University Chancellor
January 14, 2021 2024-06-21 21:58University Chancellor
Bishop Calisto Odede (Rev.) is our current Chancellor and is also the Presiding Bishop of CITAM. He took over the leadership mantle from Bishop Emeritus Dr. David Oginde on May 21, 2021, when he was installed as the third Chancellor.
Bishop Odede gave his life to Christ in February 1980, when he was a high school student. He graduated with an Education Degree from Kenyatta University (Kenya), Biblical Studies from Trinity International University (USA), and Missiological Studies from Bethany International University (Singapore). He is currently a PhD candidate at Stellenbosch University (South Africa).
Bishop Odede previously worked with the Fellowship of Christian Unions (FOCUS), a body working with students in Universities and Colleges, for 13 years. He then served with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) for eight years as the Associate Regional Secretary, covering the English and Portuguese-speaking countries in Eastern Africa and the Horn of Africa.
Bishop Odede joined Christ Is The Answer Ministries (CITAM) (formerly Nairobi Pentecostal Church) as a member in 1988 and came into the pastorate in 2008, where he served as Deputy Senior Pastor at CITAM Valley Road, Senior Pastor CITAM Woodley, Senior Pastor at CITAM Karen, and Senior Pastor at CITAM Valley Road. He has also served as the Senior Pastor of Nairobi Baptist Church for six years, having moved into a historic church-to-church transfer in Kenya after a request from the Nairobi Baptist Church.
Bishop Odede has travelled to many countries to conduct Bible exposition and leadership training and has been a featured speaker at numerous conferences and mission conventions around the world. These include being a Bible expositor at the Lausanne III Congress (Cape Town), Keswick Convention (UK), New Horizon (Northern Ireland), Urbana Missions Conventions (USA), Commission (Kenya), NIFES (Nigeria), Mission Korea (Korea), CIMA (Chile), and numerous other conferences. He has contributed chapters in “Going the Distance” (Keswick, 2012), Power to Change (Keswick, 2016), and “Christ: Our Reconciler” (IVP, 2010).
Bishop Odede is married to Elizabeth, and they are blessed with three sons: Victor, Benson, and Michael.