Three Questions is a semi-regular series introducing individuals across the NAB by asking them about their story, their ministry, and what they are learning. These features on members of our NAB family also provide great opportunities to pray for them as we get to know more of their story. This week, we hear from Gerald Dzawo, pastor of Oak Street Baptist Church in Burlington, Iowa.
What’s your story?
I was born and raised in Zimbabwe before coming to the United States as a young man to pursue youth ministry studies. My journey took me to Colorado for college, and after finishing, I returned to Zimbabwe, where I served with Youth for Christ as a youth counselor while also teaching computers at a Christian school in Bulawayo.
Life began to unfold quickly after that—I met a girl and got married, and together we started a family that has now grown to four children: two girls and two boys, in that order. Not long after, we moved to Harare, Zimbabwe. There, I became involved with a church plant and later served as a youth pastor at a large non-denominational church.
It was during this time that my burden for equipping youth workers really deepened. Out of that passion, I started an organization dedicated to training and resourcing youth leaders across Zimbabwe. We facilitated camps, organized large-scale youth events, and even hosted international mission trips that gave young people an opportunity to encounter Jesus in powerful ways.
But the work also drew unwanted attention. The government saw our leadership camps as a threat, and eventually government officials began questioning me about our activities. That questioning turned into intimidation and even torture. In the end, for the safety of my family, we fled Zimbabwe. By God’s providence, we landed in Denver, Colorado—a place of safety but also a season of wrestling. I often describe it as my “Jonah moment,” because it was there, in the middle of transition and uncertainty, that God redirected us once again—this time to Burlington, Iowa.
I accepted a position as youth and family pastor at Oak Street Baptist Church, a role I held for three years before stepping into a senior pastor position at West Avenue Baptist Church. What I didn’t realize at the time was that God would eventually bring me full circle, leading me back to Oak Street, this time as their senior pastor. So now I pastor two churches, both Oak Street and West Avenue.
Looking back, I often say my story is really just God’s story of grace written across my life. I didn’t choose ministry because it looked easy or glamorous—I stepped into it because I couldn’t escape the call of God on my heart. Over the last twenty-five years, I’ve served as a youth pastor, senior pastor, and trainer of leaders. I’ve preached in different cultures and contexts, and I’ve walked with people in seasons of both great joy and deep struggle; through it all, I’ve seen the unshakable goodness of God.
That conviction eventually inspired me to write my book, When God Writes the Story: Embracing His Goodness Through It All. Every chapter of my life—whether confusing, painful, or joyful—has become a reminder that his hand is steady and his purposes are good. In the book, I write, “If someone had told me years ago that my life would turn out like this, I would have laughed. Not a polite chuckle either—one of those full-belly laughs that leave you gasping for air.”
Who would have thought a Zimbabwean immigrant would end up in small-town Iowa, pastoring two different churches along the way? Certainly not me. But God knew—and that makes all the difference.
What’s ministry like for you?
I have the privilege—and some might say the madness—of pastoring two churches. A few friends joke that I must be a glutton for punishment, but honestly, I see it as a blessing. My week is split between the two: office hours on Mondays and Wednesdays at one church, Tuesdays and Thursdays at the other, and Fridays and Saturdays as “flex days.” (Of course, every pastor knows that “days off” are usually more of a theory than a reality!)
Sundays are their own kind of adventure. The churches are about ten-minutes apart, with one service at 9:00 a.m. and the other at 10:30. Yes, I preach a similar message at both—and no, I haven’t accidentally shown up at the wrong church yet!
But when it comes down to it, ministry for me has always been about people. It’s about walking with them through every season—laughing together, grieving together, celebrating together—and pointing them to Jesus in the middle of it all. Preaching isn’t just about putting together a sermon; it’s about bringing hope and truth in a way that connects with people where they really live. That’s one reason I try to weave in a little humor. I believe God gave us laughter as a gift to soften our hearts so his Word can sink a little deeper.
Right now, both our churches are leaning into the theme “Putting First Things First.” It’s been a refreshing and challenging journey of helping people realign their hearts, homes, and callings with the priorities of God’s Kingdom. But ministry doesn’t stop at the pulpit or the sanctuary doors. I find real joy in mobilizing the church for impact beyond Sunday mornings—whether that’s youth discipleship, community outreach, or initiatives like clean water projects in Africa.
For me, ministry is never only about what happens on Sundays; it’s about equipping people to live out their faith every day in practical, Christ-centered ways. There’s nothing like seeing the Gospel expressed not only in words but in action. Something as simple as handing a family a water filtration kit that will provide clean drinking water for the next ten years—that preaches a sermon of its own. Those moments remind me that ministry is both local and global, both preaching and practicing the love of Christ.
What are you learning?
If I’m honest, the biggest challenge I’m facing right now is learning how to simplify. Ministry can get busy, messy, and downright overwhelming if you let it. There’s always one more sermon to polish, one more meeting to attend, one more need that can’t wait until tomorrow. And when you’re shepherding two congregations, it doesn’t take much to feel like you’re juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle. It’s possible to be very busy and yet not very fruitful—that’s a trap I have to watch out for.
The Lord has been reminding me over and over again that the mission hasn’t changed: make disciples. That’s it. That’s the heart of it all. It’s so easy to get caught up in the programs, the details, even the “good things,” and forget the main thing. God is teaching me to come back to simplicity: love him, love people, make disciples. When I keep that front and center, everything else falls into its proper place.
Another lesson I’m learning—and re-learning often–is to lean harder on God’s strength rather than my own. Some days, I feel stretched thin. Other days, I feel flat-out inadequate. But those are the very moments where I’ve seen God show up in ways that remind me this whole thing was never about me to begin with. His strength is made perfect in weakness, and while that’s humbling, it’s also incredibly freeing. I don’t have to have it all together; I just have to stay surrendered.
And then there’s the challenge of learning to be still in the middle of the chaos. That might be the hardest one for me. I’m wired to do, to lead, to keep moving—but God keeps inviting me to slow down and rest in him. It’s not easy, but it’s teaching me that ministry isn’t sustained by frantic effort, it’s sustained by abiding in Christ.
Yes, ministry has its share of challenges. There are long days, hard conversations, and seasons where you wonder if you’re really making a difference. But for me, it remains one of the greatest privileges of my life. I get to stand in people’s lives at their most vulnerable and most joyful moments and point them to Jesus. I get to help them discover that God is faithful, that he is good, and that when they truly put him first, everything else—slowly but surely—finds its rightful place.
What a blessing it is to be part of the great North American Baptist Conference community. Would you please take a moment to pray for Gerald Dzawo, as well as Oak Street Baptist?