- A governance that dares to last
- The testimony of a Church that seeks to be co-responsible
- The true measure of a plan: what you do with it
- The six pillars, a reflection of Kenyan emergencies
- An exceptional initiative on the African continent
- Stewardship as a spiritual grammar
- Lectio divina
- ✝ Biblical references
On August 19th, in the discreet setting of the Roussel House in Nairobi, something unusual occurred in the history of the African episcopate: bishops presented not a perfunctory pastoral exhortation, but a structured, costed, ten-year plan, spanning from 2026 to 2035. The Kenya Catholic Bishops' Conference (KCCB) did not simply announce intentions; it presented six pastoral pillars with measurable objectives, a rare exercise in governance within a Church that, on this continent, has long operated more on the basis of urgency than foresight. This seemingly technocratic gesture embodies a theology of hope that deserves to be explored to its biblical roots.
For planning is not a betrayal of the Spirit's gratuitousness. On the contrary, it is acknowledging that the Spirit acts in time, in structures, in the patient stewardship of the talents received. This is the angle this passage seeks to explore: how a Church that dares to adopt a ten-year strategic framework is simply rediscovering, with the tools of the contemporary world, a truth that Scripture has never ceased to teach—that of the faithful steward, the patient sower, the builder who calculates the cost before laying the first stone.
A governance that dares to last
The launch of the 2026-2035 strategic plan took place in Nairobi before the bishops of the various dioceses, Conference partners, and members of the General Secretariat staff. The document identifies six pastoral pillars intended to guide the Conference's priorities for the coming decade: evangelization and faith formation, family and holiness of life, youth for mission, justice, peace and integral human development, communion, governance and synodality, and finally, stewardship for sustainability. This six-pronged structure is not simply a list of good intentions; it was conceived as a framework for translating the Church's mission into concrete actions, with defined responsibilities, timelines, and indicators.
Bishop Mark Kadima of the Diocese of Bungoma, chair of the KCCB Commission for Religious Education and Teaching, framed this exercise within the context of an economy of grace, if one may use the expression. Drawing on basic principles of resource management, he noted that human needs are numerous while resources remain limited, and that strategic planning allows for the channeling of scarce resources toward the priorities that advance the mission. «We are here to plan so that the limited resources we have can be used justly and effectively,» he stated at the launch. He also acknowledged the support of the consulting firms that worked with the bishops, clergy, and Conference staff to develop this document, as well as the partners who support the KCCB’s mission to the Kenyan people.
This way of explicitly naming the Church's material constraints—land, labor, capital—without any qualms or false modesty, contrasts sharply with a certain ecclesiastical rhetoric that sometimes avoids speaking of money and organization. Yet the Gospel itself does not shy away from this language. In the parable of the talents, the master does not reproach the faithless servant for his lack of piety, but for burying what had been entrusted to him for fear of taking risks. «You wicked, lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed» (Mt 25:26). Strategic planning, understood theologically, is precisely the opposite of this fearful burying: it is the act of making fruitful, with method and discernment, what has been received freely.
The testimony of a Church that seeks to be co-responsible
The president of the KCCB, Archbishop Maurice Muhatia of the Archdiocese of Kisumu, had a message delivered by the Conference's secretary general emphasizing that the launch of this plan was not simply the presentation of a document, but "the beginning of a renewed commitment to our mission as the Catholic Church in Kenya." He stressed that this plan was the fruit of prayer, reflection, consultation, and discernment involving the bishops, clergy, staff of the general secretariat, and consultants. This emphasis on communal discernment is noteworthy: the strategy is not conceived here as an importation of secular management into the Church, but as a fully-fledged spiritual exercise, where prayer precedes and encompasses the method.
Bishop Muhatia also situated this plan within the context of a Kenya undergoing profound constitutional, economic, and social transformation, marked by economic pressures, unemployment, inequality, evolving family structures, climate change, technological transformation, social fragmentation, and concerns regarding good governance and ethical leadership. But he also sought to highlight signs of hope: the creativity and energy of young people, as well as the ongoing work of Catholic institutions that educate, empower, reconcile, heal, and accompany millions of people across the country. The new strategic plan aims precisely to mobilize these forces to enable the Church to respond more intentionally to the challenges and opportunities before it.
Particular emphasis was placed on communion and shared responsibility. The archbishop reiterated that the Church's mission cannot be carried out by a single office, institution, or group; it requires the participation and charisms of bishops, clergy, religious, and lay faithful. The plan thus calls for strengthened collaboration among dioceses, Catholic institutions, commissions, and departments, while also encouraging ongoing engagement with the government, development partners, other Christian churches, people of other faiths, and all people of goodwill. This synodal vision of governance resonates with the ecclesiology of communion promoted by the Second Vatican Council, but it also finds its source in the Pauline image of the body with many members, where each receives a charge according to the grace given: "We have different gifts according to the grace given to us: if prophecy, let us exercise it in accordance with faith" (Rom 12:6).
The true measure of a plan: what you do with it
What truly distinguishes this Kenyan approach from a purely administrative exercise is the clarity with which its authors define its scope. For the president of the KCCB, the true measure of the strategic plan will not be the quality of the document itself, but what the Church actually does with it. «A strategic plan becomes meaningful when it is implemented,» he stated, calling on the general secretariat, commissions, departments, and partners to translate the priorities into practical annual work plans, programs, and initiatives, supported by clear responsibilities, timelines, and indicators. He also urged the Church to remain flexible, willing to learn and adapt to changing circumstances, while staying true to its mission and values.
This fruitful tension between fidelity and adaptability echoes the parable of the wise builder, which Jesus offers to those considering undertaking something grand: «Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?» (Lk 14:28). This passage, often read in a purely ascetic sense as a call to radical renunciation, also carries within it a lesson in institutional prudence: those who undertake without restraint risk the ridicule of an abandoned construction site. By equipping themselves with indicators and timelines, the Kenyan bishops are precisely avoiding this risk of an unfinished pastoral edifice, tossed about by successive emergencies.
The President of the Conference also emphasized that the strategic plan ultimately belongs to the faithful themselves, since the Church's structures and programs exist to serve God's people and contribute to the well-being of society. He entrusted this plan to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, praying for the wisdom of discernment, the courage to act, the humility to listen, and the perseverance to remain faithful to the mission entrusted to the Church. This concluding prayer, far from being a mere formality, situates the entire process within a theology of docility to the Spirit, which in no way excludes the rigor of human means—quite the contrary, it demands it.
The six pillars, a reflection of Kenyan emergencies
Each of the six pillars adopted by the KCCB directly addresses a fracture identified in contemporary Kenyan society. The pillar dedicated to the family and the sanctity of life echoes the rapid changes in family structures discussed by Bishop Muhatia; the pillar of youth for mission responds to a major demographic and social emergency, as Kenya has a particularly young population facing unemployment and precarious living conditions. The pillar of justice, peace, and integral human development, for its part, is in line with the social doctrine of the Church, while the pillar of stewardship for sustainability reflects an ecological concern directly inspired by Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato si', whose teachings the bishops explicitly invoked during a meeting with the country's authorities.
This ecological dimension is not insignificant. A few days after the plan's launch, the Conference's key leaders—Archbishop Maurice Muhatia of Kisumu, President of the KCCB; Archbishop Anthony Muheria of Nyeri, Vice-President of the Conference; Archbishop Philip Anyolo of Nairobi; and Coadjutor Archbishop Dominic Kimengich of Mombasa—met with the President of the Republic, His Excellency William Samoei Ruto, at State House in Nairobi to present the Church's concerns about the state of the nation. The bishops specifically addressed the payment of outstanding debts owed to faith-based healthcare facilities under the Social Health Authority scheme, the crucial role of Catholic health services in serving the most isolated populations, and the need for strengthened collaboration on environmental issues, explicitly drawing inspiration from the integral ecological conversion advocated by Laudato si'.
The pillar of youth for the mission also finds concrete resonance in the concerns expressed during this meeting with President Ruto: the bishops presented the conclusions of the recent Plenary Assembly of AMECEA, the Association of Episcopal Conferences of East Africa, emphasizing the urgent need to accompany, mentor, and empower young people, not simply as "leaders of tomorrow" but as integral parts of the Church and society today. They also raised the alarm about the emergence of a "gang culture," which they consider a serious threat to peaceful coexistence and democratic participation, as well as the state of the education and healthcare systems and the need for greater political integrity. The bishops were careful to clarify that their concern is not about partisan politics, but about the quality of public life and the moral direction of the nation.
This link between internal strategic planning and institutional dialogue with the State demonstrates a conception of the Church's mission that refuses to separate the spiritual and the social. It echoes the teaching of the prophet Isaiah on fasting pleasing to God, which is not limited to an exercise in private piety but engages with concrete social justice: «Is not this the kind of fasting I prefer: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free?» (Isaiah 58:6). The six pillars of the KCCB, by linking evangelization and social justice, governance and ecological sustainability, precisely reflect this biblical conviction that holiness cannot be practiced apart from care for the community.
An exceptional initiative on the African continent
The significance of this gesture must be considered within the broader context of African ecclesial life. Formalized and publicly available ten-year strategic planning, complete with performance indicators, remains a rare practice among the continent's episcopal conferences, where pastoral governance is often shaped by managing immediate emergencies—health crises, political tensions, natural disasters—rather than by long-term planning. Kenya is thus part of a broader movement toward the professionalization of ecclesial governance, a movement reflected, on a regional scale, in the orientations of AMECEA itself. At its recent Plenary Assembly, this association announced plans for a four-year priority pastoral plan specifically dedicated to youth, including programs for the genuine inclusion of young people in the life and mission of the Church, a review of regional structures to institutionalize their representation, and a strengthening of Catholic chaplaincies in member countries.
Bishop Peter Kemani, Bishop of the Diocese of Embu and Vice-President of the KCCB Youth Commission, emphasized the need for the Church to meet young people in Africa where they are, including in digital spaces, by training "digital missionaries" capable of addressing the challenges of youth unemployment in a digital world. This convergence between the Kenyan national plan and the regional guidelines of AMECEA suggests the emergence of an African ecclesial culture of planning, where fidelity to the Gospel is now embodied in rigorous management tools, without one excluding the other.
Another Kenyan bishop, Bishop John Oballa Owaa of the Diocese of Ngong, had already, a few months before the launch of the national plan, advocated for comprehensive strategic planning at the diocesan and parish levels, with a view to cultivating a self-sufficient and sustainable African Church. This convergence of concerns, expressed independently by several Kenyan bishops even before the publication of the national document, shows that the 2026-2035 plan did not arise from an isolated initiative, but rather crystallizes a broader ecclesial maturation, driven by the awareness that the financial and organizational self-sufficiency of the African Church is a prerequisite for its missionary freedom.
Stewardship as a spiritual grammar
This emphasis on self-sufficiency and sustainability sheds a particular light on the sixth pillar adopted by the KCCB: stewardship for sustainability. Far from being a mere financial component, this pillar articulates a theology of creation and an ethics of responsibility whose most ancient source lies in the Book of Genesis, where humankind receives the earth not as property to be exploited but as a garden to be cultivated and cared for: God places humankind in the Garden of Eden «to work it and take care of it» (Genesis 2:15). This verb of care, often overlooked in favor of that of domination, nevertheless constitutes the keystone of an integral ecology that rejects both unlimited exploitation and sterile passivity.
By equipping itself with the institutional means to sustain itself for ten years without relying solely on volatile external funding, the Kenyan Church is demonstrating faith in its own capacity to bear fruit over the long term. The partners present at the launch—the US Agency for Disease Control and Prevention, the British Catholic Development Agency, the German organization Misereor, Catholic Relief Services and Porticus Africa, as well as the National Council of Churches of Kenya and the Interreligious Council of Kenya—demonstrate a network of collaborations that the plan intends to structure rather than be subjected to. Bishop Cleophas Oseso Tuka, Bishop of the Diocese of Nakuru, emphasized that the Conference and its partners share several elements of a common vision, expressing his confidence that this continued cooperation would improve the well-being of communities throughout Kenya.
Lectio divina
«You wicked, lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown.» Matthew 25:26
You carry within you talents that you did not choose but received. How many of them still lie dormant, buried by fear of making a mistake, by dread of doing wrong, by laziness disguised as prudence? The Church in Kenya dared to bring its talents to light and put them to use for ten years. And you, what are you still buried today beneath the sands of waiting?.
Lord, you have entrusted me with a field, a plot of land, a time. I sometimes fear that I may sow poorly, calculate poorly, and build poorly. Teach me faithful stewardship, the kind that dares to plan without ceasing to hope. Grant me the patience of the sower and the courage of the builder. May I not return, on the day of my return, a buried talent, but a field that has borne fruit.
An open hand places a seed in red soil, under the vast, calm sky of the African dawn.
✝ Biblical references
5 passages · 5 books
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)
First book of the Bible: creation of the world, fall, patriarchs from Abraham to Joseph.
→ Explore the Genesis Codex- Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord: from your graves I will raise you up, O my people (Ezekiel 37:1-14)
- It was because of your hardness of heart that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives. But from the beginning it was not so (Mt 19:3-12)
- We carry in our body the death of Jesus (2 Cor 4:7-15)
- God saw all that he had made, and it was very good (Genesis 1:1–2:2)
- The creation of man and the original sin (Gen 2:7-9; 3:1-7a)
- DRC: When the Church kneels before a scourge that transcends its own walls
- When the gold of the subsoil weighs more heavily than the dignity of the migrant: the words of San Salvador
- Peru: Human dignity, a path prepared for the Pope from the South
- Let prayer not wait for the ashes: Leo XIV facing the fires of France and Spain
He has given us a child, a son has been given to us. (Isaiah 9:5)
The great prophet of salvation: judgment, consolation and announcement of the Suffering Servant.
→ Explore the Isaiah Codex
The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. (Luke 19:10)
The Gospel of Mercy: Jesus close to the poor, women and sinners.
→ Explore the Codex Luc- Anyone who does not renounce all that they have cannot be my disciple (Lk 14:25-33)
- Go out into the highways and paths, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled (Luke 14:15-24)
- Don't invite your friends; invite the poor and the crippled (Luke 14:12-14)
- If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well, will you not immediately pull him out, even on the Sabbath day? (Luke 14:1-6)
Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)
The Gospel of the King: Jesus, the new Moses, fulfills the Scriptures for Israel and the nations.
→ Explore the Matthew Codex- Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him (Mt 25:1-13)
- Be ready (Mt 24:42-51)
- I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, and they will no longer be their prey (Ezekiel 34:1-11)
- Beware of despising one of these little ones (Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14)
- His clothing was as white as snow (Dan 7:9-10, 13-14)
- Clement of Alexandria: From confessed ignorance to transformative love
- The five foolish women also performed good works: this is what Gregory the Great sees in the parable of the ten virgins.
- What watching changes within us, in the school of William of Saint-Thierry
- When God comes to inspect his field — and what he finds there
- Holes of light: when Christ's wounds become windows onto God
- End of life in France: what the Constitutional Council's reservation reveals about the role of Catholic institutions
- When hunger knocks at the church doors: charity as a lived theology in Karamoja
- Sister Miranda and the beach: when the Church reminds us that property is never an absolute right
- When the State counts the hours, the Church counts the faces.
The righteous will live by faith. (Romans 1:17)
Paul's great theological synthesis: sin, grace, justification, and life in the Spirit.
→ Explore the Roman Codex- Leo XIV at the nunciature in Buenos Aires: when the Church chose discretion to prepare for the immense
- When the lines of communication resume: what Moscow reveals about reconciliation diplomacy
- Ceuta, Rome, Madrid: when the word of the bishops becomes a rift between sister nations
- Economic intelligence in the service of the Gospel: when Rome questions Notre-Dame
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