The Growth and Development of the Africa Inland Church in Marakwet Kenya.

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the growth and development of the Africa Inland Church (AIC), Marakwet, Kenya. Another purpose was to deal with missiological issues which have affected the growth of the Church and strive to suggest proposals for real growth. 'The author followed the principles of the historical method in Examining primary and secondary sources. Primary sources included Missionary letters and diaries, Mission and Church records, documents and publications, and minutes of Mission and Church Councils. Some interviews were conducted with early converts and leaders of the AIC, Marakwet. Areas selected and described include the Marakwet people,the arrival of the AIM Missionaries and their approach towards African culture and policies regarding polygamy and traditional circumcision especially y female circumcision; and the methods used by the Mission in expanding the Church, e.g. medical, education and evangelistic outreach. 'The emergence of the early converts and their sacrificial services to the Church were also described. In the area of future development of the Church, the question of indigenisation of the Church e.g. development of local leadership, contextualization, and proposals for overcoming the obstacles affecting the growth of the Church e.g. polygamy and traditional circumcision were discussed. 'This study should not only be valuable to the Marakwet Church but the African Church in general because it is faced by one or all of the above mentioned problems.