Hello Friends,

It is with great excitement I am sending you greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My family and I arrived Salina around the middle of June and the reception was overwhelming. Thank you for your loving and welcoming spirit. We feel God’s presence and believe that our journey will be a blessing as we grow and serve him together. Let me tell you a little about myself.

I was born and brought up in the north central country of Nigeria in West Africa. My parents (late Rev. Achi & Daye Kayit) were among the early converts to Christianity through the ministry of American and Canadian missionaries who painstakingly were determined to take the gospel into the interior of Africa. My parents were intensely persecuted because of their newly found faith in Christ, but they held firm to their faith and later answered God’s calling to pastoral ministry. I am always thankful that they stood firm and through their ministry, Christianity gained ground in our area including witnessing the conversion and baptism of my grand parent who were African traditional religious worshipers and Muslims. Growing up in a family where three religions crossed paths shaped me to experience the redeeming work of Christ in a profound way.

I went to college and seminary in Nigeria where I graduated with a diploma, bachelor, and master’s degrees in Pastoral Studies. Following my graduations, I served in a rural and urban churches in Nigeria. I met a very remarkable woman of God, Esther, during my first year of ministry with whom God joint us together in marriage. God has blessed us with three beautiful daughters: Shalomel – (lives in Columbus Ohio) Stephanie –  (lives in Richmond Kentucky and Saphina – who attends Baker University in Baldwin City KS.

After serving churches in Nigeria for several years, I got accepted into Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Massachusetts where I obtained a Master of Divinity and a Master of Theology before proceeding to Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky for my Ph.D. in Intercultural studies with concentration in Historical/Theological studies. Esther’s undergraduate degree was in Science Laboratory Technology with Chemistry/Biochemistry Concentration. She completed a Master of Art in Intercultural Studies and a Master of Art in Mental Health Counseling at Asbury theological Seminary. She has completed her course work and currently writing her dissertation for a Ph.D. in Psychological studies at Regent University.

My family and I is at Salina First with great delight and inordinate anticipation for a new season of our ministry with you. I am particularly excited and keenly looking forward to working alongside you as we fulfill God’s calling in our individual and collective lives as a community of God’s people. I am especially looking forward to learning the values, cultures, and expectations of our church and community at large as we work together to grow and fulfill the calling of God.

I am passionate about pastoral care, preaching and teaching God’s word, building relationships, and leadership development. I love to inspire people to use their gifts and graces for the kingdom of God. My commitment is to listen, learn and build relationships that will advance our journey as the people of God.  I desire to see us growing deeper in God’s word and reaching out to our community and the world beyond us.

The space will not warrant me to share with you a lot about my experiences, but I invite you to join us during worship on Sundays for an exciting time of experiencing God together to get to know more about my faith journey. Come let us build on the faith foundation of great men and women who through the years have done exploits for the service of God and His kingdom.

Yours in His Vineyard,

Rev. Gideon N. Achi, Ph.D.