Sometimes I just stop and marvel at the way God spreads his Word and weaves people together.
On September 10, 2024, I received a surprising email from a pastor in Kisii, Kenya. That pastor was Kennedy. Kennedy was raised Mormon, and after coming to see the truth of God’s Word, he reached out to Truth in Love Ministry, asking for help and training so he could share the gospel clearly with others who were still caught in a system of works and worthiness.
When I read his email, I felt two things at once: gratitude and awe. Gratitude that God had opened Kennedy’s eyes to the beauty of the gospel, and awe that God would connect our ministry to believers on the other side of the world through a single message.
And then, as the weeks went on, that awe only grew.
Because the Lord did not just connect two people, he began strengthening an entire church family, across the ocean, through tools like the internet and Zoom.
From a living room to two growing congregations
In that first email, Kennedy described how the Lord had already been building something in Kisii. After leaving Mormonism, a small group began gathering to pray and learn God’s Word, first in his home. Within a short time, they moved to a larger home, and in about two months, they had already outgrown that space, too. They built a temporary outdoor shade so the people could keep gathering. Soon, their gathering of dozens had grown to over 200 souls, many coming from a Mormon background. Today, Kennedy pastors congregations at two different locations, meeting in simple yet functional brick structures.
That is the kind of growth only God can do.
The Word shared across the world
Over the past year, I have had the joy of meeting regularly with Pastor Kennedy and leaders from his two congregations through Zoom. Week after week, we opened the Bible together and worked through core doctrines that are especially important for people coming out of Mormonism: sin, grace, faith, and works. We talked about the blessings of baptism. We worked carefully through questions that many former Mormons wrestle with, including the difference between the nature of man and the essence of God.
Often these meetings were with leaders, but at times I also had the privilege of teaching and preaching to the broader gathering, sometimes with nearly 200 people listening together on the other side of the screen. Most of the time, what they saw was simple: me on a smartphone held by a leader and translator, with believers gathered close enough to listen, ask questions, and learn together. A leader and translator became the bridge, holding the phone, translating faithfully, and helping the whole group follow along, respond, and grow together. They followed along in their own Ekegusii translation on their phones, or in hard copies of Bibles that a friend of Truth in Love Ministry purchased for them.
No stage. No production. Just the Word of God being opened, taught, heard, and treasured.
And if that doesn’t make you stand in awe, it should. The Lord is using everyday technology to put the gospel in front of hungry hearts, to unite believers who may never have met otherwise, and to strengthen faith through the same timeless Word.
What God has been teaching and strengthening
The greatest joy has been watching what happens when the gospel becomes clear.
Repeatedly, I have seen fear start to loosen its grip. I have seen burdens lift. I have heard the relief in their questions and in their voices as they began to understand what God actually gives in Christ. Not a system to climb or complete, but a Savior to trust. Not confidence in ourselves or our progress, but a deeper dependence on God and everything he has done through Jesus Christ.
And this is why I keep coming back to one simple sentence: Jesus is enough. Not Jesus plus improvement. Not Jesus plus worthiness. Not Jesus plus earning. Jesus is enough.
The Word spreading to children
Kennedy’s first email made it clear that the gospel was never meant to stay inside a gathering. Alongside preaching and shepherding, he shared how they were also caring for orphaned children. Today, that ministry is serving more than 80 orphans, and several times I was able to share messages specifically with that group, too.
Those times were unforgettable. And after the simple Bible lessons, the children would head out into the courtyard to show me their soccer skills. Other times, they sang songs for me. Even through a screen, you could see the joy on their faces.
Seeking wisdom and direction for on-the-ground support
Early on, as the congregations continued to grow, I knew they would be helped by stronger on-the-ground support and wise local connections. So, I reached out to the WELS One Africa Team for advice and direction. The One Africa Team serves churches across Africa by strengthening and equipping local leaders through ongoing training and support.
Because this group was specifically coming out of Mormonism, they asked me to continue the initial training, which I joyfully did. From there, we began strategizing about the best next steps for long-term care and support.
The Lord also provided a personal connection that felt like a warm reminder of how tightly God knits his church together. The One Africa Team’s leader, Pastor Howie Mohlke, previously served at the very church in Nampa, Idaho, where TILM founder Mark Cares started. Howie was already familiar with Mormonism, and the kinds of questions and pressures former Mormons often carry.
A joyful visit in Kisii
Recently, God gave a gift that so many of us had been praying for: a face-to-face visit.
Pastor Howie Mohlke and his wife Leslie traveled to Kisii and spent time with Pastor Kennedy and the believers he is shepherding. They met with more than 200 men and women from the congregations, visited the orphan ministry, and took a deep dive into God’s Word together.
Pastor Howie told them, “We are friends with Pastor Parsons, and we are part of the same international church body.” And the people clapped, not because they were impressed with us, but because they were amazed at the connections God has made. When I heard that, I laughed and clapped here in Nampa, too. What a cool thing God is doing.
Howie and Leslie also took time to meet with leaders, and they met with the women of the congregation as well, providing specific Bible classes and resources for each of them. That kind of care is a gift, and it is exactly what we have been praying for as this church continues to grow.
They also met with the children from the orphan ministry. Those same kids who had shown me their soccer skills in the courtyard and sang songs for me over Zoom now had huge smiles as they met Howie and Leslie in person. Howie and Leslie shared a message specifically tailored for them, and it was another reminder that the Lord knows how to care for people personally, right where they are.
And in a way, God is doing this with all of you as well. As you go out and share the gospel with someone, they can share the gospel with someone, and they can share the gospel with someone. This is what God has been doing for thousands of years as his Word goes out into the world. Sometimes it is simply a blessing to get to see the connections God is making in real time.
I wanted you to see that too.
As you watch the video below, my hope is that you will feel like you are in the room where it happens, as the Word of God is shared with people whose hearts were once captured by a false religious system, and who are now living in the freedom of knowing Christ and Christ alone for their eternal life. And as you watch, I hope you feel the joy we have as Jesus is proclaimed among the nations.
How you can pray
Please pray for Pastor Kennedy, his family, the believers in Kisii, and the children served through the orphan ministry. Please pray for strength, wisdom, and protection for Pastor Kennedy as he shepherds two congregations, and pray that the Lord would provide what is needed to care well for the more than 80 children in the orphan ministry. Pray that God continues to strengthen them through the Word, deepen their trust in Jesus Christ alone, and use this growing church to reach many more.
Because when God connects people, it is never accidental. And right now, in Kisii, Kenya, hundreds of souls are learning to rejoice in the message that Jesus is enough.
