Master in Pastoral Ministry

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    How Active Participation of Men in SCCs Can Strengthen The Faith Of The Family In Kenya Today
    (Tangaza University College, 2017) Ngala Karani, Joseph
    The ecclesiology of communion which developed from the Vatican Council’s model of the Church as People of God was the force behind the African Synod image of the Church as Family of God. This image of the Church makes it easy for the understanding of the creation of Small Christian Communities as a New Model of Being Church. Richard Currier and Francis Gram begin the first chapter of their book, ‘Forming Small Christian Communities: A Personal Journey’ with these words: “It is surprising how much we can learn about Small Christian Communities (SCCs) in the first chapter of Genesis, the first book of the Bible.” 1 There is no doubt that this statement refers to the friendship that existed between God the creator and the creatures, Adam and Eve, a community of love and caring for one another, since the writer tells us how God used to take a stroll with Adam in the garden in the evenings (cf. Gn. 3:8). From this remote source of the first community, originated the aspect of communion which runs throughout the scriptures, showing the relationship between God and His people, the chosen race (cf. Gn. 17:1-11; Ex. 12; 20:2-11), as well as a relationship between the people themselves (cf. Gn. 4:1-16; Ex. 20:12-17). It is believed that the very precise initiation of SCCs was by Jesus himself in the New Testament. The first instance was when he called the first four disciples and later appointing the twelve apostles as his companions (cf. Mt. 4:18-22; 10:1-4; Mk. 1:16-20; 3:13-19; Lk.6:12-16). Though this first community of Jesus and his disciples/apostles seemed to be of only men, there were also women who followed Jesus and who were counted among the disciples as well (cf. Lk.8:13;23:55;24:10). These disciples when left behind by Jesus after his Ascension into Heaven, they came to be known as ‘The Community of Disciples in Jerusalem’ (Acts 1:12-26). These are the ones who followed the instructions of Jesus to wait for the Gift of the Spirit in the upper room in Jerusalem. Again, the twelve were not alone, since they were in the company of Mary the mother of Jesus and other women (Acts 1:14). After the Pentecost, the day the Gift of the Spirit descended upon the apostles, Peter led the group of the eleven, raised his voice and preached to the people (Acts 2:14ff). This provoked the listeners who asked what to do, and Peter told them ‘to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus.’ Here, the four pillars of SCCs were well stipulated, that is, ‘devoting to the teaching of the apostles, communal life, breaking of the bread and prayer’ (Acts 2:42). These have remained as foundation of SCCs up to date, since any SCC should draw its strength and devotion from the above four pillars. Thanks be to Pope Saint John XXIII for his great move of calling the Vatican Council (19621965) which acknowledged the images of the Church as People of God (LG. 4), the Church as Communion (LG. 32), and the Church as Body of Christ (1Cor.12:12-27). “These images bring out the fact that the Church is a community of believers that participates in God’s love as Father, Son and Spirit.” 2 This is the image/model the AMECEA bishops while meeting in 1973 promoted and decided to make SCCs a new way of evangelization. However, the implementation of it was not until 1976. This was meant for the laity to participate fully and actively in church matters through participation in the SCCs. The African Synod which was initiated by Pope Saint John Paul II between 1994 and 1995 developed the theme/image/model of the Church as Family of God. According to ‘Ecclesia in Africa,’ this model is made possible through the values and roles of each family member, just as in the SCC where each member has roles to play. The communion aspect is very strong since this is basic for African communities. On this, Rev. Joseph Healey, a Maryknoll Missionary and a Small Christianity Community animator in Eastern Africa since 1968, has the best term for it –‘a New Way of Being Church.’ He says, “Our African SCCs are a communion of families that are often called domestic churches.” 3 In this paper, the researcher is going to look specifically as to whether more participation of men in SCCs can be a way of strengthening faith in families. This research is also going to give special attention to the participation of men in SCCs in Our Lady of Heaven Karen parish in Nairobi Archdiocese. In African tradition, men are regarded as heads of their families while women are regarded second class or weak beings. This is however changing very fast since women are becoming equal partners. In SCCs they take leadership roles and are very active. They talk of equity and equality in responsibilities. St. John Paul II quoting Paul VI affirms that, “If the witness of the Apostles founds the Church, the witness of women contributes greatly towards nourishing the faith of Christian communities.” 4 Though women are taking lead in Church leadership, men should be aggressive. They should reclaim their headship, not negatively, but in a positive manner so that they act as role model to the family. Active participation of men in SCCs is therefore very vital since it will enhance, motivate and encourage all family members to participate, including their children. In the last chapter of this paper, the researcher will share about the participation of men in SCCs in the Diocese of Malindi, the diocese of his origin. Lastly, the researcher will suggest some practical pastoral recommendations as a way forward to motivate men’s participation in SCCs. All this is aimed at strengthening the faith of the whole family. At the end of it all, Small Christian Communities must be a place where the family finds the Church, and the Church finds the family, since SCCs are places of evangelization for the benefit of the bigger community.