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BISHOP – DR. JOSEPH WAMUTITU, PHD

Church Location: Kayole

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Rev. Dr. Joe Wamutitu, PHD, was born in Murang’a County, Kenya, being the sixth of seven siblings. At the age of ten, after the passing on of his father, Dr. Joe Wamutitu was introduced to church by his mother and became actively involved in Sunday school (Children’s Church) at St. Stephens Anglican Church, Njumbi. In his effort to be a godly young man he attended Catechism classes and was baptized and later confirmed according to the Anglican Church tradition. He was also actively involved with the Kenyan Anglican Youth Organization (KAYO). Being actively involved in the church did not quench the thirst for G¬od to fill the emptiness in his heart. After joining Njumbi High School, he continued to be involved in the Anglican Church. Before the end of the 1st year in High School at the age of 15, Dr. Joe Wamutitu accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior on October 28th, 1978.

After this encounter which was followed by the baptism with the Holy Spirit, Dr. Joe became actively involved in Christian Union activities; organizing youth rallies, camps and conventions.

Dr. Joe’s first leadership responsibility was that of being the secretary of the Christian Union in Njumbi High School. Later on, when he joined Kirangari High school for this “A” levels, he became the Chairman of the Christian Union. He also served as the chairman of Kabete Schools Christian Unions which brought together 27 schools from around the greater Kabete area. During this time, he moved from one school to another encouraging the believer to witness and disciple students. He was instrumental in helping organize and form Christian Unions in schools where there were none.

Later, as a student of the University of Nairobi, Dr. Joe Wamutitu founded Kangema Evangelistic Team (KET) International, an interdenominational evangelistic team which brought together college students and professionals with the aim of evangelizing Kangema constituency in Murang’a County and revitalize the local churches. He led the team in ministering to schools and colleges through rallies, challenge weekends, as well as camps and conventions. The team was also involved in organizing door to door witnessing as well as open air crusades in market places. When the vision outgrew the boundaries of Kangema constituency, the name was changed to Jesus Revival Crusaders (JEREC) which targeted Murang’a County. Although it was not without opposition and controversy from the churches which did not understand the vision, JEREC was a mark of revival in Murang’a. The team would host Rev. Teresia Wairimu of F.E.M.in their crusades and conventions in the late 80s which saw many lives transformed by the power of the gospel. Youth leadership was also developed and today many of those members are Pastors and leaders of different churches. With some of the university brethren, Dr. Joe launched the Jesus Reigns magazine. This outreach and faith building magazine was distributed all over Kenya free of charge mostly to high school students. Looking back, Dr. Joe is very humbled at how God used him in those early days of his youth.

Dr. Joe got married to Antoninah on April 7th 1990. Since then, they have been ministering together. God has blessed them with three daughters and one son (Esther, Betty, Sarah and Joel Caleb).

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15)

Dr. Joe answered the call to full time Christian service in 1989 shortly after graduating from the University of Nairobi with a Bachelor of Commerce (Bcom) degree. Between 1990 and 1992 he served as the Urban Ministry Coordinator for the Kenya Students Christian Fellowship (http:kscf.org). During this time he was asked to serve as a minister of a small congregation in Kibra, one of the largest slums in Sub-Saharan Africa on a part time basis. This was the first pastoral experience. In 1992 he joined African Evangelistic Enterprise as the Missions coordinator and continued with pastoral responsibilities in Kibra. “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19)

Dr. Joe’s persuasion has been to see people not only won to Christ but also growing in Christ as disciples and using their gifts to build the kingdom of God. He believes that the local church is God’s vehicle for reaching the lost and should serve as a missions center for world-wide evangelism. It is this conviction that led him to establish Christian Missions Fellowship (C.M.F.) in 1993. C.M.F. was to be a church planting movement which would dead people to Christ, build and disciple them, equip and train them and then release them to do the work of ministry. All this was to be done from a local church setting. What God did in the first seven years of Ministry (1993-1999) was not only a miracle but also overwhelming. The mother church not only grew to over 700 members but several congregations were planted and became part of the movement. The love for missions guided by Matthew 28:19-20 became the driving force behind the ministry.

As I have been praying for this season of celebration and consecration, the Lord has reminded me of the many days and hours I spent in Ufungamano House praying as part of the Main Christian Union in the late 80s. God gave me a clear vision of world evangelism. I used to see myself preaching all over the world and raising churches in America, Europe, and Brazil among others. It was that fire and passion that launched Christian Missions Fellowship Churches 25 years ago. I am reclaiming that vision and dreaming bigger. Like Joshua confessed when he was 85 years of age, I am believing God for mountains yet not possessed and enlargement of territories. Joshua 14:12–15