106
DEMONSTRATION FOR CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP
Wairimu D. Kamau
Africa International University
Email: wairimudkamau@gmail.com
Abstract
Sustainable development is an urgent global concept that requires governments to lead well the distribution of
natural resources in order to secure current and future generations. After fifty years, the resulting mixed
fortunes show that Christians in the leadership of development work should demonstrate the impact of Biblical
theology as the necessary philosophical foundation for truly holistic sustainable development. This paper is
based on some of the reflections of the findings of a qualitative study “Missional Motivation for Sustainable
Development” that interviewed 33 respondents from five organisations, based in Kenya, that had received local
or international awards for exemplary service in ten or more years of operation. These are the African Inland
Church Cheptebo Rural Development Center, outstanding in their transformation of the Keiyo valley into a
landmark agricultural training and demonstration center; Tenwek Community Health and Development that
hosts one of the best mission hospitals in East Africa in addition to promoting thousands of women’s Bible and
care groups in Bomet, Nakuru, Baringo and Narok; St. Martin Catholic Social Apostolate made famous for
their compassion to the most vulnerable and their mobilisation of over a thousand community volunteers in
Laikipia, Nyandarua and Baringo counties; Utooni Development Organisation that decreased abject poverty in
Makueni, Kitui and Machakos by building thousands of sand dams; and Kijabe Environment Volunteers that
has worked through research and environmental conservation to protect water towers in Kiambu and Muranga.
Biblical examples that support this model of Christian leadership include the directive of creation care in
Genesis; Jesus’ demonstration of the suffering servant in Isaiah 61; and Paul’s example and writings in the
New Testament. These communities of practice provide demonstration sites where Christian leaders provide
consistent mentorship, evangelism and discipleship, as well as teaching and demonstration of concepts that
beneficiaries feel welcome to experiment on for contextual solutions.
Keywords: Sustainable development, Demonstration, Christian Leadership
INTRODUCTION
This paper is derived from an on-going study by the author called “Missional Motivation for Sustainable
Development” that seeks to understand how the transformational nature of Christian faith influences and
motivates Christians in development to practice sustainable development. It seeks to encourage Christians to
reflect on how their faith teachings and practice impact their character, vision, goals, and practice in
development work to demonstrate the place of Christianity in sustainable development (Garber, 1996, p. 43).
Christian faith, expressed through Bible teaching, preaching, study, reflection, meditation, discussion and
related spiritual disciplines of prayer, solitude, mentorship, teaching, and demonstration are effective in
improving and sustaining human life in the community for multi-generational sustainability (Perkins, 1982, p.
74).
METHODOLOGY
This paper is based on the preliminary findings of my study done in five organisations based in the Central and
Western parts of Kenya. These Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have won local or international
awards for excellence in sustainable development practiced for over ten years. The study utilised semistructured interview protocols administered to thirty-one individual respondents and two groups. Respondents
consisted of staff members, beneficiaries and directors. Data was transcribed and analyzed using NVIVO 12.4
(QSR, 2019).
Criteria for Selection of Organizations
The following five organisations are set in Kenya in the area south of the equator but spanning the country from
East to West. They were selected upon a random online search and a visit to ascertain their suitability. The
following criteria were used for selection.
107
Longevity of development initiative - that respondents will be able to draw from a fair amount of
history of participation and effect. All organisations in this set will have been operating for a
minimum of 10 years.
Sustainable development agenda- It will be good to interview respondents who are conversant with a
variety of social, environmental, economic and political issues in their community. All the projects
have been awarded prizes or recognition for their application of sustainable development principles.
Integration of theology and development- respondents were expected to be growing Christians who
can discuss what they learn and apply from the Bible and integrate into what they do.
While it was preferable that a Christian ethos governs the organisation's vision, this was not a requirement as the
study was interested first in individual and not corporate respondent experiences, whatever their context is
because the sources of their Christian teaching are expected to be many. Examples included Christian radio,
church participation, open-air and door-to-door evangelistic initiatives, books and mentorship by mature
Christians.
Theoretical Framework- Communities of Practice
To analyse the concept of demonstration for Christian leadership in the experiences of the participants of the
five organizations in this study, the theoretical framework called “communities of practice”(Wenger-Trayner &
Wenger-Trayner, 2015, p. 1) was used. This framework brings together foundational components of practice
that provide for a community, a space for learning, experimentation, and implementation and important domains
or felt needs that bring people together to solve their problems.
Communities of practice are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning in a
shared domain of human endeavor: a tribe learning to survive, a band of artists seeking new forms of
expression, a group of engineers working on similar problems, a clique of pupils defining their identity
in the school, a network of surgeons exploring novel techniques, a gathering of first-time managers
helping each other cope (ibid, p. 1 )
DOMAIN
A shared domain of interest
(E.g. agriculture, poverty eradication, health,
creation care)
Domain
Community
Practice
Community of Practice
COMMUNITY:
A community that enables interaction
(discussions, collaborative activities,
relationship building)
PRACTICE:
A shared practice of experiences, stories, tools, ways of
addressing recurring problems
COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE
A group of people who share a concern,
a set of problems, or a passion about a topic,
and who deepen their knowledge and expertise
by interacting on an on-going basis
(Wenger, 1991)
Figure 1: Communities of Practice- Adapted from “Communities of Practice: A brief introduction(WengerTrayner & Wenger-Trayner, 2015)
108
The Domain
A community of practice is not merely a club of friends or a network of connections between people. It
has an identity defined by a shared domain of interest. Membership, therefore, implies a commitment
to the domain, and therefore a shared competence that distinguishes members from other people. (ibid.,
p. 2)
The theoretical framework above helps illustrate how the five organisations studied developed themselves so
effectively that their participants voted them as successful community organizations. Each of them developed
out of felt needs (domains) in the respective communities such as solidarity with the vulnerable, community
mobilization and spiritual formation (St. Martin CSA- Catholic Social Apostolate), environmental conservation,
research and policymaking (KENVO– Kijabe Environment Volunteers and UDO- Utooni Development
Organization), water harvesting and conservation agriculture (UDO), community health and development
(TENWEK TCHD- TENWEK Community Health and Development) and agricultural demonstration,
conference facility and church ministries (CHEPTEBO RDC- Rural Development Center). As they came
together, they developed themselves through training, experimentation, and implementation in the provision of
needed services and therefore established themselves as communities of practice.
For instance, in Cheptebo Rural Development Centre (RDC), farmers became experts in grafted fruit tree
growing and exotic dairy cow and goat rearing. For many years, farmers travelled long distances to buy their
tree seedlings and so the market for fruit in the valley diminished. They began to diversify their farming with
animal husbandry, vegetable and herb farming and so had begun to see their fortunes change for the better.
Fortunately, after many years of lobbying for external help in capacity building, the center’s manager reported
in April 2019 that the fortunes of local fruit farmers are now set to change as a fruit processing factory will be
built on the center. This is what he had to say:
The Japanese Government has signed an agreement with African Inland Church (AIC) Cheptebo RDC
to provide a KSH 8.4 million grant for the construction of a fruit processing factory at the AIC
Cheptebo Center. The main product will be gas-dried mango. The success and approval of funding by
the Japanese government for the improvement of livelihoods of the Kerio Valley communities through
the establishment of a fruit value addition facility (factory). We thank God that we have secured a
market in Nairobi for 10tons of dried mangos annually which indeed will benefit the community
starting from January next year that is when the factory will have been completed (Personal
Communication)
CATIC (Cheptebo Agricultural Training and Innovation Center) has trained over 1000 farmers since June 2016
(Kimeli, 2019, p. 1). This training center serves as an experimentation and knowledge-building hub.
The Community
A community of practice is distinct from other communities in its emphasis on unity in their shared activities,
innovation and learning. A number of illustrations of this emphasis explain this principle below.
In pursuing their interest in their domain, members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each
other, and share information. They build relationships that enable them to learn from each other. A
website in itself is not a community of practice. Having the same job or the same title does not make
for a community of practice unless members interact and learn together. The claims processors in a
large insurance company or students in American high schools may have much in common, yet unless
they interact and learn together, they do not form a community of practice. But members of a
community of practice do not necessarily work together daily (Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner,
2015, p. 2)
Improved and transformed community welfare is the goal of the work of each of these organizations. Initially,
charismatic leadership paved the way for development and for inspiring action in the community through the
introduction of ideas, some of which they had learned through training in university (TENWEK TCHD,
KENVO). Other catalysts had developed their acumen from being mentored by non-governmental and
missionary agencies (CHEPTEBO RDC, UDO, ST. MARTIN CSA). Ultimately, no one person in this setting is
the holder of knowledge or expertise because each person who lives there participates by sharing, as a
beneficiary who is empowered to transform his or her own life through inclusion in shared activity (Mulwa,
2010, p. 127). In this setting, the program facilitators from each organization serve to catalyze action. They may
begin by testing an idea but with time, the shape or form it takes is determined by the community. In all settings
109
except for KENVO and UDO, the leaders also serve as priests, pastors, and spiritual directors. They encourage
participants to integrate their learning with faith teachings. By participating side by side with community
members in the practice of development, they have opportunities to demonstrate Christian values and principles.
For instance, St. Martin Catholic Students’ Association (CSA’s) motto is “only in community” (St. Martin,
2019). The approach of St. Martin CSA starts from the potential available within the community.
We believe and have trust in people that solutions for problems of the beneficiaries can always be
found by the community and in the community itself. We are convinced that resources in the
community are available and that many people of goodwill just need to be mobilized. By promoting
solidarity, sharing, and love, changes in the lives of the beneficiaries will be lasting and sustained
beyond the existence of St. Martin CSA. In addition, they will be of greater quality as they were given
by one's neighbors. Besides the available potential in the community, the beneficiaries themselves also
have a potential in which we believe. They have hidden talents and abilities, often overshadowed by
their issues and problems. Often, they have lost hope, self-esteem, and belief in their capacities. We
must bring out the best in every beneficiary and make them realize that they can do something for
themselves (Personal Communication, St. Martin, 2019).
Practice
A community of practice is not merely a community of interest- people who like certain kinds of
movies, for instance. Members of a community of practice are practitioners. They develop a shared
repertoire of resources: experiences, stories, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems- in short, a
shared practice. This takes time and sustained interaction. (Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner, 2015,
p. 2)
Each of the organisations studied came about due to urgent needs in the community. The urgency of their needs
caused them to work hard together for many years to achieve the level of development they have today. For
instance, UDO was started by a man who from childhood had observed that members of his community had for
many years walked long distances in search of drinking water. This was his responsibility in helping his family,
so as he watched the rain fall around the homestead and drip from his home’s iron sheets, running downhill and
out of sight, he wondered what he could do so that he would not have to run downhill after the water. He started
thinking about how to trap the water near his home (Brinkley, 2013). Kijabe Environment Volunteers (KENVO)
was started by a man who at the time was part of a community of young people who felt that something needed
to be done about the destruction of the forest in their community. He had the following to say:
As young people, we said we have to do something and protect this forest. I would want to focus on
why we formed it. There was a lot of destruction of the forest. We wanted to involve young people in
developmental activities. We also wanted to empower the communities to take care of the forest. We
were also inspired by the late Professor Wangari Maathai who was a renowned environmentalist in this
country. And since then we have been doing a lot of research, monitoring and doing a lot of forest
patrols (Kuria, 2016).
These five organisations have been appreciated by their beneficiaries for consistency in building communities of
practice that responded to the felt needs of the people. From responding to basic needs such as provisions of
water, medical treatment, agricultural training, environmental conservation, they have introduced conservation
agriculture, group Bible studies and home building for widows, animal husbandry, and evangelism and
discipleship. Three of their leaders have grown in leadership through mentorship and opportunities for growth,
an aspect of community development that is critical to its longevity and establishment.
Biblical Foundations for Christian Leadership
Within a community of practice, leaders who profess Christianity have a unique opportunity to demonstrate
how their faith influences their practice in development work. Good leadership is critical to the success and
sustainability of community development work and so Biblical principles for leadership help guide Christian
leaders in their role. Christian leadership is characterized by the belief that the God of the Bible, the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the sovereign God to whom all creation is accountable (Gnanakan, Johnson, et. al.
2014, p. 30). This is a way of life that must be adhered to for its transformational power to be effective.
Principles for action can be drawn upon which decisions can be made.
Hebrews 1:3 states that "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being,
sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right
hand of the Majesty in heaven." This verse teaches us that the power for effective Christian leadership is
110
provided for by God who through the unity of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit possess all that humanity
needs for sustainability. Christian leaders believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God that provides
sufficient counsel and direction for life in Christian leadership. The Bible demonstrates God's character, work,
will and judgment through narrative, poetry, teaching, illustration, and case-studies.The God who lives in the
hearts of believers provides power for Christian living. We know God through the Bible but we believe him
through experience.
For instance, the stewardship mandate as given to Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:26 states"to rule over" which
may be translated "to provide for" rather than "to lord over" creation. The two were created in the image of God
to reflect his attributes. They were given resources and therefore a mandate to take care of creation by tilling the
ground to make it productive, utilizing its resources and enjoying the fellowship of God who is creator,
sustainer, judge and Lord (Stetzer & Nation, n.d., p. 173). This understanding leads a Christian to an attitude of
“responsible stewardship” (Atkinson, 1990, p. 35), servanthood, humility and accountability rather than to
corruption, strife and bad example.
Besides, the life of Christ and especially the three years that he spent with his disciples, provides for a good
illustration of what Christian leadership entails. For instance, Jesus’ great commandment for himself in Luke
4:18 (Quoted from Isaiah 61) portrayed him as a suffering servant who would be led by the Holy Spirit to care
for the poor by announcing to them the good news of freedom, sight and God's favor. He would not favor the
rich and powerful over the poor and vulnerable. He would touch, speak to, teach and heal the sick and demonpossessed. Reflection on the life of Jesus and his ministry model provides Christian principles of leadership in
the marketplace. The ministry services of Barnabas and Paul the apostle starting from the book of Acts, and his
letters to the churches (such as Ephesians, Galatians, Corinthians, Romans) and to different disciples that he
took care of (such as Timothy, Onesimus, and Titus) are great sources of guidance for the aspiring Christian
leader. In these Biblical sources, Paul is seen as a good vision-bearer who takes the time to understand his
mandate to the Gentiles, those who Jews such as himself would otherwise marginalize, are considered the focus
of God's redemptive love and therefore the focus of missionaries. They traveled across the Middle East and
Southern Europe planting churches through leaders that they developed through close discipleship and
mentorship. They encouraged young leaders to serve with the strength that God provides so that the church
community may be blessed by their diligence and faith. Contemporary Christian leaders have the opportunity to
learn useful leadership lessons from the life and service of Barnabas and Paul.
Illustrations of Demonstration in Christian Leadership
Definition of the term “Demonstration”
A demonstration is the art and science of showing evidence for the existence of or truth of a matter and in the
case of agricultural demonstration, "an act of showing someone how something is used or done." (MerriamWebster, 2004). A demonstration can be achieved through a process of teaching the theory and importance of a
concept; the illustration of how it works through hands-on experimentation and the examination of proficiency
through project management. Without demonstration, skeptics rule. A demonstration is necessary for the
transformation of mindsets because evidence not only proves things right but shows the method that can be
adapted easily to achieving success using locally available resources. It links theory to practice in a way that
those who may struggle with language or terminology may be able to see what is being done and have the
opportunity to try for themselves.
Cheptebo RDC
Before 1986, the church leadership of the Africa Inland Church in Keiyo felt that it was difficult for the church
to grow because people were leaving the area. The people thought that the land had low economic potential and
so they needed to find their sustenance elsewhere. According to Michael Bowen (Priest & Barine, 2017, p. 107),
AIC Cheptebo Development Center was started in 1986 as a joint initiative of the local church and the
community. They agreed to work together to change this situation by utilizing 50 acres donated by the
community to initiate activities that would help them spiritually and economically (ibid., p. 1). The twin goals
of the center are evangelism and sustainable development as captured in the vision of the center which is to be
"a Christian Center of excellence that effectively contributes to the community's spiritual and physical
development"(Cheptebo AIC Rural Development Center Kerio Valley Kenya - Vision and Values 2013).
Spiritual Disciplines, Evangelism and Discipleship
Christian leadership requires the regular practice of spiritual disciplines because Biblical wisdom provides them
with the necessary philosophical, moral and strategic foundation for demonstrating sustainable development. At
111
a personal level, it is necessary to build a lifestyle of Bible study, meditation, reflection, prayer and fasting,
evangelism, discipleship, mentorship, coaching, and demonstration. In Cheptebo, Christian leadership has been
demonstrated since the beginning through several avenues. The non-governmental Christian organization World
Vision and missionaries, particularly from African Inland Mission, came to the Keiyo valley and had begun
engaging the community in conversation and evangelism. They ran youth rallies through which most of the
current leaders were identified, mentored, trained and deployed. They helped build local church fellowships
that led to church planting all along the valley. Most of the churches here are church plants from the African
Inland Church. This foundation of fellowship, Bible study, mentoring and coaching was the spiritual and social
foundation upon which the development center was built as the community members got to engage the workers
on a daily and personal basis and became convinced that the people who were reaching them and the ideas they
had brought were sound. This foundation continues to serve the community well with those who struggle in
their Christian faith being helped to reach a place of healing, restoration, training in different business and trade
skills and management of family life at increasingly comfortable levels.
Demonstration Plots
Coaching consisted of the building of agricultural demonstration plots where different land development ideas
were tested on the 50-acre piece of land the community had gifted the church development project with. They
brought in exotic cow and goat breeds that were not expected to survive the harsh climate different from where
they were sourced. They worked together as friends with the local people and finally managed to persuade the
local farmers that these animal breeds were the answer to their problems.
Mentorship
One aspect of the demonstration of Christian leadership that is significant is the mentoring relationships that the
partners and staff team develop with their team members, many of whom have grown up in this region. For
instance, the director and his wife host a weekly Bible study in their home next door to the center for a large and
growing youth group. A good number of workers in the center are recruited from these young people who have
grown up being mentored by this staff team. Relationships built over many years have served to establish a
leadership and development strategy that should last the test of time.
A key aspect of demonstration that draws people from far and wide is the facilitation of agricultural training and
innovation at their new center where over a thousand farmers have already learned a wide variety of skills.
Currently, they are teaching five modules, listed in the table below with theory and practice classes weekly.
Some of the beneficiaries interviewed stated that they had seen the benefits of the development center and
training school and would recommend it to others.
Agricultural Training
Cheptebo Agricultural Training and Innovation Center Study Schedule
Module 1
Introduction to Crop and Livestock Production in semi-arid areas
Module 2
Fruit Production in semi-arid areas
Module 3
Dairy management in semi-arid areas
Module 4
Poultry management
Module 5
Beekeeping
(“Cheptebo AIC Rural Development Center, Kerio Valley, Kenya,” 2018)
Most of the teaching and practical training is undertaken by CATIC staff who have many years of
practical experience in semi-arid agricultural production and continue to be involved in the running of
the farm. The Cheptebo RDC farm is available for demonstration and to provide practical experience to
students in crop and livestock production. Where appropriate, other specialist trainers with particular
expertise are brought in to provide training in some subject areas.As a Christian training center, all our
training and activities are based on a Christian Biblical foundation. This underpins all our activities and
daily Bible Study, worship and prayer times where all staff and students are expected to participate.
The training is open to those of all faiths and none, but participation in these Christian activities is
considered as an integral part of the training course (Cheptebo AIC Rural Development Center, Kerio
Valley, Kenya, n.d.).
During my visits to Cheptebo, this relationship between Christian character and development work was fairly
evident even when some of the workers and beneficiaries needed patience and help to fight poverty. Some of
the beneficiaries told me of how they had struggled with family conflict that led to the abuse of local alcohol.
112
The center chaplain and director worked with them over time to draw them into new realities within the
fellowship of the church and believing neighbors. Cheptebo is a good place to spend time observing all the
activity going on and the interactions that characterize the relationships that they have among them.
TENWEK Community Health & Development (TCHD)
TENWEK Tri-County Health Department (TCHD) was founded in 1983 as a mission “to serve Christ by
facilitating change through community-based health care - Sustainable Development, and appropriate
development within needycommunities." They have two satellite offices in Narok West Sub- County atNgito
and Naikarra. In 2008, TENWEK TCHD began the Community Capacity Building program whosefoundational
participatory concept was to build citizen capacity for active engagement in leadership and governance. In
promoting food security, they have developed foodbanks and the use of dairy goats. Their HIV/AIDS
Prevention and Care project provides the communities with counseling, testing and promoting the role of menin
HIV prevention. They teach abstinence through the “Why Wait” program and train parents on teenage
parenting. They have a WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) program providing water filters, waterharvesting tanks, and spring capping. They also run a ministry for women in prostitution (WIP) for those
interested in ministering to women and work with local churches (TENWEK, 2016).
The interview with one of the project leaders was quite insightful. They function as community pastors and
agricultural extension workers. In pastoral work, they initiate group fellowships where members visit one
another. This, the respondent said, has the impact of challenging people to clear up their compounds, mend their
fences and improve their homes. Those who are too weak and poor to do it themselves are helped by volunteers
led by these TCHD leaders. The transformation is so delightful that those marginalized community members
who become beneficiaries of these acts of kindness join local churches, even without any spoken evangelism.
The staff of TENWEK TCHD have developed a strong Christian ethic in their service as espoused by the seven
respondents that I interviewed.
Chaplaincy
The hospital treats many patients, some with chronic and others with fatal illnesses. To help patients grow in
spiritual strength for their journey, seven chaplains work around the clock to pray for them, visit and share
Biblical teachings with them and console with relatives once their loved one dies. This is what one of the
chaplains had to say:
Tenwek’s chaplains work in concert with the medical staff to ensure that every patient treated there has
the opportunity to hear the Gospel. Chaplains use the Scriptures to encourage patients who are
emotionally impacted by their illness or who are facing disability or death. They also reach out to
comfort and help the families and friends of patients. When patients are discharged, they receive a
Bible (provided by Samaritan’s Purse) and a letter from a hospital chaplain that they are encouraged to
bring to a nearby pastor so they can join a church community and grow in their faith. (4TW4RK)
As the chaplains share God’s Word with the patients, they are sometimes struck by the challenges of
interpreting it to the situations that the patients are facing especially when healing takes long or when they do
not get better. The chaplains may be challenged by the need to share encouraging news in very dire situations.
One chaplain explained how he was struck by the urgency with which people who came to Jesus for help called
out to him for relief. He had to challenge himself to grow in faith that God can (if he wills) respond to the
urgency with which patients cry out for healing or relief from pain or discomfort. This is a challenging ministry
that requires psychosocial support for chaplains as they face their daily work.The pastor of the resident church
congregation functions as the chaplain for doctors and hospital staff. He is responsible for dealing with conflictresolution, motivating and discipling them, providing pastoral care when they have their problems such as
illness in the family, financial and relational problems. The pastor described his situation thus:
All the people working here are not necessarily doctors. We have other people with different skills, but
in every skill that we put in place, we have wanted to and always emphasized that let that skill be a tool
God has invoked in His society to bring change for the glory of His name. Although I'm using my skills
as a medic, I'm using my skills as a carpenter, I'm using my skills as an engineer, I'm saying at the end
of the day, I have been serving God with these skills and therefore, my faith is playing a role in that
particular area. And that's what everyone else is encouraged to have. (4TW3RE)
Physiotherapy
One of the most inspiring ministries at TENWEK hospital is the physiotherapy and rehabilitation department.
Here they use the small space they have to treat people and especially children with physical impairments. My
observations are that they are very gentle with their patients who seem to have lived through a lot of trauma.
113
They talk to their patients and family members constantly in reassuring tones as they continue the treatment
which sometimes can be painful as disfigured limbs are treated. The chief physiotherapist has been here for
almost twenty years. Though he thinks the hospital management could improve their terms of reference, he feels
called to his work and derives much joy from it. This is some of what he had to share:
So, when we involve these children and when you rehabilitate the child, you are impacting not only the
child but also the family members, especially the women because mothers mostly have the role of
taking care of these children, compared to our fathers. So, we have that passion at TENWEK because
TENWEK has a compassionate ministry. It is a spiritual ministry. They get free medical service and
we minister to them the gospel and then we follow them. We go to their homes. Our main goal is to
reach them, assess their environment, rehabilitate them at their home, brief the parents on what to do,
see the barriers they are facing and the challenges they are facing and try to help them. So, every time
we go there it is an opportunity for us to also give out the gospel. And by doing that through love, they
are very receptive to the gospel. That is our passion (5TW6SR).
Tabitha Ministries
This women’s ministry started as a missionary discipleship initiative among poor local women in Bomet county.
It grew tremendously over the years with a total of over 200 Bible study groups started and over 10,000 women
having earned their gift Bibles by memorizing the setlist of Scriptures. As narrated by a woman who is the
leader of one group, this is how they started;
… So, we started a Bible study. It was December so we started with the book of Luke. Peris was translating
for me. And within six months we had fifty ladies coming to our home for Bible study. So, I met with a
pastor that we were friends with and we said, what do we do? And he said, get it out to the villages. I said
no. We don’t have…we are not trying to start a church. At that time is denominational. Still, we had started
with the illiterate but it became literate quite quickly. But we realized that women didn’t have Bibles so we
said if you can earn if you can say all verses we have learned at this point, you can earn your own Bible.
(4TW2PL)
This ministry grew in part because they reached out to poor widows and orphans identified by fellow villagers
and offered to help build or rehabilitate their homes with the help of generous community members. The
community would help build the simple mudbrick and wood huts and Tabitha Ministries would supply iron
sheets. This eventually caught the attention of the sponsoring church Africa Gospel Church which had begun to
send pastors to provide pastoral care and additional funds. Christian leadership here is demonstrated by local
women who having been mentored and developed by the missionary women, have now been able to set up
effective administrative structures. They work with the leaders representing villages in the Bible study
discussion groups and have settled in their roles very well in spite of being of comparatively low education. The
local women in leadership are well respected and have been appointed by the church to lead their compassion
ministries. “Tabitha also helps provide seed and fertilizer, minimal medical care, emergency food support, and
small business start-up funds. Between this practical help and Bible studies that emphasize individual worth and
responsibilities in Christ, thousands of women have been empowered to change their families and
communities”(Kenya: Tabitha Ministry, 2019).
Most of the leaders who run Tabitha ministries are village women. They come together in solidarity to pray
together, run their Bible studies, memorize Scripture and follow up on development projects in their
communities. They are beneficiaries of the ministry and therefore know what it is like to come from the abject
and isolating poverty to healthy living. They serve as good demonstrators of Christ's love in action.
St. Martin CSA
Saint Martin CSA in Nyahururu is "… a religious grass-roots organisation that was established to mobilize and
train communities to support vulnerable people in their midst…" (Graaf & Van Keulen, 2008, p. 14). Their
operations cover Laikipia and Nyandarua counties in Kenya as well as two areas of Baringo County,
Mochongoi and Marmanet. The founder of St. Martin CSA was Father Gabriele Pipinato who was a parish
priest in Nyahururu. The organization enlists more than one thousand volunteers annually who form the core of
their community workforce. On average, eighty staff members form the support departments for community
work and a hundred and sixty management volunteers have enlisted annually. Starting with the Community
Program for People Living with Disability, they went on to start the Community Program for Street and Needy
Children, the Community Program for Active Non-Violence and Human Rights, Community Program for
Alcohol, HIV and Drug Abuse and the Community Program for Savings and Micro-Credit by 2002. St. Martin
CSA communities are some of the best examples of communities of practice in this study. They have an
114
ecumenical approach to the inclusion of people from different faith persuasions and put volunteers representing
local neighborhoods at the center of all activity. They believe that the center of their approach is the spiritual
formation that guides their thinking and action. Everyone is expected to grow in spiritual formation.
Volunteerism
The next most important is the community within which they practice and the able volunteers upon whom the
vulnerable rely to lead interventions on their behalf. Volunteers are supported directly by St. Martin CSA field
staff who are developed by the organization through training, personal care, and oversight by heads of
department. St. Martin CSA provides logistical, legal and operational and leadership support through the
management team that is overseen by the board. The board is in turn supported by the group of trustees as
required by the law.
Community Program for Addiction and Mental Health
Since St. Martin CSA works as a community of learning-based interventions, mental health professionals led the
initiative to understand and respond to the plight of those suffering from mental health and substance addiction
problems. Everyone was encouraged to relate closely with their beneficiaries regardless of their initial
appearance and hygiene. This demonstration of acceptance encouraged beneficiaries to trust staff and volunteers
in this program which resulted in growing success in their health and welfare, considering that some of them had
suffered for many years without any help. Their families also benefitted from learning how to care for their
struggling families better in the knowledge that St. Martin CSA supported their efforts.
Community Programme For Children in Need
A great number of vulnerable children find themselves on the streets of Nyahururu where St. Martin CSA is
based. Rescuing them directly from the streets into rehabilitation centers is only the first stage of the program.
This is where volunteers and staff interact with the children daily to show them love and acceptance, to assess
their health and education status and to find their family of origin. The goal is to build a support system that will
see them eventually integrated back into their extended families, where a safe and stable environment can be
established. Volunteers are key in demonstrating love through consistent relationship building that helps the
children settle down and regain as much normalcy as possible.
Community Programme for Peace and Reconciliation
This programme deals with human rights abuses such as human conflict in the home or between neighboring
tribes. This programme was especially effective during the 2007 post-election violence season in Kenya that
saw St. Martin CSA lead the way in bringing people in conflict with each other together for reconciliation. Staff
and volunteers training in conflict transformation, mediation and peacebuilding work alongside government and
non-governmental agencies to mediate between conflicting parties. They are now widely known and accepted in
the Rift Valley area of Kenya for their effective interventions andtheir godly approach to conflict. Some of the
volunteers who have been trained in peace and reconciliation have gone on to get well-paying jobs in other
organizations due to the experience they got working with St. Martin CSA.
Community Programme for People with Disability
People with disabilities are easily marginalised because of societal ignorance of their capacity and interest in
self-development. St. Martin CSA built support systems around vulnerable children due to disability by
providing for school fees. Their parents and guardians received training in the provision of therapy. With
knowledge comes understanding and commitment so community members were motivated to engage people
with disability because they observed St. Martin CSA staff and volunteers lead the way in making a change in
the lives of these vulnerable people. On a regular basis, they evaluate their progress and chart the way forward
in identifying as many disabled people as possible so that no-one may be left behind in getting proper help.
Utooni Development Organization (UDO)
UDO is a community organisation that stands out primarily because of the transformational nature of its work.
Prior to its formation, people in Makueni, Kitui and Machakos counties suffered greatly due to the scarcity of
water. Hunger was prevalent because crops did not do well with minimal rainfall. Today, flowing rivers and
lush greenery are to be found in many areas in this region. The people were encouraged with free meals, group
cohesiveness and dam-building training to grow in faith that the building of sand dams would change their lives
and it did.
“The organization is built on the early work of Utooni Development Project, an indigenous self-help
group formed by Joshua, his wife Rhoda and six families in 1978”. He had grown up fetching water for
his home and wondering what to do about the rain that fell outside his house but ran downstream where
115
he would have to walk long distances to fetch. NCCK helped him learn how to use sand to capture and
store water away from the strong rays of the sun that would normally evaporate water quickly. UDO
was founded in 2002 and registered as an NGO in 2005. Joshua led them to build not only sand dams
but set up domestic water tanks, plant trees and dig terraces” (Brinkley, 2013).
The community work changed the landscape tremendously culminating in the increase in food production, close
access to drinking and farming water, an increase in family incomes and improved welfare of women and
children who traditionally were tasked to fetch water from long distances. Their work covers the three Eastern
counties of Makueni, Machakos, and Kitui.
Technical training and practice in sand-dam and terrace construction
Bringing people together to synergize effectively was hard work for the facilitators but the water challenges
encouraged some to participate in the learning phase of the work. In some seasons, they would need help getting
relief food to strengthen them to work physically but in due course, they succeeded. One of the respondents who
serves UDO as a conservation agriculture trainer describes his experience motivating groups to grow and work
together.
So now from there because you have gone to a formed group, we used to take it through some training
for it to become....to increase their cohesion through training them on group dynamics, we actually
could show them how people coming together and making a group what are the benefits of a group.
You talk to them about good leaders and how one qualifies to be a good leader. All those such things.
So, getting to understand how a group undergoes that kind of metamorphosis whereby it has to grow
from a forming to norming to storming to performing. They get to understand themselves and through
that you make them increase their solidarity…I still have to visit and make sure that they work because
you find that, when you let it to themselves, and their leaders it may like, you may not meet your
timing because there is that time frame whereby a project has to meet (5UD1AM).
It took the expertise of several governmental and non-governmental agencies for this project to take off. Once
the first community succeeded in establishing a successful sand dam, other communities believed that it could
work and become more willing to participate in this hard work. The building of sand dams then gave rise to
other dependent development projects such as the building of terraces and planting of trees and shrubs.
According to UDO, the environment was completely transformed by the dams changing the way the community
spent their time, the crops they grew, and the health of the children and general well-being.
…the sand prevents parasites and evaporation as well as providing a filter for the water stored beneath
with about 40 percent of the volume behind a dam being water. Sand dams can hold an incredible two
to ten million litres of water so even during droughts, water is available. In fact, excellence oldest dams
have never dried up in 20 years. They therefore provide a year-round water supply for up to 1200
people and their animals saving women and children two hours a day and up to eight hours during
droughts walking to fetch water. ("Excellent Development—Sand Dams in Kenya—YouTube," n.d.)
As a result, one of the respondents reported that there is a transformational change in the lives of different
village communities. This is what he had to say:
From that time, things changed. We now have water, food. Our children started eating balanced food
because we grow maize, beans, vegetables. We take the vegetables to the market..... we buy meat and
oil and come home to cook. We started a project for educating villagers on how to cook appropriate
food for the children to guard against kwashiorkor and marasmus. We received training, those who
know how to read and write received training. We got government training and got help. We became
TOTs. We used to go from house to house in Utooni, teaching the women. Even about health. Each
person should have a toilet. Some did not care. Since I had been educated, you can't be clean if your
neighbor has no toilet. You will be like him because flies will come from your neighbors' house and
into your house. And yet you say that you are clean. We taught the women to dig gardens to feed the
children. So, from there we felt that we had been educated. (5UD1AM)
Communities in Makueni, Machakos, and Kitui are some of the long-standing beneficiaries of this development
work. They benefitted from the technical skills of many development partners and were motivated to sustain
their farms and livelihoods.
Solidarity
In this case, Christians in leadership do not seem to have overtly integrated their Christian faith in their
motivation of communities for change. The change came from a need. However, one group interviewed during
116
this study showed evidence of theology-development integration that was delightful. They explained how they
grew in strength and were able to do a lot of farm work when they worked together. They decided to show
showed Christian love for one another by helping those who were weak to do their farm work. They also came
together to build several rooms for letting. When young students came to study in the school in the village, they
rented him a room at a very fair price so that he could complete his education. Their kindness was highly
appreciated especially because they had yet to raise enough money to complete the building.
If some of the group members or community members are opinion leaders, there is potential here for further
integration. In community meetings called by local chiefs and other administrators, I observed that religious
leaders and evangelists are invited to give devotional teachings to those attending the meetings. Since it seems
that some of them are itinerant, it is not clear what their long-term impact is.
Kijabe Environment Volunteers
KENVO, an NGO located in Kimende, Lari Constituency, is mainly known for tree nurseries and water filtering
where many organisations go to buy tree seedlings and re-forestation. It is known for encouraging schools to
start environmental clubs where students and patrons plant trees in their schools and communities. It is also
known for encouraging churches to advocate for tree planting through providing trees for their members to plan
on different occasions such as birthdays, weddings and funerals. To enhance the benefits of tree planting, they
started a beekeeping practice that illustrates aspects of sustainable development practice.
Training in Environmental Conservation
In terms of social sustainability, those who have been participating have benefited from coming together to deal
with community land issues. They have benefited from training in beekeeping after which they were given
beehives and funding to establish them on their farms. They got funding for starting tree nurseries where they
could increase the number of indigenous trees they planted. Churches, schools and communities around the
organization have learned to care for their environment particularly by planting trees and establishing hives in
many locations. Other projects that KENVO has shared with the community are poultry farming, biogas, and
drip irrigation kits funded by the European Union. In one of the KENVO respondents' view, this long-term
engagement with the community has made them very happy with KENVO.
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
For Christian leadership to make a difference in the lives of the community, they must engage face to face with
them regularly to provide a conducive learning environment for all. A few lessons arise from this study on the
nature and process of demonstrating Christian leadership for sustainable development in communities of
practice.
117
DOMAIN: THE ENABLING POWER OF GOD
A shared domain of interest
(E.g. God, Bible, Care of creation,
poverty eradication, holistic health)
Learning and Applying BiblicalDevelopment Principles
John 14: The Spirit of God guides us into all Truth
PRACTICE
A shared practice of experiences, stories, tools, ways of
addressing recurring problems
Taking the Risk to try Biblical tools for
Practicing Community Development
BIBLICAL COMMUNITY IDENTITY
A ‘one-another’ community that enables interaction
(discussions, collaborative activities, relationship
building)
BIBLICAL FOUNDATION FOR
CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE
A group of people who share Biblical values
and practices, fostering innovation
and sustainable development
CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
Time in Evangelistic Outreach and Persuasion
It takes time and patient facilitation for Christian leaders who have training, experience, vision, and love for
people to persuade others to believe God’s Word and to invest their time, resources and energy to try out new
ideas. Time allows for people to observe both the development of ideas and the character of those who sell
them. It takes patience, time, dialogue, reflection, experimentation for success to begin to be seen sustainably.
The organizations in this study took between 22 and 82 years to get where they are today. They faced many
challenges but the usefulness of their ideas, the philosophies that led their thinking and their person-to-person
everyday engagement helped make their work successful.
The presence that facilitates mentoring, experimentation and character development
It requires presence, the incarnational approach of Jesus to influence people in a transformative manner. People
learn more by observation, hands-on experimentation, discussion, and character development through
mentoring. They can repeat what was demonstrated until they find their innovative ways of doing things that
matter to them.
Consistency
It requires consistency in character, ideals, values, practice, and example. Influencing people for lasting change
requires the repetition of the same message and principle many times in various languages and forms.
Demonstration site
It requires a demonstration site near people's homes where experimentation and dialogue can be done. This way
it is cost-effective because it is easy to get to. The demonstration also requires demonstration of good values to
guide the mentees’ own journey of discovery of who they are and what they are meant to do with their lives.
A Christian welcome
It requires the opportunity for community members to feel welcome, included and participating, so that new
ideas can come up, application of innovative ideas can be effective. Some ideas may not work well in a
particular context or time.
118
CONCLUSION
Communities of practice are kept vibrant by need. Members learn to work together on felt needs as their
relationships grow and evolve. This setting is useful for Christian leaders who want their faith in practice to
have a lasting impact on the community. There are several roles that Scripture plays in such a setting. Scripture
provides communities with a sense of identity concerning God. Scripture provides a philosophy for negotiating
relationships especially in the area of conflict resolution. Conflict resolution is generally led or mediated in such
a community by leaders who have demonstrated their faith over time and have unanimously been chosen to lead
and mediate between people. Scripture becomes the go-to source of knowledge, wisdom, and power for a
harmonious community life.
Communities of practice are not regular communities of people who live as neighbors. They are communities
brought together by shared need and aspiration to make a difference in their lives. They learn how to
experiment, share, innovate and adapt theory to contextual issues to bring about lasting success. A community
will be sustainable to the extent that its members subscribe to and practice their shared values and ethos.
Communities of practice are useful environments for Christian leaders to influence community thinking and
action through experimentation, hard work, sharing of ideas and camaraderie. Further, the discussion can help
them develop mature Christian theology for the market place, based on the belief that God speaks to humanity,
is engaged in their lives and has good intentions for them.
REFERENCES
Atkinson, D.J. (1990). The Message of Genesis 1—11. Leicester, England ; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: IVP Academic.
Brinkley, T. (2013, February 26). History of UDO: Utooni Development Organization. Makueni, Kenya. Retrieved from Utooni
Development Organization website: http://www.utoonidevelopment.org/about-us/history/
Cheptebo AIC Rural Development Center, Kerio Valley, Kenya. (n.d.). Retrieved from Cheptebo AIC Rural Development Center, Kerio
Valley, Kenya website: https://www.cheptebo.org/
Garber, S. (1996). The Fabric of Faithfulness: Weaving together belief and behavior during the university years. Illinois: InterVarsity Press.
Gnanakan, K., Elisara, C., & Johnson, T., K. (2014). Responsible stewardship of God’s creation (Rev. ed.). Bonn: Verlag für Kultur u.
Wissenschaft.
Graaff, F. de & van Keulen, A. van (2008) Making the Road as We Go: parents and professionals as partners managing diversity in early
childhood education. The Hague: Bernard van Leer Foundation.
Kuria, D. (2016). Kijabe Environment Volunteers (KENVO) 2017—YouTube Video.
Merriam-Webster. (2004). The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Revised ed.). Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster Mass Market.
Mulwa, F.W. (2010). Demystifying Participatory Community Development. Nairobi, Kenya: Paulines Publications Africa.
Perkins, J. (1982). With Justice for All. California: Regal Books.
Priest, R.J., & Barine, K. (Eds.). (2017). African Christian Leadership: Realities, opportunities, and impact. Maryknoll New York: Orbis
Books.
QSR. (2019). NVivo Software downloads. Retrieved November 11, 2019, from QSR International Pty Ltd.
St. Martin. (2019). Only Through Community. Retrieved November 23, 2019, from St.Martin CSA website: https://www.saintmartinkenya.org/index.php/about-us/approach.html
St. Martin CSA. (2019). St Martin Catholic Social Apostolate Annual Report 2018-2019: Building minds, changing hearts (p. 44). Retrieved
from ST, Martin Catholic Social Apostolate
Stetzer, E., & Nation, P. (n.d.). Compelled by Love: The Most Excellent Way to Missional Living. Birmingham: New Hope Publishers
Tabitha Ministry. (2019). World Gospel Missions. website: https://www.wgm.org/project/tabitha
Wenger-Trayner, E., & Wenger-Trayner, B. (2015, April). Communities of Practice: A brief introduction. Wenger-Trayner.