Our Pastor
Jacob Nyakoe
Lead Pastor
Phone: 952-693-9460
Jacob Nyakoe has been on staff with International Friends Church since September 2021.
Our Team
As believers in the tradition of Friends, we affirm that everyone is a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We also believe that God equips some to be leaders, some to be teachers, to equip each of us to do the work that God has placed before us.
Our Story
International Friends Church (IFC) is a Quaker (Friends) faith-based church established by Minneapolis Friends Meeting (www.MinneapolisFriends.org) in 2012. Minneapolis Friends Meeting recognized that there are many Quakers in Twin Cities from Kenya (Kenya has the largest number of evangelical Quakers in the world) but lacked an evangelical Quaker church in twin cities, therefore they were led by the spirit to establish IFC. They sought the help of Iowa Yearly Meeting (www.iaym.org) a member of Friends United Meeting(www.friendsunitedmeeting.org) in Richmond, Indiana.
The church was started in the basement of Phena Shimaka and Joseph Namuninia a Quaker family in Maple Grove, with two families: Phena Shimaka’s and David Wekesah’s families. The total number of members was less than 10. Phena Shimaka served as the clerk, Joseph Namuninia as the treasure and David Wekesah as a Recording Clerk. Marshalltown Friends Church in Iowa agreed to be a sister church since to International Friends Church since it did not have enough members to stand on its own. The church contracted with the City of Brooklyn Park for Sunday worship at Jewel Park Building, 1400 89th Ave. N. for worship from 2013-2020. The church under a volunteer Liberian pastor, Thomas Freeman gained up to 20 members. The church became vibrant and spiritual with very committed members.
Iowa Yearly Meeting hired Pastor Sychellus Wabomba to lead the church before he left to pursue his theological studies. The church continued to meet at Jewell Park, Brooklyn Park until members identified Pastor Patrick Muganda through the help of Iowa Yearly Meeting and hired him fulltime from September 2019. He worked diligently and moved the church from Jewel Park Building to Waycross Evangelical Church, 7733 W. River Rd. in Brooklyn Park MN 55443. Pastor Muganda went back to Kenya at the end of his contract and in September 2021, Pastor Jacob Nyakoe took over as the Pastor of IFC. International Friends Church was recognized as a monthly meeting on July 29th, 2022, during the Iowa Yearly Meeting Conference.
What We Believe
Our Purpose
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To obey the great commission of our Lord Jesus Christ
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:19-20
International Friends Church (IFC) is a disciple-making church and has the duty and mandate to plant other churches in all the small towns of Minnesota, to propel its growth in line with the great commission
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To influence the community positively through care and social concern
One of the pillars of Quaker faith is social concern for its community. IFC has the obligation to impress and practice Jesus' teaching in Mathew 25: 35–40:
“For I was angry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was a stranger and you took me in, I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. The righteous will answer and say lord, when we saw you angry and feed you, thirsty and gave you a drink. When did we see you a stranger and took you in, or naked and clothed you, or when did we see you sick and in prison and come to you. And the lord will answer and say, surely assay to you as much as you did it to the least of these my brethren you did it to me.”
Through the social concerns committee and platform, IFC has a duty to study the needs of its church members and community and meet them according the principle of biblical mercy and charity.
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To obey and teach the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ to all its Members and newcomers
“You are my friends if you do what I command you." - John 14:15
IFC members are encouraged to live the faith they proclaim and apply it in their homes, community and day to day walk of life. All members of International Friends Church are encouraged to study observe and obey the bible from Genesis to revelation without reservation. IFC is a Bible reading, observing and obeying church. Bible study is encouraged on weekly basis within members.
Our Vision
The vision of International Friends Church is to achieve a biblical Quaker Christian community that impress biblical principles of obedience, love and care for its community.
Our Mission
To address the spiritual needs of each individual and family in the diverse community by helping one another to experience the living Christ. We encourage people to seek Gods guidance.
