×
App Icon
The Standard e-Paper
Home To Bold Columnists
★★★★ - on Play Store
Download Now

10 ways the Kenyan church is stunting its growth, influence

Vocalize Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Vocalize

A sanctuary of a small church. [Getty Images]

While the Kenyan - and African - church has grown over the years, there are still some vivid gaps that limit its rise to full influence.

Dwarfism: The African church still shrinks before the Western church. The shrinking is not in honour of the founding church but is in an identity of smallness. Dwarfism manifests in both the Mainstream and Pentecostal churches. Mainstream dwarfism is mostly in resources which makes churches rely a lot on foreign funding. Pentecostal dwarfism, in addition to resources, is evident in perception of foreign "men of God" as most powerful. This leads to a worshipful regard for foreign speakers so as to "tap" into their "anointing" and harvest their "atmosphere." In Kenyan political language, the church "servers" are located abroad.

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.
Uncover the stories others won’t tell. Subscribe now for exclusive access
  • Unlimited access to all premium content
  • Uninterrupted ad-free browsing experience
  • Mobile-optimized reading experience
  • Weekly Newsletters
  • MPesa, Airtel Money and Cards accepted
Already a subscriber? Log in
Football
Title-hungry Leopards seek to bounce back to winning ways
Golf
Magical Kenya Open: Jastas Madoya reveals what fuels his passion for golf
Olympics
NOC-K signs strategic MoU with Japanese Olympic Committee
Unique Sports
Youthful Kinoti Kiara crowned African fencing champion