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Collection 689 Papers of Stephen D. Morad

 Collection
Identifier: CN 689

Scope and Contents

Typed manuscript of an unpublished history of the Africa Inland Church (AIC) of Kenya written by Stephen D. Morad and Shelly Arensen and a report on the results a 1993-1995 survey of the AIC.

[Note: In the Scope & Content section, the notation “folder 2-5" means “Box 2, Folder 5"]

Date Range: circa 1995-1996

Volume: .25 cubic feet, 1 Box

Geographic Coverage: Kenya

Type of Documents: manuscript, report

Notes: This collection consists of two documents. The first is a history of Africa Inland Church in Kenya by Stephen Morad and Shelly Arensen entitled The Spreading Tree: A History of the Africa Inland Church in Kenya 1895-1995. This book was commissioned by the AIC but not published by them. The following description of the documents is by Harun Njuguna Mathenge, a Kenyan AIC pastor working in the Archives at the time this material was processed. The book describes the history of the first hundred years of the Africa Inland Church of Kenya (AIC) that was formed out of congregations started by Africa Inland Mission (AIM) .

Chapter one: The early history of AIM; early life of AIM founder Peter Cameron Scott in Scotland and Philadelphia; his serving God as a missionary to Congo; malaria attack and return to England; rededication at the tomb of David Livingstone; vision to build a chain of mission stations across Africa; formation of Philadelphia Missionary Council which founded AIM; the Central American Industrial Mission and the Pennsylvania Bible Institute; the first mission party of seven - Scott, his sister Margaret Scott, Bertha Reckling, Minni Lindberg, Frederick Krieger, Willis Hotchkiss and Lester Severn; AIM as a faith mission.

Chapter two: AIM arrives in Kenya in October 27, 1895; welcomed by Church Missionary Society (CMS); Mazrui Rebellion; the inland trek to Kamba land; first mission station at Nzau; the arrival of the second party including Scott’s parent Mr. and Mrs. John Scott, his other sister Ira Scott, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Allan, Jacob Toole, John Codd and Jennie Edwards; establishing other mission stations at Kangundo, Sakai and Kilungu; learning the Kikamba language and culture; educational work.

Chapter three: Death of Scott; workers leave the mission; Krieger’s open work among the Kikuyu; AIM”s new director Charles Hurlburt; AIM reduced to one missionary in Kenya; AIM’s first converts; famine in Ukambani; new missionaries.

Chapter four: Re-establishing the work; Charles Hurlburt’s leadership; building of the first church; AIM headquarters moved to Kijabe along the railway line; new missionaries arrive; Bible translation work; educational work; medical ministries; evangelism work among the Kamba, the Masai and Kikuyu; baptism and other doctrinal matters; AIM’s relationship with other missions.

Chapter five: Church growth; new mission stations; Githumu (1914), Western Kenya among the Kalenjin, Eldama Ravine (1912), Ell-Geyo (1914); the growing number of African teacher evangelists join Carrier corps; first Bible School (1928); Moffat Bible school (1929); the female circumcision crisis and rise of nationalism; AIM’s ambivalent attitude toward education; work among Masai and Kalenjin.

Chapter six: Africa Inland Church formed; question of ordaining African pastors; AIC constitutions; the church demand better education; the 1950s as the decades for schools; the struggle for independence; the East African revival; explosive growth of the church; African initiative to reach Pokot; AIC moves from rural to urban ministry; AIC becomes fully independent in 1971.

Chapter seven: Ministries and departments of AIC Kenya: Bible training, Theological Education by Extension (TEE), Theological Advisory group (TAG), Christian Education Department (CED), Africa Inland Church Missionary Board (AICMB), AIC Kijabe printing press, AIC health Ministries.

In the back of the manuscript is a rough draft of the first four chapters, with many more footnotes than the final version, which footnoted only direct quotes.

The other document in the collection in folder 1-2 is a report on a survey of AIC churches in Kenya conducted in 1993-1995 for the AIC centennial book. Five to ten strategic churches in each region were contacted and asked for historical and demographical data. Other churches on their own initiative duplicated the form and sent in reports as well, with the result that 2473 forms were returned from twenty-six regions. Among the information gathered was the growth pattern of churches, reasons for founding new churches, the change in leadership from Western missionaries to Africans, numerical information on the size of various churches and ministries.

Dates

  • Created: 1995-1996

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

Biographical Information

Stephen Morad was a missionary with Africa Inland Mission and a lecturer on historical studies at Africa International University (formerly Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology, NEGST). He received a bachelor’s degree from The King’s College in New York, an M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, USA, and a Ph.D. in Christianity in the Non-Western World from the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

Extent

1.00 Box (DC)

Language of Materials

English