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The history of the Anglican church of Kenya
dates back to 1844 when the first missionary from the Church
Missionary (CMS), Dr. Johann Ludwing Krapf arrived in
Mombasa.
He was joined two years
later by Rev. Johann Rebman. The two CMS intended to link a
CMS station that was established at Rabai in the coastal
region at the same time. The missionaries had to study and
learn African languages in order to communicate and spread
Christianity. This resulted to Krapf's translation of the book
of Genesis chapter 1-3 in Kiswahili in 1847.
In the same year, Krapf visited Ukambani in an
evangelistic exploration while Rebman visited Taita.
In 1848, Krapf translated St.Luke’s gospel
into Nyika (Rabai) and in 1850, St. Mark’s gospel into Kamba
(some local languages). Three years later, Mringe a dying
cripple became the first Anglican convert to be baptized.
Later a colony was set up by CMS at free town for freed
slaves. This became the venue for the baptism of the first
Giriama converts.
The diocese of
Eastern Equatorial Africa was formed in 1884 and it included
Uganda, Kenya and Tanganyika with James Hannington as the
first Bishop. One year after, ex-slaves Ishmael Semler and
William Jones became the first Africans to be ordained to the
Anglican Ministry. In October the same year, Bishop Hannington
was brutally murdered on his way to Uganda.
Divinity training for evangelists started in 1889
at CMS, Freetown. Nine years later, the diocese of Mombasa was
formed comprising the vast Kenya's geographical coverage and
Northern Tanganyika. The first CMS missionary A.W McGregor
arrived in Kabete in 1900 (currently Central Kenya) and three
years later, the first Kikuyu scriptures were published.
The Swahili New Testament was completed in
Mombasa in 1909 while the first Anglican baptisms in Western
Kenya were conducted in Maseno and Kima a year later. In 1900,
the Luo community of western Kenya first received the
scriptures in “Dholuo”, their own language.
The entire Swahili Bible was finally completed in
Mombasa in 1914 as the mass movement into the churches in
Nyanza and Central Kenya began in 1916.
In 1921 St. John's Church Nairobi located at Jackson
Road (currently Parliament grounds) moved to Pumwani. In
replacement of St John's Church, the Highland Cathedral was
started and St. Stephen Church Jogoo Road.
The Language Translation Centre moved to Peel Gardens
which has developed into ACK Language and Orientation School
& ACK Nairobi Guest House.
The famous Alliance High School, which is one of the country’s
leading schools, was inaugurated in 1926 at Kikuyu by the
Alliance of protestant missions, with only 26 students. That
same year the New Testament, was completed in Kikuyu and
Luo.
In the following year,
northern Tanganyika was removed from the diocese of Mombasa,
which then covered Kenya only. In 1930, the CMS divinity
school was transferred from Freetown to Limuru; the current
St.Paul’s United Theological University. In replacement of
St.John's Church, the Highland Cathedral was started and St.
Stephen Church Jogoo Road.
A year later, Bible churchmen’s Missionary
Society began working among the west Suk (Pokot) and the
Borana (Marsabit) communities. The first scriptures in Borana
and Pokot were completed in the year 1934 and 1936
respectively.
The first visit
from the Ruanda Revival team took place in 1937 and meetings
were held in Nairobi, Weithaga and Kabete among other places.
Thereafter, in 1938 Kenya African Keswick convention was held
at Kikuyu, with the Ruanda Revival team as the
speakers.
In 1943 the Kenya
Missionary Council was voted to become the Christian Council
of Kenya (CCK). The Kahuhia convention which was to be the
first African- organized East Africa revival convention was
held in 1947. This movement later spread across Central
Africa.
The Union Swahili Bible
was completed and published in 1952. In the same year, All
Saint’s Cathedral in Nairobi was completed and consecrated.
The following year, Church House, also in Nairobi was opened
while the Luo Bible was published.
In 1954, Anglicans, Presbyterians and Methodists jointly
established St. Paul’s United Theological College in Limuru,
(currently United Theological University). The first African
Bishops of the Anglican Church in Kenya, Festo Olang’ and
Obadiah Kariuki were consecrated by the Archbishop of
Canterbury in Uganda the following year.
In 1956, Church Army an Evangelistic and social welfare
arm of the Anglican Church worldwide began their work in
Kenya. The first mothers’ union members were admitted at
Kabete church although the mothers’ union organization was
founded in 1876 by the English woman Mary Summner. The union
was then started in Kenya in 1918 by European ladies.
For the purpose of handling finance and
property of the Anglican Church, Church Trust was formed in
1957, which is today the Church Commissioners for Kenya (CCK).
Also formed in the same year was Christian churches’
educational association (CCEA).
The first Christian Industrial Training Center (CITC)
vocational training center for development of skills for
school graduates was began at Pumwani, Nairobi in 1959. In the
following year, the Anglican province of East Africa,
comprising of Kenya and Tanganyika was formed with L.J.
Beecher as the first archbishop. In the same year, the United
Parish of Lavington was created.
In 1961 marked the creation of dioceses of Fort Hall, Maseno
and Nakuru which were separated from the large Diocese of
Mombasa.
1962 the formation of
Diocesan Missionary Association took place in the dioceses of
Fort Hall and Nakuru.
In 1964,
the diocese of Nairobi was separated from the diocese of
Mombasa. The Kikuyu Bible was published in a single volume two
years later, 1966.
The first
African Archbishop of the church The Most Rev. Festo Olang’
was elected in 1970. The following year, the Anglican
consultative council representing world Anglicanism, held it’s
inaugural meeting in Limuru. Creation of Dioceses of Maseno
North and South took place the same year.
In 1974 Imani house, the then headquarters of the
Anglican church of Kenya and the diocese of Nairobi was
opened. Today, the headquarters of the church is at the ACK
Garden house second floor. In the following year, the
conference of Anglican archbishops (Worldwide) was held at
Trinity College, prior to the World council of churches 5th
assembly in Nairobi.
Two years
later, partners in mission the Anglican Church held
consultations in Nairobi. In 1975 creation of the Dioceses of
Mt. Kenya East and South from the Diocese of Mt. Kenya took
place.
The martyrdom of the
archbishop of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga-Zaire, the most
Rev. Janan Luwum occurred in 1977. In the same year, the
church of the province of Kenya (CPK) took the lead in
soliciting for international aid for refugees. The conference
of the archbishops of Anglican provinces in Africa was held in
Nairobi. The conference of Anglican province in Africa (CAPA)
was inaugurated in July the same year.
The most Rev. Dr. Manasses Kuria was elected the second
Archbishop of the church, to succeed the most Rev. Festo
Olang’ in 1980. A year later, the 2nd partners in mission
consultation of the CPK was held in Mombasa while the 3rd was
held in Kabare in 1988.
In 1994
the church of the province of Kenya CPK celebrated the 150th
Anniversary since the arrival of Dr. Johann Ludwig, who was
the first CMS missionary in Mombasa. The Archbishop of
Canterbury the most Rev. George Carey joined them in the
celebrations.
In 1996, the most
Rev. Dr. Manasses Kuria retired. In 1998 The Most Rev. Dr.
David Gitari was elected the third Archbishop to take his
place. 1998, marked a significant year when the name of the
church was changed from the Church of the Province of Kenya to
the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK).
In the year 2003, the Most Rev. Benjamin
Nzimbi was elected as fourth Archbishop replacing the Most
Rev. Dr. Gitari. In 2009, Archbishop Dr. Eliud Wabukala was
elected to succeed Archbishop Emeritus Benjamin Nzimbi.
Today the church has grown
tremendously from a few members scattered around the coastal
region to over 5 million across the country.
In a period spanning 158 years, the church has
established 29 dioceses, several institutions and theological
colleges which are all interlinked through a computer network
founded by Trinity Church, Wall Street, New York.
The Anglican Church is a member of the 70
million strong Anglican Communion. |
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