Is a Christian ministry established by the grace of God through missionary work, discipleship, theological training, church planting, and the proclamation of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Its history is deeply connected to the missionary work of Teacher Boyeon Lee from South Korea, whose ministry in Tanzania became a foundation for training servants of God and strengthening the church.
The heart of Shekinah Mission Centre is to raise faithful servants who know the Word of God, live under the lordship of Jesus Christ, and serve the church and society with humility, truth, and love. From its beginning, the ministry has been shaped by prayer, biblical teaching, discipleship, and a deep commitment to seeing lives transformed by God’s grace.
Our Story
The history of Shekinah Mission Centre began with the missionary work of Mwl. Boyeon Lee from South Korea. She first visited Tanzania on November 15, 1995, arriving in Kolandoto, Shinyanga. After this first visit, she returned to South Korea, and on April 18, 1997, she came back to Tanzania, ready to begin official missionary service.
After arriving in Tanzania, Teacher Lee went to Mwanza for missionary training under Africa Inland Mission, and later went to Musoma to learn the Swahili language. After gaining a foundation in the language and culture, she arrived in Kolandoto on January 10, 1998, to serve as a missionary under the Africa Inland Church Tanzania.
In her missionary work, Teacher Lee carried out three major responsibilities. First, she taught at Kolandoto Bible College under AICT. Second, she worked with church leadership to plant and support various churches. Third, she began a discipleship ministry to train young people and ministers who had a calling to serve God. This discipleship ministry later became the foundation of Shekinah Mission Centre.
In 2003, Teacher Boyeon Lee met Daniel John Seni, who was then a student at Kolandoto Bible College. After completing his studies, Daniel became one of the disciples and servants nurtured through Teacher Lee’s discipleship ministry. In 2006, Teacher Lee, together with other young people including Daniel Seni, Yakobo Jimoku, and Eliya Seni, moved to Dar es Salaam, in the Mikocheni area, to continue the ministry.
When the ministry reached Dar es Salaam, the discipleship ministry was officially named Shekinah Mission Centre. Since the Centre was preparing God’s servants, there was a clear need to establish a church as one of the fruits of the ministry.
The Contribution of Shekinah Mission Centre to the Birth of Shekinah Presbyterian Church
Shekinah Mission Centre played a foundational role in the establishment of Shekinah Presbyterian Church. Before the church was officially formed, Shekinah Mission Centre was already serving as a discipleship and training ministry, preparing young people and servants of God for Christian service. Through this ministry, believers were taught the Word of God, nurtured in spiritual discipline, trained for ministry, and encouraged to serve Christ faithfully.
As the work of discipleship continued, it became clear that there was a need to establish a local church where the trained servants and believers could worship, serve, grow, and participate in the mission of God. In this way, Shekinah Presbyterian Church was born as one of the fruits of the ministry of Shekinah Mission Centre.
On May 13, 2007, the first official worship service of Shekinah Presbyterian Church was held in Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam. The church was established under the Presbyterian Church in Tanzania. Since Shekinah Mission Centre had given birth to the church, it was fitting for the name “Shekinah” to continue. However, because the Centre itself was a discipleship and training ministry, the church was named Shekinah Presbyterian Church Tanzania.
The opening service was honored by Reverend Joshua Lee, a missionary from South Korea and the founder of Calvin Theological College and Korea Church Mission. He preached from Acts 2:38-47, a passage that reflects the life of the early church in worship, teaching, fellowship, prayer, and mission. The first service was attended by three women and eight men, most of whom were young people who had been connected to Shekinah Mission Centre.
At that time, Daniel John Seni was an evangelist and one of the founders of the church. Therefore, the beginning of Shekinah Presbyterian Church cannot be separated from the vision, discipleship, and ministry foundation of Shekinah Mission Centre. The Centre prepared the people, shaped the vision, carried the burden for ministry, and became the spiritual womb through which Shekinah Presbyterian Church was born.