THE VILLAGE CHURCH - Journal of a Rural Evangelist

  Growing up, I had sometimes wondered how some of our pastors coped then. Many were called to attend to emergencies after hectic church services. Many would not even see their kids for a couple of days as they had probably left their homes early in the morning before their kids were awake, to return late in the night after the kids were asleep. Members infringed on the personal spaces and times of a lot of Pastors who, in fear of God, could not summon the courage to say no when duty called. I experienced this several times but let me share a funny one. "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." Hebrews 6:10 It was our 14th Wedding Anniversary, and it was a Wednesday. The day started well, and I had planned a series of activities with Missus and the kids for that evening. I went to work having planned to close early and make it home for the Anniversary...

  Sometimes being in a rural community makes one appreciate some little things we take for granted. A lot of people don’t know the importance of the elements as long as they see foods to buy in the market. Most of us do not even listen to weather forecasts anymore. We switch to other channels once it’s time for that segment knowing the news is coming to an end.   I arrived at church on a Sunday in the second quarter of 2016 and the men were a bit downcast. They wanted to talk to me before the commencement of the service. I gave them an audience and one of them said through the interpreter “Pastor, the heavens are closed. We don’t know if our sins in this village are too many but rains are not falling. How do we feed our families?” At first, it did not sink in; hence, I ignored. The rain will fall when at its own time. We continued with the regular Sunday service and as the women were singing, the thoughts of rain not falling rushed through my head again. I remembered years...