembering, being so affected by the words that they were singing, but also the music itself. It was just at a season in my life where I think my convictions were growing deeper and becoming more and more reformed. I was looking for good, solid, biblically rich, sound doctrine-type music. I think I was just searching online, a few hymns here and there, and then came across Behold Our God. I instantly loved the song and wanted to know more about this singing group.
From the beginning, I just assumed one of these groups that do music, but I think just doing more research online, I came across the Sovereign Grace website. Oh, I actually found out that these are churches called Sovereign Grace Churches. I happened to come across Sovereign Grace Louisville and started listening to their sermons online, which I really loved. And yes, I think at that point I was just feeling that the Lord was leading me towards ministry. Not quite sure what that would look like or even in what context, but I think the more I learned and studied scripture, the more I was being spoken to by sound teaching.
I knew that my convictions were becoming more and more reformed, but at the same time, I still believe that the work of the Holy Spirit continues, especially in the gifts, as He still gives the gifts of the Holy Spirit to the church. And most of the guys that I've grown to love and admire, really sound, really faithful, but cessationist. At that point, I was still struggling, still not okay. I can hear and see their arguments, but I’m not really convinced that this is in scripture.
But when I came across Sovereign Grace and went through their shared values, seeing that they're reformed yet charismatic continuationist, I never knew I could be both. So that was a really good surprise for me, and that even prompted me to want to know more about this denomination.
Mark Prater:
Wonderful.
Benjamin Kreps:
And so, eventually, this led you to Trinity Fellowship and the pastor's college there. Tell us about that. How did you get connected to Trinity?
Brian Kiama:
Well, so even that connection is an interesting connection. So, the first exposure to Sovereign Grace was around 2015. Then, around 2018, we met a couple of new missionaries in Kenya who moved to the town we were living in at that point. We became really good friends with them early on, getting to know them well. It just so happened that this brother, he's called Josh as well, he had gone to the same undergraduate university with Josh Parnell in the US years back.
I think that we maintained contact over the years. So now, I’m just sharing life with my friend Josh, my desire for ministry, and also getting to know more about Sovereign Grace, sharing with him. It would be nice if one day we could go to the US during our college years, be trained there, and even be sent out for church planting, wherever the Lord will lead us.
We fast-forward a bit towards the end of 2020, around that time. So, this friend of mine, Josh, reached out to Josh Pannell, who was still in the US at that point, to see if there was any possibility for a Kenyan to be recommended to join the Pastors College in the US. It was just so amazing to see how the Lord was already at work. It was around the same time that the Pannell family were thinking and praying about moving to Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, to join Michael in the church plant that was already taking place there, and specifically to start a Pastor College. It’s amazing to see the timing of how that all worked out and seeing God bringing this connection together. It was the Lord who was using this friend of mine to connect me with Josh Pannell and ended up meeting virtually, he asked me a few questions, getting to know me more. By God's grace, I was accepted. So now we joined the first PC class in Addis Ababa in 2021.
Benjamin Kreps:
That's fantastic. Shout out to Michael and Josh; it's been such a joy to watch not only the church plant in Ethiopia but also the establishment of a new pastor's college. You were part of that first class, and then you did a pastoral internship at Trinity Fellowship. How did all of that, your involvement at the church and the pastor's college in Addis Ababa, how did that equip you and prepare you to plant a church?
Brian Kiama:
Well, for one, the theological training, it was really rigorous. And yeah, I mean, it demanded a lot of our hard work in our studies, a lot of diligence. So I think being in that intense learning situation, I think in a real sense really prepared me just for the rigor of church planting. It helped me to be more disciplined in that sense. But yeah, even just apart from that, I think I knew that the gospel really should be at the center of the Christian life ministry, everything. But I think in my head it was more like a theory, something more abstract. But now going through the Pastor’s College, and during the residency period, at some point, I think it just, the penny finally dropped for me.
I actually started grasping more practically. This is what gospel centrality actually looks like and how it affects the grassroots level, how it influences how I treat my wife, my kids, how I do life, and how I do ministry.
That's when it began making sense. And I mean, even at this point, I'm still learning and still growing in that. But I think just during that period, that's when the penny finally dropped for me, and now, seeing all these connections, they make sense in my head.
The shaping values that I've also come to love about Sovereign Grace - joy, humility, encouragement. I think getting to see that being embodied at the pastor’s college with many of the professors who are coming to teach us, but also even within the church community, fellowship with Michael, and even us seeing the church, how it's growing in terms of embodying these shaping virtues, that really helped me a lot. Just preparing me to see, as we're going to plant a church in a real sense, we are also transferring this same culture to the next church plant.
Yes, obviously, there's contextualization and all those things, but they're the virtues we want to see transferred and embodied in this new church plant.
Mark Prater:
That's wonderful, Brian. One of the unique aspects about your church planting story is that you have another Sovereign Grace pastor, an ordained elder in Sovereign Grace by the name of Jonathan Leslie, who's an American, actually graduated from the Pastor's College here in the States several years ago, and he's now moved his family to help you plant Sovereign Grace's church in Nairobi. So how did Jonathan Leslie hear about you, and why did he decide to join you?
Brian Kiama:
Yeah, that's also an interesting story because I feel like, in many ways, we are the ones who join them in planting this church.
Yeah, because on our side, going to Ethiopia and joining the Pastor’s college, we still didn't have a clear direction in terms of ministry, even beyond the PC. I think we just, at that point, I knew, or rather, I felt like the Lord was leading us more towards a Frontier Missionary type of ministry. So just going out to some unreached people groups, preaching to them, planting a church amongst them. So that was my impression, even coming into the pastor’s college. But I think over time, even the Lord, through Michael himself, is getting me to think more about what the Lord might be leading us to do in ministry, but within an urban context, so within a city.
So now, I’m just seeing more and more change in that direction, but I’m still thinking it’s probably within Addis and maybe for a couple of years. So Nairobi still wasn't on our radar. Having graduated from the Pastor College and just in the early stages of our residency, Michael suggested to me, "Why don't I think about moving back to Nairobi and planting a church?" My wife and I immediately responded with, "Absolutely not." Like not Nairobi, we have no interest, no vision for Nairobi whatsoever. But I think it just left us to think and pray about it. But in my mind, it was more like, eh, no, that is not happening. Then, a few weeks later, I received an email from Jonathan Leslie. At that point, I didn't know who this guy was. They had been living in Kenya for a number of years, so now he had reached out to Michael, asking whether they could visit Trinity Fellowship Church to see what the Lord is doing there and to find out what was happening with the Pastor College.
So they came over to Addis in December 2022, and when they arrived, that's when they gave us, well, first they gave Michael the story of why they were there in the first place. Jonathan had long desired to see a Sovereign Grace Church planted in Nairobi, but he had no idea that there was even a church plant in Ethiopia. So that summer of 2022, he attended the Worship God conference and connected with a few brothers he knew from way back, I think, since Pastors College.
That's when they told him, Oh, there's actually something happening in Ethiopia. There's a church plant there. There's also a Pastors College, and there's actually a Kenyan couple at the Pastors College in Ethiopia. So now that's really what made them decide to come and visit us. So now just hearing that background story, hearing their heart for Nairobi, their heart for church plant in Nairobi, I think just the Lord using that conversation give me a desire and even get me thinking more about, okay, maybe the Lord really is doing something, seeing what Michael had been saying a few weeks before that and seeing the Lord bringing Jonathan into that conversation.
So, just slowly, the Lord is giving me faith for now, possibly now moving to Nairobi for this church plant. But yeah, just over the next few months, the more we talk, the more we prayed about it, the more we engaged with the Leslies, I think just becoming more and more convinced, okay, yes, the Lord seems to be leading us in this direction and giving me faith for that. And also eventually giving Julia the faith for that. It did take much longer for Julia to come to that point of just, yes, okay, we are actually moving to Nairobi. It took a bit longer for her to come to grips with that, but eventually she did. Yeah. So that's really how the Lord brought us together in seeing what the Lord was even doing before that. Yeah,
Benjamin Kreps:
Wonderful. That is wonderful. Thank you for being sensitive to the Holy Spirit's guiding you through that process. I love that. No way. And God says, Hold up, I’ve got a plan.
Brian Kiama:
Yes!
Benjamin Kreps:
Love hearing about your heart for mission and the church. I mean, so far it's easy to pickup your desire for this church plant to be theologically informed, gospel-centered, seasoned with our shaping virtues, reaching the lost with the gospel, reaching the unreached, and so forth. What would you describe as your vision and your hope for your church in Nairobi?
Brian Kiama:
Yeah, that's a good question. And I think broadly speaking, just wanting to see the way Jesus said that we as a church, we are like a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden, or even that lamb that is set on a lamp stand to give life to all those who are around.
Just wanting this to be such a church, just being planted in Nairobi and even just being planted in one of the really most influential parts of the city, wanting to be a light in that community, wanting to be that city set on a hill, just wanting to make disciples who genuinely love Jesus, delighting Jesus, wanting to see the gospel, really taking root and bearing fruit in their lives, really just affecting and shaping every part of their lives. Marriage, parenting, work, school, business, everything. Just wanting to see the gospel bearing fruit in people's lives, even as a church dreaming, hoping that the church would be somewhat of an Antioch church, hoping that the Lord would raise up more faithful men whom we can send to be trained. And even as they come back, we can send them out to plant more biblically faithful, gospel-centered churches in the city and even across the country. So I think just really, that's my heart behind this church plant and hoping, praying that that would come into reality.
Mark Prater:
That's good. Well, it seems like that may be happening, because I believe you've sent three men from Nairobi to the Third Trinity Fellowship Pastor's college class. It's just start, isn't that right?
Brian Kiama:
Yes, yes. Yeah. And that's honestly, I mean, we really didn't expect that coming into this church plant. But yeah, just within our first year, the Lord giving us three men, I mean whom we love, whom we trust that we can send to the Pastor’s College, just being a blessing. It is just been such a joy for us to see that happening.
Mark Prater:
Well, thanks for your vision to send them your faith to send them. And may you, I'll be praying. We'll be praying as a family of churches. May you be an Antioch Church, as you said. So tell us, Brian, how long have you been gathering for public services now as a church on Sundays, and how have those went?
Brian Kiama:
Okay. Yeah, so it's been nine months. So we began first meeting on January 5th of this year, and we've actually been meeting at the Leslie's house for all these nine months, but actually this last Sunday. So October 5th is officially our last Sunday at the Leslie's home. And even how that happened was Jonathan's landlord. So now his sister came to realize, oh, there's a church that has been meeting in this house and actually been meeting for this number of months. This has to stop immediately.
Yes. So this last Sunday was officially our very last Sunday meeting at their home. But thankfully, just seeing the Lord’s timing in all these things, we had been meeting or we had met with owners of a potential venue that we are hoping to rent, and things had been very promising even before this Sunday. So now we met again on Tuesday this week and just proceeding with that conversation. So now in short, yes, they have allowed us to do a trial Sunday meeting in that space this coming Sunday. But now one thing that would be a concern is the owner or the landlord of that entire property actually lives on the top floor, which is just above the space where we're hoping to meet as a church. So now his concern would be whether the sound from the church would be too loud, whether basically would it be acceptable to them, and if not, then I think they would deny us meeting there again. So at least for this coming Sunday, we have a space, but now we're just praying for favor with the landlord, hoping that yes, it'll just be okay for them and that they'll be willing for us to continue renting that space at least for one year.
Benjamin Kreps:
Okay. Wow.
Brian Kiama:
I mean, even just for this past nine months, it's really been a blessing to have the Leslie’s home, and even during this time, seeing how the Lord has been building this community over time in many ways that we never expected, bringing people from different, different parts of the city, but also just very diverse cultural backgrounds that we never expected. Yes, we have quite a number of Kenyans, yes, but we also have a number of Americans. We have a Dutch family, have a British family. So it's been amazing, just the diverse community that the Lord has been building already amongst us.
Benjamin Kreps:
Excellent. Well, let's be praying for that, everybody who checks out this podcast. Let's be praying for this new location. That's a hard one. And I think guys in the States, a number of guys I know can relate to that kind of challenge of trying to find a space. So we'll be praying for you guys. And so this is especially important if someone lives in Nairobi or they have friends or family there, it might be interested in checking out the church, especially in this tenuous season, figuring things out when it comes to location space. We're hoping that the answer will be after this Sunday. Now we meet here of course, but how would somebody find out where you meet more information about the church?
Brian Kiama:
So right now we are on social media, so we have a Facebook page, we have an Instagram page. So if you just go online, it's Sovereign Grace Nairobi. So right there you can get to reach us and even ask for more information about where we are meeting. We also have a website that is now up and running. So it's sgcnairobi.org. Yeah. We are also hoping to post updated information on where we are meeting on that page as well.
So far, people have been coming through word of mouth, telling their friends and family, "Please come and see this new church, come and visit." Yeah. That's how most people are getting to know about the church.
Mark Prater:
That's great. Well, as Ben mentioned, Brian, our family of churches will be praying for a more permanent meeting location, but we'd also just like to know what are other ways that we can be praying for you and the Sovereign Grace Church plant in Nairobi?
Brian Kiama:
Yeah, thank you for that. I think for now, the venue is the big one right now. But also at the moment, we are at a season where we're just introducing church membership. So now this will be our very, very first time that we are constituting together as members of Sovereign Grace Nairobi.
We had gone through a membership series in the month of July, and now people have been interested in becoming members of Sovereign Grace Nairobi. So Jonathan and I, along with one of our pastoral residents, a resident worship pastor named Victor, are involved. The three of us have been conducting membership interviews, and it's been just a sweet time getting to know these people whom the Lord has been bringing to us, bringing to the church. So we're still going through that process. I think us moving venues would briefly interrupt that interviewing process. You can just be praying that indeed the Lord will continue building his church in this way, so he can give us wisdom as we go through the membership process.
And yeah, even just in terms of that long-term vision, even for the three men we sent to Ethiopia, for the pastors’ colleges are praying for these men. They're called Kevin, Mark, and Geoffrey. So even just being praying for these men, for God to use this here to really shape and grow them in Christlikeness, to equip them for the work of ministry that lies ahead and just for the gospel to really bear fruit in their lives in every way. Yeah, I think pretty much that's what I would say for now.
Benjamin Kreps:
Excellent. Well, it's wonderful to hear a little bit of your story, Brian, and your heart for this church plant. I think one of the things I love about this story is that it glorifies God, and there's this wonderful ripple effect, a global ripple effect. There are two different Sovereign Grace Pastors Colleges involved, in different countries where you guys plant, and now you're sending guys back to the pastors’ college they graduated from immediately, which is a compelling example for me.
Mark Prater:
Yes.
Benjamin Kreps:
Thank you for sharing all of that. Brian, your example is compelling and inspiring, and we are so glad to be partnered together in this family of churches that we call Sovereign Grace churches. So let's be praying for Brian, Jonathan, and the rest of the folks there, and thank you for checking out the podcast. We'll see you here next week. Lord willing. Bye for now.