Bishop Jean de Dieu Nsabimana of Burundi, East Africa with a copy of his Kirundi translation of The Disciple-Making Minister

As Jean de Dieu Nsabimana was growing up in Burundi, East Africa, he saw the churchgoers in his neighborhood as being no different from anyone else. They demonstrated the same selfishness, hatred and divisions as everyone else. He saw no reason to join them.

While reading the Bible on his own, however, Jean realized that all sinners will go to hell unless they repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. He was quick to turn from his sin and become a genuine follower of Christ. Soon afterwards, the Lord gave him “marching orders.” He knew the Lord wanted him to be baptized and bring holiness and love back to his neighborhood church.

After being baptized and attending worship regularly, church elders recognized Jean’s love for God and his knowledge of the Bible. They asked him to lead a prayer team, and within a few years he was appointed to be an elder, and then a pastor.

Over the next ten years, Jean fervently prayed for revival, ministered to the lost, and planted new churches. His zeal caught the eye of his denomination’s bishops. They asked him to study theology in Kenya for two years, and when he returned, they appointed him as “senior bishop.”

Along with all the promotions the Lord has given him, Jean will tell you about one other very significant turning point in his ministry. It came about at a pastors’ conference in his hometown. There he received a copy of David Servant’s book, The Disciple-Making Minister. He found it so helpful that he began to study it chapter by chapter with the pastors under his leadership. As a result, together they refocused their ministry on Christ’s Great Commission. They started making disciples, following the biblical pattern.

As expected, not everyone was overjoyed about the change of direction. A number of people, and some of the pastors left their churches, but after ten months of teaching by precept and example, the number of committed disciples has nearly tripled. The world around them knows they are Christ’s disciples by their love for each other. After so many years, Jean’s dream of bringing holiness and love back into the local church has been realized.

Through your contributions to the Books for Pastors Fund, our Lord’s work around the world is being strengthened and encouraged. Thanks so much.

Together in the Master’s Plan,

David Warnock
Director, Books for Pastors Fund