(405) 425-5070

At gunpoint, kidnapped Kenya missionary keeps preaching


In an instant, Jim Scudder was living a nightmare.
The missionary and his son, John, had traveled from their home in Nyeri, Kenya, to the capital, Nairobi, to obtain a visa for John to attend Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn.
As they pulled up to a guesthouse on a recent Wednesday night, five armed men jumped into their car. The hijackers forced the Scudders into the back of the car and started driving.
They threatened the Christians and shoved guns into their chests. They took Jim Scudder’s cash and bank cards and forced him to withdraw money from automated teller machines.
The hijackers also robbed other people, forcing them into the car. All the while, said the missionary’s daughter, Anna Edgeston, “Dad talked of being a Christian and the joy that he and John experienced due to being Christians. His missionary work never stopped, even in the midst of danger.”
Jim Scudder has served in Kenya since the 1970s, said Roger Pritchett, missions minister for the Pleasant Valley Church of Christ in Little Rock, Ark.
The missionary’s first wife died in childbirth, and he remarried Grace, a native Kenyan. The couple and three of their children work among the Kikuyu people. Pleasant Valley has supported their work for 20 years, Pritchett said.
After driving around Nairobi for several hours, the kidnappers ambushed another motorist. They left the Scudders and their car outside an apartment complex.
“One of the kidnappers asked that Dad pray for them due to the work they do,” Edgeston said.
In addition to cash, the kidnappers took Jim Scudder’s wedding ring, which he had worn for more than 32 years, his daughter said.
She asked fellow Christians to pray for her father and brother as they cope with the psychological effects of the ordeal.

  • Feedback
    Jimmy and Grace Scudder hosted us (i.e. a team from South Nyanza) in 1994 when we were on our way to attend that year’s all Kenya Churches of Christ lectureship in Meru. They were so nice to us. I am shocked to hear of what the devil – who is always a liar and has a threefold mission of death, destruction and stealing – has done to them. I thank God because of the lives of Jimmy and his son. May our dear Father give them an encouragement in His own special way! May God also minister to the kidnappers and make them to use their skills and strength in His kingdom work instead of terrorizing saints! Jimmy and Grace and John and everyone in your family, poleni sana na Mungu azidi kuwalinda!
    Jacob Agak
    Ngulu Church of Christ
    Rongo, Kenya
    Kenya
    December, 1 2010

Filed under: International

View Comments

Don’t miss out on more stories like this.

Subscribe today to receive more inspiring articles like this one delivered straight to your inbox twice a month.

Did you enjoy this article?

Your donation helps us not only keep our quality of journalism high, but helps us continue to reach more people in the Churches of Christ community.

$
Personal Info

Dedicate this Donation

In Honor/Memory of Details

Card Notification Details

Credit Card Info
This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.
Billing Details

Donation Total: $3 One Time