Brief Visit to the States; Pray for Church Planting Plans
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is church planting.
April 24, 2018
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I am sitting in my office on the eve of a long journey. Tomorrow morning, I head to the bus station and take the eight-hour trip to Nairobi followed by my two-day plane ride from Nairobi to the States. I haven’t been to the United States for couple of years now and the last time I was there it was a short visit of only a month to attend Emily’s wedding. So, in the last four years I have spent exactly two months in the States. I am beginning to forget what it feels like to be there and I’m wondering what kinds of changes I will notice. I am sorry that I will not be able to see most of you this time around either as I will only be in the States for, again, one month. Julie and I still are not able to leave Kenya together because we still are not able to travel with Chloe and we do not wish to leave her here without us. So, for this trip I will be mostly in Michigan (where family lives) and Ohio (where my church family is) with short trips to Indiana and Kentucky thrown in. Please be in more prayer for Julie than for me during this month. I will be busy and will be “back home” while she will be left in Kenya to fend for herself. Believe me, it is very difficult to remain in Kenya while your spouse is traveling back to the States. And to pour on more suffering for her we just today had one of our beloved cats killed by the neighbors’ dogs. This was very bad timing indeed with me leaving tomorrow morning. Please pray for Julie and Amy, as she was Amy’s cat. Even now I am waiting until school is out at RVA so that I can call Amy and tell her. My poor Amy. There will be many tears.
Well, I did NOT accomplish the one thing I wanted to do before I left for the States tomorrow. As I have reported in past newsletters, I am wanting to start a church and be the pastor of that church and lead that church to worship and know God. I have been searching and searching for a place in town to rent so that we would have a centrally located place to meet. Everything I was finding in town was either too expensive (usually the case), badly located, too small or otherwise not conducive to starting a church. I had finally found a location that I thought would work. Even though I was not entirely thrilled with the location I thought it would work fine for what I wanted and the price was low enough that I could afford it. I wanted to get the room reserved and arranged before I left for the States so that when I returned I could begin trying to start the new church in earnest. When I went back to rent the room and sign the papers, “Kenya bit me”. OK, Kenya didn’t actually bite me (as you probably guessed). But I say “Kenya bit me” because when I went to actually rent the room the owner doubled the price! I guess his original price was meant to lure me in and snag me. All the same, it was very disappointing and discouraging to once again be foiled in this way. I have explained the situation to a couple of my Kenyan friends and they are now going to bat for me. They have told me that they will be looking for a place in my absence while I am in the States. They have also told me that they would be willing to do the negotiating for a price and that it would be best to let them handle it and for me to stay out of it (to not even let it be known that I will actually be the one renting the place until the time comes to sign the papers). I am glad for these Kenyan friends who are willing to look out for me and who want help me out as best as they can, knowing the culture and the situation in Kitale. Friends, all I want is to start a church that will glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, expand his kingdom here in Kenya and shine the light of the gospel into the hearts of the beloved Kenyan people. May God accomplish that to his glory.
Until next month, beloved.
May God’s peace and joy be with you.
For the glory of God in East Africa,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Amy, Josiah & Chloe)
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Pursuing a New Plan for Church Planting
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
April 3, 2018
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and there is much to update you on. We thank the Lord for each one of you, who either prays for us, sends us encouraging correspondence, or gives sacrificially to the work of the Lord here in Kenya. You are each a great blessing to us.
Our daughters (McKenna and Camille) are now on break from school in Kitale. God was so good to provide a good school for them to go to, where they can get much needed socialization, as well as try to develop some independence and make some decisions on their own. Now, they are on break and my wife has the opportunity to home school them on the side. Please pray for this time, as this is the time my wife wants to invest in and teach our daughters. They will be getting much needed teachings and we know the Lord will bless their time together.
The hospital ministry is continuing along well. We thank the Lord that He has kept the door of ministry open for my wife to reach the mothers and children with Biblical materials as well as much needed clothing supplies. Many of the mothers and children are very needy and we do our best to reach them and encourage them. We feel that these children are very near to the heart of God. Many of them come from very challenging situations and need to be shown care and love. Psalm 82:3 says “Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.” This is a very challenging verse and please pray for my wife as she continues in this ministry.
After much prayer and seeking the Lord’s will in regards to church planting here, I (Nathan) have decided on a way of pursuing this ministry. I am seeking to train qualified national men (preferably younger) in their homes, trusting God to raise these men up in His plan and timing, then teaching these men to go to their immediate village they live in and reach their neighbors with the Word and the Gospel message. The goal is for the men that are trained to start groups in their homes that would develop into churches over time.
I desire to go outside of town into remote village areas, teaching the men in the Swahili language. This is a big challenge for me, as Swahili is difficult, however, I feel as much as possible it is beneficial to get the teachings into the language of the people. I am in active pursuit of this at this time and would pray that you would pray for me, that God would raise up the right men who truly want to serve the Lord. There are many challenges here, as I have mentioned before, so it is not easy. I will probably go through several men before finding the right man to train. I also would ask you to pray that God would open and close the doors that He wants me to pursue. Matthew 10:14 says “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.” Please pray for me as I seek to be led by the Lord in these endeavors and trust Him each step of the way. Church planting is difficult here and there are many challenges, but God is able and I trust Him. I would greatly appreciate your prayers at this time for wisdom for who to work with, and where to pursue opportunities.
We appreciate each of you so much and thank the Lord for you. Please keep us in prayer as we remember you as well.
Blessings,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Looking and Praying for an Ideal Location in Kitale
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is church planting.
November 28, 2017
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
When I wrote to you last month I began to outline some ministry changes that are in process here in Kitale. Specifically, I mentioned how I am being led by God to start a new church here in Kitale and how I feel I should pastor and lead the church myself until God directs otherwise. Also, I mentioned my most immediate prayer request. Do you remember what that was? I hope you not only remember it but that you have indeed been praying fervently about it. Well, in case you have forgotten, I revealed that my most immediate prayer request was for a place and location in which to begin the worship, the ministry and the church. I still need for you to be in prayer concerning this matter.
I have been searching for a place, but I have not yet discovered the “ideal” location. I have been able to find a few places, but they have not worked out for various reasons (either they were not affordable or they were not conducive locations to starting a church). Since I am asking you to pray about this, let me give you a few details about my “ideal” location. First, I would like a location either directly in town or very close to town. There are a lot of people that live near town in all directions and I would like a centrally located place that people can get to and not have to travel long distances. Second, I want a location that is easy to find. Most roads in Kitale have no names and definitely no signs. It can be very challenging directing people to a place where you want them to go. You have to say “turn left at the gas station; follow that dirt road until it dead ends; turn right; go to the roundabout and take the third left; after a half a kilometer that road will curve around near a big tree; After the tree there will be a small path on the right; there are usually sheep there but not always; take that path and pass four other paths on the right; turn right at the fifth path; that path dead ends into a big open field; at the end of the field is a big rock; take the drive way to the left of that rock; at the end of the driveway is a black gate; that’s our compound”. Can you see how cumbersome, clunky and confusing this can be? I want to be able to say something like “we’re in the Ambwere Plaza, third floor”. With those seven words I could describe to anybody in Kitale where we are and everyone would immediately recognize it. Third, I want a place that is relatively quiet. Kitale town can be an extremely noisy place, even on a Sunday—music blaring from loud speakers, car horns blaring, hammering construction sounds, loud commotions, etc. If I’m preaching I don’t want to have to shout over these sounds and obviously, I want people to hear what I’m saying.
Whether this “ideal” and affordable location can be found or not, I don’t know. Through a local friend I did find one place that, if God works it out, would probably be an amazing place. It is very near to town, easy to find, has an extremely large room for meeting in, has bathroom facilities, other small rooms for Sunday School and is on its own compound. IT’S ACTUALLY THE MASONIC TEMPLE IN KITALE! Yes, that’s right, the Masonic Temple. The Masons no longer meet here in Kitale and the building is not being used. My local friend continues to pay the upkeep of the compound and feels like he’s wasting his money. He wants to lease the building out but doesn’t want to lease it to a night club or other organization that would destroy the property. He wants to lease it to me, but the decision is not his alone. I don’t know if this building will work out or not, but it would be interesting if God works out all the details for us. My only concern would be if Kenyans would want to meet there or if they would feel like it was “taboo”.
I will continue looking. You all please continue praying.
May God’s peace and joy be with you.
For the glory of God in East Africa,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Amy, Josiah & Chloe)
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Pursuing a Different Approach
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is indigenous church planting.
October 31, 2017
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This is going to be an exciting yet challenging update to write. It will be exciting because of the news I will be revealing but it will be challenging to present all I want to say to you in a short update. I obviously cannot express everything you need to know or all that is in my mind in this short letter. However, here goes.
After spending much time in prayer and deep thinking about this subject I believe that God is leading me to pursue a different approach in my ministry here in Kenya. The last few years I have focused on trying to teach and disciple other men to go out into their home villages and to start their own churches – on their own and without much interference from me, the missionary. I have met with very little success in this endeavor. The problems henceforth have been manifold. The biggest problem has been that I have not succeeded in finding motivated men who will be faithful to minister the gospel without payment, salaries or other monetary incentives. Their expectation (which I have documented many times before) is that if they stick with my program then they should be paid a salary of some sort. When their expectations are not met I lose all my students and prospective pastors. The model I was employing was a good one and could still work and should still be pursued but this will not be my main focus in the immediate future. These men must exist but I have not succeeded in finding them.
The other observation I have made in Kitale is that while there are many, many churches in this area, I am finding it extremely difficult to find even one that I would want to attend with my family. The reasons for this are also numerous: 1) I cannot find a church interested in functioning as the body of Christ on earth, that is interested in glorifying God, that is interested in the Great Commission or that is interested in serving the community with the love of Christ. 2) I cannot find a church that will faithfully teach the Word of God. The pastors scream at the people, beg for money and preach little more than a health and wealth gospel. Most passages are wrenched out of context and used in a way to bolster the preacher’s “message”. 3) The worship services are almost unbearable to me. Now, some may blame my dislike of the worship services here on the fact that I’m getting old (which is true) and I’m just a fuddy-duddy (which may or not be true) who doesn’t like contemporary worship. In actuality, I prefer a more modern and contemporary worship service. But the songs here I find untenable. They are loud to the point of being overbearing and painful, they are repetitive to the point of being nauseous and they are mostly meaningless. In short, I can’t find a good church. These churches must exist but I have not succeeded in finding them.
Thus, based upon the difficulties I have had in finding faithful men who will become faithful pastors and the fact that I cannot find a church in the area that I would consider a Spirit-filled, Bible-teaching and Bible-led, God-glorifying congregation, I believe I am being led by God to start one and pastor it myself. Following are my personal Vision and Mission statements:
Vision: To start a local church in Kitale that will function as the body of Jesus Christ in this town
Mission: I want a church that, while it will never be perfect and will always face internal and external challenges, will bring joy and pleasure to God because it desires above all things to love and worship God, to follow the ways and words of Jesus and to spend its time, energy and resources to further the Kingdom of Jesus Christ on this earth.
I have many other things that I have been thinking about and trying to work through as I try to put substance to my prayers and thinking, things such as objectives and strategies for starting this church. I will include some of these things over the next couple of months as I get started with this endeavor so that you all can be informed as to what I’m thinking and what I’m doing.
HERE IS MY MOST IMMEDIATE AND PRESSING PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray that God would lead me to a place where this new church can meet. I have been searching for an ideal (or even not so ideal) place where the church can begin to meet but I am not succeeding in finding a good place. Please make this a matter of diligent prayer on my behalf.
(Post Script: I don’t know what news you receive of Kenya in America but the presidential election here has turned into a carnival, and not a fun carnival but a serious, violent and unpredictable one. The country is like a cauldron on a fire that is about to boil. My concern is that this election drags out for many more months, causing chaos and disruption to the Kenyan people. Please pray for the peace of Kenya.)
Until next month, beloved.
May God’s peace and joy be with you.
For the glory of God in East Africa,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Amy, Josiah & Chloe)
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Discussing Ministry Plans for Church Planting
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
May 1, 2017
Dear praying friends,
We are now near halfway through 2017 and time is passing so quickly. Thanks so much to each one who prays for us, writes or sacrificially gives to the Lord and His work. You are each such a blessing and we thank God for you.
Our daughters are near the end of the school year at Calvary Baptist Academy in Hurricane, WV. They have a month left of school. This has been such a good year for them and they have gotten the much-needed socialization that they have lacked on the mission field. They also have learned time management skills, responsibility, studying for tests, etc. This has all been very good for them and we are so thankful for this experience they have had. Please pray for them as they finish up this month, that they would finish well and strong in their studies.
Last week we were able to go to the BFM missions conference in Lexington, KY. It was good to hear solid messages from the Word of God, discuss with others the challenges we face on the field and get advisement from our mission board. It was good to see each one who attended and to fellowship with them. Thank the Lord for Godly men and advisement that we receive from them.
I (Nathan) am in the process of discussing ministry plans on church planting with an experienced missionary who has done church planting for several years in Kenya. I am very open and receptive to advisement from Godly men who have faithfully planted churches, whether in the US or abroad. Proverbs 11:14 says “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” May we seek wisdom from above, trusting Him to lead and guide each step of the way. God bless you all.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Furlough Address:
56 Lobo Lane
Culloden, WV 25510
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Stymied Approaches to Ministry
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is indigenous church planting.
February 28, 2017
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I guess it’s time for me to step back again and reevaluate what we’ve been doing in this ministry…and where the ministry is going.
We want to see people who don’t know Jesus being saved. We also want to see New Testament churches of the Lord Jesus Christ being established and growing. I feel that in these endeavors I have been stymied and blockaded by insurmountable challenges.
The first three years in Kenya: During these three years, we took a “traditional” approach. A quick summary of the traditional approach includes paying pastors a salary, funding all ministries, building new church buildings, etc. It basically means that the missionary is paying for, and funding everything the church/ministry is doing. What stymied us in this approach? In a word, DEPENDENCY. You’ve heard me talk about it a hundred times. It builds dependency into the churches and this dependency paralyzes the churches from doing the work of the ministry themselves. It kills the growth and reproduction of the church from the very beginning. “Dependency” has almost become a curse word to me.
The next three years in Kenya: During these three years, I reacted to the problem of dependency and tried to change accordingly. To accomplish this, we really changed our approach to ministry dramatically. I decided to model for the Kenyan Christians only what they could reproduce on their own. We started groups and churches that met in people’s homes. We worked with “lay” pastors that ministered without pay. We worshiped without instruments. In short, I only did what the Kenyan Christians could do without western support and money. What stymied us in this approach? Something similar to dependency, but slightly different. I would summarize it in one word: EXPECTATIONS. Yes, it seems expectations would kill the groups and churches every time. Each time we would start a group we would have many people coming initially. They said they loved the simple and pure Bible teaching and they were learning a lot. They said they loved the simplicity of the worship and meetings as opposed to the “machine” of the local churches. But they always came with expectations. Expectations that we would give them money, gifts, food, school fees, business start-up money, etc. As soon as they realized these expectations would not be met, they were gone. “Expectations” is the next ministry curse word to me.
The last three years: During these years, I changed my approach once again. I wanted to avoid the dependency and expectations. I decided to teach and disciple men to go out into the villages and start the churches on their own. In this way, my presence would not adversely affect the new church start-ups. What stymied us in this approach? I can’t summarize it in one word but in effect I could not find men interested enough in starting churches from scratch in people’s homes. It was not lucrative enough for them. Church work and ministry here is a business and if the business isn’t providing enough profit then it should be scrapped. I guess I could say in two words that my approach was BAD BUSINESS.
My parents are arriving in Kenya in two weeks. I think their arrival in the country is timely. I am looking forward to sitting down with them and with my wife and getting their input and wisdom. My wife and my mother and father are godly and wise people whose input and help I desire and want. I am hoping that the discussions I might have with them over the next month will be used by God to help direct our future ministry here in Kenya.
Until next month, beloved.
May God’s peace and joy be with you.
For the glory of God in East Africa,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Amy, Josiah & Chloe)
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
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Desires for the New Year
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is indigenous church planting.
December 29, 2016
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Happy New Year! I wish to briefly look ahead to the coming new year and express what I would like to see happening here in Kitale, the place where we are ministering. These are not New Year’s resolutions. It is simply my desire and my prayer for the year 2017. At this point next year I would like to look back and see that these things did indeed occur.
· I would like to pray more. Prayer on the mission field is vital. But prayer in a Christian’s personal life is vital as well. Anemic prayer life leads to anemic Christian life and anemic ministry.
· I would like to know God more. I want to know His ways more, I want to know His mind more. I want my mind to be like His mind. I want to grow in my relationship with Him.
· I would like to do more of what Jesus says to do. There is so much that He said and did and taught us to do that I neglect or avoid or ignore. In 2017 I want to focus on Jesus and do all that he wants me to do.
Those are the top things I would like to see in 2017. Note that they are much more personal than they are ministry related. Here are some things I would like to see in regards to ministry:
· I would like to see more Kenyan people trusting in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. That means the people I come into contact with on a day-by-day basis. It means the people I evangelize with the gospel. It means lost friends that I show the love of Christ to every day. It means the Pokot people living out in the bush.
· I would like to see more Kenyan people truly growing in their relationship with Jesus. I don’t want them to follow Jesus because of what material things they think they will get from Him. I don’t want them to follow Jesus because they want Him to heal them. I don’t want them to follow Jesus for a good luck charm. These are all typical reasons for following Jesus. I want them to follow Jesus, to love Him, to learn from Him, to submit to Him, to live for Him. In essence, I want them to be true disciples of Jesus and not fair weather disciples.
· I would like to see new Baptist churches started: Churches that are on fire for Jesus, churches fulfilling the great commission, churches loving each other, churches worshiping God in Spirit and truth, churches that are functioning as the body of Christ on earth.
Again, these are not resolutions. They are not “goals”. They are my desires. They are my prayers for the next year. They are how I would like to see God glorified in my life and in my ministry. Grant it, oh Lord.
Until next month, beloved.
May God’s peace and joy be with you.
For the glory of God in East Africa,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Amy, Josiah & Chloe)
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [May 2016]
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
May 1, 2016
We are now nearing halfway through the year 2016. Where has the time gone? It seems to pass faster and faster as the years go by. A quote I like in reference to time is “Better than counting the years is making the years count.” Time is truly a gift from God, and may we use it wisely, for His glory. Psalm 90:12 says “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” This prayer letter will give current updates.
Thanks to those who have been praying about the security situation in Milimani, where we live. There have been several different groups going around robbing people. People are taking additional security measures. We have done our best, and now leave our safety and security in God’s hands. We know God has called us here, and He will watch over and protect us. We are also using common sense and not going into dangerous areas/situations, etc. Praise the Lord, around 4 of the thieves were caught by police recently. There is also a good security company that patrols faithfully during the night to try to catch the thieves. We are thankful for them and their efforts. Ultimately, our safety and security is from the Lord. Psalm 9:9 says “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1 says “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” We take comfort in verses such as these and trust in God and His protection. We appreciate your prayers, that all of the thieves would be caught soon.
The Annex prison ministry is continuing along well. There is a new chaplain there, as the previous chaplain was transferred to a different prison. I have met him and he seems very encouraging and welcoming. I am thankful for this. The Bible studies for the men have been going very well and I (Nathan) thank the Lord for the visitors who have been coming to hear the Word and God and are being reached with the Gospel. The results are God’s, as I desire to be faithful, trusting God for the harvest. I have recently shared the Gospel, and have just finished teaching some on Creation and the fall. Please pray for the men, that they would see the awful results of sin and see their need of a Savior. I will keep you updated on this ministry. Please also pray for the prison permit to be renewed without any problems.
Please continue to pray for Christopher, the man that my partner Roger and I are training. We recently modeled for him teachings from the Word of God, then asked him to teach us in our training center in town. He did very well and we were very pleased. Please continue to pray for him, that he would clearly understand our teachings, and Lord willing, be able to go to his home area of Kibomet to open a Bible study group in his home. Our ultimate goal is for a church to be planted in Kibomet, but we are still in the training phases. We appreciate Christopher and his faithfulness to come and be taught. I will keep you updated of this ministry. We are also staying faithful in the village of Robinson, meeting in the home of a national named Kefa. He has been very gracious to allow us to come and teach the people the Word of God. Our desire is also for a church to be planted in Robinson, and we are trusting in God’s plan and timing there.
In family news, It is hard to believe that McKenna is now 8 years old. She is such a sweet little girl, and we are so thankful to be her parents. Please pray for both her and Camille, and for us, as we desire to lead them in the ways of the Lord. A small school has opened recently in Kitale and the girls are enjoying going there in the middle of the week. Some of our missionary friends are also sending their children there, so we are very thankful for this. Please pray the school will stay open so other children will have good interaction and friendships.
God bless each of you so much. We will be sure to keep you updated. We appreciate each of you so much.
In Kenya,
Nathan & Carrie
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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