Recently, I received the following email from Pastor Simiyu:
Praise the Lord, I am pastor Simiyu in Kenya and I thank God to meet you here, I love your ministry so much and I welcome you to reach in Kenya.
I have seven Churches here in Kenya and I ask to join your ministry to work under your ministry.
I sent him the following reply:
Dear Brother in the Lord,
Thank you for taking the time to contact me. My team of prayer warriors and I prayed over your request today, and we came to one mind that God is directing us to come to Kenya and minister to the seven churches you mentioned in your email.
My ministry has been blessed materially by God. We will cover all of our travel expenses. All we ask is that you provide us with housing and one meal a day. If this is agreeable to you, please let me know what dates you have in mind.
Brother Simiyu, I believe God has great things in store for you and your churches. I hope I can play a small part in his blessing of your work.
All Praise to the Wonderful Name of Jesus,
Dr. Bruce Gerencser
Since I originally published this post, the good pastor and I have had a back-and-forth conversation. Enjoy! (All spelling and grammar in the original.)
Simiyu:
I love your ministry so much, and I will be working under your ministry, with oll of my seven Churches, I will be representing your ministry in Kenya.
Yes I will try to get a House for you, though our houses is not good and beautiful, but God will help us.
Welcome in Kenya, God has given you KENYA.
Simiyu:
Praise the Lord Pastor, how are you going on there?
Here in Kenya, I will my Pastors and churches are praying for you.
Simiyu:
Praise the Lord Pastor, How are you going on there?
Simiyu:
Hello pastor, praise the Lord, how are you going on there?
You are so silent?
Dr. Bruce Gerencser:
Bro. Joshua,
Thank you for contacting me.
My team and I have been fasting and praying about our upcoming meetings. We have felt the sweet presence of the Holy Ghost, believing that God is going to do great things — souls saved, reclaimed backsliders, and healings — during our meetings with you.
We plan to fly to your country on my Lear Jet. God put it on the heart of a wealthy supporter to purchase this jet. We have flown all over the world to preach the gospel. May Jesus’ name be praised.
I talked to him about ministering to your churches. He seemed genuinely excited about our plans. He later called me and said he would like to send you $5,000 US to help with your expenses. Isn’t God good?
Please send me your mailing address or bank account/routing number so I can get the money to you. We could also use PayPal.
I also need the address of your church and where we will be staying so I can put together the flight plan (I am the pilot).
Do the April dates still work for you?
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
All praise be Jesus, our wonderful Lord and Savior.
Simiyu:
Praise the Lord, yes God is good, I am happy to hear from you, welcome in Kenya, this year on April, yes April is good and we are ready to have you in our Churches.
The Hotels where you will be staying is at BUNGOMA Town, and at SIRISIA Town.
Thank you also for your help and support, that God has touched your heart to help.
HERE IS MY BANK ACCOUNT.
1,MY full names are,
JOSHUA SIMIYU WEKESA.
2, Name of my Bank is,
DIAMOND TRUST BANK.
3, My Account Number is,
02155860XXXXX.
4, Bank Swift code is,
DTKEKENA.
5, Address is, 107 BUNGOMA.
jwekesaXXXX@gmail.com
6, Our Currency is, KENYA SHILLINGS.
7, My City is, NAIROBI.
Simiyu:
Praise the Lord Pastor, How are you going on there?
Dr. Bruce Gerencser:
Bro. Joshua,
Greetings in the matchless name of Jesus.
What is the name of your church? Does the church have a website?
Thanks.
Simiyu:
The name of my Church is PENTECOSTAL.
My Church have no website.
Dr. Bruce Gerencser:
Bro Joshua,
Thank You!
One more thing you need to know before I come to your church. I am gay. My husband, Duane, travels with me everywhere I go. I just want to make sure you or your church won’t have a problem with this.
Blessings on you and yours.
Simiyu:
Yes, we have no problem with that, I welcome you, so much in my Churches, also I with my Churches will be working under your ministry, will be part of your ministry, I will be representing your ministry in Kenya.
God Bless you and your family and Church.
Bruce Gerencser:
Dear Joshua,
A month ago, you, an operative from your “church,” or a bot came to my blog https://brucegerencser.net. You used my site’s comment form to send me the following email:
“Praise the Lord, I am pastor Simiyu in Kenya and I thank God to meet you here, I love your ministry so much and I welcome you to reach in Kenya.”
I have seven Churches here in Kenya and I ask to join your ministry to work under your ministry.”
Was your intent to try to scam me? How could you not know that I am an atheist; that I oppose Christianity, especially Evangelical Christianity? The evidence was there for you to see. You gave yourself away when you said you were okay with me being a married gay man. NO Evangelical would be okay with me being gay. (For the record, I am not gay. I have been married to the same woman for forty-five years.)
I suggest going forward that you try to scam your fellow Christians. Atheists are not likely to support” your ministry.
Be well.
Bruce Gerencser
Simiyu:
No, I was not trying to scam you, I told you the truth, that I was evangelical before, but it that message I was asking to join your ministry, because as you know your ministry have never reached in Kenya, so I was evangelical before.
But now I am asking to join your ministry, remember I said that I ask to join your ministry, so I am new in your ministry, and I want to join your ministry, so I was not to scam you, but I was now becoming the part of your ministry.
So I still ask, and welcome you to reach in Kenya, so that all my Churches will be working under your ministry, and I will be representing your ministry in Kenya.
Bruce Gerencser:
I AM AN ATHEIST! There is no God.
Bruce Gerencser, 69, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 48 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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