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Kenyan Pastor writes Historic Book, Governor to attend Launch

Pastor Ben Njuru of the Compassionate Fellowship church in Worcester, who has authored a historic question and answer book based on the old testament

The cover of the Ultimate Bible Quizzer by pastor Ben Njuru published by Xulon publishers. pic by H.Maina/Ajabu Images

By Harrison Maina, Ajabu Africa News , Posted October 20, 2010

WEST BOYLSTON, Mass._Abandoned by his parents at 7 years, this Kenyan pastor has overcome the odds through the years and has now authored a biblical question and answer book based on the Old Testament.

Titled The Ultimate Bible Quizzer, the book has caught the attention of Massachusetts Governor, Deval Patrick who, according to pastor Ben Njuru, has confirmed to attend it's planned historic launch this Sunday in West Boylston, near Worcester, Mass..

The unique book launch has also attracted a battery of other high level dignitaries including the Lt. Governor Tim Murray, Worcester congressman, Jim McGovern, Mayor Joseph C. O’Brien and Clarence Plant, a Worcester businessman

Published by Xulon Publishers, the 386 book by Pastor Ben Njuru of the Compassionate Fellowship Church in Worcester is so challenging to both the learned and the not so learned that many wondered why nobody has ever thought of writing such a book over the last several thousand years before and after Christ was born.

The book reveals the uncomfortable fact that many people have amassed tremendous knowledge in the things of the earth while putting little or no effort to acquire serious biblical knowledge that may make their lives more successful and less stressful.

When the Ajabu Africa editors tried to answer the first five multiple questions from the book, they labored to half of the answers right, resorting to asking help from the answers at the back of the book.

“In life everybody gives a testimony and professes that they know the bible,” Pastor Njuru told Ajabu Africa.com recently.

“But when you really ask them a few detailed questions right from the bible, you will be amazed at how much they do not know. So I figured I could write a book to help people measure their imagined knowledge of the bible against the reality,” he added.

Mass. Governor, Deval Patrick will attend the book launch

Mass. Lt .Governor, Tim Murray will attend the book launch. Pic by Rogers Muyanja

Born 40 years ago in Thika district of central Kenya, pastor Njuru, was abandoned at only 7 years by both his parents after they parted due to drunkenness and left him to survive on his own.

He was heavily infested with jiggers and body lice as he lacked parental care. He was known all over the village of Ichaweri, Gatundu area for walking bare-footed and in tartars.

He told Ajabu Africa.com that he had to resort to stealing food to survive and everyone in his village had the worst feelings about him, often calling him many unpleasant names.

But determined to survive, pastor Njuru kept on going and an Indian businessman paid for his secondary school education in Githiga High school in Kiambu district.

In the process, he got saved and decided to start serving God.
When he finished high school, pastor Njuru joined the Harvest Field’s Bible school located off Thika road in Nairobi Kenya, close to another bible school called the Pentecostal Bible School.

He later got a job as a farm manager dealing in horticultural and animal management before getting married and starting a family.

“Life was not easy in Kenya for everybody and I started wondering how I could come to America in search of a better life,” pastor Njuru told Ajabu Africa.

Then one day, the man of God decided to give a shot to a better life by applying for the Diversity Visa Lottery program (green card). To his amazement, the pastor won a spot in the lottery and he was very excited but unfortunately, he had no money to bring him and his family to America.

“We decided that rather than loose the opportunity, we would sell everything we had for me to get just the air ticket to come to America and after I settle, I could send money for my wife and 3 kids to come and join me,” said the pastor.

And so, in May of 2000, pastor Njuru arrived at the Logan airport in Boston with $30 cash in his pocket after leaving another Ksh. 18 with his wife as family expense.

Two friends who picked up Pastor Njuru at the airport to house him temporality were shocked to hear how much money he had left his family in Kenya and they asked him to send back the $30 he had right away the next morning by Western Union.

“I did not know Western Union but the friends, Simon Gicheru and Edwin Muchai took me there and made me send the money back to my wife. They told me they will take care of me until I got a job,” pastor Njuru told Ajabu Africa.

He later got a CNA job which started to give him some little money to take care of his many bills that were to keep coming relentlessly, and leave some to feed his family back in Kenya.

Meanwhile, the remaining window of opportunity that remained for is wife and children to come to America was almost closing, prompting church members at a Kenyan community church he had been introduced to fund raise for him.

“Pastor Joseph Waiyaki’s church helped me to get my family before the window left closed around September of 2000,” said the man of God.

Pastor Waiyaki later introduced Pastor Ben to the CCF church in Lowell where he (Pastor Ben) was ordained as an Associate Pastor to serve in Worcester by Rev. Raffoul Najem of the parent CCF church.

Pastor Ben Njuru and his wife Jane, (front left) pose for a picture with other pastors from the CCF church during the launching of the new CCF Nashua branch recently.To the far left in the back row is Rev. Raffoul Najem, and to the far right is Rev. Joseph Waiyaki

When his family finally arrived, Pastor Ben rented a 3 bedroom apartment to house them and started the tough business of working and fending for his family now in America.

“It was so difficult to make ends meet and I would get very tired,” recalled the cleric.

“I therefore decided to try to upgrade many skills to become Licensed practical Nurse since I could observe them having an easier time at the nursing home where we used to work.”

It was when Pastor Njuru joined the Mass Bay Community college in Framingham, Mass for the LPN course that he got trained and tested beyond his imagination for him to become a licensed nurse.

“One day when I was in the class doing a very difficult test, I just wondered why in the world they were testing us like this to become practical nurses yet nobody tests anyone about the word of God which was more important than even the LPN course I was taking,” Pastor Ben told Ajabu.

Then all of a sudden, it dawned on Pastor Ben that he could himself make his own test to test people on what they knew about the Bible since he had never heard of a book that tests people in biblical knowledge.

He said that even the training that he underwent at the bible school was not as rigorous at testing the inner knowledge of the bible as it concentrated more of the application of the word than the real knowledge.

The pastor felt that since he had read the bible so many times, he could start with a format of multiple choice questions followed by answers.

“The questions are from the old testament because it is the most read book. It was read even before the writing of the new testament, over 2,000 years ago,” said Pastor Ben.

Most scholars believe that the Old Testament was written from approximately 1400 B.C. to about 400 B.C.

However, over all those many years, no one is known to have ever thought to write a manual to test people on their understanding of the bible, even though they are tested to their limits on the knowledge of the earthly things.

“It was quite challenging for me to make questions and answers from the Old Testament. Many revelations came to me in the process and I was honestly surprised by what I leaned,” said Pastor Njuru.

However, it took the courageous man of God over 4 years since he got the idea to write and compile the book for publication.

“I graduated as a Licensed Practicing Nurse in 2003 but still had a lot of challenges that kept me from writing the book. In January 2004, God called me to the Compassionate Fellowship church in Worcester with a vision of building a holy family of God.

As he set out to build the church with other faithfuls, Pastor Njuru also had other challenges including adopting a young girl who was orphaned in Worcester after her single mother passed away.

“It was not easy to take care of her living, health and legal issues but God has seen us through and now she is doing well in our house,” added the father of five children.

However, despite the many challenges, Pastor Njuru was able to finally finish compilation of the book and in January 2010, he sent the first manuscript to the publishers.

As expected, it was going to cost him a good sum of money to publish. So again it took longer as he struggled to save money for the mission at hand. But at long last, Njuru’s persistence has paid off and the book has been published and a big celebration has been planned to take place this Sunday.

“I see the book as a great tool to be used by teachers and students in Bible schools, Sunday schools, Bible studies and even families to test and improve their knowledge of the word of God,” said Pastor Ben.

The pastor thanked his wife, Jane Mwangi for being patient and supportive during the long process of school and book writing.

An organizing committee of friends and well wishers are inviting Kenyans and friends from everywhere to attend the $10 entry book launch this Sunday, October 24 at 4pm.
The event will take place at the Manor Restaurant on 42 West Boylston Street, West Boylston, Ma, 01583.(Get directions)

“We are inviting every Kenyan and friend out there to come and celebrate this historic event as one of our own Kenyans has achieved a great deal here,” said Philip Gitonga, chairman of the book launching organizing committee.

Due to the unique nature of the book, the launching celebration has attracted the interest of Governor Deval Patrick who is the first ever African American Governor of Massachusetts. Gov. Patrick, who has visited Kenya a few times and is gunning for re-election in next month’s elections, held a rally last Saturday in Boston with president Barack Obama, who also has Kenyan roots.

Read or add to the conversation here here

Related pictures: Kenyans in Worcester represent by shaking Governor Deval Patrick's hand and puttin in a good word for Kenya during a recent rally by the governor with the African Community.