A Cornerstone Global Network Special featuring Cornerstone Kingdom Ministries, Mauritius
Having spent more than two decades serving the Lord on the mission field, Pastors Steeve and Genevieve Lam Wai Shun of Cornerstone Kingdom Ministries (CKM) in Mauritius have encountered God’s abounding grace and faithfulness in every way. A part of our Cornerstone Global Network, Pastor Steeve took time to share how the Lord led them on this journey of walking in faith, and the lessons learnt from planting churches and training missionaries.
Genesis 12, “Now the LORD had said to Abram: Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, and to a land that I will show you.”
It all began in 2002, when Pastor Steeve received God’s call to start a ministry work in Camp Levieux, a suburb area that was the most dangerous in Mauritius, filled with violence, gangs, drugs, and prostitution. Leaving behind his thriving business and Pastor Genevieve’s teaching job, they took a leap of faith and obeyed the Lord despite the criticism and opposition they faced from family and friends.
Previously known as New Destiny Harvest, CKM was born in the living room of the Lam Wai Shun family, and its’ very first service was held there.
In the early years, Pastor Steeve recalled seeing a vision of “fire falling from heaven” upon the region. This happened when the team met to pray and declare prophetic words of destiny over the area where they were situated. The vision gave him a strong assurance that God had a purpose for CKM.
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Pastor Steeve and Pastor Genevieve went on to plant churches in different regions all over Mauritius so that people coming from different localities could get to church without having to travel too far. Public transportation is considered a luxury for the poor villagers and one of the strategies that God gave to them was to bring the church to the people.
Recounting CKM’s journey in the past two decades, the consistent word given by the Lord was to go into the darkest places to touch and transform lives, with the grace given by the Lord. Pastor Steeve also shared that many young people’s lives were impacted and they turned from a lifestyle of drug abuse towards the Lord.
“We do not just give food and clothes, but we also empower people,” Pastor Steeve emphasised. He added that good works must always be accompanied by the truth of God’s word that can truly liberate people. With clear direction and determination, those bound in chains have been blessed and saved from the bleak situations that they had once been in.
When Pastor Steeve and Pastor Genevieve eventually met Pastor Yang and Pastor Daphne in Mauritius, they felt a divine sense of appointment and connection upon hearing about Cornerstone Community Church’s similar beginnings in Singapore, when alcoholism and prostitution were also rampant when the church moved to Odeon Katong. They had found family, and since then, Pastor Steeve said that he has witnessed the same move and flow of the Holy Spirit in Cornerstone Singapore being imparted to CKM.
Through the years of church planting, CKM has had its fair share of challenges, and Pastor Steeve is tremendously thankful that the Lord has raised sons and daughters who have come alongside him and his wife to steward the vision that God has given. Identifying the right people and knowing where to place them is one of the most important things needed as a leader, he shared. “It takes consistent communication and being obedient to God’s patterns and principles – to have patience and love in all things.”
Wherever the Lord placed a nation upon their hearts, Pastor Steeve added that they had to trust Him for the supernatural provision. And there was never one instance that they were in lack. He firmly believes that they should not hold onto an “islander’s mindset” which only receives, but instead also sow into missions and be a blessing to others, knowing that there is always enough with God. “Our mindset should be set on the Kingdom. God will give us according to our measure of faith, and when we begin to see things with a new perspective, we will see the miracles of God’s provision,” he added.
And God has certainly blessed CKM richly! From their humble beginning with just four members, CKM’s membership has grown to an estimated 1,400 in Mauritius alone over the last 20 years, and they now operate in 35 locations.
God has also opened many doors into other nations and CKM has done mission work in 36 nations, including Africa, France, North America, and the Middle East. Looking ahead, the vision for CKM is to continue to grow as a missions-sending base, modelled after the Antioch Church found in Acts 11, where missionaries will be set apart, trained, mentored, and released into the world. They are also hoping to plant a church in Madagascar to reach many more for the Lord.
“Whenever I think about how much Jesus loves me, how He brought me out of the darkness and into His marvelous light, my eyes are filled with tears and my heart with gratitude. This is why I am committed to sharing the gospel of Jesus wherever He will send me…and one day in heaven, we will see the impact of Cornerstone globally,” Pastor Steeve shared joyfully when asked what keeps him going all these years. May God’s love compel every Cornerstonian to also go forth and reach out to the lost among us!
Words of Advice to young missionaries/church planters from Pastor Steeve
Build your prayer life
Since my early days in ministry, God’s voice remains the driving force in everything I do. Your prayer life and your intimacy with God will hold you throughout the journey. Develop a strong relationship with the Holy Spirit and let Him be your guide.
Develop a compassionate heart
Like Jesus, every time I travel, I will ask God if I can reach at least one soul. That will give me great joy, and I know it will delight the Father’s heart. I have had to travel for hours and hours in the wilderness of Madagascar, and even in the bushes during my mission trips. But in my heart and mind, despite the surrounding dangers, we can think about reaching at least one soul. Don’t be intimidated or swayed by the number of people in the crowd. Jesus said He would leave the 99 sheep to go and find the last one. Be driven by the desire to see people receive Jesus, to be healed, transformed, delivered, and set free.
Prepare yourself spiritually, mentally, physically, and even financially
Abide in God’s word and be filled with the Spirit so that God can use you to bring the message people need to hear, and to demonstrate His power through signs and wonders as a manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit.
Be prepared for difficult situations or challenges that require you to step out of your comfort zone or even live in precarious places. A mission trip is not a vacation.
Take care of your body, as you might be called to walk for long hours under difficult conditions with
little sleep.
In the area of finances, have a plan to sustain yourself and to be a blessing to others. God will indeed provide for all our needs, but we also need to be good financial stewards.