Alum leads church planting boom in Tanzania

In 1997 Barnabas Mtokambali, assistant general superintendent of the AG in Tanzania, Africa, attended a symposium in Pretoria South Africa that heightened his awareness of unreached people groups. His own nation had scores of such groups. The church he was pastoring in Tanzania committed itself to planting 100 churches in those groups by 2012.

Parallel to these efforts Barnabas began an educational journey that led him to complete a Doctor of Ministry at AGTS in 2004. His research focused on developing evangelistic churches that would plant other churches with case studies of three growing churches in east Africa.  

Dr. Mtokambali and President Byron D. Klaus

After graduation, Barnabas returned to Tanzania with an expanded strategy to reach the goal they had set in 1997. As of 2008 his church has planted 107 churches. During this time his church grew from 600 to 1800 members. After having reached its goal four years ahead of schedule, this church recast its church planting vision to plant 150 additional churches by 2012 for a total of 257 church plants in 15 years.

While there are numerous factors imbedded in this story, Dr. Mtokombali is clear about his belief that his doctoral experience and training at AGTS was central to the mobilization of a single local church in Tanzania to exemplify obedience to the Great Commission.    

 

 

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Updated: Monday, October 20, 2008 4:53 PM