HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND HISTORY OF NYALI SDA CHURCH

Nyali Church was inaugurated as a Sabbath School in February 2011 in a bid to establish an evangelistic centre in an urban, affluent and largely un-entered region. It was organised into a fully fledged Church on 17th December 2011. The Church is located on the mainland north at the Kenyan coast in a sprawling suburb hosting the most affluent population in Mombasa. Mombasa is an island on the Kenyan coast, and the country’s second city. It has a population of approximately 500,000 people, and is cosmopolitan. It has historically been a predominantly Muslim city, but with the rapid growth over the years, it has become a melting pot of Christian, Muslim, and Hindu faiths with the Islamic faith being about 85% of the religious population. The city depends a lot on the port at Kilindini harbour, which is the country’s major port, and the gateway into east and central Africa. It is also a major tourist destination, with its rich Swahili culture, and white sandy beaches. The tourism sector in the region contributes significantly to the GDP of the country. The city’s populace has managed to live together in harmony, despite the marked difference between the faiths, and the relations between the two major faiths here, Islam and Christianity have kept improving over the years through the Adventist Muslim Relations (AMR) Program. However, there is still a lot of unexploited potential in terms of enhancing these relations and also in spreading the good news of salvation. Hitherto, the coast region has had one of the lowest growth rates of the Adventist population in the country over the years due to its predominantly Muslim population and also strong traditional faiths in the countryside. Many areas of this vast region remain un-entered. In fact, the area where the Nyali SDA Church has been established is a strategic suburb and the most affluent in the region, but which has never had an Adventist Church. Nyali Church thus becomes a major point of entry of the Adventist Faith into this vast suburb, with many wealthy people who are yet to be reached The region faces diverse socio-economic and religious challenges. It records the highest use of illicit hard drugs especially among the youth, coupled with high rates of unemployment. This has exacerbated the spread of HIV/AIDS especially through the sharing of needles for injectable hard drugs. Evidence of the drug menace is rampant ranging from increased crime rate and disillusionment among this critically important sector of the population. Although the relations between the Adventist and 1 Muslim faiths have improved over the years, there are still serious obstacles which hamper healthy dialogue between these faiths and currently no Centre exists in the City nor in the East and Central Africa region as a medium of promoting interaction between our Muslim brethren and Adventists.

The SDA Church at Kenya Coast Field (KCF) has held major Gospel Campaigns in Mombasa in recent times attended by thousands of residents. The first ever such great Campaign was led by the Servant of the Lord, Pr Geoffrey Mbwana in 2008. Other Campaigns have followed since then. The proposal to establish Nyali Church was strongly mooted during the Answer Gospel Campaign at Tononoka Grounds conducted by Evangelist Dr Emmanuel Osei from England. By God’s will, there was another great gospel Campaign at the same grounds in 2010 from 9th to 31st October whose theme was Living with Hope led by the Servant of the Lord Evangelist Pr Randy Skeet from the USA. From the onset of this major campaign, the proposal of starting Nyali Church was revived again but now with more vigour and determination. It was indeed an idea whose time had come. The Kizingo District leadership led by Pr Daniel Yeri was obviously inspired and enthusiastic about this grand idea. A series of consultations were held and a search started to identify a place, a temporary home from where the infant church could begin. Many options were explored including open plots, schools, residential facilities, while at the same time seeking for God’s guidance in identifying this landmark/historical temporary home for the Church. A proposal about identifying a structure within the Mombasa Showground came up, immediate follow-up done which culminated in the finding of a temporary place for the Church at the then rented premises at the Mombasa Showground. The Sabbath School was inaugurated on the 12th of February 2011 and organised into a Church on 17th December 2011. The SDA Church Worldwide is a movement and we sincerely and humbly pray that this nascent Church can grow to be a great centre of evangelism, a beacon of light and hope in this community, a place where God is worshipped in spirit and truth.

Nyali Church has done several evangelistic campaigns mostly in the reserves of Mijikenda community.
 To begin with, a two week campaign was done in the year 2015 at Vitenzeni, Kilifi County where a church was planted and a global pioneer pastor was deployed for 10 years.
 The second mission was at Uwanja wa Maji in Mkomani area.  The third and very unique one was done in Kwale County at Kirewe area following an invite by one mother who had joined the church at the end of a week of prayer.
- The week of prayer was led by Nyali Church choir and KMM singers. The KMM singers then netted many including the lady who became our point of entry to Kirewe.
- Currently there are five Sabbath Schools in Kwale County courtesy of the Kirewe mission.  The forth campaign was done in Magarini sub county , Kilifi county at Nyamala Sinene It is evident that in all the above efforts, the Nyali community where the lighthouse sits has seldom been reached.

The church successfully strategized and organized an outreach to the affluent last year April 2023 dubbed THE SDA NYALI GOLF TOURNAMENT. The golfers were ministered unto by speakers such as Hon Justice Maraga, lady Justice Asenath Ongeri and Pastor Dr. Samuel Misiani. The church gifted all the over 200 attendees with health and spirit of prophecy books.

In these last days the auditory nerves of the Church are alert to the call of Jesus Christ. “All power/authority has been given unto me in Heaven and in Earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world”. Amen.(Matthew 28:18–20)

In the final days of His ministry the Lord had often listened to the rich and the rulers in His time. For example Nicodemus – John 3:1–10 A dignitary, well off and spiritual leader • He looked for Jesus at night, privately • To shield himself from shame or ignorance • We are going to meet the elite in seclusion to enter to their questions

Oh! Yes. From young rich ruler: Mark 10:17 they will come to him running Which questions do they have? Mathew 19:16 (good master what good thing shall I do that i may have eternal life?) Just as the famous late Mombasa cement C.E.O was determined to do good thing and humanitarian activities so do the rich long to do something good? LASTLY the rulers have questions in their mind about the future. In the book of Daniel 2:29, we find some of these typical questions (what should come to pass here after?) . It is incumbent upon to plead with God to meet the rich at their points of need.

“Lift up your eyes and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” John 4:35 For example, the Hindu community that has opened their doors for Nyali SDA Silent Ministers is a great sign that the field is ripe.

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