Ministry to the sick in local churches: a case study of Kericho Baptist Church

Abstract

The objective of this study was to interview the sick members of Kericho Baptist Church in order to collect their perception of an effective local church ministry to the sick. The interviews covered the hospitalized sick church members and those at home. The purpose of this study was to listen to the sick as they explain their perception of an effective local church ministry to the sick in Kericho Baptist Church. This study was important because it wanted: 1. To enable the Church to hear the voice of the sick and therefore become aware of their real needs, 2. To prompt the Church to reevaluate her role in regard with the ministry to the sick members of the community, 3. To help identify specific church activities that sick Christians find helpful 4. To be a reference for the local church to train and equip their appointees in order to efficiently minister to the sick 5. To help Bible schools and colleges provide appropriate contents for their pastoral care courses. The collection of data by interview allowed the researcher to listen to the ailing church members as they shared their experience of the ministry of the local church to the sick. Three points emerged from that experience, (1) their expectations: personal physical involvement of the church members into the ministry to the sick, spiritual commitment to pray, fast, and share the word of God with the sick church members, material and financial support, and the attitude toward the sick regardless of their illness. (2) View of the patients of the Kericho Baptist Church's ministry to the sick, and (3) the need to improve the ministry of the Kericho Baptist Church to the sick church members. Literature supports the experience of the sick members of the Kericho Baptist Church. In summary, both the findings and the previous studies concurred that sick members of the Church need compassion, sympathy, companionship, nursing cared for, guidance, grace and forgiveness, acceptance by their fellow church members, and to be listen to as they express their feelings. Some recommendations for further studies were made in chapter five that Studies should be carried on about how: 1. To equip the church members in order to help them meet health expenses as a community and as individuals as they for care the sick in the congregation. 2. To raise awareness of all the church members on the necessity to curb dependency syndrome through appropriate financial planning. 3. To determine the role of the church in the prevention and treatment of common diseases. 4. To analyze the feasibility of integrating basic health tips with theological training in Bible and theological colleges.