SOMA IN KENYA
This month SOMA UK and SOMA Kenya have been coming together to plan and pray for a bright future together.
Our National Director writes:
‘SOMA has a wonderful heritage in Kenya with many people I have met here having been on teams with SOMA UK or received SOMA teaching. Most recently the SOMA International mega mission 2024 saw the birth of SOMA Kenya for a new generation and the appointment of Revd Tom Otieno as National Director, under a board chaired by Bishop Moses Masamba Nthaka.
In the short time I have been here I have had opportunties to speak to schools [see here], healing services, congregations, visit the Kibere slums where an amazing Church Army project is headed up by former SOMA team member Simon Peter Waiti, and lead a training event for 100+ Diocesan Lay Ministers, and help at the commissioning of Diocesan intercessors. But more importantly there has been time to learn, listen, reflect and consider the ways mission from everywhere to everywhere can now operate.
While here I have overlapped with a delegation from the Indian (Kerrala) based Mar Thoma Syrian Church see report here. It has been fascinating to see this church in mission mode as it establishes a Diocese of the UK, Europe and Africa. The Bishop for the Diocese is highly intelligent, reflective, intentional and motivated not just to serve the diaspora needs of his community around the world, but to partner with (in this case) the Anglican Church of Kenya in areas they have expertise - slum ministry and school sponsorship. Both the Mar Thoma and ACK churches see CMS (the Church Mission Society) as a key part of their history, and so being an Englishman in the room as shared histories were explained was informative and something to continue to reflect on as we in UK learn how to both critique and to honour what has been good in our past (both of which can be hard to do).
After leaving Nairobi our team came to Mbeere Diocese where Bishop Moses is based. Again the welcome has been the warmest possible, with the Bishop and his wife recently redeveloping their private house so they can accomodate guests as a retreat centre, and wonderful ministry opportunites, including the Diocesan training event focused on deliverance and healing ministry in the power of the Spirit.
It has been tremendous to have time with key leaders, bring greetings to Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit and others and think carefully about how UK teams and Kenyans may help each other ‘to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up’ [Eph 4:12], and to do this on an international scale.’
There are three days to go of this mission and the final report will be a reflection on all that has taken place with the SOMA Board meeting as we consider partnering together with Learning Cohorts and the META Youth programme, among other initiatives.
