Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church
Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | A.E.P.C |
Classification | Evangelical Presbyterian Church (1961) |
Separations | Independent Presbyterian Church in Kenya |
Congregations | 105 |
Members | 15.000 |
Hospitals | 1 |
Primary schools | 1 |
The Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church (AEPC) is a growing conservative
History
Formation
Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church was founded by the World Presbyterian Mission (now the
Separation and consolidation
In 1956 the Bible Presbyterian Church had split and this also affected the missionaries in Kenya. This section was the minority group, the majority become the Independent Presbyterian Church in Kenya. Missionaries Jack Armes and Sandy and Grace Campbell joined World Presbyterian Mission. Their Kenyan pastors moved with them willingly. This was the formation of the AEPC in 1962.[3] For long time the church concentrated in one area in Mwingi presbytery, and remained in one ethnic community. The denomination begun to plant churches in Nairobi and in Urban Kenyan towns. In 1973 the Community Presbyterian Church was founded and later church planting continued. Rev. Campbell went to plant a church in Nairobi.[2] In 1986 Growth and Expansion Committee was formed and in the 1980s the church expanded rapidly. The Beyond Mwingi Mission started dozens of mission churches in Nairobi, Kiambu, Meru, Embu and Nakuru. The church become self-autonomous and self-governing and self-propagating in 1998, the
In 1990 AEPC sent Rev. Daniel Mathuva, Rev. Richard Kimanzi and Rev. David Kimathi to evangelise in Meru, Mombasa and Embu. In 1996 the denomination was able to create 2 Presbyteries, Mwingi and Central Presbytery. This led to the formation of the General Assembly.[2] The Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church has also close relations with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (United States). The denomination had 56 congregations and 10,000 members in the early 2000s.[6] The Grace Bible College in Nakuru exist to train pastors and the other training location is Trinity Bible Institute in Muruu.[7]
Development
The church grew to 5 Presbyteries in 2010.
The church also sent missionaries to Meru, Mombasa, and Embu in Kenya.[11]
Recent history
In April 2012 the Church celebrated its 50th anniversary. A national headquarters was started to be built in Kenya on land donated by the Community Presbyterian Church in Madaraka District and the construction offerings of 200,000 Kenya shillings donated by Rev. James S. Park in 1997.[12]
Today AEPC has grown to 105 churches and six
Several church starts were established for example in Ruaka, Kenya and Kibera, Kenya.[14][15]
Theology and doctrine
Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church is a conservative
Creeds
Confessions
- Westminster Confession of Faith (1647)
- Westminster Shorter Catechism
- Westminster Larger Catechism[2][16][17]
Seminary and education
There are 3 affiliated educational institutes, these are :
- Grace Bible College in Nakuru, Kenya - this institution is for students came from West and Central Kenya.
- Trinity Bible Institute - this institution is for students came from Nairobi and South Kenya.
- Covenant College of Theological Studies and Leadership - this institution is for all students especially those from East Kenya; started with the help of Rev. John Barber, a minister in the Presbyterian Church in America.
The church has a medical center, the Tel Wa Yesu Hospital, and runs several primary schools.[18]
Church government
The Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church has a Presbyterian church government, with the
Interchurch relations
The Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church is a denominational member of the World Reformed Fellowship which is a theologically orthodox organisation in which Reformed, Presbyterian, Reformed Baptist, and Reformed Anglican denominations can participate.[19]
The WRF subscribes the Westminster Confession, the Gallican Confession, the 39 articles, the
The church has relationship with the
The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) financially supports the Trinity Bible Institute.[22][23]
References
- ^ "Saturday Prayer Requests (Commemoration of Jan Hus) | CelticAnglican's Ramblings". Celticanglican.wordpress.com. 2013-07-06. Archived from the original on 2016-12-27. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
- ^ a b c d "Imani Church of AEPC - About". Facebook. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
- ^ a b c "Field Report – Africa | Article |". Archived from the original on 2012-12-25. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
- ^ "BBK - Internationale contacten - landen - afrika - kenia". www.bbk.gkv.nl. Archived from the original on 20 June 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ^ "Aktuelle Meldungen Reformierte Welt". Reformiert-online.net. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
- ^ a b "Address data base of Reformed churches and institutions". Reformiert-online.net. 2005-12-30. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
- ^ "The World Reformed Fellowship - Promoting Reformed Partnerships World…". Archived from the original on 16 April 2013.
- ^ "Nairobi, Kenya | Covenant Presbyterian Church of Oviedo". Cpconline.net. 1980-06-01. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
- ^ "Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church Update | World Reformed Fellowship". Wrfnet.org. 2011-11-13. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
- ^ "CRC (Christian Resource Center) of Kenya | Equipping Pastors International". Archived from the original on 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2015-05-12.
- ^ Church Planter Archived March 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church Update | World Reformed Fellowship". Wrfnet.org. 2011-11-13. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
- ^ "Carr's Kenya Blog » Blog Archive » Expanded Calling for the Carrs…". Carrafrica.com. 2013-03-03. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
- ^ "Ruaka, Kenya | Covenant Presbyterian Church of Oviedo". Cpconline.net. Archived from the original on 2013-10-13. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
- ^ "Archived copy". www.cpconline.net. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Adressdatenbank reformierter Kirchen und Einrichtungen". Reformiert-online.net. 2005-12-30. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
- ^ "Joypresbyterianchurch.org". Joypresbyterianchurch.org. Archived from the original on 2016-12-26. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
- ^ "BBK.GKV » Kenia". Bbk.gkv.nl. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
- ^ "Denominational Members | World Reformed Fellowship". Wrfnet.org. 2016-10-19. Archived from the original on 2014-10-15. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
- ^ "Statement of Faith | World Reformed Fellowship". Wrfnet.org. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
- ^ "Orthodox Presbyterian Church". Opc.org. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
- ^ "Kenia: Predikanten opleiden | de Verre Naasten". Archived from the original on 2014-04-27. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
- ^ "Kenia | de Verre Naasten". Archived from the original on 2014-04-27. Retrieved 2014-04-27.