This past week, there was a debate in some circles in a Presbyterian Church leaders group concerning the inclusion of a certain resolution in the Church’s constitution. The resolution had been passed in a previous Church Court whose theological soundness has been persistently studied and doubted.

The matter involves one of Kenya’s mainline Churches, the PCEA Church and the Court in question was the 17th to the 18th General Assembly. At the helm of the Church General Assembly was the controversial Dr. David Mūhía Gíthii as Moderator General. The resolutions of the Assembly he led are presently under scrutiny as the Church presently attempts to amend the 1998 Practice and Procedure Manual that has been the Constitution guiding the Kirk. There is a need for deep theological reflection and agility as the matters are canvassed. Here is a brief analysis of the matter at hand.

Resolution 3028 of the 18th GA on Eldership read something like, One must be born again before being elected an Elder.’ One has to understand the theological and circumstantial underpinnings that characterized Dr. Githii’s leadership to make sense of such a resolution. The brevity of a blog post does not allow for such an elaborate discussion. Yet, as a 4th Generation of a Christian, with some limited scope on soteriology(the Doctrine of Salvation), I seem to sketch a form of evolution that had characterized the Generation of Christians in the PCEA Church.

Athomi

The very initial group of converts were generally referred to as the learners or Athomi, to signify those who had accepted the way of the missionaries, including the Western Education. Theirs was a radical paradigm shift that was an overhaul to their culture. In my locality, some of the earliest converts were the parents of Dr. Dan Gikonyo of Karen Hospital, Harun Kibuka Kihuni and the step mother Deborah Mūthoni; the parents of the former Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Ishmael, Elijah Waicanguru Kíhūni and Ludia Wangechi Waicanguru. They were all baptized on 11th September, 1927. My own great grandparents were baptized soon after, 2nd June 1929 for Ayub Ndung’ū Wanjere and 24th April 1932 for my Maitū, Peris Nyawíra. I was honored to have interacted with the latter for quite some time.

For this crop of early Christians, salvation was basically signified by conversion. They gave up their African Tradition Religion and followed the way of Jesus as preached by the missionaries. They underwent rigorous catechizing and were baptized. Unlike most of us, they got ‘baptismal’ names as adults. To follow Jesus had huge cultural implications and most suffered greatly for it. Some of them died without ever hearing anyone introducing themselves and saying, ‘I am saved.’ It would have sounded foreign. All they grasped, and I suspect it was most sound, was that they had believed the good news of Jesus and had been baptized. Confirmation sealed that metaphysical phenomenon.

Ahonoki

Days after the missionary era, there existed the East African Revival movement that swept through the Eastern Africa region. Although Rwanda and Uganda were the most affected Nations, the wave crossed through Kenya and some parts of Tanganyika as well. The movement was partly Pentecostal in its origin. Great emphasis was laid in the personal confession of sins. People who were already converted, commonly baptized and confirmed, were expected to go one extra mile, ‘make a public confession of Jesus as their Savior and denounce sin while exposing former life.’ Although there were a good number of initial converts who joined the movement, it was their children, i.e., second generation of Christians that were most affected.

A reading of the life of Rev. Paulo Kahuho who was among the first Presbyterian Ministers, having been ordained on March 14, 1926, expounds on this very matter. He joined the movement later in his life, and the Presbytery of Tūmūtūmū suspended him from service. Dini ya Rwanda, as it was initially referred to was viewed as a cultic movement opposed to missionary Christianity. Post independence Church leaders such as Bishop Obadiah Kariuki and Very Rev John Gatū were chief adherents. They would mention the date they made the initial confession, the word that was preached and for the meticulous ones, the time of the day and place they were at. Again, in my locality, there were people whose names were almost synonymous with the group. I do know that my own grandmother was sympathetic to the group having been saved under its influence but rarely went to the extremes of mentioning her former sins publicly. My great grandma never changed her stand on the heterodoxy of the group and never made a personal confession as they Ngwataniro ya Ahonoku or mūrigo insisted. To them, she was never saved.

I am Born Again

The modern day signature of salvation is seemingly less dramatic. For most people, salvation may mean repeating a certain prayer after the preacher and being prayed for. Raising of hands or moving to the front after what has been popularized as an altar call is often seen as the step to salvation. As such, baptism and confirmation, although observed as good Church ordinances don’t seem to count much in one’s understanding of their salvation.

The current wave has little emphasis on giving a testimony or describing the circumstances of one’s conversion story as long as you salute others with the statement, praise the Lord. The modern Christian sees the Revivalists as fundamentalist who are entirely legalistic and lacking in the Holy Spirit. A further reading of the 17/18th GA expounds the theological understanding or misunderstanding of the participants who insisted on “forms of worship include Salvation and altar calls, role of the Holy Spirit, Open Air meetings, Crusades, Morning devotion and use of Musical instruments, prayer and fasting” in Resolution from the Moderator’s report, Mod 15 of the 1st GAC of the 17th GA. Worse still, there was a resolution that read, Leaders who do not pay tithe should not hold office. Pettiness was reigning here.

There can be more academic expositions on how different generations understand that technical terms ‘saved’ and inclusion of such resolutions in the Constitution, while their historical and theological basis are questionable would be a great deservice to the academic tradition of the reformed Church that was obviously disregarded by the mentioned General Assemblies.

We hope that those tasked with the revision of the P&P will seek the guidance of God, lawyers, Presbyterians, academics and other denominations for a document that bring goodness to all people and Glory to the God who desires that all things be done decently and in order.

MD, Ordinary Year.

2023