3 key persons that helped founded NKST

Karl Kumm
NKST began through the efforts of a German, Karl Kumm, PhD.

He decided to do missionary work mostly in muslem areas or areas likely to suffer Islamization.

He worked largely in Africa. He went to Egypt, Sudan and other countries.

Later on Dr Kumm chose to visit Nigeria.

Notably he stopped at Abinsi, a Jukun dominated town, near Makurdi.

Abinsi was one of the few urban areas in the area. Tiv people were mostly full-time farmers and had no time to waste in urban places so urban areas were nearly non-existent. That was why it was at Abinsi, then a prominent urban area that Dr Kumm first interacted with people.

Kumm’s interface with Tiv people at Abinsi made him more optimistic. Tiv people are friendly and open minded.

He later returned back to base. The guy (Kumm) used to jet between London to US and to his home country Germany, to South Africa and lots more.

On a trip to South Africa in 1907 at the instance of Dr Andrew Murray, he discussed about this fantastic opportunity to do mission work in Tivland.

The largest church in South Africa then was Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) so many members of the South African branch of his inter denominational ministry SUM were DRC members.

One of them, George Botha, decided he will come to Nigeria.

George Botha
Pastor Botha, at the time Kumm gave them the gist, was a final year student at a pastors school (seminary) in South Africa.

Botha arrived Tivland and worked for many years.

Karl Zimmermann
Pastor Zimmermann was also from South Africa and from Dutch Reformed Church and a member of Kumm’s SUM.

Remarkably he was the person that actually started a church in Sai. This happened in April 1911.

This was after, not less than, 3 years of SUM interaction with Tiv people, their way of life, language, trying to assimilate with them and all that.

25 years, 25 members
The beginnings were not easy but those guys persevered.

From 1911 to 1935 the church had only 25 baptised members.

So for solid 25 years the church could only count 25 members only

Over 1 million members later
God’s time is the best, no doubt. After some time, around 1950s the church started growing rapidly. Its now a global power to reckon with.

Thanks to God for His works through Kumm, Botha, Zimmermann and millions of others.

God wants you too to consistently avail yourself for His work so that wonders will happen for you and many others.