In Western society it’s difficult to do life together, but it does happen, it can be sustained and it can be life-changing. I pray these stories encourage you to keep meeting, keep searching and start gathering. This story is told by Eliakim Odida.
Praise Jesus! My name is Eliakim Odida and I was born in 1979. I’m from Mfangano Island, Homabay County in Kenya, Africa.
Throughout my life I have lived in a remote village without electricity, good schools or a hospital, but I thank God things are getting better now, especially since the introduction of solar power.
My parents were members of an indigenous church and our fellowship was in a small house that belonged to us. I still have fond memories of that grass thatched house.
Those intergenerational meetings were accompanied by great works and we were a family who had one father, God. At fifteen years old winds of change were sweeping the indigenous churches. Pastors were forced to go for training and groups were pressured into being institutionalized. Groups were no longer relational.
My father Peter, and my mother Brigitte, were now called Pentecostals. Meetings became filled with lectures and monologues. I felt something was lacking.
I finished high school in 1999 but my life was a struggle because of rampant poverty. I didn’t follow my father in his ministry as I had doubts about the way the church had changed. I was married in 2011, to my beautiful wife Diane. I shared with her the questions I had about the changes I thought were not right. She supported me in prayer and we started disciple-making groups asking the Lord to lead us.
Our ministry was met with resistance from the local traditional churches who believed in hierarchy, clergy/laity, pews and the need for degrees. Many times I was in the hands of police with false accusations of devil worship and in 2016 my house was torched. God rescued my wife, myself and our four children.
Seeing how disciples of Jesus were suffering, I kept on seeking God’s heart and listening to his Spirit to teach me more. This led me to the book of Acts 7:48. God does not live in houses made out of human hands.
As of today we have planted thirty-four house churches and people have heard and accepted the truth, doing life together in a relational way. We don’t have church buildings or professional clergy. We are one family and all of the body is free to participate. Serving Christ in this way is easy.
The fire of the Spirit is burning wild and nobody can stop it. We have the heart of a servant and Jesus is the one controlling His church. Love among us makes us grow as the Lord adds to His church. We are going on and encouraging others to hold true to the gospel. It’s all of us, not some special person.
To contact Eliakim Odida
Phone number +254757064967
Email: odidaeliakim62@gmail.com
Kenya Islands House Churches
5 replies on “Unsung Heroes – Kenya”
Thank you for all this Lord!
Bless you Kim. God is doing great things through our brethren in other parts of western Kenya and Nairobi. I wished you could be a part of it.
Thank you for writing this article on behalf of Eliakim. I knew in my spirit that he was doing the work of the Lord and thus I support him, but this has confirmed belief. It also allows me to share better with others the needs of the people in his area. Again thanks and God bless.
You’re welcome brother.
Praise God for this man of God. He has been ministering to so many over the years. Many widows, orphans, families. He is always there to give his last. He is rare and a great great asset to the Kingdom of God in all 8 years I have never heard him complain about helping others. He is first to fight for their cause … he hates to see another hungry and his wife matches his same selfless call. They take many into their own home and there she is sewing making clothes for others, not for profit but to serve. Praise God for this couple. They deserve this recognition. Many have been discipled and traveling to do the same. Glory to God.