Major Mary Miriti is a Kenyan based in the United States. She quit her teaching job in Kenya to join the US army and became a major at 48 years old. Her story proves that it is never too late to pursue one’s dreams.
Education
She studied Business Administration and Marketing at Daystar University.
Move to the US
The pastor moved to the US after winning the much coveted green card. Upon arrival in the US, she registered in Perkins School of Theology to undergo training to become a minister.
Major Miriti remembers a time when her chaplain was recruiting people for army ministry. She was enticed by the promise of serving only two days in a month.
She serves as a major and an ordained chaplain for the United Methodist Church in Dallas,Texas.
She was commissioned in 2011 as a first lieutenant where she went for training. Later on in 2015, she was promoted to be a captain and in 2021 she was promoted to be a major.
Being a chaplain, the only thing she could not do as a soldier is to hold a gun but had an assistant who served as her bodyguard.
As a chaplain in the army her work is to preach to the soldiers. She counsels those with stress, depression and help those suffering from PTSD.
The woman of the cloth provides them with much needed mental and emotional support. She has pastors that help her such as Stephen Kamau, Reverent Mutembei, Alfred and Jonathan who make things easy for her than when she was alone.
Her church is almost turning ten years old and is mostly made up of Kenyan immigrants.
In an interview with Alex Chamwada, the major said if she knew what it was like she wouldn’t have done it. As a chaplain she thought things would be done differently but once you are a solider you are a solider.
The regulations of becoming a pastor in the US
Prior to leaving Kenya, she was a preacher. She found out that it was difficult to preach in America as you have to be an ordained clergy before getting a pulpit.
She received guidance and did a candidacy process which took her ten years.
ReverenD Mary rejected the idea of America being a land flowing with milk and honey.
She advises Kenyans to work hard and be self disciplined since one mistake in the US makes you fall in the river.
“I received my first appointment as an Associate Minister at a Caucasian Church and despite this I remained committed to my vision of establishing an immigrant church to help people assimilate into American culture”
Reverend Miriti told Chamwada and finished by saying you have to work very hard, be focused and remain diligent.
