Tabitha is a women’s Bible study ministry that was started by Linda Spriegel in 2005. What began with three Kenyan women who were eager to learn more of God’s word has grown into a vibrant network of women teaching other women. Today, over 2,000 women participate in small-group, weekly Bible study and prayer at 230 sites throughout the Tenwek Hospital region.
As women have studied God’s word, their faith and leadership ability has grown so that much of the training and teaching in Tabitha is now done by Kenyan women leaders. From the beginning, Tabitha Ministry has had a vision to empower local churches to help the poor among them. In partnership with these churches, Tabitha has offered practical assistance to needy families to enable them to sustain themselves. It is gratifying to see that the local churches are taking on more and more of this responsibility as their own vision for compassionate ministry is expanding.
In collaboration with local churches, Tabitha focuses resources in these specific areas by providing:
- Bibles to all women who earn them through learning 17 memory verses
- Roofs to new homes after the foundation and walls have been built
- Cows to families in need as a source of both sustenance and income
- Seed money for small business projects
To date, Tabitha has:
- Distributed 11-12,000 bibles
- Helped complete 150 houses with roofs
- Provided 80 cows
- Inspired many churches to catch a vision for helping their own poor
