Visiting the Head Office

Today I spent the day at the Head Office of the PCEA. This was an incredible opportunity to meet the Secretary General and the Director of the PCEA Mission & Social Responsibilities Board. Even Student Ministers here don’t get that opportunity!  

We began by attending the PCEA Head Office Staff Fellowship. We joined staff members for gathering songs, prayers, and a brief message based on Jeremiah 6. Afterwards we had coffee and did some networking. We've arranged a CTS alumni gathering next week and I'm so looking forward to it! 

Rev. George and I met with Rev. Robert Waihenya Ngugi first. He is the Director of the PCEA Mission & Social Responsibilities Board. He's also a CTS alum and we met a few weeks ago at the funeral of a retired Minister. We enjoyed swapping stories about our time at CTS. Rev. Waihenya has recently finished his doctoral program and hopes that one day he could teach a course at CTS about African Theology. 

The second half our conversation focused on what he does in his position and the mission objectives of the PCEA. PCEA has always been focused on mission and evangelism (especially evangelism). There are many ways in which the PCEA is currently engaging in mission throughout the denomination and beyond: 

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Mission Areas: Since the Christianity has only been in Kenya for 130 years, there are still many unreached people groups throughout the country. Kenya has changed drastically in recent decades and modernization has prompted urbanization throughout the country. While 200 years ago, tribes lived independently in their own lands, in modern times, more and more folks are moving into the city. Urban PCEA churches are thriving and as a result have been assigned mission areas throughout the country to share the gospel in areas where it hasn't been shared before (ie. the rural areas). This means crossing a lot of cultural barriers. Right now, Christians are primarily of Kikuyu decent. That means a majority of the other 42 tribes are still practicing tribal religions, Islam, or no religion at all. Thus, the focus on evangelism within Kenya.

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Education: One way that the PCEA has been able to connect with Kenyans from other tribes is by providing free (or heavily subsidized education) for children. This mission is two-fold. It allows them to share the gospel with young people who probably wouldn't have access to education (or the Bible) otherwise. Also, it keeps children (particularly young girls) in schools. In many tribes, female genital mutilation and child marriage (as early as age 10) is still common practice. Keeping young women enrolled in school prevents marriages from happening when the girls are so young. This also gives young folks more opportunities to think critically about traditional practices (female genital mutilation) and the church is hoping that preaching against these practices in schools will help prevent this tradition from continuing in the future.

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Uganda and Tanzania: The PCEA encompasses Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, however, Kenya is home to an overwhelming majority of PCEA congregations. There are currently 5 active parishes in Tanzania. PCEA is hoping this number will grow and is currently giving pastors specialized training so they can Minister there. Uganda has struggled in recent years. Amin Dada was a dictator in Uganda and during his rule he outlawed all religions except Islam and Catholicism. The Christian church had been thriving in Uganda prior to this change. This law basically exterminated Christianity in Uganda for a period of time. When Amin Dada died in 2003 and the laws were changed, the PCEA began evangelizing in Uganda again. Right now Uganda is experiencing a period of rebirth and Christianity is once again spreading rapidly.

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Missionaries: It's no secret there aren't enough PCEA Ministers to fill the demand. Many ministers have multiple congregations that they minister to. Despite this reality, the PCEA continues to prioritize mission work and evangelism. They have recently started sending missionaries into other parts of Africa. So far they have trained and commissioned 5. They hope to expand this ministry in the future. 

My time with Rev. Peter Kania discussed similar mission topics and also the partnerships between PCEA and many other denominations. I walked away from this conversation contemplating the need for continued dialogue between denominations on a global scale. I think that continuing to send individuals back and forth between denominations for missions and education will be essential for building and maintaining a globally connected church. This is more important than ever before considering the ways in which the church continues to fracture over theological differences. I've felt similarly after other mission-focused experiences, but this conversation prompted me to think deeply about what it is that divides and binds together Christians across the globe. Rev. Kania (like many others here) asked me to seriously consider becoming a missionary in Kenya after I complete my education. My typical response is "I'm open to God's call." At first, this was a polite way of saying "no way" but the more I say "I'm open to God's call," the more I mean it. Yikes. We shall see where the journey leads... 

Rev. Kania also gifted me with some books from the PCEA bookstore to continue my Kenyan cultural education. I've already started reading "Fan into Flame" by John G. Gatu who was a renowned Kenyan Theologian and the first Secretary General of PCEA. He also gave me the PCEA Practice and Procedure Manual (as boring as it sounds, I've been anxious to read it) and a book he wrote entitled "Real Fatherhood In A Fatherless Generation." It was a very king gesture, but I'm not sure what good it will do me considering I'm not a father (nor will ever be a father) and my father has passed on. Speaking of which.... Today my sweet Daddy would have turned 56. I managed to hold it together most of the day except for when we sang Great is Thy Faithfulness in the fellowship this morning. That is like our unofficial (but totally official) family hymn. It was sung at my parents' wedding and pretty much moves me (and many other family members) to tears when we hear it. Anyway, singing it brought tears to the surface but also provided me with a moment to acknowledge the grief and the joy I feel on this day. When I get back to the states I'll be buying a lottery ticket to celebrate (per my annual tradition since he passed). One time he won a whopping $500 on his birthday and he used to always put them in our stockings at Christmas. It's a fun and nostalgic way to celebrate the life of a very special man. So, yeah. Another busy and formative day in Kenya. ~ Nell in Nairobi