Following God’s Invitation Changes Lives in Kenya

By Stephanie Heading, managing editor

God is at work in Kenya and He personally invited Phil Duncan to be part of it. 

Pastor Phil Duncan, retired pastor of evangelism and discipleship, Jersey Church, and Pastor Fredrick Masha of Chalfisi Baptist Church in Gede, Kenya, met in the early 2000s when Masha visited America. Duncan invited him to stay in his home and mentored the young pastor. 

During his time at Kenya Baptist Theological College, Masha heard God’s call to be a missionary to the unreached people groups in Kenya.

“He’s got a big heart,” Duncan said.

But the Lord didn’t just have plans for Masha, he wanted Duncan to be involved too. But first he needed to send him to Kenya. 

“I didn’t feel the need to go,” Duncan said. 

Then in 2013, he heard the call..

“God told me to go,” Duncan recalls. “God told me to give them anything they needed. He told me to support them until I died.” 

Since then Duncan has worked tirelessly to support Pastor Masha, Chafisi Baptist Church, and Committed Believers Evangelical Ministry of Africa (CBEM).

CBEM is the nonprofit ministry founded by Masha and former Ohio Baptists, Michael and Donna George, that supports the work of spreading the gospel in Kenya.

“Africa is a miracle,” Duncan said. “I didn’t know how I was going to do anything.”

Africa is a miracle

Obeying God’s call, Duncan traveled to Kenya, saw the work there and has been part of what God is doing through CBEM ever since. He says he listens to the Holy Spirit and watches God raise the support.

Duncan has seen God provide for CBEM in numerous ways. “It’s been so miraculous,” he said. Money has come from fellow church members, churches, foundations, inheritances, and people handing him cash or a check.

“I never asked anybody for anything. It is just amazing,” he said.  

Through CBEM, nine churches have been planted in the bush. The church plants have impacted two unreached people groups, the Banjun and the Waata. 

The villages of the Banjun and the Waata people typically have about 300 residents, according to Duncan. He says the churches average about 60 members which means that 20% of the people in the villages are involved in the new works.

Not only are these church plants meeting regularly, but eight of the plants have buildings that were built through CBEM. The ninth church building is under construction. 

“It costs $11,000 to build a church building,” said Duncan. “Nine thousand for the building and one thousand for a men’s restroom and one thousand for a women’s restroom. We’re trying to build one every year.” Each building seats 150 people.

We’re trying to build one every year

In addition, CBEM is also ministering to the disabled population which is dramatically underserved in Kenya. 

“Unlike most developing countries in the world, many disabled people in Kenya live in poverty and have limited opportunities for accessing education, health care, suitable housing and employment opportunities,” according to the CBEM website. 

The objectives of CBEM are to provide a church family for people living with disabilities; to reveal God through his son Jesus Christ; to minister to spiritual, social, and psychological needs; and to support the physical needs of people living with disabilities. 

The ministry to people with disabilities has grown from serving 150 people to over helping 1000 people since the beginning of the program and there are now seven locations where people with disabilities can worship. 

In September, Chafisi BC baptized believers with disabilities. “They’ve never baptized people with disabilities,” Duncan noted.

In his years on the team, Duncan has seen CBEM open a Bible Institute as well as a Pre-K to 9th grade school for children at Chalfisi BC and a school for children in the bush. The ministry also sponsors a vocational school helping students learn trades. 

CBEM’s ministries also provide medical care, water aid, children’s ministry, and missions ministry to continue to reach the lost in Kenya. 

Many of the unreached people groups are Muslim and Duncan says there have been professions of faith among them as well. 

“We are leading a lot of Muslims to Christ,” he said. “Twenty-nine Muslim children in the school have accepted Christ.”

Duncan asked school leaders how they know the children have made a profession of faith. 

You can see the difference in the way they worship

“You can see the difference in the way they worship,” he was told. 

Eleven and a half years later, Duncan is still following God’s call to support Pastor Masha and CBEM.

“I could never have dreamed what has happened in Africa,” he said. “Somehow God has made provision over the last eleven and a half years.”

Pastor Masha and CBEM welcome mission teams to come serve in Kenya. For more information, visit cbemafrica.org. To support CBEM financially, you can send a check to Jersey Baptist Church, 13260 Morse Road, New Albany, OH 43054. Please put CBEM-Africa on the memo line.