Importance of Lay Christian Participation on Management of Pastoral and Institutional Activities in the 21st Century

Abstract

Participation has become a popular concept and a system not only in the secular governments and institutions, but also within religious circles. The author defines the concept. Participation, for this paper is an action or a system of involving all people of an organization in the activities pertaining to their development. In Such a system, equality is the basis of the operations. Everybody participates   in decision making that brings out the desired outcome of an organization. In order to bring positive change in any institution all members must participate directly or indirectly. Even if they passively involved, they should be aware in the decisions. It is a right of every citizen under the Kenyan constitution 2010 to give their views during the public participation forums prior to initiating any county development. It is, therefore, important as well for all institutions including religious, including churches to involve their members in decision making and in the management process for effective delivery of service and production. This paper is aimed at determining the extent to which laid Christians of Kaplong catholic Parish of the diocese of Kericho, Bomet County, in the pastoral and institutional management. The objective is to determine how lay Christians participate in the management of the church in the 21^st century, in Kaplong and the entire Kenyan church in the post-missionary era. Like other parishes in Kenya, Kaplong was established by the Mill Hill missionaries as early as the 1920s when the missionaries who came from Uganda ventured into the missionary work among the Kalenjin and the Maasai communities. The missionaries had first to go to Uganda before turning to the Western, Nyanza and the Rift Valley. Reputable missionaries among them included bishop Stam, Jan de Reeper, Brandsman, Ferdinand Fent among others. At that ancient period, most of the pastoral work was done by the missionaries since lay Christians had not acquired western education which was essential in the establishment of the Christian faith. Christianity and education were synonymously intertwined. That was why the first teachers in Kenya were the catechists who pioneered the participation of church management. Having collected the data on this paper, the writer established that, the Mill Hill missionaries succeeded in their mission because of involving the lay Christians in the building of the institutions that have existed to date. Fr Fent is still a household name because the work of his hands is still indelibly seen like the hospital, schools, the Parish house and the old sister's convent currently occupied by the Asumbi sisters. The paper concluded that most of the underlying factors causing conflicts and disagreements in church institutions emerge when all the stake holders are not involved in the management. Involvement is participatory and it creates a sense of ownership. In the 21^st century, lay Christians have replaced the former missionaries in the contribution of finances of the church. Hence, they should be involved in the management in order to avoid lack of trust and ensure transparency and accountability on the resources of the church.