We Create the Path by Walking: The Involvement of Small Christian Communities (SCCs) in Peacebuilding in Eastern Africa

Authors

Father Joseph Healey, Tangaza University College (CUEA) and Hekima University College (CUEA) in Nairobi

Abstract

Small Christian Communities (SCCs), a key pastoral priority of the Catholic Bishops in the Association of Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), officially started in major ecclesial meetings in 1973 and 1976. The SCCs in the AMECEA region have been evolving in response to the developments in the region – they “create the path by walking” and are becoming more involved in peacebuilding activities. A recent study on the SCCs finds that there are over 180,000 SCCs in the nine countries of the AMECEA region. An estimated 45,000 SCCs are spread throughout Kenya’s 26 Catholic dioceses. This essay discusses the growth of SCCs from small prayer groups to more developed, multi-faceted groups and looks at the central characteristics of SCCs in Eastern Africa. The essay also discusses what some Kenyan SCCs have done during the 2017 Kenyan Lenten Campaign in preparation for the tense August national elections, and how they have promoted peacebuilding through the Internet.

Recommended Citation

Healey, Father Joseph (2017) "We Create the Path by Walking: The Involvement of Small Christian Communities (SCCs) in Peacebuilding in Eastern Africa," The Journal of Social Encounters: Vol. 1: Iss. 1, 14-23.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/social_encounters/vol1/iss1/3