Testimonials

African Pastor on New Church Building

A pastor of an ICM sponsored church in Tanzania shares about the difference he has seen in the church growth after the construction of a new church building.

“Earlier, when someone would go outside and witness or proclaim Jesus, it was very hard for people to really give their lives to Christ. The types of building they were going to were very bad. Even I felt very bad when saying where I was coming from. And even sometimes I didn’t want to tell people that was my church. My church was by the side of the road. When I was traveling by bus and it would be time to be dropped off at the church, I would think how would I go to church when everyone looking at me. So I would make up a reason to hesitate when leaving the bus so it would go past. So sometimes I would pretend to tie my shoe so that the bus would go ahead and then I could go to church. But after the new church was completed, when I boarded a bus and even before I reached the place, I would tell people that I was being dropped off at the church. And when I reached here, I would just walk to church. That has been a very good example and now people are coming to the church.”

“When we go out to witness, people are giving their lives to Christ. And people are confessing that this is the real church and real people of God because God has been very obvious to them that he is blessing them. And when you witness it is very easy for people to now come to church because they can see the work.  It is quite different from when we had a thatch building. Now people can give honor to God because they trust that God has visited us….Having a proper building is a great encouragement not only to our believers but to the group around. In that case, the church is growing”