Leadership training for mission in the Anglican Church of Kenya

Abstract

Using the “four-selves” Mission Strategy of self-governance, self-support, self-propagation and self-theologizing as an analytical tool, this study assesses the theological training of church leaders (clergy and laity) in the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) with regard to context, relevance and viability. Though the ACK has been in Kenya since 1844, and has been involved in vigorous evangelization, it has not grown to be fully self-governing, self-supporting, self-propagating and self-theologizing. This is evidenced mainly by its flawed theological training system which is neither relevant nor viable. The study is in ten Chapters. The first Chapter contains the introductory material, while the second Chapter gives the general overview of the ACK focusing on its growth and training needs. The ACK is a rapidly growing Church experiencing a growth of about 6.7 per cent per annum, yet she is not necessarily happy as she is not able to produce sufficient and well-trained personnel to match this growth. The third Chapter traces the history of pastoral training in the ACK, while Chapter four assesses the curriculum used to prepare church leaders in the ACK. This curriculum is uncontextualised hence irrelevant to the current Kenyan society. Chapter five evaluates the six ACK Provincial Theological Colleges. These colleges are inadequate and economically under-utilized hence not viable. The sixth Chapter underscores the importance of training Lay Church Leaders in the ACK through Theological Education by Extension (TEE), an effective training model which has failed because the ACK leadership has failed to prioritize it. The seventh Chapter discusses the main challenges encountered by the ACK in her leadership training and shows that these challenges are vital measures for improving theological training in the ACK. Chapter Eight examines the relationship between Christian Mission and Theological Training and it comes out clearly that Mission and Theology are inseparable entities. In the ninth Chapter, the author basing his arguments on the various findings in this study suggests some possible ways through which the ACK can improve her training systems. Chapter Ten concludes that if the ACK has to succeed in her mission she has to prioritize the training of her leaders.