Kennedy Paulo was born in Bukumbi, Mwanza, Tanzania. As a child, Kennedy did not have a personal relationship with Jesus. In their family’s religious tradition, they regarded certain trees as holy or gods. He and his entire family worshipped them despite also reading the Bible. Kennedy’s father frequently visited witch doctors.
Kennedy felt a disquiet in his heart because of these traditions. “I really wanted to choose a different life from what my parents had,” he remembers.
One day, Kennedy was thinking of where he would spend his eternity if he were to die in sin. Then, all of a sudden, he remembered that he had read in the Bible in Mark 8:36 – “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” Through this thought-provoking question, Kennedy decided to completely surrender his life to Jesus and to live only for Him.
Because of what he had lived through, Kennedy had a strong burden for people lost in darkness, specifically his family. He realized God was calling him to be a church planter but didn’t want to go plant a church before he received proper training to help him succeed in his work.
God led him to meet Cretus Ishengoma, a church planter and trainer through Multiplication Network Ministries (MNM). Cretus shared about the ministry and how it works. Kennedy was excited to see how MNM’s vision aligned with the vision the Lord laid upon his heart. He joined a church planter class in Sengerema and successfully completed his training program.
“I have learned a lot through the training I received,” Kennedy says. “God is calling people so he can prepare them and make them ready to go into His vineyard. People with a true call from God will not be driven away from the ultimate goal, which is to reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus even if they face challenges.”
Kennedy plans to plant a church to bring hope to the hopeless and transform the lives of many.