Equipping Lay Leaders for Christian Ministry in the Anglican Church of Kenya through Theological Education by Extension: Prospects and Challenges

Abstract

The mission of ecclesia is to empower and equip its leaders for Christian ministry. This has been possible through theological education, particularly for the ordained ministry. Though laity form a substantial number in the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) ecclesiastical context, they are theologically ill equipped for Christian ministry despite their integral roles in pastoral and administrative functions in their respective local congregations. The article was informed by both empirical and non-empirical data drawn from the ACK diocese of Thika in 2020. The data was derived from eleven questionnaires where two former diocesan TEE coordinators and nine Archdeaconry TEE facilitators in the diocese of Thika were engaged. Archival documents from the diocese and review of literature also enriched the study. The study findings show that the success of the 21 st century ecclesia solely depend on how thoroughly the lay leaders are empowered and equipped theologically through Theological Education by Extension (TEE).