The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) General Secretary Reverend Canon Peter Karanja has challenged Council staff to heavily invest in the family institution.
Speaking during a 2-day NCCK staff meeting in Mombasa, Canon Karanja said that the family remains the single most important institution in life. He called on them to use the available opportunities to grow their families both socially and economically.
Canon Karanja added that many families were under threat because most spouses were living a lie. “The problem in marriage is that people are living as if they are not married. And when evil is glorified many people get persuaded simply because everyone is doing it,” said Canon Karanja.
He lauded NCCK staff for their tremendous performance and selfless service that had enabled the Council transform many lives across the country. “I must thank you all for your commitment to duty. Through your selfless service the Council has achieved most of our obligations,” he pointed out.
The meeting was attended by more than 125 Council staff from across the country, among them outgoing Deputy General Secretary Oliver Kisaka, Programmmes Director Susie Ibutu, Finance Manager Mary Wanjiku and other senior managers.
Other issues discussed during the meeting were spiritual nourishment and economic empowerment.
The staff applauded Council management for the initiative terming it a lifetime experience. They said that the issues discussed resonated well with their daily experiences and promised to carry home the lessons they learnt in the meeting.
“I found this meeting quite reflective. It spoke into core issues of life, issues of livelihood and investment addressed my basic needs”, said Senior Programmes Officer for Governance and Social Services Joseph Ng’etich.
His sentiments were echoed by his counterpart in charge of Capacity Building for Membership Grace Muthungu, who said that the meeting had helped her relax out of a busy schedule. “I found the meeting quite relaxing out of a busy office schedule. I also appreciated the bible studies and openness among colleagues”, she said.
On her part Milcah Akinyi from the Human Resource department said that the discussions on family life were quite refreshing. Others who spoke were Richard Omwangu and Rhoda Njeri (Head Office drivers), who expressed an eager desire to share their experiences with their families back home.
Irene Nyanumba, a receptionist at Jumuia Nakuru, appreciated the meeting as having been enriching and productive, noting that “it created a platform of understanding the family lives of both married and single persons in a spiritual and Godly way”. She added that the meeting “has been an eye opener in understanding and appreciating what we have and acknowledge the basic principles and dynamics of day to day life”.
The meeting ended with the election of new officials of the NCCK Staff Welfare Association.
