PCEA PARTNERSHIP: TEN MISSION INITIATIVES INSPIRING PARTNERSHIP

A PRESENTATION AT THE KENYA MISSION NETWORK MEETING (9th-12th October 2013) in DETROIT ,U.S.A., BY THE REV. THEGU MUTAHI, P.C.E.A. DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL PCEA PARTNERSHIP: TEN MISSION INITIATIVES INSPIRING PARTNERSHIP

INTRODUCTION – INITIATIVES The ten development initiatives as presently pursued are: • Spiritual Development of the PCEA (Qualitative and Quantitative) • Medical • HIV/AIDS Education • Pastoral Leadership Development

INTRODUCTION – INITIATIVES • Mission Work (“Go Ye” areas) • Women and Women • Youth and Children • Education- Orphanage, Primary, Secondary and Post Secondary • Nutrition: Food and Water • Economic development- Micro finance

Overall PCEA Spiritual Development The church today stands at 51 Presbyteries spreading across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Overall PCEA Spiritual Development There over 390 pastoral areas manned by: • 370 Parochial Ministers serving over 2,500 congregations • 33 Institutional Ministers • 10,000 active Elders • 420 Evangelists

Medical Mission Three major hospitals namely • Kikuyu, • Tumutumu, and • Chogoria. • The last two have training schools for nurses. They also offer services including general care to specialized areas like orthopedics, dental, eye and pediatrics.

Medical Mission Challenges They include; • Lack of enough doctors, • Inability of patients to pay their bills, • Delay by government to pay NHIF remittances in time, • Inability to retain staff due to unaffordable competitive remuneration, • Lack of modern equipment.

HIV/AIDS and Drugs and Substances Education • HIV/AIDS prevalence gone down but education still critical. • A HIV/AIDS course for all ministers gone on for over ten years now.

Drugs and Substances Education • Prevalence is mainly among the youth • Seminars and forums are organized to offer this education

HIV/AIDS Initiatives Challenges • ARVs are not being always accessible to people living with the condition, and • Presence of orphaned children sometimes taken care by aged grandparents.

Drugs and Substances Challenges • Lack of a rehabilitation home for those already hooked • Involvement of influential personalities in the drugs business

Pastoral Leadership Development The church ministers qualifications;

Pastoral Leadership Development Local training mainly done at; • St Paul’s University Presbyterian University of East Africa (PUEA).

Pastoral Leadership Development • Evangelists are also trained locally at PCEA Lay Training Centre courtesy of Booth Foundation. • An elders pre-ordination course is offered at the Lay Training

Pastoral Leadership Education Challenges • Lack of enough funds to train personnel locally. • Financial inability to train elders before ordination

Mission Work (“Go Ye” areas) • PCEA has 47 Nendeni (Mission) areas spread across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. • Areas are vast, lack infrastructure and experience harsh climate. • Recently, 25 of them received motorcycles to facilitate personnel movement

Mission Work (“Go Ye” areas) • The Outreach Foundation (USA) has been very supportive. • Has helped build many sanctuaries and institutions.

Mission Work Challenges • Lack of personnel (as remuneration is not regular) • Lack of proper housing of personnel e.g. Uganda which is entirely a mission area. • Need to have a church in Kampala and Gulu (worshippers presently hire halls).

Women, Men, Youth and Children • Specialized ministries established to cater for the needs of these groups i.e., the Woman’s Guild, the Youth Fellowship, Men’s fellowship and Church School Committee. • Consequently there is a steady increase of men, women, youth and children in church.

Men and Women Challenges • In some areas women have to support families as husbands have neglected families due to unemployment and indulgence in in drugs and substances abuse

Youth and Children Challenges • Adversely affected by lack of resources for further education, • lack of employment, • drugs and substance abuse, and • HIV/AIDS. • Sexual abuse • Lack of menses management for school going girls • Teenage pregnancy

Education- Orphanage • A number of homes taking care of needy cases like mentally and physically challenged persons are functional. • They are mainly under congregations and church groups.

Education- Primary and Secondary • Found prudent to start schools that are fully owned by the church

Education- Colleges • PCEA also has other colleges • Mainly run by congregations and groups • The major one is Presbyterian College, Rubate - managed by the entire church • The Presbyterian University of East Africa (PUEA) is fully owned by PCEA and operates under a letter of interim authority and has a number of accredited courses.

Education Challenges • Previous arrangement where church was recognized as a sponsor was revoked in our new constitution • PUEA has faced a myriad of challenges including recent bad press.

Nutrition: Food and Water • Irrigation increasing in Kenya. • Discovery of large quantities of water in Turkana have raised great hopes in Kenya. • However, agriculture in Kenya still mainly rain-fed hence prone to drought. • Food insecurity a big issue.

Nutrition: Food and Water • Many boreholes sunk in arid areas • The Outreach Foundation USA have sunk a number of boreholes. • However, some areas in Kenya suffer lack of clean and available water. • Children in such areas fail to go to school • Their parents have to trek to far distances

Economic Development- Micro Finance Congregations and parishes have started revolving funds that have empowered members The Kenyan Government has made efforts to empower people economically through several trickle-down funds which include but not limited to: • Uwezo fund for women and youth. • The church is encouraging her members to participate in controlling such funds and apply where they qualify.

Conclusion • A lot of progress have been realized. • A lot of local resources have been invested and continue to be invested towards the same. • Nevertheless, we are greatly indebted to the immense support of our partners. • We pray and hope that the same will continue in days to come.

PCEA PARTNERSHIP: TEN MISSION INITIATIVES INSPIRING PARTNERSHIP