Msimu wa Siasa
These past months, the PCEA Church has been in an election fever, whose curtains fell on the eve of 4th December after the final tally was made for three officers of the General Assembly. The matter will be concluded upon the adoption of the results from the Nomination Committee by the Business Committee on Thursday the 7th this week. With vibrant social media presence in this Century, many reliable sources avail the preliminary results to anxious members who otherwise would remain in the dark until months later. The Head Office leadership has been acutely slow in establishing a vibrant social media platform that avails information to its members. Gaps in information in an age of information comes with insurmountable challenges.
Practice and Procedure Applied
Every three years, in accordance with the Practice and Procedure Manual, 1998 Edition, the Church undertakes the election of a Moderator General, the Deputy Secretary General and Honary Treasurer. In their wisdom, the crafters of the Church constitution made it such that at any given time, all the officials do not exit at the same time. For 2023, it was the Secretary General who is still serving his 6 year time, and serves as the transitioning officer.
“Top Secret Affair”
To be fair, the process of the election of the General Assembly (highest decision making organ in the Presbyterian Church) is quite elaborate and often concealed from the general public, including the Church members. It is no surprise that a Chairperson of a local Church somewhere was not aware that such an important undertaking was happening anyway. That practice alone has kept the Church devoid of open disharmony and conflict that is often characteristic of most denominations. The ‘secretive nature’ of the Church Courts have come under huge scrutiny. Given that there have also been huge deficits in financial accounting propagated by the ‘closed-ness’ of the decision making bodies, there are many people who now advocate for more openness in running the matters of public interest. It is perhaps given a push by the Constitution of Kenya 2010. There will be many who will be uncomfortable with this blog entry, understandably so.
Elaborate Process from the Grassroots
Time and space limit an explanation of what the process of election is like. Chapter 18 of the PP contains the Standing Orders and is read with other chapters to direct the Church on how to nominate and elect its servants.
On the material day of elections, say 4th December 2023, each Presbytery convenes a meeting for all its members. Every Presbytery (there are 59 of them across East Africa) has a single vote for each of the elective positions. The members of that Presbytery, usually all the Parish Ministers alongside their pairing Elders vote in each position. The individual elected by the majority of the members is deemed the winner and receives one vote. There are 59 votes in total, given the number of Presbyteries. Ties are recorded as such and results transmitted to the Business Committee of the Church.
Twelve Moderators General
Since PCEA got the first African Moderator, the late Very Rev. Charles Mūhoro Kareri of Tūmūtūmū who served as Moderator of the 3rd General Assembly, the Church has always had each Mod serve two terms of three years each. It was no different this year as the sitting Moderator General, Rt. Rev. Thegū Mūtahi was elected by an overwhelming majority of Presbyteries with 92% of the votes cast.
Peculiar Presbyteries
Somehow, there is always that one Presbytery among those that doesn’t vote like the rest that remains in the memories of the Kirk. This year, it is Milimani South that will remain etched in our memories.
In a more heated election leading to the 18th General Assembly, a couple of Presbyteries were opposed to the election of Dr. David Mūhía Gíthii. One retired Minister recently recalled in the Legends’ show in Kirk TV how Kiganjo Presbytery opposed Dr. Gíthii and subsequent dilemmas that followed. The larger Límuru Presbytery was even more vehement around the same time.
For now, we draw the curtains and keep memories of the interesting things that have passed with the tides of elections, even as we look forward to the 24th General Assembly.
Long way to Demasculinize the Kirk
The PCEA Church has its origin in Scotland, and hence the use of the term Kirk which means Church in Celtic languages. Unfortunately, as visible from the write up, it has been a ‘male dominated leadership’ since 1956 when the initial GA was held. Inasmuch as the Church has ordained women Elders since 1965 and Ministers since 1982, it is saddening that the top leadership has not experienced the breath of a woman Moderator, SG, DSG or HT. The nomination Committee has often listed a few who never get very far in the election. Going forward, the Church needs to make legal requirements that ensure a woman is elected in one of the four positions. It must be a key conversation in the PP amendment that is ongoing.
Few things are therefore important to investigate. First, the secret nature in which the Kirk runs matters. There might be a need to develop policies on Church and Social Media to improve the presence of the Church. We also need to take practical steps in having women leadership. For a start, let it be a rule that no one time will all the four positions be held by one gender! Also, there is a sense in which the PP is clerical. There should be a debut of a ruling Elder being Secretary General, Moderator General or Deputy Secretary General as well. Such is the trend worldwide.
Long Live the Kirk!
TheShepherd 