Pastors and Elders
1. Pst.Naphtally Ogallo
My family and I
I was born and brought up in a Christian home. But it was in 1971 in my first year of High school that the gospel was preached and I saw for the first time that I was a sinner not ready to meet God in judgment. I saw my need of Christ as Saviour and Lord. By faith, I cried to Him and He saved me. In God’s providence, I was introduced to the Reformed faith in 1975. The Lord had laid in my heart a desire for the Christian ministry shortly after my conversion and in 1984, Trinity Baptist Church – Nairobi (TBC) identified my call to the ministry and set me apart as one of the Pastors.
My wife is called Helida. She is a Registered Midwife but she resigned to work in the home and to support me in the ministry. We have two grown-up children, Tim and Liz.
In 2003 I went to Wales Evangelical School of Theology (WEST), in UK for 18 months and graduated with BA in Theological Studies. In 2013 I did MA in Biblical Studies from Africa International University (AIU) Nairobi. In 2006, due to my wife’s ill health, my family relocated to Eldoret town which is 300 Km from Nairobi. Eldoret is North West of Kenya on the main highway to Uganda.
Eldoret Church ministry
In 2007, Christian worship began in the living room of our rented house after one-on-one witnessing. The work almost got destroyed during the 2007/2008 Post Election Violence but God was merciful. We turned our house into some kind of a refuge center with about twenty people staying with us for over a week. In late 2008, Grace Baptist Church – Eldoret was constituted. The membership has always fluctuated mainly due to economic dynamics. The current membership is just about 40 with the majority being unemployed.
We are receiving ever increasing openings in Colleges and Universities around Eldoret. We are called to speak at their meetings and a number of students have joined church membership. The church does not have a van but we are committed to provide bus fares for those students who attend church meetings.
2. Pst.Paul Keno
I come from a Roman Catholic background. In 1993, a friend invited me to a Christian union meeting at school. The preacher was teaching about faith and also said that Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between God and men. All this got me thinking because in the Roman Catholic Church we were ordered to confess our sins to the priest. The Lord opened my eyes and I realized that I have no genuine relationship with Christ. I was convicted and went on my knees crying to God to forgive me and cleanse me because I am a sinner. From that day, I put my trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior and King.
In 1998 I began to desire to be in the Christian ministry. Each year this desire grew stronger and so I resigned my secular job and joined a Bible school in Mombasa for one year. I then began to serve in a number of Charismatic churches in Mombasa, Kitale and Eldoret towns.
In 2007, while I was serving in Eldoret, my elder brother Michael Otieno Maura who is Pastor of Bethesda Baptist Church – Nairobi introduced me to Pastor Ogallo. At the beginning of 2008 there was Post Election Violence in Kenya and Eldoret was most affected. My family together with many others took refuge in Pastor Ogallo’s house. While in his house, Pastor Ogallo introduced me to the Doctrines of Grace. After calm was achieved, I returned to Mombasa but that was the beginning of my difficulties serving in charismatic churches; my conscience kept bothering me. I began to question the teachings and practices I had been used to. Clearly I could not continue in the system. All along from 2007, Pastor Ogallo has been an influence in my life and I kept sharing with him my challenges.
In 2013, the Lord in His providence brought me and my family back to Eldoret and we came back determined to learn and serve Him under the Grace Baptist Church of Eldoret. We were received into the membership. By 2014, the church recognized my desire for the ministry but my need for proper Biblical training was also evident. The church introduced me to the Kisumu Reformed School of Theology (KReST) where I am now learning more of the truths of the Grace of God. In June 2014 Grace Baptist Church set me apart to work alongside Pastor Ogallo as a fellow elder.
I am married to Pamela and we have two girls (Faith & Grace) and one boy (Joshua