Kenya Ambassadors Celebrate First annual Cookout

Members of the Kenya Ambassadors group dance to traditional and contemporary worship songs during the 2009 annual cookout. H.Maina/Ajabu

Big stories of 2009- #2
By Harrison Maina, AjabuAfrica.com

WORCESTER, Mass. , JANUARY 1_Before the advent of Kenyan community churches in the USA, many Kenyans who were here at the time used to attend, and some still attend regular America churches within their localities.

Simply looking for a place of worship where they would feel some kind of attachment and be ministered to, many looked for churches with an international appeal, where immigrant worshippers mingled with local Americans in large numbers.

 Simply looking for a place of worship where they would feel ministered to, many looked for churches with an international appeal, where immigrant worshippers mingled with local Americans in large numbers.

In Massachusetts, the first Kenyan community church was established in June 28 1995 by nine people led by Rev. Peter Gachathi, St. Paul’s Anglican Church Malden in 1995.

Known as Saint Paul’s church, it attracted Kenyan faithful of all denominations.
As word of the new Kenyan church spread Kenyan Catholics, Anglicans, Protestants and Pentecostals promptly started congregating at the church located on 61 Pearl Street in Malden, a few miles from downtown Boston.

Many Kenyans drove many miles from as far as Lowell, Lawrence, Brockton, Worcester and even Nashua in New Hampshire. Together with dozens of Kenyans settled in the area of Malden, Lynn, Medford, revere, Winthrop and other surrounding cities of the North shore, the church members quickly became one huge family that cared for one another, in church and of church in the usual legendary Kenyan togetherness spirit.

However, the new found social support system quickly dissipated when the church split due to money wrangles mixed with the then emerging thorny issue of allowing gays to serve in church, because saint Paul’s church was then established under the Anglican church, although some leaders wanted it to join with the American Episcopal church which allowed gays to serve.

Needless to say, due to their strong faith and African heritage, many average Kenyans were clearly not in the mood of having to be associated with a church that recognized gay ministers. That, together with disagreements of how to allocate thousands of dollars contributed for the purpose of purchasing a church building, led to a severe split of the church, which by now had started giving birth to other smaller churches scattered all over the state.

Many disillusioned Kenyans joined the resulting smaller churches, and others found American churches like the Eagle Heights church in Revere, the International Church of God in Winchester (now located in Reading) and many others including the First Assemblies church in Worcester.

The Catholic faithful started meeting at the Saint John’s the Evangelist in Winthrop for mass, from which they grew into a frequently meeting Kenyan Catholic church.

Although some of the new resultant Kenyan community churches continued to grow in membership from newly arriving Kenyans, and the fast growing children of the members even purchasing church buildings left and right, many Kenyans were very disappointed with the church politics that led to the demise of the short lived ideal church, which was a model of unity and was very responsive to their social needs.

However, the majority decided to focus on worship and quickly referred each other to the American International churches that had mixed congregations from practically every corner of the world.

Usually, these churches run several high powered praise and worship services every Sunday due to the sheer number of attendance. The churches focus mainly on the spiritual nourishment of the members and little socialization in line with the American culture.

Though many Kenyans who attend these churches they find themselves lost socially and culturally, with no real personal connection to the church leadership.

“After church is over, you can only chat up with a few Kenyans you spot outside the church as you walk to your car,” said Elizabeth Maina a member of First Assembly of God Church in Worcester, an international church that boasts a large Kenyan and African population.

Hellen Itemere, president of the Kenyan Ambassadors group

Kenyans in Worcester started flocking to the First Assembly of God way far before any Kenyan community church was established. So when the church in Malden split, some Kenyans living in Worcester who used to drive to Malden joined the First Assembly of God.

However, it did not take long before actual Kenyan community churches were established in Worcester, which attracted dozens of Kenyans whose desire for cultural identity, unity and socialization in their worship setting, was important enough.

But because most of these churches were established as local churches to minister to members of the Kikuyu tribe who form the majority of Kenyans in Worcester and in Massachusetts in general, dozens of Kenyans from other tribes like the Luhya, Luo and Kisii and many Kikuyus, who preferred the international format over the local church format, remained at the he First Assembly of God.

According to reliable sources, some Kenyans also felt that they were shunned off by some local Kenyan pastors when they faced problems because they did not attend their churches, and often referred back to the “white pastors”, said a source on condition of annonimity.

Over the years, these Kenyan members of the First Assembly of God continued to increase and recently, they decided that they needed an organization that would respond to their common social needs in a way the main church would not.

However, out of their respect for church leadership, the Kenyans decided to seek the blessings of their pastor, Pastor Brian Maury .

"I approached Pastor Brian with the proposal for an organization that would operate under the authority of the church leadership but respond to the social needs of the Kenyan who have a strong African social heritage", said Elizabeth Maina, who was the original founder of the Kenya Ambassadors group.

When the pastor approved the idea, the Kenyan Ambassadors group was formalized and officials elected to start working on the modalities to operate.

Young Kenyan Americans in Worcester join adults in a cultural worship dance during the Kenyan Ambassadors group cook out last summer in Worcester.To the far right is Elizabeth Maina, the founder of the group.

As a result, members of the Kenyan Ambassadors group organized their first annual summer cookout celebration on Sunday August 19, 2009.

The main purpose was so that they may know each other better, welcome new members and just socialize and have fun as a church group.

Held at the First Assembly of God church hall, over 100 Kenyans and their friends attended the early afternoon cookout despite the heavy downpour that on that day.

Women, men and children engaged each other as they enjoyed traditional Kenyan food such as Nyama choma, Mukiko, Samosa, Mandazi and many more.

There were plenty of soft drinks. A Dj and his assistant from Ghana, who is a member of the church as well, entertained guests with Kenyan gospel hits that he has come to master.

Speaking during the cookout, the chairlady of Kenyan Ambassadors group, Hellen Itemere, said that the organization was determined to be available to any member who may be facing financial and other challenges especially after death of a loved one, or sickness or legal troubles.

“We want to help one another as much as we can”, said Itemere. She asked Kenyans who do not have a church or who do not have any social affiliation to come and join the Kenyan Ambassadors group so that they may have a sense of belonging.

The pastor of the Saint Mathews church, Pastor Brian, attended the event. In a brief sermon, Pastor Brain told the Kenyans that he was thrilled for their effort at caring for one another within their general church community. “Our church shall support you to continue building on this idea”.

Ghanian Dj's during the Kenya Ambassadors group cook out last summer

“This is a very important way for us because we can know what is happening to our members and we can pass important information as well”, said Judy Machira, a community health center outreach coordinator in Worcester.

“It feels great to belong to this group”, added James Karago, the treasurer of the group.

Many young Kenyan- Americans attended the cookout and were observed enjoying gospel songs from various Kenyan tribes represented at the Ambassadors group.

The event ended with a vote of thanks by Irene Kangii, followed by more gospel music and more food.

"I am looking forward to the second annual cummer cookout event", said a young Kenyan artist after entertaining guests with a Gospel hit. "we should do this a lot", she added.

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