Church of the Torch, Thogoto

By THORN MULLI

“It is difficult to know whether to appraise most of the patience and drive of the master mason or the teachableness and work of these Africans whose parents were entirely un-civilised. The result is a thing of beauty.”— The Glasgow Herald  September 9,1933 about Church of the Torch, Kimuri.

The seemingly immortal Church of the Torch, Kimuri in Thogoto township, is an 84-year-old marvel designed by Scottish architect Bernard P Gaymer, built to ease weight off the adjacent Watson Memorial chapel ‘house of cedars’ whose 250 seating capacity forced the surging number of new Christian converts  — who then totalled a few thousand — into the bitter biting unforgiving cold characteristic of the highland.

The grandeur and preciseness of detail is one that most modern structures even with the advances in technology can only attempt to rival.

Adding to the rich of this imposing cathedral is an intriguing history riddled with blood, love, sweat and tear; a true testament to what true spirit of harambee can accomplish.

Sole survivor

The year was 1898 when Thomas Watson, the sole survivor of a party of about ten East Africa Scottish Mission (EASM) missionaries, arrived and pitched camp in Thogoto. He sought better climate and diminished disease menace after narrowly escaping death in Kibwezi mission station where his less lucky comrades were decimated by tropical diseases.

 A year later, the rail road reached Kikuyu and Kambi, Swahili for camp, as was Watson’s nickname given by locals. He rode the train to Mombasa where his fiancée, Dundee born Minnie had just arrived.

The couple would wed before travelling to the hinterland. Thogoto’s undeniable natural beauty did not welcome the new bride, rather she had to contend with a country badly beat to its knees by drought and famine flanked by a locust and Rinderpest plague.

As if on cue, her arrival coincided with yet another calamity, a small-pox outbreak that claimed a sizeable chunk of the population. “Bibi wa Ngambi”, wife of camp, would be her nickname as she and her husband set up a relief camp providing much needed food and medicine.

The unlucky streak continued into the next year crowned by death of Thomas Watson who succumbed to pneumonia 14 days short of their first anniversary. Bravely, a grief stricken Minnie opted to remain at the station, the only European, continuing evangelism and teaching.

It was, especially tough going given the deplorable conditions she had to make do with, as a result of diminishing funds after EASM realised it could no longer support the mission.

The Church of Scotland Mission (CSM) eventually relieved the situation when it took over injecting fresh impetus not only in funding but missionaries as well notably: Dr Clement Ruffel-Scott and Henry Scott-no relation, Miss Marion Stevenson, and Dr John Arthur who is credited with the conception of Alliance High School and the mission hospital in Thogoto.

 

Christian milestone

The year 1907 saw the baptism of the first African, Phillip Karanja by an ailing Dr Scott on his deathbed marking a new chapter of spirituality in the region.

This was closely followed by completion of the Watson Memorial chapel two years later. Rapid growth of congregants significantly in 1926 when several Africans were ordained among them the Late Rev Musa Gitau, started the process of translating the first Gikuyu Testament and service book as well as secondary education initiated bore thought for a more fitting place of worship.

After approval by Dr Arthur, secretary of the mission council and the Kirk Session, September 9, 1928 saw the strict, yet patient headmistress of the mission school system, bibi wa ngambi viewed by many as the true embodiment of a Christian role model, lay the foundation stone on which the St Andrews cross, a burning bush and a double torch are carved.

 Some like Hannah Wanjiru Njau fondly recalls the joint effort that saw Africans work spiritedly with some despite their meagre earnings contributing as little as three to ten shillings towards the project.

 

Cathedral opens

It paid off five years later. On September 9, 1933, the moderator of the Kenya presbytery then, Rev Dr RGM Calderwood backed by a jubilant crowd officially opened the magnificent cathedral of christened Church of the Torch in commemoration of ‘Aria marehire utheri wa Ngai Gikuyu’ (Kikuyu for ‘those who brought God’s light to Kikuyu’).

Sitting on ample lawn, the beautiful dressed stone structure is completed by an overwhelming roof made of massive indigenous timber beams and red tiles made in Nairobi, with a copper fleche. Spacious, the marvel is 140 ft long by 100 ft broad at the transepts and 60 ft at the nave and aisles, sitting at least two thousand comfortably.

Amazingly, although the cathedral, today under the stewardship of Rev Joseph Ng’ang’a, cost a whooping Sh700,000 to build opened with no doors and windows save for three unique stained glass windows, it was debt free.

It would be completed by a proud Kenyan congregation and ensuing generations whose work of maintaining, improving even defending the sanctuary continues as evidenced a few years back at the vehement opposition to the removal of the stained glass windows and other fittings by a section of the Presbyterian Church elders who alleged they are satanic symbols.

Still, Church of the Torch, just like in its heyday remains one of the most impressive place of worship ever erected on Kenya’s soil.