Assessment of the socio-political and economic impact of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa in the Eastern region from 1915 to 2022

Abstract

The study sought to determine the impact of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa in the Eastern Region from 1915 to 2022. PCEA was introduced in the Eastern Region by the Church of Scotland Mission (CSM) in 1915. The Eastern Region was the third mission area after Kikuyu and Tumutumu. Their mission strategy was holistic in nature, combining evangelism, education, medical and industrial work. Since its inception, PCEA has been involved in transforming the socio-political and economic lives of people in the Eastern Region. There is a paucity of scholarly work on the impact of other missionaries like the Methodists, the Roman Catholics and the Anglicans in Meru, but that of PCEA is conspicuously missing. Thus, there is a need for this kind of study. Data was collected by descriptive survey research design. Data was collected and analysed from 376 church members, 53 church ministers and 9 presbytery moderators. The study established that PCEA has had both negative and positive impacts on the transformation of the people in the Eastern Region. The study recommends that PCEA should improve on the management and supervision of its institutions to ensure they serve the purpose for which they were established