Rev. Dr. Kimberlynn McNabb | Cows x 4 = 1 Pastor 

It was the mid 1980’s and there was famine in Mozambique. CLWR sponsored and advertised an appeal where one cow became four. At that time there was a young teenager at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Owen Sound, ON, who was captivated by this idea of one becoming 4. Brilliant!

I was that teenager. It was the first time I had heard anything like this appeal. I was excited! It sounded like a miraculous deal, the multiplying of cows, like Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish. Cows for Mozambique became a youth group project.

I was very captivated by the project, so much so that I researched the kind of cows that live in Africa, to enable the drawing of a cow head (with crazy horns) to go in the bulletin announcement. The youth group had a spaghetti supper with part of the proceeds going to purchase cows. The supper was well attended and people were generous with donations.

With such abundance at hand, the youth group decided that a bigger herd of cows was possible, the youth group decided to take responsibility for leading an entire Sunday worship service. We had a musician, readers, communion assistants, prayer givers, ushers, acolytes, and no preacher.

The youth group decided that I was preaching. They teased me that it was because I talked a lot. It was really because I liked talking about God and pondering and debating bigger life questions. I was also passionate. I loved God. I loved cows. I loved abundance. I loved helping others. And so, my 15 year old self wrote a sermon. It was written in ballpoint pen on the back of boxboard from a cereal box that had been cut in thin strips, like a newspaper column. Some words were underlined, others highlighted in pencil crayon to help with the delivery of the message.

It was my first sermon to a congregation. I was terrified and excited all at the same time. I persevered because I did it for the cows.

A herd of cows was raised by the youth group project for CLWR and by the time they reached Mozambique there were four herds.

CLWR’s project did something else too, it captivated a young person to dream big and participate in the miraculous when facing daunting issues like famine; it excited and directed a passion for sharing abundance and good news; and it set a young person on the path to being a preacher and a pastor.

Rev. Dr. Kimberlynn McNabb, ordained 27 years, is pastor at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Halifax, NS.

Cover photo: LWF Mozambique
Photo of Rev. Dr. McNabb: The Signal/Jon Werbitt