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Welcome
THEME: SUSTAINING
GROWTH IN MISSION
Greetings
Dear brethren, .
W e take this opportunity on behalf of the Diocesan Synod, all
Christians of ACK Diocese of Thika and on my own behalf to
welcome you to this Diocese. We are privileged to have you on this
auspicious occasion of my consecration and enthronement as the Second
Bishop of this Diocese. We are humbled by your love and great sacrifice.
Indeed, we cherish your love and will continue to count on your support in
this Diocese and in the entire Church of Christ.
W e thank God for His abundant blessings upon this Diocese since
its creation on 1st July 1998. We thank our Lord and Savoir Jesus
Christ for having called me into ministry at an early age. By His grace he
justified me and made me worthy of service in the Episcopal ministry.
My family and I are thankful to you, Your Grace, for the role you have
played in supporting us as well as providing wise counsel while we served
God at All Saints’ Cathedral, Nairobi for the last five years.
We are also grateful to Bishop Kanuku and his wife for sharing their wealth
of experience in Episcopal Ministry during our preparations for this service.
L et me also acknowledge with gratitude and respect, the distinguished
service of my predecessor, Bishop Gideon and Mama Mary Githiga.
Bishop Gideon has been a true shepherd and a great leader who over the
past 15 years has laid a firm foundation for the future prosperity of our
Diocese.
We acknowledge the love and support of clergy and Christians of Thika
Diocese, All Saints’ Diocese and all who in many ways have brought me
this far.
We would like to appreciate the Electoral College and Standing Committee
of Synod of the Diocese of Thika .
We wish also to acknowledge the overwhelming support of all our friends,
various intercessory teams, and all who have been steadfastly with us in
this journey.
We cannot forget to acknowledge my dear wife, Esther, our children and
the extended family for their love, ceaseless prayers, unwavering support
and partnership in ministry. Indeed, you have been my pillar all through.
II. Strategic Focus
The foundation of our Episcopal ministry is best described by Acts 6:2-4.
It would not be right for us to neglect the
ministry of the word of God in order to wait on
tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among
you who are known to be full of the Spirit and
wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them
and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry
of the word
T he Acts of the Apostles links the Gospel narrative to the life of the
Church. One of the major themes in the book of Acts is
inclusiveness. It provides strong evidence that the community of
believers transcends all racial, regional and social barriers.
We view our Episcopal ministry from three angles: pulpit, pastoral and
social ministry. These ministries require professional expertise. Those
who serve in these ministries must be well known, be filled with the
Holy Spirit and be effective in their tasks. As such we will endeavour to
be above board when making appointments for assistants who will
manage church affairs and resources. That is what the Apostles did
when confronted by the divisive aspect of apparent discrimination of
widows.
The expansive work in this diocese calls for unity that will enhance
aspirations for a growing, caring and witnessing Christian community.
We are proud of the foundations of hard work and innovativeness from
the clergy as well as the unwavering support, commitment and
generosity from our church members. We shall seek to equip, nurture
and build every capacity available to sustain the team spirit that has
brought us this far.
T hika Diocese has certain diversities which need to be well
understood and appreciated. For instance, the diocese
transcends two counties, has both rural and urban populations, and has
different communities and cultures within it. While these diversities may
raise social and cultural challenges we should harness them for the good
of mission in our diocese.
We should ensure that the said diversities do not breed discontent or
neglect, which may fragment the community of believers. Our desire will
be to avail ourselves for consultations that will seek to make us one in
purpose and intent. We applaud the efforts of those who have had an
opportunity to fellowship with us and assure others that we are open to
begin our Episcopal ministry from a point of knowledge.
D rawing from the insights of the text in Acts 6; we find that the
main thrust of the church’s mission is to win souls for Christ. We
hope to keep
the main thing as the main thing and at the same time acting in a
systematic and orderly manner. Mission support will therefore be a major
priority in allocation of resources.
The catchment of our diocese has many social and economic constraints
such as food insecurity, low commodity prices, youth unemployment,
insecurity, low standards of education, unacceptable levels of poverty,
high prevalence of disease and HIV& AIDS, poorly planned
mushrooming urban areas, insufficient water supplies for domestic use
and irrigation, corruption and poor public service delivery among others.
All these issues call for diversified professional training for both clergy
and laity to enable us provide holistic ministry in our diocese. We shall
use available church structures and raise more resources for sustainable
growth.
T oday we are happy to accept the mantle of leadership now
bestowed on us. We are aware that the Christians of Thika
Diocese have very high expectations of their new Bishop. We will
partner with our clergy and laity in fulfilling the mandate of the Great
Commission. As we embark on this journey, we encourage everyone in
the Diocese to work together towards the realization of our aspirations.
First, we call upon the clergy to re-dedicate themselves to God’s work.
We all need to remember the vows we took during our ordination
services.
Second, as the Bishop is the chief shepherd of the Diocese, it is
imperative that clergy remember they are also the chief shepherds in
their parishes. Everyone should exercise delegated authority in their
respective work stations. In this regard, we shall expect them to take
charge without looking back as Jesus admonished in Luke 9:62:
...No one who puts a hand to the plow and
looks back is fit for service in the
kingdom of God.
As Bishop, we shall provide the necessary Episcopal cover and
oversight so that everyone succeeds in their duty stations.
In order to build upon the foundation that was laid by Bishop Gideon, we
would like to outline the Pillars that will guide our functions in the
Episcopal ministry into the future.
Acknowledgement
I. Biblical Foundations of
Our Episcopal Ministry Anglican Church of KenyaAnglican Church of KenyaAnglican Church of KenyaAnglican Church of Kenya
DIOCESE OF THIKADIOCESE OF THIKADIOCESE OF THIKADIOCESE OF THIKA
AT ST. ANDREW’S CATHEDRAL. THIKA
The Second Bishop of the Diocese of Thika
(Consecrated and Enthroned on
Sunday 8th September 2013)
III Conclusion
T hika Diocese is endowed with competent human capital among
the clergy and lay people. We shall spearhead the institution of
appropriate governance systems and maintain sound financial controls at
all levels. This will be anchored within a strong diocesan culture of
management integrity and accountability. Indeed, sound performance
management should be the hallmark of our Diocese.
We shall immediately embark on consolidating our strategic thoughts for
this diocese into a five year plan.
T he Church has a role to play in alleviating poverty as part of her
holistic ministry. We shall revitalize social outreach programs
through the Anglican Development Services to address the social
concerns especially food insecurity, poverty and other livelihood issues.
Equally still, we shall fearlessly stand up against all forms of injustice and
oppression for the weak and the marginalized.
We intend to continue promoting micro-finance initiatives under Thika
Community Development Trust. We shall also enhance local and external
resource mobilization strategies by creating vibrant linkages and
partnerships. We shall promote entrepreneurship as an avenue for
gainful engagement and employment creation especially among women,
youth and persons with disabilities.
W e will contribute to the realization of food security within the
Diocese by encouraging our farmers to embrace good
agricultural practices and improve productivity. We shall continue to work
with Planting Faith Ministries and other partners to equip our farmers with
the relevant information and technology to promote agri-business at
grass root level.
With regard to healthcare, we shall work with all stakeholders to promote
access to affordable healthcare. Special focus will be given to checking
the spread of preventable diseases that still wage war on our populace.
As a Church we shall continue to fight the HIV& AIDS pandemic within
the Diocese and Region.
C urrently, our Diocese enjoys a tripartite linkage with the Diocese
of Exeter (England), and the Diocese of Cyprus & the Gulf.
Additional partnerships with other Dioceses, ecumenical bodies and
mission agencies will be pursued. We shall strive to ensure that existing
partnerships create influence and lasting impact in Christian ministry in
our diocese.
We shall also create avenues for cross-cultural missions between the
staff of these Dioceses and mission agencies for more exposure,
enrichment and fulfillment in ministry. All mission partnerships will
continue to be guided by our common faith and belief in our Lord Jesus
Christ as well as shared values and interpretation of scriptures.
The Diocesan Link Committee shall continue to be responsible for
building bridges of friendship and strengthening bilateral ties with our
partners. We shall endeavor to maintain effective communication with our
mission partners.
T he Church has a God given mandate to be the prophetic voice of
the nation. We shall take up our rightful position in this regard. We
shall also work together with the National and County Governments as
well as other stakeholders to fight all vices that bedevil our Society.
However, we will not hesitate to condemn corruption, negative ethnicity,
plunder of public resources, insecurity, crime, road carnage and moral
disintegration whenever they arise.
We shall seek to promote unity, peace and nationhood for a cohesive
and prosperous country.
We are open and willing to participate in the development of our counties
through the various boards and committees at the national and county
level.
T oday marks yet another milestone in the life of our Diocese. As the
Bishop, we extend a hand of friendship to all Clergy and laity in
our common mission to build a united and prosperous Diocese.
As we embark on this journey, we encourage everyone in the Diocese to
work together towards the realization of our aspirations for a growing,
caring Christian community that witnesses to the love of Christ.
May God Bless Kenya. May God bless you all.
In the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Rt. Rev. Julius Wanyoike
1. Strengthening and Sharpening
the Mission Focus
2. Strengthening Pastoral Ministry
3. Strengthening Christian
Education & Discipleship
Programmes
4. Promoting Spiritual Renewal
Programmes
5. Strengthening Management &
Governance Structures
of the Diocese
6. Strengthening Social
Transformation
7. Strengthening Mission Partnerships
8. The Church as a Prophetic Voice
T he main thrust of the Church's mission is to win souls for Jesus
Christ through proclaiming the Gospel.
We intend to produce the next generation of local, indigenous missioners
and transformers who will prepare the Church for the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ. In this regard we shall therefore:
i. Identify the specific mission needs of the different parishes and work
stations in the Diocese.
ii. Review current mission strategies so as to incorporate contemporary
methods in ministerial practice.
iii. Partner with other Dioceses and mission agencies.
iv. Set up a Church Planting Team at Diocesan level to spearhead
strategic mapping of potential areas for evangelism.
v. Mobilize more resources for Mission.
vi. Mainstream prayer ministry by appointing a Prayer Ministry
Coordinator.
vii. Create a Strategic Mission Fund.
viii. Promote the effectiveness and sustainability of the mission outreach
units of the Mothers Union, KAMA, KAYO, Sunday School in the
diocese.
We request all Christians to pray fervently and also enjoy the privilege
and honor of supporting the proclamation of the Gospel.
T he Anglican Church is known for its strong pastoral ministry in the community. We encourage the clergy to diversify their professional
training to enable us provide effective pastoral care in our work stations and chaplaincy to our institutions.
More specifically we intend to:- i. Address clergy welfare issues. ii. Encourage diversified ministerial training and encourage our Christians to support the clergy in such endeavors. iii. Start the Bishop's School of Ministry where Clergy, lay-readers and lay-workers will undertake a mandatory one week training course every year. This way, we shall ultimately have a common approach to ministry.
iv. Institute participatory performance appraisal mechanisms at all levels starting with the Bishop. v. Enhance existing church income generating activities to support mission. vi. Address the challenges that have negatively affected the families through Women and Men’s ministries.
T he Great Commission mandates us to go and make disciples of
all nations by teaching them to obey God's commandments.
We shall therefore review existing discipleship initiatives at all levels in
order to strengthen the local church as the primary agent of Christian
Education and Discipleship. Catechism will be enhanced in all churches
as a foundation for our children to grow in the Christian faith.
Similarly, we shall strengthen chaplaincy in our sponsored schools and
develop a mentorship programme for children and youth. In this regard,
we intend to establish a model school to promote Christian value based
education.
M odern living has consistently challenged our spirituality. We will
encourage spiritual renewal programs and activities. We shall
accomplish this by holding annual spiritual renewal forums even as we
draw lessons from the East African Revival Movement.
Moreover, we shall strengthen the pulpit ministry by developing diocesan
mechanisms for effective
delivery of sermons. We will
also ensure that Church
workers renew their vows and
oaths of office annually.