NCCK MARKS CENTENARY (1913 – 2013)
The National Council of Churches of Kenya Centenary national celebrations kicks off on 20th this month ahead of its official opening by his Excellency the Deputy President William Samoei Ruto on Wednesday.
The much anticipated historic 3 day event is expected to bring together close to 1,500 international and local delegates. The delegates, among them former NCCK General Secretaries, will be drawn mainly from the Council’s membership across the country.
The event whose theme is “Shining the Light of Christ (Matthew 5: 14-16)” will be the climax of the Council’s centenary regional celebrations that begun in April. During the celebrations more than 5000 trees were planted in all NCCK’s nine regions.
Speaking in Rabai Kaloleni when he presided over NCCK’s centenary celebrations in Coast region, the Council’s General Secretary Rev. Canon Peter Karanja said that the Council will endeavour to serve Kenyans even more in the coming dispensation. He rallied the region to continue partnering with NCCK for the common good of all Kenyans.
According to the Council’s centenary staff planning committee chair Grace Muthungu all is now set for the event. She revealed that her team has put up an elaborate programme for the momentous occasion. During the centenary national celebrations, the delegates will be treated to various activities in line with the theme of the celebrations including candle lighting. Another key event that will feature prominently will be reflections from the former and current General Secretaries. NCCK was founded way back in June 1913,during the United Missionary
Conference held at the Church of Torch in Thogoto, Kikuyu, now Kiambu County.
The Conference was attended by nine missionary groups during which a constitution proposing the formation of the Federation of Missions was discussed, and signed by four missionary groups. After a series of changes of names to make it more accommodative and mission-specific, NCCK was adopted in 1984, with a vision to be “One Church; United in faith and mission witnessing to Jesus Christ.” The Council is a fellowship of protestant churches and Christian organizations registered in Kenya, that provides a forum for member churches and organizations to act on common issues, support and sharpen each other in service and Christian witness. The operations of the Council are guided by a governance structure that has the General Assembly as the supreme governing body, followed by the Executive Committee which is the executive arm of the General Assembly.
