Evangelist Wairimu

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Evangelist Wairimu

Evangelist Teresia Wairimu is the founder and director of Faith Evangelistic Ministry, and pastors the Four Square Church, a thriving pentecostal congregation in Nairobi which exceeds 250,000 people.

Teresia Wairimu was born to James and Jane Kinuthia wa Kinyanjui in 1956 at Waithaka, on the outskirts of Nairobi. Her mother was the first of three wives. As the firstborn daughter, she was named Wairimu after her paternal grandmother according to Gikuyu custom. She also received the name Teresia as she was brought up in the Roman Catholic faith.

Wairimu speaks a variety of languages, including Kikuyu, Swahili, Swedish, and English and is from a kinship group known as "Mbari ya Gathirimu" famous among the Agikuyu for their leadership abilities, industry and self discipline. She is a granddaughter of the Agikuyu Paramount Chief Kinyanjui Wa Gathirimu.

Wairimu's father was a successful businessman. He was a strict disciplinarian who, though loving, would also punish without mercy. He always challenged his children to work hard in school, sometimes leaving them feeling worthless when they did not meet his expectations.

Wairimu's mother Njeri wa Kinuthia, a submissive housewife and a hard working farmwoman, was a wise and protective mother to her children. She always remained a model of love, teaching her children selflessness and unconditional acceptance of each other. Njeri was a perfectionist, striving for excellence in all areas of life, - a quality imparted to and now cherished by Wairimu.

Wairimu went to Mukarara Primary School from 1964 to 1970, followed by secondary school from 1971 to 1975 at Gujarati, Ngiriyambu and Gatanga where she acquired her fourth form certificate. From 1978 to 1980, Wairimu studied at the Kindergarten Headmistress's Association of Kenya, graduating with a teaching diploma for Kindergarten. She has taught in many schools.

Married at early age, Wairimu had great expectations of a successful marriage and family life. However, her marriage failed and ended in a divorce. She has a daughter, a son and a grandson.

In 1977 while in Sweden, Wairimu accepted Christ into her heart and made a public confession of His Lordship. When Evangelist Reihnard Bonke prayed for her she was slain in the Spirit, filled with the Holy Spirit and received the anointing. From then on, Wairimu's life was completely transformed and God began to bestow on her the gifts of the Holy Spirit. No longer shy, she now spoke with the boldness of the apostle Peter in the Acts of the Apostles.

Wairimu began preaching in June 1980 after a supernatural visitation from God. According to her, God's presence came in the form of smoke and the mighty shaking of her house during the night. Victoria Kanini describes the experience:

"According to Wairimu, God visited her house in Kileleshwa. On that memorable day, she had gone to sleep at 9.00 p.m. leaving her lights on as she was alone in the house. As it was her custom, she had said her prayers before going to sleep. At 3.00 a.m. she was woken up by a strong noise in the house. Although the lights were on in the house, she could not see because there was a lot of what appeared to be smoke in the house. She thought the house was on fire. Walking through the smoke she went to the kitchen and switched off the main switch and then returned to her bedroom and sat on her bed wondering what would happen next. A moment later the whole house shook. So strong was the shaking that her wardrobe flew open but instead of being frightened, she experienced great peace. She knew that she was not alone. The Lord was with her. A voice called her by her name. "Wairimu" the voice continued, "The glory of the latter shall be greater than the glory of the former." This, according to her, meant that her preaching ministry would enjoy more growth and blessing in the future than it had experienced in the past." (Kanini 1992)

"They came the first week and next the number expanded to 150. Then came the problem: the crowd swelling beyond accommodation, and the constant search for adequate facilities. All the time Jesus was saving and delivering lost people. They hired the Nairobi City Hall, but the people jammed the place so tightly that the door broke and then they were blacklisted for its use - no more City Hall meetings. But the people kept coming. Finally, the Provincial Commissioner allowed us to have meetings in Uhuru Park. It is something like the national sanctuary, preserved for top political events only. She preaches there now every second Sunday of the month. As soon as she used this venue, the crowds multiplied. People flocked there by tens and hundreds of thousands from all parts of Kenya." (CFAN Revival Report Telegram September 1998)

Wairimu was ordained on August 16, 1986 in front of massive crowds.

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"According to Wairimu, God visited her house in Kileleshwa. On that memorable day, she had gone to sleep at 9.00 p.m. leaving her lights on as she was alone in the house. As it was her custom, she had said her prayers before going to sleep. At 3.00 a.m. she was woken up by a strong noise in the house. Although the lights were on in the house, she could not see because there was a lot of what appeared to be smoke in the house. She thought the house was on fire. Walking through the smoke she went to the kitchen and switched off the main switch and then returned to her bedroom and sat on her bed wondering what would happen next. A moment later the whole house shook. So strong was the shaking that her wardrobe flew open but instead of being frightened, she experienced great peace. She knew that she was not alone. The Lord was with her. A voice called her by her name. "Wairimu" the voice continued, "The glory of the latter shall be greater than the glory of the former." This, according to her, meant that her preaching ministry would enjoy more growth and blessing in the future than it had experienced in the past." (Kanini 1992)

The first miracle in Wairimu's ministry took place soon after this event. During a church service, she received a word of wisdom to pray over a couple who had been asking God for a baby for many years. Exactly nine months later, they were blessed with a baby they named Faith.

At first she met in her house with 17 women for prayer and fasting in Huruma estate between 1978-1985. But soon these fellowship meetings outgrew the house. Martha Mbugusu, a well-known Kenyan newspaper reporter calls Wairimu the "Lone Mother turned Fisher of Men" and says of her: "She is of an electrifying demeanor and a crowd puller." Reinhard Bonke, an international evangelist and close associate of Wairimu describes the growth that followed the initial meetings: "They came the first week and next the number expanded to 150. Then came the problem: the crowd swelling beyond accommodation, and the constant search for adequate facilities. All the time Jesus was saving and delivering lost people. They hired the Nairobi City Hall, but the people jammed the place so tightly that the door broke and then they were blacklisted for its use - no more City Hall meetings. But the people kept coming. Finally, the Provincial Commissioner allowed us to have meetings in Uhuru Park. It is something like the national sanctuary, preserved for top political events only. She preaches there now every second Sunday of the month. As soon as she used this venue, the crowds multiplied. People flocked there by tens and hundreds of thousands from all parts of Kenya." (CFAN Revival Report Telegram September 1998)Wairimu was ordained on August 16, 1986 in front of massive crowds.

In 1989, in response to this tremendous success and to the need to organize the activities of the ministry, Wairimu founded Faith Evangelistic Ministry which is fully registered with the Government of Kenya. Her ministry has taken her all over the world. Recently, Wairimu made headlines when she visited the tribal clash victims in Njoro, Kenya where politicians did not dare to go for fear of reprisals. She donated food, blankets, clothing and medical supplies. She even invited the warring factions to her crusade at the site of the clash where she challenged them to love one another in spite of tribal differences. Hundreds were saved and delivered from diseases.