EFFECTS OF THE TRANSITION OF THEOLOGICAL SEMINARIES IN KENYA TO UNIVERSITIES ON THEIR EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN IDENTITY

Abstract

Theological education in Africa in the past two decades has experienced numerous changes. A contemporary issue is the transitioning from theological seminaries to Christian universities. This restructuring has created threat to their Christian identity as these institutions have to submit to secular government regulations some of which may be contrary to Christian tenets and thus lead to secularization. History teaches that, a number of institutions in the West that took this trend experienced mission drift. This writer’s concern is that, unless institutions in Africa learn from history, there is a possibility that the transition of these seminaries to universities will erode their evangelical Christian identity. This study therefore sought to investigate the effects of the transition of theological seminaries to universities on their evangelical Christian identity. It is hoped that a contribution to Christian higher education in the preservation of the evangelical Christian identity will be made. This mixed methods study shows the effects of the transition of theological seminaries to universities on their evangelical Christian identity as revealed through faculty and staff, students, campus ethos, academic and non-academic programs. The study draws lessons from existing literature and from a study carried out at Africa International University in Kenya that went through this kind of transition. Findings established that both internal and external factors influenced the transition of the theological seminary to a university. Internal factors included financial challenges and low student enrolment. External factors included the Commission for University Education, the church in Africa and the society. The study also established that there are positive and negative effects of the transition to the Christian evangelical identity of the university. Positive effects include broadening of the Christian mission to include both evangelism and discipleship both on campus and in the society. However, there are major negative effects on the evangelical Christian identity of the institution. The major concern is that the university is having challenges maintaining the evangelical Christian identity even though there are measures put in place to preserve it. This study therefore has attempted to make some recommendations that could be useful not only for this university but also for other Christian universities. The study highlights the threat to the evangelical Christian identity of the transitioned institutions and the likely loss of their influence in higher education, the church and the society at large. It is thus of practical value for further study and formulation of effective measures to preserve and enhance evangelical Christian identity in Christian universities in Africa.