Welcome everyone to this auspicious occasion of sub-dividing PCEA Ruai West Parish. I joined this parish in January 2018 from the TEE department at the head office where I was the director. In joining I realized that the parish had Iaunched a five year strategic plan in 2017. In fact, this sub-division was to happen in the year 2022. We started implementing thus strategic plan and in the process we experienced various challenges, the main one not being able to effectively serve over 4000 members including children who are spread out in the nine congregations that forms PCEA Ruai West Parish.
After brainstorming on effective service during many of our session meetings, we resolved that there was a need to bring closer the date of sub-division from 2022 to 2020. That is how we came up with a date of 20th September 2020 and it was all systems go. We started by first sub-dividing the districts and this left us with a shortage of sixteen elders where we asked permission from the presbytery to ordain 13 more and admit three who had joined the parish as ordained elders from other presbyteries. This happened towards the end of year 2019. in February 2020, we dedicated St Paul’s church because we needed a dedicated church in what is today the proposed Ruai South Parish.
It was in March 2020, when the first case of Covid-19 was reported in the country and in April 2020, attending church became impossible. The year 2020, has had many challenges for us and at one point we thought this could delay our plans to sub-divide P.C.E.A Ruai West Parish.
There were some feelings that we should postpone the sub-division but the greater good of effectively serving our members became the overriding factor. Though the sub-division never happened in September as planned, I am a very happy person that this is happening today.
I take this opportunity to thank all sixty five elders who form the Kirk session of Ruai West parish for making this happen.
I would also thank the PCEA Nairobi East Presbytery for the support they have accorded all members of the entire PCEA Ruai West parish for their material and moral support.
Allow me to thank my predecessors Rev David N Kamweru and Rev Hiram Mundia for their tireless work for nine years before I joined the parish in 2018.
Above all I take this opportunity to thank the Almighty God for his sufficient grace during the process.
Rev Patrick Muthungu
Moderator
