Andrew Miller is the International Director for DMI. When he’s not eating a Violet Crumble bar in Sydney, he’s travelling around the world raising funds and DMI’s profile in developed countries or visiting the fields we support to see what’s needed and how our funds are being managed. Either way, he works tirelessly to avoid unidentifiable food and meets lots of weird and wonderful people who he just can’t resist interviewing…

#16 John

John Kazwalala is Pastor of the Immanuel Church of the Deaf in Mwanza, Tanzania. He is one of the most passionate and animated preachers I have ever seen. A leader among our pastors, he has a zeal and boldness for the gospel that is contagious. I catch some of this when I sit to talk with him at our head church in Dar es Salaam.

Andrew: You have a dynamic faith. What is the power behind your faith?

John: Yes, my strength is the Holy Spirit and the Word of God in me.

You seem to really enjoy preaching. Is that right?

Yes.

From what age did you know you wanted to be a pastor?

I was touched by the Word of God way back in 1976. I felt like I was touched.

Can you explain that?

Now, how was I touched by the Word of God – it was this very strong feeling. When I became Deaf, I started reaching out to find God. I received teaching and came to know how much God loves me. I was in secondary school at the time. I finished my O levels successfully but I felt that I’d been chosen for something more.

At what age did you become Deaf and how did that change your life?

It was 1970. I was very young. I remember playing and suddenly my aunt came and tapped me on my back asking me why I wasn’t responding. “We’ve been calling you,” she said, “and you don’t respond at all”. I didn’t know that I was being called. I didn’t even realize that I had become deaf. I just lost my hearing like that. So quickly, so uneventfully.

How old were you in 1970?

I was born in 1965 so, five going on six.

You are exactly the same age as me.

Wow. Hallelujah.

You became deaf at the age of five or six. Had you already started going to school? How did that change your education?

In 1975 I was enrolled in my local school with the status of ‘deafness’. This led me to feel segregated and marginalised. Sometimes I was even beaten through no fault of mine. But I just stayed there because there was no way I was going to drop out. I stayed until I finished my primary education because I didn’t want an aimless life, succumbing to the pleasures of the world or anything.

Did you ever receive Deaf education?

Not at all. I went from the primary school through to year six in high school in regular schooling and then I went into national service with the army. I received no special education.

What did you do in the national service?

I was put with other people who had disabilities. And I went through the army training but I found a greater purpose than what they were teaching us. I became a leader of born again Christians in the army.

Can you tell me a bit more about that group?

They loved me because of my behaviour. So they elected me to be the leader and every night we went into the bush and prayed together.

Was that like a kind of preparation for you to become a pastor?

Yes, yes. Exactly.

So tell me about your formal training to become a pastor.

I have never been to any Bible school – I could never afford it and there were no sponsors at that time so the Holy Spirit has been teaching me every day since I was young.

Are you still open to formal training?

I used to be but now at my age to go and sit in class might be challenging. I have a family now. I am a mason. I build houses. I support my family through that business. If I left my family now and went to school, it would be challenging. I must provide for my family.

That’s wonderful. And I know what that’s like because I spent twelve years in Japan as a tentmaker doing the same thing. I taught in a school to support my family and I pastored a church as well. Tell me about the church that you pastor.

I started in an Assemblies of God church called the Calvary Assemblies of God. Later on, I felt the calling to join the Deaf community. I didn’t know any sign language but when Ben* came and started to teach me sign language I was empowered to go and teach the Deaf.

_{* Ben Buyinza. See https://testimonies.deafmin.org/38-ben/}

So you didn’t learn to sign until well into your adulthood? That’s surprising. How long did it take you to be fluent at signing?

I started learning with Ben in 2014. I stayed with him for almost 4 years. For most of that time, I used an interpreter but by 2021 – I remember because we were celebrating the International Week of the Deaf at that time – that’s when I met so many people and by then I was able to stand and preach on my own.

What are the most challenging things about pastoring the Deaf and what are the most exciting things you have found?

The most exciting thing is leading people to believe the Word of God, to see the Deaf being born again. The most challenging thing is to raise my family and raise the church at the same time. This has really pulled at me. I rarely have a calm time between family and church. One result is that we have never had a permanent house/home.

I understand the pull between family and church. I experienced it in Japan and it can be very challenging. Can you tell me about your family?

I have a wife and five children. I’m lucky that some are grown up and are now independent. I had six but one son died so now I have four girls and one boy. 

How old was your son when he died?

He was 16 years old.

Can I ask how he died?

He left home and went to try to find a life of his own. He went to Mañana. Mañana is a national park in a region of Tanzania but he fell sick. I was told that they needed to operate on him but by the time I arrived he had already passed away.

I’m very sorry to hear that. It must have been very difficult for you. How did your faith help you cope with that?

Very much. I know the Word of God which says that no challenge can take us away from God. I did my best for my son. I sold my plot of land to pay for the surgery – to try to save him – but I didn’t succeed.

What is your dream for the years ahead?

Looking ahead, I want to see more and more Deaf people worshiping God in Spirit and in truth. I want people to be ready for Jesus’ return.

Amen. Thank you for sharing with me today. Do you have any questions for me?

When I retire, will DMI continue to support me? We are preparing young people to take over the ministry and one day, God willing, they will. But how will we survive? I have five children. Maybe they can help care for me and my wife.

It’s different from country to country and I’ll be talking about this in the training session tomorrow but basically it’s up to each organisation to prepare a retirement plan for their workers. DMI is not your employer. We are a partner. DAT is your employer so they’re the ones who need to develop a retirement plan for you but I will talk more about this tomorrow. 

Thank you.

~

If you would like to support John, or any of DMI’s pastors, schools or projects please go to https://deafmin.org/donate/ or click on the ‘Donate’ button below.