P.C.E.A KIGUMO CHURCH: PIONEERS OF A NEW GENERATION

 OF DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST

By

John Karanja Kamau

B.Sc Mech. Eng., University of Nairobi, 1990

B.D St. Paul’s United Theological College, 2001

Thm, Columbia Theological Seminary, 2007

A Tribute to courageous and devoted work

Of P.C.EA Kigumo Church Christians

Who worked very hard to extend  

Kingdom Of God

in their generation

Glory of God

2008

P.C.E.A KIGUMO CHURCH PIONEERS OF A NEW GENERATION OF DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST:

By

John Karanja Kamau

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Accepted by:

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COPYING AGREEMENT

In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree at Columbia Theological Seminary, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for inspection and circulation in accordance with its regulations governing materials of this type.  I further agree that permission for “fair use” copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Seminary Librarian.  It is understood that any copying or publication of this thesis for potential financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission.

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                                                                                    John Karanja Kamau

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DEDICATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work is dedicated to my parents, Rev. Samuel Kamau Nganga and Mary Wambui Kamau, my wife, Rev. Margaret Wambui Karanja, sons Samuel Kamau Karanja, Joseph Nganga, and James Ndirangu Karanja, brothers, sisters and members of my family. They have all played a key role in my relationship with God and with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

The acknowledgement of the following is gladly registered:

1. The Columbia Theological Seminary for its support, love, and great encouragement
2. The two advisors, Dr.Stephen Hayner and Dr. Dent Davis, and the instructors Dr. Carlos Orlandi-Cardoza and Dana Campbell for theirs great encouragement, guidance, and support
3. Jim Yao, Katherine Miller, Michael Medford, Susan Thomas and Kim LeVert for formatting, editing the thesis and their great assistance
4. Rev. Dr. David Bartlett, Dr. Marcia Riggs, Rev. Dr. Bill Harkins, Rev. Dr. George Stroup, Dr. Charles Campbell, Rev. Dr. Laura Mendenhall, Chris Henry, Catherine Cavazos, Emily Martin and Carey Mccallum for their inspiration and motivation
5. The Presbyterian Church of East Africa for the chance to serve God and humanity in its midst
6. Rev. Dr. Marvin Simmers and his wife, JoAnn Sloop, for providing the computer and their great support
7. All the young people who have continued to shape my ministry and for their great insights and love
8. Dear wife and children for permitting me to be away from them for close to one year to do this work

God’s blessings are to you all.

ABSTRACT

MAKING DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST:

EFFECTIVE AND RELEVANT USE OF GIKUYU AGE GROUP

AMONG THE YOUTH IN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF EAST AFRICA

by

John Karanja Kamau

April 2007

94 pages

The Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) is possibly facing one of its worst crises in her 116-year history. The challenge: How does the PCEA remain meaningful, relevant, effective, and fruitful among the young people of the changing generation? If the church is to remain relevant, it needs to be always prepared to carry out research and study and to continually re-evaluate its performance. Research and deep reflection will enable the PCEA to understand contemporary issues facing not only the young people but also humanity in general. The current study aims to look at the age group (riika) principle as used by the Gikuyu people and draw out lessons for making disciples of Jesus Christ, particularly among the young people. The research involves a look at the contribution of various and diverse authors, who have analyzed issues of the Gikuyu culture from various perspectives. The call of Jesus Christ to go and make disciple of all nations is interpreted as including making disciple among the young people, and finding ways of integrating the age group and making disciples of Jesus Christ are explored.

While the riika principle, which used to bind young people together, is not utilized in Christian discipleship, it can be applied to make initial Christian discipleship more relevant, effective, and fruitful among the youth in the PCEA.

The riika principle played a major role in all aspects of the Gikuyu community. In religious, cultural, political, social, economic, and educational issues, the age group had a central role. Nobody among the Gikuyu people was left out of the age group principle and it was as natural as being born.

The age group principle can be used in making disciples of Jesus Christ among the young people, mostly between the age of twelve years and thirty years. The main idea is to provide them with a space where they can belong before they believe. The forum will be a place where the seed – the Word of God – is planted among the young people preferably at a tender, early age. The result will then be left to God. The space will also emphasize tending and nurturing of believers in Jesus Christ. The space will offer a chance for the young people to develop intimacy. It was, however, observed that great care needs to be taken in applying the riika principle, because there are some cultural practices among the Gikuyu which are not compatible with faith in Jesus Christ. In applying the riika principle, no emphasis is put on the physical ritual whatsoever. The key idea is to use the positive lessons of addressing the challenge of the young people at an early age before the world damages their characters and human dignity. The church and all with interest of the young people at heart must always keep abreast with current developments and be prepared always to work out new ways of reaching out to the young people in their generation. The problems facing various generations differ and suitable solutions need to be worked out continually.

CONTENTS

Chapter

1. INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………          1                                              

                  Goals of the Study                                             

2. THE GIKUYU PEOPLE …………………………………………………            3

                  Gikuyu Age Group ……………………………………………………            5 

                  Positive Lessons From Age Group Principle

                  Culture and Making Disciples …………………………………………         11

3. THE PREBYTERIAN CHURCH OF EAST AFRICA ……………………      15

4. MAKING DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST ………………………………      21

                  The Case for Christian Discipleship

                  Messengers with Divine Authority

                  Definition of Disciple

                  All Are Important

                  Discipline

                  Message: Good News

                  The Great Commission …………………………………………………        36

                  Go

                  Mission: Messengers of Peace …………………………………………         46

                  Eating and Drinking Together: Communion

                  Healing and Proclamation

                  Judgment

                  Conversion Experience ……...…………………………………………         50

                  Witnessing

                  Holy Spirit

5.      THE HUMAN DESIRE AND SEARCH FOR INTIMACY ………………      56

                  The Human Desire and Search for Intimacy

                  Cultivating Intimacy

6.      CHRISTIAN TENDING / NURTURING …………………………………       60

                  Christian Nurturing

                  Follow Up

                  Growth

                  Fellowship

7.      METHODOLOGY …………………………………………………………       68

                   Methodology

                   Joining Church

8.      LIMITATIONS ……………………………………………………………         75

9.      SIGNIFICANCE AND RECOMMENDATIONS …………………………      77

                  Significance

                  Recommendations

10.  CONCLUSIONS……………………………………………………………       79

                  Conclusions

            APPENDIX

1.      Map of Kenya with location in Africa indicated  …………………..        82

2.      Map of Kenya ………………………………………………………        83

            NOTES ……………………………………………………………………          84

            BIBLIOGRAPHY …………………………………………………………        89

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION[1]

Christendom is in a crisis. Of all crises to hit the church, none is as acute as the dwindling numbers of the youth, begging the question: Does Christ still inspires the youth? . . . According to a September edition of Zenit, a news service from the Vatican, believers in the younger age groups tend to go to church less often, and there is a progressive decline in belief as the age drops, with few churchgoers in the younger age bracket, The survey reported that it is a worldwide phenomenon: fewer and fewer young people feel attracted to the message of Jesus Christ despite its astonishing simplicity-love. Although statistics are hard to come by in Kenya, senior clerics from various churches interviewed agreed that youth numbers are receding in church.[2]

The call and need for making disciples of Jesus Christ in the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) is urgent today, possibly more so than at any other time in its history. Changes in the last few decades have radically transformed the Kenyan community and the church. The current Christian struggle to live the way of Jesus Christ calls us to reevaluate, reflect, reexamine, assess, and study how we are doing our mission in general and Christian discipleship in particular. There is a noted decline in the PCEA church youth relative to Kenyan population growth. Many young people are staying away from church and are joining non-Christian groups. While PCEA is about one hundred and sixteen years old with about four million members, one non-Christian group (Gikuyu group-Mungiiki) formed ten years ago has more than two million Gikuyu youths. Other non-Christians groups draw away many young people from church.  Currently there is a complacent attitude in the church. Apparently there exist a feeling among the young adults and the teenagers that Christianity belongs to children and grandparents, which challenge us to devise new ways of reaching them and other non-Christians.

How can Gikuyu age group be used to make Jesus Christ’s disciples more effective and relevant among the youth in the PCEA? There is a natural tendency for people to group according to ages; therefore, a discipleship program can use the age group to promote Christian growth. Young people initiated together formed an age group (riika). It binds people together; hence, discipleship can take advantage of this to draw many to Christ. The Gikuyu people were strongly held together by the age group structures in many aspects of their lives: Consequently, this understanding can help discipleship programs. One of the main calls of Christ in the Great Commission is to go and make disciples of all nations (Mt. 28:16-20, Lk.10). Use of age group can hasten achievement of this goal. The age group is an important aspect of the Gikuyu culture: Therefore, this thesis will attempt to explore how riika principle can inform and contribute to discipleship in order to draw in and maintain youth in the church, thus making the church more vibrant, effective, fruitful, and relevant.

CHAPTER TWO

THE GIKUYU PEOPLE

THE HISTORY OF THE GIKUYU PEOPLE

The God of the Gikuyu people is called Mwene Nyaga (possessor of brightness) or Ngai (God). There are other names used for God, like divider (Mugai). God (Ngai) was the creator, sustainer, and provider. Kenyatta summarizes the Gikuyu conception of God very well: Ngai muumbi wa indo ciothe na muhei kirindi indo ciothe [God the creator of all things and the giver of people everything].[3] God manifested himself at Mt. Kenya, where he normally visited his people. God is powerful, holy, merciful, and is not to be pestered. A number of proverbs among the Gikuyu people have preserved the concept of God. One proverb says, “God is not to be pestered” (Ngai ndagiagiagwo). Another proverb states that God is merciful: Ngai e tha.[4] Sacrifices to him were offered at sacred places. These sacred places had some extraordinary appeal. The special places of worship of God included the large mugumo or mutamayo trees (fig trees), mukuyu, mountains and hills, and rivers. God also manifest himself in various ways. The Gikuyu look upon the sun, the moon, the stars, rain, rainbow, lightening, and thunder as manifestation, of God’s power.[5]

One day God decided to create Gikuyu (husband) and Mumbi (wife). He gave them all the land below the holy mountain Kirinyaga (Mt. Kenya) where Gikuyu and Mumbi believed God lived. Gikuyu and Mumbi lived a long time in the land God gave them. It was a fertile land that did not lack water, fertile ground, forest, food and fruits, cattle and livestock, wildlife and good scenery. The good God creator blessed Gikuyu and Mumbi with nine beautiful daughters: Wambui, Waithera, Wanjiru, Wanjiku,Wangari, Wairimu, Acheera, Wangui, and Mwethaga, also called Warigia.

The daughters were hard working and assisted Gikuyu and Mumbi in their daily work. They also matured and became very beautiful. They maintained high moral standards, and obeyed their parents. They loved one another and assisted and cared for one another.

The story has it that once the good God decided to bless the daughters of Gikuyu and Mumbi as a result of their hard work and high discipline and by virtue of his great mercies. All the virgin daughters of Gikuyu had maintained very high moral standards. God prepared nine young handsome men and one day presented them to the daughters of Gikuyu and Mumbi as precious gifts. The daughters of Gikuyu gladly took the men from God and gave thanks to him for his great kindness.

Gikuyu and Mumbi were very happy and grateful to God who had blessed them so. They organized a large worship and thanksgiving service at their normal shrine of worship. The large mugumo tree in Mukurwe wa  Nyagathanga (Muranga) was the central altar where the Gikuyu and Mumbi used to worship.

After the worship and the thanksgiving service, Gikuyu and Mumbi called their daughters and the husbands. They divided and assigned them portions of their land and gave it to them. Gikuyu and Mumbi blessed their children and asked them to give birth and multiply and fill the land God had given them. The daughters of Gikuyu and Mumbi gave heed to their parents and gave birth, increased, and multiplied, moving out to occupy the land given to their parents by God. As the daughters multiplied, descendants were named as clans (muhiriga) bearing their names. For example, descendants of Waithera were called Aithirandu, Wambui were called Ambui, Wanjiku were called Agachiku, Wangari were called Angare, Wanjiru were called Anjiru, Wairimu were called Airimu, Wacheera were called Acheera, Wangui were called Angui, and descendents of Mwethaga were called Ethaga.

When the tribe increased, it was structured into families, houses, and clans. The principle of the riika was also developed as a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood. Both boys and girls were to go through the initiation rite of circumcision at the age of fourteen for boys and twelve for girls. The rite was very important not only as a physical sign of the drastic change from childhood to adulthood but also as a session for training and education for the young people about the way of life of the tribe. When one was initiated, he became a member of the riika.

Gikuyu Age Group (Riika) Principle

Age group or age grade, known as the riika, is among the three most important concepts that unified the traditional Gikuyu society.[6] The other concepts are the kinship system of family group (nyumba or mbari) and the clan (muhiriga), which are beyond the scope of this research. A Gikuyu proverb, which has been passed from generation to generation, strongly emphasizes the importance of the age group: “Family and age group cannot be deserted,” (Nyumba na riika itiumagwo). A particular age group referred to men or women (then boys and girls) who were initiated into adulthood at the same time or period. The age group was given a name mostly taken from a general event or occurrence at the time. The age group formed a strong bond for members, becoming like a second family to them. A special friendship and relationship developed with members becoming like brothers and sisters. Louis Leakey captures this very well when he states, “the concept of age grade is common throughout Bantu cultures. In the basic form, all boys and girls who are circumcised in a given year are given a title or group name, rather like the ‘class of some year’. There is a great deal of solidarity within an age-grade.”[7]

The age group was an important aspect of the Gikuyu culture. The age group structures ensured that the political, economic, social, cultural, religious, mental, educational, military, physical, and ecological aspects worked harmoniously. The Gikuyu community had operated harmoniously for many generations using the age group as one of its core structures. Macpherson argues:

Several centuries of virtually undisturbed occupation of a rich agricultural habitat, a bracing upland climate and the colonizing genius of the Bantu-speaking people had together provided the conditions for developing a strong and closely integrated social structure, an expanding subsistence economy and a very strong held sense of tribal identity and mission. These were maintained at every point by powerful religious sanctions, firmly anthropocentric in character. Such were the main characteristic of the Gikuyu way of life at the turn of this century [1900] when the completion of the Uganda railway broke through its protective ring and exposed it for the first time to a head-on confrontation with the Western world.[8]

The age group put people together for life irrespective of their membership in different clans or families. The position of the elders in the council, for example, was determined by the system of the age group. In reference to the council of elders, Kenyatta states, “when the preliminary ceremony is completed, the candidate and his wife are sworn to keep the secret of the kiama [council of elders], and never to reveal it to anyone who was not ritually initiated into the age grade of the Kiama kia mataathi.[9]  Macpherson strongly underlines the bond of age group across clan line when he argues that “a group of families or clan representatives might not approach him [God] except at time of tribal crisis and then only through the appropriate age grade elders.”[10]

The Gikuyu people have evolved a very strong military system based on the age group. Kenyatta states: “the Gikuyu had a very powerful military system, which was organized according to the age group.”[11]

Macpherson, referring to the social organization of the Gikuyu people states: “the tribal identity of the Kikuyu people and their social organization are maintained by two governing principles: first, that of kinship; and second, that of age-grouping.”[12]  He further argues:

The kinship relationships described above might seem to promote independent action by clan and family interests, or even competition between them. But in practice, kinship interests were bonded together by another principle which cut across clan and family bonds, that of age grading. Irrespective of clan or family affiliation, all Gikuyu, both male and female, were admitted by circumcision membership of an age grade at some suitable time after reaching adolescence. Each age grade was a name relating to some outstanding event of the time, and membership of each carried with it powerful obligation of brotherhood and sisterhood towards all other members, thus unifying the clans and family groups of that particular age grade throughout the whole tribe. Each age grade had precedence over and exacted loyalty from its juniors and each accorded precedence and loyalty to its seniors, the oldest surviving age grades, acting through councils of elders, being regarded as the repositories of the tribal tradition, and age grading pattern as continuing beyond death among the ancestral spirits.[13]

Macpherson continues to hold that the danger inherent in the system of having tribal authority vested in the age groups of men approaching senility was avoided by a system of “generation grades,” called alternatively Mwangi and Maina. He states that “a generation grade held office for some 30 years, at the end of which it would give up its authority to its successor in a very solemn ceremony called the ‘Itwika’ [breakaway].”[14] Macpherson maintains that, in these ways, the framework was provided for a system of unified, self-renewing government, relatively harmonious and stable, over the whole tribal area.[15]

Jomo Kenyatta states: “the system of age grading unifies and solidifies the whole tribe in all it activities…. In every generation the Gikuyu tribal organization is stablished by the activities of the various age grades, of old and young people who acts harmoniously, in the political, social, religious and economic life of the Gikuyu.”[16]

Francis Kimani Githieya argues:

The association thus formed by a ‘riika’ cut across the ‘mbari’ and clan lines. It put people together for life irrespective of their membership in different clans or families. The times formed also become the basis for informal task in the larger Agikuyu community, such as participating in the local self-help work projects, in dances and in such obligations as the military and judicial systems.[17]

Jean Davison clearly argues:

Not only status and gender became crystallized, but relations between age groups were delineated with membership in a particular riika. Irua [circumcision] had an integrative role in enabling a girl to gain access to an age set that had both historical and social significance. Historically, the attachment of a riika name provided a means of keeping tracks of events that occurred concurrently with Irua. Socially, riika meant identification with a “sisterhood” that provided solidarity and mutual aid throughout the life span. Finally, Irua was an enabling process that allowed the mother and the father of the initiate to assume new role status as elders in the community. Formerly, such transition included eligibility for the Kiama (council of elders) as we learn from Wanjiku’s narrative.[18]

Jane Nyambura Njoroge states: “the Scottish missionaries began a campaign against female circumcision among their converts. The campaign was met with great opposition by both Gikuyu men and women as it a attacked a crucial rite of passage for women in the Gikuyu tribe. A woman or man was not considered an adult and mature if she or he had not undergone circumcision.” [19] Leakey notes:

Female circumcision marked the cut-off [point between child and woman], signifying the transition from the state of ignorance, inactivity, impotence, and asexuality into one of activity, knowledge and reproduction . . . a Gikuyu man has been taught from childhood to develop the technique of self-control in the matter. During early childhood parents talk freely to their children explaining all matters connected with sexual taboos. Pre-initiation masturbation is cons