History

Evangelist Samuel Shirango Kembo.
Ethiopia Full Gospel Believers Church.
Student of Africa School of Missions, in association with SATS studying for Masters in Intercultural Studies.
Age 46 years.
Married with six children.

Personal Testimony

I was born in a Christian family in 1960 in South Ethiopia, it is 350km from the Capital city of Ethiopia called Addis Ababa. The town in which I was born is dominated by the Muslim Religion, and the town in which I grew up was dominated by the Christian Religion. I am the firstborn child of my parents. I have one wife and six children.

My history is an incredible story. Before I became a minister I was a project manager. I was working with a Church organization as their project manager, and in 1986 my Saviour Jesus Christ came into my life, and spoke to me un-expectantly. He said: "I am calling you my son, obey My voice, you are my servant, I need to use you to reach the lost". The calling was so unexpected that I prayed and waited for two years.

In 1988 the fear of the Lord overwhelmed me, and I organized a prayer group, including myself. We had five days of prayer and fasting to decide on my calling. At the fourth day while we were fasting and praying, I saw a vision. "On the top of a mountain the Holy Spirit overwhelmed me miraculously, and I saw a very bright light on the mountain, that shone its light into the dark land of the country. The light was covering the whole country. Then I saw a huge water fountain which flowed from the mountain to the lowlands of the country. Then the Holy Spirit came to me with a key, and handed it to me, saying, "Here is the key, multiply the seeds, and plant them in their proper place, it is your responsibility to accomplish this task".

I wondered how it was that God chose me with my emptiness, and showed me His greatness and power. As Joshua was in fear, so also was I feeling the same way. I asked God "do I have that power and strength for your task"? Yes God is the God of impossible things, and He used me for the great task in different tribes in Ethiopia.

In the year 1988 I stopped my normal work, and dedicated myself completely to God in order to proclaim the Gospel to the un-reached areas in different tribes. From 1992 to 1999 the Lord helped me to establish nine indigenous local churches and thirteen worship groups (which will become a local church after they have been organized better). Without knowing it I was doing cross-cultural evangelism, and planting indigenous churches.

My wife Desalech Kembo had committed herself as full time minister as well. Nobody supported us for a very long time. So we had to sell our house, to support our vision. When we planted churches we faced different kinds of problems. We have six children. They need sufficient food, clothes, and school fees, but we had nothing except God.

In the year 2001, our National office, The Ethiopian Full Gospel Believers Church, invited me to attend a Bible collage, and we moved to the Capital city Addis Ababa. I was in that Bible collage from 2001 to 2004.

I did a four year degree in Bible Theology. I got a better understanding of cross-cultural studies, contextialization, and Muslim evangelism. During my studies I started to work with sixteen local missionaries, by giving them training, evaluating their ministries and giving advice. During the long and short holiday brakes I was in the field with missionaries, and this helped me to apply the theory in practice. In 2003 the Lord did two wonderful miracles in our cross-cultural evangelism among Muslims
A young girl that is six years old, was raised to life after being dead. She is the daughter of a Muslim family, then a missionary prayed for her, and she restored to life. Because of this miracle, 53 Muslims accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. And the doors became open for the Gospel.
5 Different well known witch doctors came to Christ through cross-cultural evangelism, and 6 indigenous churches were planted among the Muslims in their context with more than 3000 converts.

I have graduated from the Bible collage in 2004, and became the Head of Curch Growth and Missions department for the Full Gospel Believers Church in Ethiopia. Here I started to work with growing numbers of missionaries of about 136. All these missionaries were trained in cross-cultural evangelism, and were planting indigenous churches in the context of that particular tribe. The number of local missionaries is increasing, and the church are understanding how to use cross-cultural evangelism and its importance.

At Africa School of Missions I am looking forward to sharing my vision with my instructors, and to receive appropriate guidelines, to exchange expertise, aquire adequate knowledge, and eventually to implement and develop what I have learned through reaching the un-reached, and motivating others for ministry wherever God leads me.

Through the lessons that I shall receive from Africa School of Missions, in association with the South African Theological Seminary, I anticipate that I shall develop my present knowledge, sharpen my vision through my masters program, and gain expertise through interaction with my tutors.

In short, my studies at Africa School of Missions will help me to implement my vision of reaching the un-reached in Ethiopia, the horn of Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. In the future hundreds of national, and international missionaries will rise up on identical missions to the countries mentioned. Hence with this proposal in view, I would like to confirm to anyone, who wants to be a partner, and support my vision, that I shall train other missionaries after completing my studies at Africa School of Missions (South African Theological Seminary).

I have already started my masters for the next two years (2006 and 2007) at Africa School of Missions. I am in great need of financial support because at this stage me and my family is apart from each other. My wife and children is in Ethiopia, and I am in South Africa. My current finances came from my friend, and will soon be finished. I also need finances for daily living, and finances for the research that must be done in my masters program.. Please help me in any way that you can, and be a partner with me in this wonderful harvest.

May God Bless you.