Kisumu Reformed School of Theology
Historical Background
The Kisumu Reformed School of Theology started under the auspices of four local churches namely: Grace Baptist Church – Kisumu, Grace Baptist Church – Eldoret, Grace Baptist Church – Oyugis and Bethesda Baptist Church – Tassia Nairobi. These formed an association calling itself Reformation Carried Forward by Kenyans (ReCFoK). It saw the need of encouraging the local ministers to boldly move the work of Reformed faith forward which missionaries had started. There was therefore the need to train men within the Reformed circles and those from other churches.
The classes began in January 2012 and right from its inception KReST has worked closely with Reformed Zambian brethren namely, from Lusaka Ministerial College and Copperbelt Ministerial College in Ndola. It currently has an advisory board of pastors and Christian leaders of Reformed persuasion from around the world.
Vision & Mission
The Kisumu Reformed School of Theology started under the auspices of four local churches namely: Grace Baptist Church – Kisumu, Grace Baptist Church – Eldoret, Grace Baptist Church – Oyugis and Bethesda Baptist Church – Tassia Nairobi. These formed an association calling itself Reformation Carried Forward by Kenyans (ReCFoK). It saw the need of encouraging the local ministers to boldly move the work of Reformed faith forward which missionaries had started. There was therefore the need to train men within the Reformed circles and those from other churches.
The classes began in January 2012 and right from its inception KReST has worked closely with Reformed Zambian brethren namely, from Lusaka Ministerial College and Copperbelt Ministerial College in Ndola. It currently has an advisory board of pastors and Christian leaders of Reformed persuasion from around the world.
Doctrinal Beliefs
The doctrinal beliefs of the school may be summarised under three headings:
Committed to Holy Scripture
We believe in the verbal and plenary inspiration of both the Old and New Testaments of Holy Scripture (66 books) in their original autographs. We believe that the Scriptures are infallible and inerrant in all their parts and are, therefore, trustworthy and authoritative in all that they affirm concerning history, science, doctrine, ethics, religious practice, or any other topic.
Committed to Reformed Theology
We believe that salvation always has been and always will be through faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone. We believe that this central message of Scripture has been most clearly and accurately expounded in the Reformed Confessions of Faith, especially, in the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, which is the school’s confessional standard.
Committed to Baptist Distinctives
We believe that baptism and church membership should only be bestowed upon those who make a credible profession of faith in Jesus Christ. We also believe that the local church is self- governing and under no other ecclesiastical authority except the Lord Jesus Himself.
Faculty
School Principal
Naphtally Ogallo; B.A., M.A., Africa International University (Kenya)
Naphtally Ogallo served as pastor of Trinity Baptist Church – Nairobi for 23 years (1984-2006) before moving to Eldoret town in 2006. There he planted Grace Baptist Church – Eldoret which he still pastors. He is also a graduate of Wales Evangelical School of Theology (WEST) and the Africa International University Kenya (AIU). He is married to Helida Ogallo and blessed with two grown-up college going children, Tim and Liz.
School Dean / Registrar
Samuel Oluoch; B.A., M.A., Africa International University (Kenya)
Samuel Oluoch served as Pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Kisumu for two years (1998-2000) which he later left to join with others in planting the Grace Baptist Church – Kisumu in 2000. He is still the Pastor of the Grace Baptist Church. Samuel is a graduate of the Highlands Theological School of Scotland (HTC) and Africa International University (AIU). He is married to Macollet and blessed with two grownup children, Lois and Nina.
School Instructors & Lecturers
Naphtally Ogallo; B.A., M.A., Africa International University (Kenya)
Naphtally Ogallo served as pastor of Trinity Baptist Church – Nairobi for 23 years (1984-2006) before moving to Eldoret town in 2006. There he planted Grace Baptist Church – Eldoret which he still pastors. He is also a graduate of Wales Evangelical School of Theology (WEST) and the Africa International University Kenya (AIU). He is married to Helida Ogallo and blessed with two grownup college going children, Tim and Liz.
Samuel Oluoch; B.A., M.A., Africa International University (Kenya)
Samuel Oluoch served as Pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Kisumu for two years (1998-2000) which he later left to join with others in planting the Grace Baptist Church – Kisumu in 2000. He is still the Pastor of the Grace Baptist Church. Samuel is a graduate of the Highlands Theological School of Scotland (HTC) and Africa International University (AIU). He is married to Macollet and blessed with two grownup children, Lois and Nina.
Emmanuel Sakala; B.Div., Biblical Counseling, Copperbelt Ministerial College (CMC)
Emmanuel Sakala is a pastor for Fairview Reformed Baptist, a church based in Mufulira, Zambia. He will be clocking seven years as Pastor of Fairview in December this year.
He holds a Bachelor of Divinity qualification from Copperbelt Ministerial College (CMC) based in Ndola. The college is sponsored by the Reformed Baptist Seminary (RBS) of Louisiana, USA.
He also did a course in Biblical Counseling at Grace School of Ministries, a college based in Pretoria, South Africa. He is a Lecturer and Board member at the Copperbelt Ministerial College.
He is married to Margaret Zimba Sakala and will be clocking twenty-seven years in marriage this year. He has three grown up children.
Kabwe M. Kabwe; B.Th., M.Th.
Kabwe Kabwe has served as pastor of Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Ndola –Zambia
since 1998. He is the academic dean and acting principal of the Copperbelt Ministerial College.
He is an adjunct lecturer at the Evangelical University (formerly Theological College of Central
Africa in Ndola) since 2007. He serves on several national and international boards currently
chairs the board of trustees for SIM –Zambia. He is also an associate editor of Reformation
Zambia. He holds a BTh in Missions and an MTh in Practical Theology. He has been married to
Songwe for 34 years and they have three grown up children and a proud grandfather.
Ronald Kalifungwa; B.A., M.Div. Candidate, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary
Mr Kalifungwa has served as pastor of three churches, namely Fairview Reformed Baptist Church, Zambia (1988-1998), Lynnwood Baptist Church, South Africa (1998-2006) and Lusaka Baptist Church, Zambia (2006 to date). In addition to the qualifications sited above, he has received masters level training in Biblical counselling. He has previously served as Academic dean of the Reformed Baptist Preacher’s College and as a lecturer at the Antipas Bible College. He is also the lecturer designate in Christian Reasoning and Rhetoric at the African Christian University. He has sat on the boards of the Sovereign Grace Theological Seminary and the Tyndale Christian School and is presently a board member for the Bethesda Outreach International and Action Zambia. He contributes regularly to the Reformation Zambia Magazine. He is married to Sarah and they have three Sons.
Oswald Sichula; B.Th., M.A., North-West University
Oswald Sichula has experience both in pastoral and church planting works since 2003. He served as church pastor of Emmasdale Baptist Church, Lusaka, Zambia for three years. In 2008, he took up a new role of a church planter, which has resulted in the birth of a new work called Bonaventure Baptist church, Zambia where he is still labouring. Oswald is also a regular contributor of articles to the Reformation Zambia Magazine. He is married to Mwenya and God has blessed them with three children; Lumbanji, Mupelwe and Nsansa.
Advisory Board
KReST is committed to seek the input and counsel of an advisory board made up of pastors from like-minded churches and mature Christian leaders. The terms of reference are:
1. Giving advice on the strategic direction of the KReST.
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2. Helping with the publicising of the KReST.
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3. Helping build relationships between KReST and the world at large.
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4. Suggesting ways in which the training at KReST can be more relevant to the situation on the ground.
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5. Helping build a financial support base for the KReST so that it becomes less and less dependent on external support.
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The current members of the KReST advisory board are:
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Kennedy Owiti, Advocate and Member of
Grace Baptist Church – Kisumu
Tel: +254 733 895708, ken@owitiadvocates.co.ke
Michael Maura, Pastor
Bethesda Baptist Church – Tassia, Nairobi
Tel: +254 724 394422, mcotieno2004@gmail.com
Lawrence Muiruri, State Counsel and Member of
Emmanuel Bible Church – Nairobi
Tel: +254 725 279867, imnmuiruri@yahoo.com
Matt Foreman, Pastor
Faith Reformed Baptist Church Media, PA, USA
+1 610 566 8959, mrforeman@gmail.com
Martin K. Bussey, Lecturer
Africa International University
Tel: +254 739 707567, mkbussey@gmail.com
Ronald Kalifungwa, Pastor
Lusaka Baptist Church – Zambia
Tel: +260 97 9772100, rkalifungwa@gmail.com
Leslie Beard, Retired Pastor
255 Oldbury Road, Worcester, WR2 6JT, UK.
Tel: +44 796 3958433, les@beardey.net
Howard Sayers, Retired Pastor
Zion Baptist Church, Bedworth, UK
Tel: +44 774 9167329, h.sayers@btinternet.com
Accreditation
Since the primary purpose of KReST is to train men to pastor churches and to provide a flexible theological program that does not require the student to leave his church or job in order to complete studies in residence at the school, we have chosen to pursue international accreditation through the Reformed Baptist Seminary (RBS), who recognises this form of training and at the same time helps us to maintain the highest possible academic standards in theological education.