A critical appraisal of the position of Africa inland church on polygamous converts among the Tugen of Baringo district, Kenya.

Abstract

Polygamy is a controversial issue in the scholarly world. The study attempted to find out the position of Africa Inland Church (A.I.C) on polygamous converts among the Tugen of Baringo District, Kenya. This researcher was concerned with the biblical understanding of polygamy and its impact on the A.I.C. The study had the following concerns; to find out how the teachings of the A.I.C affect the polygamous converts in the light of biblical teachings; and the position of the polygamous converts towards the A.I.C teachings. It was hypothesized that the teachings. Although the practice of polygamy is not contrary seems to have both positive to biblical and negative However, the effects of polygamy is related to the individual's perception effects. and practice. The bearing of the practice of polygamy on Christianity was then traced in the New Testament, in our contemporary situation and in selected A.I.C polygamous converts among the Tugen. The researcher adopted both histerical and descriptive survey methods so as to explore the issue at hand in a biblical context. Data from the field was collected through interviews and self-administered questionnaires. However, random sampling was put into use when selecting the sample respondents. This was necessary so as to minimize bias and to give each sample respondent in the strata an equal chance. Data from the field therefore, were presented in percentages and put in tables and figures. The researcher's main finding was that; the motive behind polygamy among the Tugen was the desire to have more sons than daughters and the possibility of increasing the labour force in the family. The polygamous who had embraced Christianity were denied full membership, and since then they have left the A.I.C because they could not be baptized or participate in the partaking of the holy communion. In the A.I.C teaching a person embraces Christianity once he/she confesses the sin and accepts Jesus Christ as a personal saviour, and right there he/she earns salvation. While baptism, is only a symbolic of the death and the rise of Jesus Christ and as well as a testimony. In conclusion, the researcher suggests that the response from the field seems to push forward one major suggestion that; the A.I.C should revise its constitution and approach in dealing with Christian teachings to accommodate polygamous converts who accept the gospel as full members of the church.