The contribution and influence of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in the development of post-secondary education in South Nyanza, 1971-2000

Abstract

This study discusses the contribution and influence of the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church to the development of post- secondary education in South Nyanza, Kenya. This has been done by focusing on the establishment and development of Kamagambo and Nyanchwa Adventist colleges whose history from 1971 to 2000 has been documented. This is a historical study which has utilized both the primary and secondary source of data. For better and clear insights into this topic, the study starts by discussing the coming of Christian missionaries to Africa. The missionaries who came to Africa introduced western education. The origin of the SDA church to Africa has also been documented. The SDA church was formed as a result of the Christian evangelical revivals in Europe. This called for the Christians to base their faith on the Bible. As people read various prophecies in the bible, they thought that what they read was to be fulfilled in their lifetime. From 1830s to 1840s preachers and lay people from widely different denominations United States of America around William Miller (1782-1849). This led to the establishment of the SDA Church in 1844. The study focuses on the coming of the SDA Missionaries to South-Nyanza. The efforts of the SDA Missionaries to introduce Western education in the said area, an endeavor which started at Gendia in 1906 has been discussed. From Gendia they established Wire mission and Kenyadoto mission in 1909. In 1912 Kamagambo and Nyanchwa, the subject of this study became mission and educational centres. The SDA mission, as was the case with other missionaries who evangelized South Nyanza, took the education of Africans as one of the most important goals for the process of African evangelization. The Adventist message penetrated the people of South Nyanza through their educational work. The conversion of the first converts can be ascribed to the desire for the education which accompanied the new religion. Kamagambo Adventist College became the first college in South Nyanza. Equally, Nyanchwa became the first college in the Gusii part of South Nyanza. The two colleges exercised a great influence on the local community especially in the socio-economic and educational fields. At the same time the colleges have also contributed enormously to the community’s development through the roles played by its alumni in society. Besides this, the study has also recommended some other pertinent areas for further study and research.