Elijah's story

Elijah attended a pastor training course at the Shepherd's Institute, which is run by Entrust and EngageHIV partner, Centre for Urban Mission.

As a result of the course, Elijah asked himself: "What can I do with what I have received, where I am?" He had a new attitude: "I had always thought 'there is nothing I can do without money', but I realised that there are things around me I can use". His small church premises were only being used at the weekends so there was an immediate opportunity. He had nothing to pay any workers, but his wife, Irene, volunteered to become the first volunteer. In order to reach out into the community they now run a pre-school, dividing the small church offering to provide basic books and pens for the children.

How has the training affected him? "Wow. It was tremendous. It has changed my life permanently," Elijah says. "Now people are understanding the word of God more deeply. And because of the training people recognise me – I am no longer struggling to have a platform. There is now the opportunity to have an impact on the community – to speak to the entire community."

Elijah is now planning to find ways to help people train in carpentry, tailoring, welding and computer skills, so people can generate income to provide for their families. At the moment he is renting his premises, but he has a vision to buy land and develop a project under his new church motto: 'Reaching the world with the wholistic gospel of Christ (Luke 2:52)'.