In Depth:  Kip Chelashaw

letter from Kenya

For the past six years, the annual Rooted Conference has served as an important gathering of believers here in Kenya in that it provides a chance for many of our church members to gather and feast on the gospel.

This conference, which is held annually, centres its vision on the apostle Paul’s exhortation that is found in Colossians 2 v6-7: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness”.

letter from Kenya

Do you know who was the first Christian in your family tree? My great-grandfather was a murderer. Shocking, and even today many traditional cattle herders in Northern Kenya kill and are killed in violent cattle raids.

After some time in prison, this murderer started attending church and was baptised with the name Noah. His son, Laban, walked 60km to find a school where he could learn to read and write. He was sent away, being too old for school, but found a mission station where he learnt to read the Bible. Laban was sent back home to start a school and a church, and he was the first in his family to reject the practice of polygamy.

The excitement and frenzy in Kenya surrounding the US President’s visit in July to his family’s homeland was tremendous.

Unsurprisingly, for the Western press, the item that got most coverage was Obama’s championing of gay rights. Prior to the visit, Kenya’s Deputy President, William Ruto, said: ‘Homosexuality is against the plan of God. God did not create man and woman so that men would marry men and women would marry women.’