Together for the Gospel in Africa

April 16, 2026April 16, 2026 by Jonathan In Nairobi Church Plant 3 Comments

What does it look like when gospel partnership is more than just an idea—but something you can see, feel, and experience?

We had a glimpse of that over the past few weeks.

On his way to teach at the Pastors College in Ethiopia, Mark Prater, the Executive Director of Sovereign Grace Churches, stopped in Nairobi and spent the weekend with us. He preached on the Holy Spirit and prayer on Sunday morning—serving our church with humility and clarity from God’s Word. It was deeply refreshing. Many in our congregation are used to denominational leaders coming to be served, not to serve. Mark’s presence and ministry were a quiet but powerful reminder of what Christlike leadership looks like.

After his visit, Brian and I traveled with Mark to Addis Ababa for the first-ever Sovereign Grace Churches Africa Pastors Retreat. Pastors from Namibia, Zambia, Ethiopia, and Kenya gathered for a week of teaching, prayer, and fellowship. It’s hard to overstate how encouraging that time was.

There was a real sense of unity among us—not just because we happen to be part of the same family of churches, but because we share a commitment to Scripture, the gospel of grace, and the mission of the local church. Though we come from different nations and contexts, we found ourselves deeply aligned in both conviction and calling.

We’re increasingly aware that Africa is becoming more central in the story of global Christianity. At the same time, there is a great need for churches that hold fast to the authority of God’s Word, the centrality of the gospel, and the priority of the local church in God’s mission. Our time together only strengthened our resolve to labor toward that end—trusting God to raise up and sustain gospel-centered churches across our nations and, Lord willing, throughout the continent.

While in Addis, we also had the opportunity to spend time with our Pastors College students—Kevin, Mark, and Geoffrey. It was a joy to see them in their school context, faithfully training since last September. They are growing well, and we’re grateful for how God is preparing them for future ministry. Please continue to pray for them as they look ahead to graduation, Lord willing, in September 2026.

We left Ethiopia encouraged, strengthened in partnership, and freshly grateful for the work God is doing—not just in Nairobi, but across Africa.

Another Example of Partnership

During this time we also had a friend from South Carolina, Will Eaker, come to visit and serve SGC Nairobi for a couple weeks. We were especially grateful for Will’s help with our ministry to the young adults in our church. He gave guidance with what that could look like in the future and was there to help kickoff the very first monthly meeting for the growing number of young people at SGCN.

Thanks for standing with us in prayer and financial support! Here are some updated prayer requests.