Some challenges in founding an African faith: Mutira Mission, Kenya 1907-2012

Abstract

The history of Mutira Mission began with the arrival of the first European missionary, the Rev. A.W. McGregor of the Church Missionary Society, and his team in 1908. Despite difficulties, the missionaries significantly changed the socio-religious lifestyles of the local people. This article traces the challenges encountered in founding an African faith at Mutira Mission between 1907 and 2012, and is based largely on oral interviews and archival and library sources. In it I seek to demonstrate that the founding of an African faith, from the missionary era to the present, has successfully overcome numerous setbacks. Although Mutira Mission was officially closed in 1929, the departure of the European missionaries in fact helped the locals to own Christianity, which has exercised a positive influence on social life. While the gospel-versus-culture debate has been waged since the twentieth century, current questions are: will it break or strengthen the Christianity of the twenty-first century? Is it the main challenge in founding an African faith?