Emerging Leader Profile – Euticauls Nzengu

Euticauls Nzengu is a Baptist pastor from Kenya who currently oversees the 70 Baptist congregations in Nairobi. Euticauls has been a member of the Emerging Leaders Network since 2007.

Q: What is your current ministry and what does it entail?

Euticauls: I am currently a pastor of a young and a growing church in Kenya called Baptist Chapel. I also direct a ministry in the slum areas of Korogocho where we minister to destitute children by providing them with formal education, vocational training, food, and by sharing the gospel of Christ with them. Korogocho Slum has an area of about 2 square miles with a population of 500,000 who live in shanties. My responsibility primarily involves counseling. This church ministry does not have a donor and so part of my job is to share with people about the ministry and to encourage them to support our ministry in the slum area.

I am also the overseer of more than 70 Baptist churches in the city of Nairobi. My role with the executive office is to share our vision with the churches, encourage them to be involved in evangelism and church planting, and help coordinate and oversee these endeavors. As a pastor, our church is involved in church planting and since 2005 we have already planted three mission churches and expect to plant a fourth this coming year.

Q: What are some of the unique challenges and/or opportunities that you face in your convention or context?

Euticauls: The challenges are many and include the lack of funds to support the ministry in the slums, people coming to you for answers and solutions, many needs that overwhelm, and insecurity. Within the Baptist association that I lead challenges include a shallow vision among some individuals, no passion for the lost, churches that are not stable and not growing, lack of commitment, and issues of autonomy. For the church, there is a lack of employment for many of my members, youth drop out from school due to lack of fees, church members sometimes conform more to the world than to Christ, low commitment level, a failure of some to see the Kingdom of God at work, and the acknowledgment that only a few are able to see beyond our church and see the world from Jesus’ perspective. In addition, our Baptist family is hurting as our local convention had some issues and broke into two.

Q: What does being an emerging Baptist mean to you?

Euticauls: It means being a Baptist who is prepared to serve the Lord and others in any part of the globe. It also means that while I have already been recognized in my own association and convention, there is a need for further training and equipping to continue the ministry more effectively.

Pictures from Euticauls' ministry in the Korogocho Slums have been posted on the BWA Emerging Leaders Facebook page. Use the link on the right to visit and join our new facebook group.