Participants in DLPDI Church Growth training

By Sarah Baraka

 [Nairobi, Thursday, 9th January, 2025]  On January 9-10 and January 13-14, the Daystar Leadership and Professional Development Institute (DLPDI) hosted a 4-day pastors training titled Accelerating Church Growth in Africa.  The training took place at Daystar University’s Nairobi Campus. 

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Laban P. Ayiro officially opened the training and introduced the lead trainer, Pastor Mark Jappe from USA who was visiting Daystar University at the time. 

Prof. Ayiro addressed the topic: Insights for Pastoral Leadership in our Churches.  Using his expertise on emotional intelligence, Prof. Ayiro invited the pastors to embrace five timeless virtues of love, integrity, truth, excellence and courage, which he said touch people, resulting in improved performance.

He further urged them to re-define their leadership by adopting transformational as opposed to authoritative leadership, saying the former was collaborative, empathic, ethical, innovative and adaptive.

The VC Prof. Laban P. Ayiro addresses Pastors attending DLPDI Church Growth training

The Lead Trainer Pastor Mark Jappe spoke on the topic: Preaching with Power. Pastor Jappe urged the pastors to allow the Holy Spirit to help them to divide the Word and prepare original impactful sermons.  He likened a good sermon to a tree, with roots being time spent in prayer and the Word, the trucnk being biblical exegesis, the branches being illustrations and parables, and the fruit being scripture application that listeners take home with them.

Bishop Phillip Katutu, the Founder and Lead pastor of Destiny Life Church delved into the main theme of the training - contextual strategies for accelerating church growth in Africa by discussing the continent’s divine opportunity, population growth, tools, personnel, resources and mindsets.

He challenged the church to focus on conversion growth, the youth, the children, discipleship, and use of digital technology.

Other speakers included Pastor Chris Sonksen, the Founder of Boom.org, and Dr. Daniel Muvengi, East Africa Regional Director of Faith and Development for World Vision.