Peeling back the mask of spiritual ignorance through sound discipleship training – Impact of FDM in Kenya, Africa
Africa has been known to be a dark continent for centuries. Her people have lived in darkness of spiritual ignorance even after Missionaries from the West came and shared the gospel with them. Though many embraced the gospel, its roots did not go deeper in their hearts. They remained confused and ignorant of total truth about what God wants of them and their families. One needs not to look further to see that a good number of them are simply religious and not living true Christian lives. One of their own scholars John Mbiti described them as being “notoriously religious”.
But there is now a ray of hope. Spiritual ignorance and confusion among many Africans is now becoming a thing of the past courtesy of Family Discipleship Ministries. FDM is only a few years in Africa but it is making inroads into many families in Africa, Kenyans to be exact. I am not a Jewish prophet nor related to one but without doubt I see FDM peeling back the mask of spiritual ignorance in Kenya and Africa as a whole in the years to come. FDM which is purely dedicated to carrying out the Great Commission is saving lives, restoring broken family relationships, bringing reconciliation and making God’s people unconditionally love one another. The time has now fully come for God to give his children leaders according to His heart to feed them on His knowledge and understanding as He promised in Jeremiah 3:15.
I am one of those, who, though I was saved and leading God’s flock, was ignorant of God’s knowledge. FDM revolutionized my life, ministry and family in a way I cannot say. It was my Damascus road encounter with the truth and the scales of ignorance fell off my spiritual eyes through training by Pastor Craig Caster, the founder and president of FDM. When he peeled off the mask of confusion and ignorance from me I began training others who were also in the state I was in before.
FDM has become the best thing since sliced bread for all churches in Kenya. Those who have come through it have grown more passion to go out and assemble other Christians and teach them. Many have been trained, are being trained and others waiting to be trained. Both men and women are leaving nothing to chance to train their fellow believers. One perfect example is a sister called Veronica Akumu who is fully dedicated to training others. She is so passionate to the extent she walks on foot for 25 miles (to and fro combined) to train students beside those she trains in her home. She has come up with a new strategy of training as many as possible. She goes through the material with her direct students and each student goes and trains two students at home. So by the time she is through with one chapter with her direct students the students of her students have also completed the same chapter. And after one chapter is over all students come with their students and they take some time to revise the just concluded chapter and then she introduces the new chapter with all of them present. Then they go and continue training as usual until the new chapter is over and they again assemble together.
God is growing and multiplying disciples. I am seeing many dedicated students going out to train others and this is a good sign that false teachers will have no one to deceive as there will be shortage of ignorant believers.
So far, we have classes in many places in both rural and urban centers. I and the former students who are now good teachers travel weekly to train and oversee trainings all over Kenya and we really enjoy it. Even now there are pending trips. Two in Mbale and Kampala in Uganda and others in Kisii, Kiligoris, Mombasa in Kenya. I am seeing God peeling back the mask of ignorance among his people through these classes and classes within classes thanks to FDM. Africa, a continent which once lived in darkness is seeing the light. God bless FDM so that it reaches the many places in the world.
Pastor Davis JumaFDM Ambassador to Kenya