Thoughts on Looking for Robert
Robert Koskei had a secure position as a bishop in an African Pentecostal denomination when God called him to take the gospel to Southern Sudan. He left his homeland of Kenya with no financial support, language training, or contacts. He’d never been outside Kenya but the Spirit compelled him and Robert obeyed.
When he arrived, he had nowhere to stay. He met a Ugandan pastor who spoke English and pointed him to a hotel run by Kenyans. Robert found an elderly man from the same tribe and place, they were virtually relatives. When he heard of Robert’s mission he offered him a place to stay and food for as long as needed.
Soon he found Sudanese who spoke the trade language of Swahili and he began the work of evangelism, discipleship and church planting.
When two years later God called Robert back to Kenya, he left behind a small network of disciples and churches.
Back home, his former denomination cut him off. Either he came back under their “covering” or he should leave. Robert returned to his hometown of Nakuru, five hours north of Nairobi and began doing what he’d learned to do in South Sudan — evangelism, disciple making and planting new churches with local leaders.
That’s when God connected him with Joey Gordy and Justin White, two Americans with a vision for movements across Africa, based in Nairobi. They met through a Facebook contact.
Joey and Justin have learned to filter the many requests they receive for training and support. So when Robert got in touch they agreed to meet with him on the condition that he knew they could not provide any financial support. What they offered was training, brotherhood and coaching if Robert was willing to do the work.
That’s exactly what Robert wanted.
By now Robert and his wife had seven children. Robert sells second-hand clothing to support them. He drives the five hours down to Nairobi to pick up bales of clothing to sort and sell. On one of those trips, he called to see Joey and Justin.
With new contacts, Joey and Justin had learned not to meet over coffee or lunch but to take them into the harvest. Robert had no experience sharing with Muslims so out they went into a Muslim neighborhood sharing the gospel and then meeting for discipleship with new believers in a church start.
Robert was mesmerized. He was in.
Around the dinner table, they trained Robert in simple, reproducing methods of evangelism and disciple making. Immediately Robert knew this was what he’d been looking for. Justin and Joey recognized a man who had been prepared by God to pioneer a movement of disciples and churches among his people.
Back in Nakuru, Robert immediately began teaching others what he had learned.
Soon Joey and Justin were taking that five-hour ride up to Robert’s home to train him so that he could train his people and anyone else in the district who wanted to learn. As the gospel went out the fruit was disciples and churches meeting in homes, spreading throughout the county and to six other counties. The 60 new churches have been planted mostly by new and existing disciples.
Three things this story teaches us about finding pioneers like Robert:
1. God shaped Robert
This story began more than a decade ago when God called Robert to walk away from his position and salary and go by faith to South Sudan. He followed the Spirit’s direction and God was faithful while Robert returned two years later, a different man.
Robert was an instant success, ten years in the making. He often speaks of the impact of Joey and Justin’s training, coaching and brotherhood. So why didn’t God bring them together earlier? God was shaping Robert’s heart.
Joey and Justin have found that it’s rare for a movement pioneer like Robert to come from among new disciples. Character and faith take time to form.
2. The right tools multiply the impact
By tools I mean simple methods for training everyone to share the gospel, and form disciples and new churches. Tools don’t create a movement — that’s God’s business. But the right tools equip disciples to multiply the impact of God’s Word.
Robert learned how to share the gospel, how to read the Bible for discipleship, how to turn a group into a healthy church, and how to grow godly leaders. All the methods were simple, reproducing and biblical. Joey and Justin trained Robert, he trained his people, and they trained new disciples.
3. Find people who are following Jesus and want to fish
When Jesus called his first disciples he gave them a command and a promise: Follow me (with all that implies) and I’ll teach you to fish for others. Jesus didn’t just make disciples, he made disciple makers. That is the difference between a ministry and a movement.
Traditionally we make disciples. We make “mature believers”. But Jesus made disciple makers, in the harvest field, among people far from God.
Joey and Justin cast a wide net and found Robert. They set the bar high. Did he want to follow Jesus and learn to make disciple makers? Yes. They couldn’t offer money, but they could offer training, relationship and coaching. They would be at his side as Robert pursued God’s calling to multiply disciples and churches to the glory of God, from Nakuru to the ends of the earth.
Podcast interview: 328-Looking for Robert
