CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY ARCHIVE

Section IV: Africa Missions

Part 20: Uganda Mission, 1898-1934

Part 21: Kenya Mission, 1935-1949

Part 22: Uganda Mission, 1898-1934

Part 23: Uganda, Tanganyika and Rwanda Missions, 1935-1949

Part 24: Mauritius, Madagascar and the Seychelles Missions, 1856-1929

Introduction to Part 21

Part 21 contains the papers of the Kenya Mission, 1935-1949. The early papers for the Kenya Mission, 1841-1888 can be found in Part 16 and the papers for 1880-1934 in Parts 17 and 18.

The material for 1935-1949 is arranged differently from the papers up to 1934, being divided into subject areas: General, Dioceses, Education, Missions and Medical. The papers are very easy to read as they are mostly typed. They are arranged chronologically with the most recent papers at the beginning of the file.

The General section contains letters, memos and reports from the missionaries, missionary secretary and the Secretary at headquarters on a wide variety of subjects: missionary furloughs, the election of committee members, schools, development funds, the appointment of African teachers, salaries, the constitution of the mission and of the United Missionary College, the establishment of a Board of Governors and a General Circular on Women and Girls’ Work.

Included also are the minutes of: the first meeting of the Hospitals Management Board, the Central Council of the African Church Council, the Bookshop Committee, of a Committee to discuss African Church Development and Finance, of the first meeting of the Sub Committee of the Christian Council of Kenya on the education of women and girls and of the Kenya Mission Advisory Committee.

Also included are papers on: medical work, the teacher training policy, a joint Conference of the CMS Medical Representatives of East Africa, a conference on Medical Missions, the teaching of languages in Africa, leper work at Kalolemi, the evangelisation of Indians in Kenya and a list of European personnel at the mission stations.

More topics include: grants for African education, the East Africa Famine Fund, race relations, compulsory native labour during World War II, the state financing of African education, native marriages, independent schools, the expenditure of Central Kavirondo Local Native Council, coffee growing, the church’s work amongst Africans in towns and settled areas, joint theological training for the Ministry, unity and cooperation between Christians in the Kenya colony, a united church in East Africa, annual reports on the mission by the mission secretary, F Cecil Smith and a report by the principal on St Paul’s Divinity School in Limuru.

Also included are the minutes of the Kenya Executive Board, and of the following committees: the Coast Missionary, the Highlands Missionary, the Kavirondo District Missionary, the African Church Council, the Central Council, the Coast District Council, the Highlands District, the Christian Council, the CMS Hospitals’ Management Board and the Representative Council of the Alliance.

There is also much on the work among the Indians in the Kenya mission including reports, a note on the constitution of the mission to the Indians, reports and statistics on the Indian hospital and medical work, minutes of meetings of the Bookshop Committee and of the Committee for the Evangelisation of Kenyan Indians, a printed copy of “The National Christian Council Review”, a report on the work among the Indians by Dr Alma Downes-Shaw and on the work of the Mission Hospital for Women and Children in Mombasa.

The Diocese section contains letters, memos and reports from the missionaries, missionary secretary and the Secretary at headquarters on the Mombasa Diocese. It contains information on the constitution of the diocese, the Mombasa chaplaincy and general correspondence on wide ranging topics: a memo on polygamy, a report on a missionary journey, minutes of meetings of the European Council of the Mombasa Diocesan Synod, of the Standing Committee of Synod, of the Diocesan Board of Finance, of the African Education Board and the Church Aid Association plus memos on teacher training and evangelism.

The Education section includes information for the different schools in the mission such as Kikuyu Alliance High School, Kabete Jeanes School, St Paul’s United Theological College at Limuru, Maseno Vocational School, the Nairobi Pumwani Women and Girls’ Hostel and the Thogoto Rural Training Centre. Contained are general correspondence, annual reports, minutes of meetings of Boards of Governors, letters re recruitment of staff and purchase of new land. Also included in the Education section is correspondence regarding the Nairobi CMS bookshops.

The Missions section gives details on Butere, Dabida, Embu, Freretown, Kabare, Kabete, Kahuhia, Kaloleni, Kisumu, Mombasa, Nairobi, Ng’iya, Weithaga and Wusi. Contained in this section are correspondence, reports, finances, minutes of the Executive Board and Annual Letters from missionaries.

The Medical section contains correspondence and memos on leper work at the Kaloleni and Maseno Medical Missions, news on staffing and hospital work.

The papers in Part 21 will give the researcher valuable information on the progress of the Kenya Mission over the Second World War period and beyond and are a rich source for all those trying to understand Africa in this period.

EXTRACTS

Reel 424 General Sub File 7 Annual Report of the Kenya Mission 1943

“The year 1943 has been one of steady maintenance of the work under increasingly difficult circumstances. Difficult because, merely as humans, the mechanism has got a little worn here and there, and the usual remedy of sending the workers for a rest cure and overhaul to a non-tropical climate has not been possible. Difficult, too, because of the lack of some materials for use in the work; building materials in short supply; the medical supplies scarce and expensive; school materials similarly; motor cars wearing out and spare parts often unobtainable.

Nevertheless, by using everyone to the best advantage, the work has been maintained and the Kingdom of God has grown. There have been considerable additions to the African Clergy, some increases to the African Educational staff, and African Lay workers have given considerable help in the pastoral supervision and extension of the Kingdom…”

Reel 426 General Sub File 13 August 1948

“The Winds Blow in Africa

This is an account of a Convention of African Christians at Kagaari; on the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya, in August 1948. That may sound ordinary but, actually, the gathering was an epitome of a widespread movement, which is unique in the history of Christian witness in this country, and challenges our consideration.

Africa is changing so rapidly today that no one would dare to predict the course of events in another ten or twenty years. Forces of tremendous strength and unknown destiny are sweeping through the country, released by, or born out of, the impact of civilisation, money economy, industry and white settlement on millions of primitive African people. One sees today simultaneously the growth of strong national feeling among many Africans- particularly the Kikuyu of Kenya – and an unprecedented expansion of industry and other developments, including the establishment of a big military base; a situation which has inevitably produced misunderstandings, friction and resentment. There is also, of course, the confused heritage of the war years. The political situation is, therefore, volcanic. Suspicion – often hatred – of the white man is almost universal, and there are rumblings of active opposition. Yet along with the growth of nationalism, there still persist long standing tribal feuds among the Africans themselves, while, within the tribes, the old laws and sanctions are crumbling. New winds, stormy and powerful, are sweeping across the hills and plains, and the old life is bending and breaking before them. And, out of the ruins, there are springing up religious cults, strange and fanatical; the spiritual counterpart of the political agitation with which they are often allied….”

Reel 429 G 3 A 5/4 Minutes of the African Education Committee of the Christian Council of Kenya 5th September 1946

“…. Universal literacy is the main aim, and its value, if it can be achieved, is not disputed. It would be of immense advantage to the country if all children could be taught to read. It would be a big step towards “enabling the African to understand the nature of, and the reasons for, the Government’s agricultural and development policy”. It would remove an exaggerated and dangerously misleading rarity value from mere literacy, which must be sought as an end desirable in itself, not merely as the first step on the road to salaried employment.”

Reel 434 G 3 A 5 e 6/1 Circular Letter from E Carey Francis, the Kikuyu Alliance High School January 1946

“…. At the end of term I had the task of marking 1100 English essays from the Primary Examination (the entrance examination for A H S). It nearly killed me, but it had its interesting side. The most popular subject was “Women’s Work in your Tribe” and when I had heard about it some five hundred times I realised as never before what a time African women have – at work from early in the morning until late at night, doing all the cooking, all the cleaning, all the carrying of wood & water (often several miles, always up a hill), all the minding of the children, all or nearly all of the garden work, and much else besides. Quite 80% mentioned that if things were not done to father’s liking, mother was beaten. A pretty grim picture. Yet encouraging, for almost all saw too that this was wrong and had to be changed. The most popular solution (Buy a donkey) was hardly adequate; and not all the admirable sentiments expressed will result in action, but I felt that the outlook was hopeful….”

Reel 435 Education A5/e6/2 Report by the Headmaster on the Kikuyu Alliance High School, April 1944

“…. This is the leading African School of Kenya, taking boys (and at the present a very few – two - girls) from all over the Colony for the last four years of their school education….

It is a joint venture of Missions and Government, a definitely Christian School. “Alliance” means Alliance of Missions, and the Government supply most of the funds and give us wholehearted support. We have a very free hand, though wartime shortage of staff has lately meant that our time is pretty well occupied with keeping the normal activities running decently, as I believe they are. African education here is an experiment and there is plenty of scope for ideas, for anyone keen on special activities to do what he can with them.

There are difficulties of course. Racial feeling in Kenya is bad; there are faults on both sides. Among many Europeans there is suspicion of missions and of education (“spoiling the native”), though this is far better than it was; among Africans there is inborn suspicion of white men. A man who tries to do his job is pretty certain of criticism from both sides, not made easier by the fact that he is bound to make mistakes. But it is a grand opportunity too. Most of the future leaders of the country pass through our hands. I have been out here in this sort of work for nearly 16 years and though it has been far from a riot of success I would not change with anyone in the world….”

Reel 435 Education A5/e7 Christmas Greetings and News from Martin G and Mary W Capon at the Divinity School, Limuru ( St Paul’s United Theological College), 1945

“…. Since 1942 we in Kenya have probably been less effected by the war, so far as our personal lives are concerned, than any other part of the British Empire. Our work has gone on and we have suffered hardly any inconvenience through shortage of food or imported commodities. Prices have risen and many things have been in short supply but of hardship there has been none. Now that the War is over, we are really beginning to face more problems than while it was going on. It seems we are not alone in this. The two chief problems arise from demobilisation and the changed economic situation. I believe that close on 100,000 young Africans from Kenya have seen service overseas, either in the Near East, Madagascar, Ceylon or Burma: and the trouble is that it is not only service that they have seen. On the positive side they have seen much to be admired in the leadership and work of their British officers; but they have also seen qualities not so admirable both in the Army, and more especially among the native peoples of the different countries where they have been. In East Africa many of them fought, and fought successfully, against white troops. As well as all this, they have become accustomed to scales of pay, clothing and amenities away beyond anything which can be supported in normal times by our local economy…. So we face the future with some misgiving as to the reactions of large numbers of lusty ex-servicemen, for years accustomed to plenty, forced to look for work in a land of comparative poverty.”

Reel 438 General g12/1 Annual Letter from T F C Bewes, General Secretary of the African Church Council, Nairobi, October 23rd 1944

“…. I have made two visits to Kavirondo, and hope to make a third next month, and so far have only visited the Coast once. The chief thing that strikes one about Kavirondo is the huge size of the area together with the small number of missionaries covering – or trying to cover the pastoral side of the work….

I have always suspected that there is a big divorce between Church and School in Kavirondo, more so than the rest of the country, and my visits have confirmed that impression. Very few of the school-children are to be found in the churches on Sundays, and most of the keen Christians up there are largely uneducated people. This is deplored by the pastors, who are disturbed at the state of affairs…

I believe that there will be little spiritual progress in Kavirondo until there has come about a Revival amongst the intelligentsia themselves….

Most of Giriama is still very backward, and the population seems a very scattered one, so that ministering to these people is by no means easy. A very great deal of the country is dry and waterless, and the soil is so poor it can only hold a small population…. It has been suggested that the Government might introduce a big irrigation scheme for these people as part of the post-war replanning.

Kikuyu Country in the Highlands has always been much more closely supervised than either the Coast or Kavirondo, and it has – I believe – benefited accordingly. The schools in the Kabete area have not made the progress that they were expected to make some ten years ago, but have rather marked time the past few years”.

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