@muhanjithelifeAnother one,
For a long time, I didn’t feel like Christianity belonged to me.
I grew up with a version of faith that felt distant. The Jesus I was introduced to didn’t sound like me, didn’t look like me, and didn’t seem to understand my world. Our churches had British accents from the pulpit, stiff suits in the choir, and white Jesus illustrations in every children’s Bible. Subtly, I internalized the idea that Christianity was a European project we were merely invited into. I felt like a tenant in God’s house not a son.
Then I stumbled upon a series of conversations with Pastor Kyama Mugambi and Pastor David Kuria, and everything shifted.
I expected a theological deep dive, maybe a history lesson or two. What I didn’t expect was a personal homecoming. These conversations dismantled the myth that Christianity arrived in Africa through colonialism. I learned that African people weren’t just passive receivers of the Gospel we were active participants in its earliest days. From Simon of Cyrene helping Jesus carry His cross, to African theologians like Origen, Athanasius, and Tertullian shaping doctrine in Alexandria, our fingerprints are right there on the foundation of the faith.
For the first time, I saw myself in the story not as a guest, but as part of the family.
And it wasn’t just historical. It was spiritual. One idea that struck me was how Christianity thrives when received by conviction, not by force. I finally understood why forced religious conversions during colonial times didn’t transform hearts. Why so many churches still feel stuck in ritual. And why my own walk with God had felt dry. My faith had never really sunk into my cultural identity. I was practicing a borrowed version. But now I’m beginning to live my own.
Hearing about the Ethiopian Church, Alexandria’s theological heritage, and early African monastics changed me. I used to look down on African traditional spirituality, assuming it all had to be replaced. But now I see that many of our customs weren’t obstacles they were preparations. Jesus didn’t come to erase culture. He came to fulfill it.
There was a moment in the conversation where they mentioned African believers under persecution who wrestled with theological questions and helped shape church doctrine. That hit hard. If they could press into truth during chaos, what excuse do I have to settle for shallow faith? That single thought made me re-examine how I lead, study, and even pray.
Another episode told the story of a church that was reduced to just six families in the 1980s. Instead of giving up, they committed to six months of prayer and fasting. Slowly, the church revived and grew. I thought of times I’d led youth groups that felt too small, too tired, too irrelevant. But like those six families, I learned that revival doesn’t start with numbers it starts with faithfulness and prayer.
These stories lit a fire in me. I don’t just want to believe better. I want to lead better. I want young people especially Africans to know they don’t have to abandon who they are to follow Jesus. We were there at the beginning. We’ve always belonged. And now more than ever, our voice matters.
I’ve chosen to reject the “white man’s religion” narrative. I now embrace a Jesus who walks my village paths, speaks my tongue, and understands my struggles. I’m no longer mimicking another culture I’m allowing Christ to shape mine from within.
This journey is just beginning, but for the first time, I’m not entering someone else’s story. I’m reclaiming my own.
What This Journey Taught Me (Reflection & Next Steps)
The Big Picture
These conversations didn’t just deliver knowledge; they delivered a sense of belonging. Pastor Kyama and Pastor Kuria tore down the narrative that Christianity is foreign to Africa. They showed how African voices were not only present but essential in shaping Christianity. From the early churches in Egypt and Ethiopia to African figures in the Bible, the episodes re-centered Africa within the Christian narrative.
Another powerful thread was how revival and relevance go hand in hand with humility, prayer, and adaptability. The story of the six praying families reminded me that leadership isn’t about scale it’s about spirit. Churches don’t just grow through strategy. They grow through surrender.
Why This Matters to Me
I’ve been in leadership for years, but often with internal conflict trying to lead within a faith system that didn’t always feel like it was built for me. These conversations gave me language, confidence, and clarity.
I now see that African culture and Christian faith aren’t at odds. In fact, they can beautifully reflect each other. Learning about African theologians who shaped the very doctrines we believe today gave me pride. It gave me permission to be both fully African and fully Christian without apology.
As a youth leader, I now carry a deep conviction that our younger generation needs to know they aren’t borrowing a faith they’re inheriting one that has always included them. It’s time to stop preaching borrowed sermons and start telling our stories.
So What’s Next?
I’m not just inspired I’m ready to act.
- Reclaim Our History: I plan to intentionally learn more about African Christian history and teach it to others in my church and youth group. People need to know that Africa didn’t receive Christianity late we were part of it early.
- Challenge Stereotypes: I will question the imagery and language we use in church. Why is Jesus still portrayed as white in our spaces? Why are we still worshipping in ways that silence our own expressions?
- Celebrate African Identity in Worship: I will actively include African songs, dress, and storytelling in our gatherings not as a gimmick, but as a rightful expression of our faith.
- Lead Differently: I’m dedicating time each week to pray with my leadership team, believing that revival begins in prayer. I’m also opening up spaces for conversations around identity, theology, and faith that meet people where they are.
- Mentor Boldly: I want to raise up young leaders who feel confident in both their faith and their identity. They don’t have to become Western to follow Jesus. They just have to become who God created them to be authentically.
This is more than just a history lesson or a leadership principle. It’s a spiritual reclaiming. For me. For my community. And for anyone who has ever felt like a visitor in a faith that was always meant to be their home.
@muhanjithelife
