Keror, Johana araap (1939–2014)

Johana Keror was a pioneer Adventist educator, minister, and evangelist who helped deepen the gospel work in the Rift Valley Region of Kenya.

Early Life

Pastor Johana Keror was born in 1939 at Kaptingia Chereber in Uasin Gishu County in the west of Kenya. He was the third child of Kipkeror Kesendany araap Butuk and Mirriam Chebitok neb’araap Butuk.¹ His siblings were Kaptingei Tanui, the late Rael Sitienei, the late Chepkili Kesendany, Leah Mutai, Ludiah Samoei, and Ziporah Keino.

He became a Seventh-day Adventist in 1958 and was baptized in 1960 in the Kapkeringon Seventh-day Adventist Church in northern Nandi. He was baptized by pioneer Adventist minister Pastor Caleb Kipkessio araap Busienei. Pastor Busienei was the first Seventh-day Adventist from the Nandi community who was brought to the faith by the Adventist settler farmer David Sparrow.²

Young Johana Keror was so interested and determined to pursue education that he learned to read and write before even going to school. He began his early education as a mature student at the age of 21, starting school from Standard 5 at the Itigo Primary School. He passed his Kenya African Preliminary Examination (KAPE) in 1964. He then decided to become a teacher. His career in education began in 1965 when he was posted as an untrained teacher at the Marumbasi Adventist School in the Kericho district. After two years, in 1967, he transitioned to colporteur work, spreading the Adventist message through literature.

Family

On April 23, 1968, Johana Keror married Jane Chelagat, the daughter of Morogo araap Kosgey and Ludiah Kosgey of Kapkeringon. She was born in November 1949, the eldest daughter of that couple. She was raised in the homestead of her uncle, Pastor Caleb Busienei, the pioneer Adventist minister. They were united in marriage by Pastor Jackson Kiplel araap Maiyo at the Kaigat Church. She would become his lifelong companion and helpmate. Together they were blessed with six children, including the late Richard Kipkemboi Keror, Isaac Kipruto Keror, Nereus Jepkoech Keror, Sammy Kiptoo Keror, Joseph Kimutai Keror, and Sila Cheruiyot Keror.

Ministry

In 1969, not long after his marriage, Keror answered the call to pastoral ministry in the Kitale District. His passion for theology led him to Heri College, which is affiliated with Loma Linda University, where he earned a certificate in Theology and Public Health in 1970. He returned the following year and obtained a diploma in Public Health in 1971. His wife Jane also trained in Public Health at Heri, and they graduated together. This education equipped them with a unique blend of skills to serve their community holistically.

From 1971 to 1977, Pastor Johana Keror served as a minister for several churches in the Kungurwet District in northern Nandi.³ In 1973, his dedication to continuous learning saw him take in-service training in Theology and Public Health at the Arusha Adventist College (now the University of Arusha). He returned to Kenya and served as a district pastor and health evangelist in various stations. His commitment and hard work were recognized in 1977 when he was ordained as a minister of the gospel at Karura, the headquarters for the Central Kenya Field. He was now one of four ordained Kalenjin ministers, the others being Pastor P. K. Butuk, Pastor Jackson Maiyo, Pastor Joseph Rono, and Pastor S. K. Songol.⁴

Keror’s pastoral ministry took him to various districts, ministering to a number of churches across the vast Central Kenya field. As an ordained minister, he now officiated weddings, conducted funerals, and helped lead camp meetings and evangelistic crusades. Between 1977 and 1980, he served as a district pastor in several districts. In 1978, he was transferred to the historic Kebeneti District in Kericho, where he served until 1980. Kebeneti was the first Adventist Church organized among the Kipsigis by Stephen Kipruto araap Biomdo.⁵ Soon after, the Western Kenya Field was organized in 1981, and Pastor Keror was appointed to serve on the Executive Committee.⁶

From 1982 to 1983, Johana Keror held the position of departmental director for Stewardship and Lay Activities in the Western Kenya Field.⁷ He then returned to pastoral work in the Kitale District in Trans-Nzoia in 1984, serving briefly there before being transferred to the Segero District from 1984 to 1985. His pursuit of theological education continued at Kamagambo Ministerial Training College in South Nyanza, where he earned a diploma in Theology in 1986.

In 1987, Pastor Keror was posted to the Kaigat District as minister and also as station director. The historic Kaigat Church was the very first church organized in Nandi County and was founded in 1931. It was the earliest church in Western Kenya.⁸ His leadership skills helped him be appointed as a member of the Executive Committee in the Western Kenya Field from 1988 to 1990.⁹ He then served as Associate Church Ministries director for the same field from 1991 to 1994.

Johana’s pastoral journey continued with transfers to various districts: Matarmat District in Kericho from 1995 to 1996, Koiluget District in Uasin-Gishu from 1996 to 1997, Segero District from 1998 to 2000, Kapkatet District from 2001 to 2003, and Lelaibei District from 2003 until 2005.¹⁰

Retirement and Legacy

In 2005, after a lifetime of dedicated service, Johana Keror retired, leaving behind a legacy of spiritual leadership, educational advancement, and the health and well-being of his community.

Pastor Johana Keror served the Adventist Church in formal employment for over 40 years and continued his ministry for another nine years after retiring. He was a pioneer of the Justification by Faith gospel ministry and had a deep understanding of the New Testament books of Romans, Hebrews, and the Old Testament.¹¹

Pastor Keror played a crucial role in nurturing and growing the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Uasin-Gishu, Nandi, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Kericho, and Trans-Nzoia counties. Even after retirement, he officiated many weddings in these counties, adhering to Adventist teachings. He established new Sabbath Schools and developed them into fully independent churches in every district he pastored.¹²

In the early 1970s, during a camp meeting in Segero, Pastor Keror organized a prayer session to honor the spread of the gospel in the Elgeyo-Marakwet District. The congregation knelt, raised their hands towards the District, and prayed for God’s intervention to open the area for the gospel. God granted this request, and Pastor Keror was allowed to retire as a pastor in the very district he had prayed for.¹³ Within two years, he opened many churches and Sabbath Schools despite the challenging terrain and poor roads. Non-Adventist political leaders often provided transportation for his church crusades and wedding officiations, using their four-wheel-drive vehicles. By the time he retired, he had started three churches and several Sabbath Schools in the District. He continued spreading the gospel even after retirement until he fell ill. Today, there are several counties where churches and Sabbath Schools he planted continue to minister to thousands congregating there.

Pastor Keror was a passionate teacher of the Adventist health message, educating many about the harmful effects of alcohol on the body, substance abuse, and tobacco usage. He expertly linked personal health with the gospel, making him a valuable asset in the Adventist community. He also skillfully integrated the Kalenjin culture with the gospel, which made it easier to spread of the gospel among the Kalenjin people.

Illness and Death

Pastor Keror enjoyed excellent health until 2007, when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which was discovered after he attended a camp meeting at the Kibigos Church. He also had a small swelling on the left side of his shoulder. When the tissue was removed and tested, the results showed metastatic carcinoma. He was immediately put on medication by his doctor for six months, and his condition seemed to improve. The diagnosis did not slow him down, and he remained active in ministry. However, after yet another a camp meeting in Kericho, the problem recurred.

With the help of his niece, Ambassador Sarah Serem, Pastor Keror was transferred to Nairobi for further treatment in October 2009. He returned in March 2010 after his health had significantly improved. However, after the Kuinet Church camp meeting in August 2010, where he was the guest speaker, his health issues resurfaced. That same month, he had difficulty urinating and could not move his legs. He underwent spinal cord surgery and began to feel better, but he remained unable to walk. In September 2013, his health began to deteriorate, and on January 19, 2014, he was admitted at St. Luke’s Hospital in Eldoret. He remained there until he passed away on March 6, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. He was survived by his wife and his children. His son Richard had predeceased him.

Pastor Keror valued education greatly, so he ensured that all his children achieved qualifications from Christian schools and colleges both locally and abroad. He was also a dedicated farmer, raising dairy cows, goats, and sheep, and also growing maize and wheat.

Pastor Keror not only preached the gospel to the public, but he also played a crucial role in teaching the Adventist message to his parents, siblings, and in-laws, many of whom are now serving as lay preachers and district pastors. He mentored many young pastors from his local church and throughout the entire conference, leaving a lasting legacy of faith and service. His life’s work continues to inspire those who follow in his footsteps.

Sources

Sang, Godfrey K., and Hosea K. Kili. On the Wings of a Sparrow: How the Seventh-day Adventist Church came to Western Kenya. Nairobi, Kenya: Gapman Publications Ltd., 2016.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Various years. https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.

Notes

1. Isaac Keror, son of Pastor John Keror, interview by author in March 2024 by telephone.↩

2. Godfrey K. Sang and Hosea K. Kili, On the Wings of a Sparrow: How the Seventh-day Adventist Church came to Western Kenya ( Nairobi, Kenya: Gapman Publications Ltd., 2016), 45.↩

3. Central Kenya Field “Licensed Missionaries,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1971), 98.↩

4. “Central Kenya Field,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1978), 110.↩

5. Sang and Kili, 189.↩

6. “Western Kenya Field,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1982), 82.↩

7. “Western Kenya Field,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1982), 90.↩

8. Sang and Kili, 24.↩

9. “Western Kenya Field,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1989), 64.↩

10. Isaac Keror, son of Pastor John Keror, interview by author in March 2024 by telephone.↩

11. Ibid.↩

12. Ibid.↩

13. Ibid.↩