Sunday at Sukari

Kahawa Sukari is part of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) . This denomination dates back to 1891 when Scottish Missionaries began doing mission here. In 1902, American Missionaries came to East Africa with the same purpose and began sharing their faith with Kenyans. Eventually the message of the gospel took root in the Kikuyu region because the Kikuyu tribe was already monotheistic and the teachings of the missionaries aligned well with the religious theology that had been part of their tribe for centuries. These two groups worked independently for decades and merged to form PCEA in 1945. Presently, there are 4 million members, 56 presbyteries, and 1500 congregations in the PCEA. Their polity and structure are similar to what I've experienced in the PC(USA). However, their theology and practice seem to reflect those of other denominations. My denominational experience isn't extensive but the best way I can describe it is that members of PCEA are like Southern Baptists who evangelize like Mormons and have services like the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Obviously this theology and practice is very different than my own and has been a major adjustment.   

Sunday morning was my first worship experience at PCEA Sukari . Sunday was a special day in the life of the church because they celebrated Holy Communion followed by a regular service (they do it separately here). Click here to view a live stream of both services and before you freak out - yes, we did church for four hours straight. Click here to view a video of just the sermon. I don't expect you to watch all of it but exposing yourself to part of it will give you a taste of the religious culture I am living and serving in. I find many aspects of their theology and practice problematic and I don't plan to dwell on those topics here. But, what I will say, is that noticing the differences has helped me reevaluate similar aspects of my own understanding of God and my faith in ways that I had never contemplated before this experience.  

Here is a brief list of things I really enjoyed about the service:

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Music: The music in the worship service on Sunday was a mix of traditional hymns and Kenyan choruses sung in both Swahili and English. Most of these tunes were familiar to everyone and it usually took a long time to get the lyrics up on the screens. I did a lot of melodic mumbling during the service but was still spiritually filled up by the worship. The Music Director, Jackson Njuki Ng'ang'a led the choir and the praise group from the front platform. More so than services I've taken part in, Sunday mornings at Sukari are beautifully chaotic because many aspects of the service (music included) are planned while the service is happening. 

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Visitors: Kenyans are excessively welcoming. "Karibu!" is said to anyone people don't recognize. Sunday worship was no different. On Sunday, there were several Men's Fellowship members from another Parish, families of those who were baptized, random visitors, and of course, me. Visitors were asked to stand to be welcomed and serenaded by the choir. Sukari went above and beyond to make newcomers feel welcome.

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Leadership: Both Elders and Deacons were actively called upon to help lead worship. This is common at each worship services. They were in charge of preparing/serving communion, greeting visitors, collecting multiple offerings, and cleaning up after the service. These leaders are frequently called upon to run the church because there is only one pastor. Therefore, they are called upon to do a lot in the pastor's' absence and take their leadership very seriously. They each represent a district and are expected to communicated bi-weekly with each family they represent. These leaders are incredible!

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Flood Offering: Last week, there was a major flood after an illegally-constructed dam collapsed in Nakuru county. Click here for more information about the flooding. Sukari responded immediately by taking up a special offering on Sunday to offer aid to victims of the flood. Church leaders have been communicating with the parish that was affected by this disaster. By the grace of God, they've received more food, blankets, and clothing than they need. So, the money collected at Sukari on Sunday is being used to purchase a large tent to serve as a temporary building structure while they rebuild their church in the coming months. They also plan to spend any remaining money on chairs to put inside the tent. What I love about this is that the church took immediate action following a disaster that is so close to home. It didn't require committees or wait denomination-sponsored offering. They people of Sukari recognized this need and acted immediately. A group of us are traveling there on Thursday to host worship for the community and deliver the donations. 

What a blessing it was to worship with PCEA Sukari. I have been so welcomed and embraced by everyone I've met and am looking forward to worshiping with them in future services. Bwana Yesu Asifiwe! Praise be unto Jesus!

~ Nell in Nairobi  

PS: This sweet girl has just recited the Apostles Crees before her baptism. She is pictured praying with the Evangelist before the service.