Abstract:
Jitegemea appears in the logo of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa and it
is the official working philosophy of the General Assembly, the highest court of the
church. The study seeks to find out how the concept of Jitegemea and the historical
events that facilitated its adoption in the church.
This is a historical study that seeks to investigate the factors that led to the
development of Jitegemea-in the Presbyterian Church of East Africa. The research
consults documents from the PCEA archives situated at St. Andrews Church in
Nairobi, the National Library in Edinburgh and open-ended interviews with the
people who were involved in the development of Jitegemea.
The study covers the period between 1950 and 1975, when missionaries of the
Church of Scotland were handing over leadership to the national leaders. A review of
the literature gives vital information for the church prior to 1950 and the background
information on the events that led to the events for the adoption of Jitegemea. It
provides lessons for the Church in Africa for the success and dangers in the
development of an indigenous Presbyterian church in Kenya.
