No one ever said it was going to be easy.

2008 got off to a tumultuous start for Kenya, with the violence that erupted after the contested presidential election of December 27. With thousands forced to flee their homes, the country now faces the challenge of what to do with the camps of these displaced people.

When John Muhanji, Director of the Africa Ministries Office of Friends United Meeting in Kenya, recently received a midnight call from the District Commissioner asking him to help the next morning with the resettlement of displaced people to their home region, he agreed reluctantly. Tired from strenuous travel and many other responsibilities, he didn’t think he was up to the task. But when the District Commissioner told him that his presence was necessary, that the people at the refugee camp at the Eldoret show grounds respected and trusted him because of the ways that Friends’ Peace Teams had already helped them, and that people had already refused to move when only the District Commissioner had gone to them, Muhanji agreed, praying that God would give him wisdom and strength.

Afraid that they would be abandoned to the aggression of hostile neighbors or left in an intermediate location with no food, water, or sanitary facilities, the displaced people were understandably reluctant to move. Muhanji walked around the Eldoret camp, visiting the tents and reassuring people that their needs would be met in the intermediate site, encouraging and praying for people. After his walk around the camp, people willingly began to pull down their tents, getting ready to move.

Then Muhanji went to the place to which the people would be relocated, only to find that there was no water and no toilets. He phoned the District Commissioner (who had disappeared by then) to ask for funding and help in setting up the toilets and water, but the DC never responded. As time was running out, Muhanji called his own office to ask for funds, and was sent the necessary money immediately. He spent the rest of the day working with whoever volunteered, to set up toilets and to pipe in water. He also enabled an electrical connection from a nearby hospital, to provide lights for security. By the end of the day, he felt that God had provided, in a very short time, everything he needed to serve the people well.

As Muhanji experienced, leading often involves serving in whatever way is needed. Spiritual leadership is rarely glamorous. At the same time, the integrity and authenticity of spiritual leadership can be seen by all, as the results of Muhanji’s work attested. (To be continued.)


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Margaret Benefiel, Ph.D., author of "Soul at Work: Spiritual Leadership in Organizations," works with leaders in business, healthcare, churches, government and non-profits to help them develop spiritual leadership. Visit her website at www.ExecutiveSoul.com. © Copyright 2008 by Margaret Benefiel.