Pastor Fallah Bimba was an anointed instrument in the hands of the Holy Spirit who helped to bring the good news of the gospel not only to his own tribe, but to many other ethnic groups in Liberia as well.
I personally came to know this God's general in 1987. Our relationship grew over the years as I would visit with him and his dear wife, Ma Watta, in their humble home located on the Swedish mission campus in FOYA, Liberia. Pastor Bimba, upon my constant prodding, would tell me episodes of exploits he experienced along with some of his contemporaries as they proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom.
I have taken on the task of recounting some of these stories as a way of reawakening or rekindling the spirit of true revival in each and every one of us.
These testimonies received directly from Pastor Bimba have been confirmed by some of his contemporaries, such as Pastor Moses Keledu(in heaven), and Elder Aaron Patio (Foya Free Pentecostal Mission, Inc.).
Before the gospel made inroads among Pastor Biimba's kinsmen, the Kissis, they were steeped in idol worship. The worship of the catfish was paramount among many other creatures the Kissi people worshipped at the time. In the FOYA region at this time in the 1930s, a particular pond infested with these catfish was a consecrated place dedicated to this false worship. Ancestral worship is embedded in Kissi culture and the catfish were considered ancestors of the people. No one would dare think of fishing in that particular area let alone dream of eating catfish dinner.
Anybody who would dare trouble the catfish pond would die a terrible death. So the people thought and believed.
When young Fallah Bimba and his compatriots received the gospel of Jesus Christ, one of the first things they decided to do was break the catfish taboo. Along with a group of Christians, they chose a day to go fishing. Their chosen fishing spot was none other than the sacred catfish pond. Many unbelieving tribesmen were present that day to witnesses the destruction of Fallah Bimba and his band of Christians.
Having done their fishing, they loaded their baskets with some of the largest catfishes ever seen in that part of the country. The group of Christians returned home to their mission base where they enjoyed a hearty catfish meal. The incredulous tribesmen expected these Christians not only to die but it was supposed to be a painful death because they had dared to oppose the ancestral gods. Several days passed and not one single Christian soul turned sick or experienced any kind of calamity. The testimony brought so much fear into the hearts of many of the Kissi people about the power of this 'new' God that Fallah Bimba was serving that they began to turn their lives over to Jesus Christ. This incident was pivotal in reaching the people of this area of Liberia with the good news.
As for the sacred catfish pond it became a popular fishing spot for not only Christians but many other fishing enthusiasts as well.
Look forward to some more exploits.
Our next blog: A zoe (witch doctor) transfixed by the power if God).