Carlile College, Nairobi

Our vicar, Peter, writes: It is a privilege to work with the students and staff of Carlile College in Nairobi, Kenya, and I greatly appreciate the church family releasing and supporting me as I visit annually to take part in their teaching programme. My most recent trip was at the end of September 2023 to teach about preaching the Old Testament and to share in ministry with brothers and sisters in Christ from across East Africa.
The College is a Church Army Africa centre for training students in evangelism, pastoral care and ongoing theological education. From its beginnings in 1958 with eight students, it has to date trained over 2,000 students in its mission programmes, preparing them for work back in their home countries throughout East Africa. It is currently led by an enthusiastic team under the Revd Dr Danson Mangi, General Secretary of Church Army Africa, who we were delighted to welcome to speak at St John’s in the spring. (Revd Captain Patience Wanzala is currently on extended study leave so as to complete her doctorate.)
Church Army Africa and Carlile College are also the home to a Business School with a student population of over 1,000. However, the main focus of the College remains to train evangelists, and most of the graduates from the School of Mission are strategically placed within the structures of the Anglican Church in Africa, carrying out their outreach through open-air meetings, revival meetings, Bible study and much more besides.
Carlile College now welcomes students from over 17 countries in and around East Africa, and deeply appreciates the partnership with St John’s. Our ongoing collaboration is a treasured source of support to the College as we resource two students each year from South Sudan to strengthen the Church in that country, and they long for us to continue to pray, give practical support as well as finance, to help this strategic work for God in East Africa.

Planning your Visit

Welcome from the Vicar

Let me welcome you to St John’s! I am so delighted you have found our web site. We are a Church family in Wimborne for anyone living, working or studying around this area. Whoever you are, whatever your age, whether you’re an experienced Christian or not, we would love you to join us.

From an intrigued onlooker to the committed follower we are keen that everyone should grow in relationship with God through knowing Jesus. To help us do that our emphasis is on hearing God speak to us by his Holy Spirit through his word, the Bible. Each of us knows that we only grow in a relationship with someone and get to know them when we spend time listening to them and responding and reacting to what they say. So the focus of St John’s is on listening to God’s word, talking to him in prayer and taking up all that he says.

The Church family here at St John’s longs to help anyone who wants to investigate the life of Jesus. On this site you will find people, meetings, talks and events shaped to help you take another step forward in finding out more about God and his love for us in Jesus, and to help you get linked into the church family life.

I do hope I will have the opportunity to meet you personally in the very near future and that you will quickly feel at home at St John’s.

Revd. Peter Breckwoldt