I write this tribute first for you, dearest Gladys and your family, then all Gershon’s friends in
the AE family, and then for all in the wider church who knew and loved this great man of
God.

First of all, on behalf of my wife Carol, my family, and all in AESA and worldwide, I send our
deepest sympathies and condolences to Gladys and the family. You are constantly & deeply
in our hearts and prayers at this time. We can’t imagine your grief, particularly at the
manner of your loved one’s passing. Still, we also salute the amazing faith and inspirational
courage you are all manifesting in the midst of this tragedy.

Gershon and I met on an airplane flying from Johannesburg to Nairobi for the first time in
the early ‘70s. He recognized me from pics at the head of a column I regularly wrote for a
monthly Kenya Christian magazine. We engineered a seat change so we could sit together
for the flight. As a Senior Engineer in the Kenya Prisons Department, Gershon had been in
SA to look at and learn from security arrangements in various SA prisons. I immediately saw
he was a radiant and deep Christian, and it also transpired a senior Methodist layman.

I told him of the proposed PACLA (PanAfrican Christian Leadership Assembly) Conference on the
cards for December 1976, when we would gather Christian Leaders from almost every
country in Africa in Nairobi for ten days of reflection and challenge. I said I felt he should
become part of the local Nairobi planning committee. And I think that happened.
In any event, our friendship developed. Gershon also met my AE Co-leader, Bishop Festo
Kivengere, who also quickly recognized Gershon as a young man of extraordinary leadership
abilities and deep Christian character.

Post PACLA our links and fellowship continued and deepened until suddenly we found
ourselves ready to launch a new national AE team for Kenya. As Festo and I both saw, the
obvious choice to lead it was Gershon Mwiti. Imagine our joy and doxologies when Gershon
accepted our invitation and agreed to leave his senior position in Kenya Police and take up
this new assignment.

Of course, he did wonderfully well and excelled in all aspects of leadership and ministry. He
turned out to be a powerful preacher, an eloquent and accomplished Bible teacher, and a
mission set-up director of enormous skill and ability. I especially remember his marvelous
set-up job in Lusaka for our first city-wide mission there.

I was privileged to go to many places around Africa with Gershon Mwiti. I grew to love him
deeply and greatly appreciate his strength of Christian character, impeccable integrity,
profound commitment to justice, and a lovely sense of fun. We had a lot of laughs together!
One mission I particularly remember with Gershon was Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan,
because Festo was extraordinarily denied entry. Gershon and I became the lead preachers
for this strategic mission to this stricken city, devastated by years of civil war. In this
endeavor, we became particularly close. And it remained that way ever after. Oh, how I
loved that man and treasured his endlessly loyal friendship!

In all the years I worked with Gershon, I also found that he was a family man par excellence.
Gladys and his kids meant the world to him, and Gladys was his closest friend and counselor.
Together they made a formidable team.

When the doors opened in 1997 to Fuller Seminary for Gladys to extend her Counseling
training for the huge ministry opening to her in this field, Gershon felt he simply had to
accompany his beloved and advance his studies at the same time. Malcolm Graham,
Director of AEUSA, sought and secured some scholarship help for Gershon. This inevitably
meant Gershon leaving AE, and to our deep regret, we had to go along with this. But
thankfully, from that day to this, they remained very much part of the AE Family after they
returned to Kenya.

And now Gershon leaves us, struck down by cruel blows of wicked human design. May the
perpetrators, whomever they be, and wherever they are, be brought to book and made to
face the horrific nature and consequences of the crime they have committed.

But they can never shut down the immense legacy and ongoing blessings from the life of
this Great General in the Army of God.

To be sure, we and thousands of others will forever give thanks for this great Christian
Gentleman and lift the ongoing testimony and witness of his precious life partner, Dr.Gladys
Mwiti.

By Dr. Michael Cassidy, Founder, African Enterprise.