African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (A.I.P.C.A) is the largest indigenous Church in Africa and was founded in Kenya in 1920s. It has a following of approximately 1.8 million members with strong presence in Central, Nairobi, Eastern, Rift Valley and Coast regions of Kenya. Our Church is historically associated with struggle for the freedom of this country from Colonial Government. Ideals of the Church were to embrace Christian values without losing focus of the image of the African person. The Church to date is very clear on its stand and has always supported the Legitimate African government of the day. The Church ideals are also very central to matters that affect the common man and therefore advocates for full or true independence of indigenous people.
The founders of our Church were discontented by the teaching of white missionaries which purported that all what African did was wrong. They thought of starting an African Church which would incorporate good African virtues in its teaching, leading to birth of this Church.
The Africans felt that the white missionaries were up to change their culture through the teaching in the formal education. In protest Kikuyu Independent Schools Association (K.I.S.A) was formed with its spiritual wing as independent Church. Most of Kenyan elite today are alumni of those schools.
In the advent of freedom struggle of this country, our Church was directly involved in Mau Mau Movement. When the state of emergency was declared in 1952, the Church was proscribed and their premises were closed as they were seen as havens of recruitment of Mau Mau freedom fighter and centers for administering oath. Independent Schools also suffered a similar fate; some were closed, others were handed over to other Churches to manage and the rest District Education Boards (D.E.Bs) were established to run them.
After independence, in 1964, the Church was re-registered as African Independent Pentecostal Church of Kenya (A.I.P.C.K) and in 1970 changed its name to African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (A.I.P.C.A)
After re-registration, our Church pursued its original vision of offering quality education without losing focus on African values. More Schools had been established in line with the philosophy of the founders. The Church currently own or sponsor 162 Educational Institutions.
Initially the administration of the Church was devolved into five Archdioceses; Kiambu under Archbishop Rtd Johnson Icugu, Eastern under the late Archbishop Nathan Mukunga, Rift valley under Archbishop Rtd William Alexander Mureithi, Murang’a under the late Archbishop Alphaxard Wanjingiri and Nyeri under the late Archbishop Benjamin Kahihia who was also the first Spiritual Head. After the death of Archbishop Kahihia in April 1998, the late Archbishop Dr. Samson M. Gaitho was elected the Spiritual Head. Under his leadership a formal Church constitution was drawn which centralized the Church administration. The constitution declared Nairobi Archdiocese as the only Archdiocese of the Church to be headed by the Spiritual Head and the only Archbishop leading to the retirement of the other Archbishops.
The position of the Archbishop of A.I.P.C.A is filled competitively for a term of five years with a maximum of two terms. The two terms of late Archbishop Gaitho expired in December 2010 and in 2011 he was succeeded by late Archbishop Evans Ndung’u Kibe. He passed on after serving the Church in this post for only two years. Archbishop Amos Mathenge Kabuthu was elected soon after and enthroned in July 2013. He retired on 1st July 2016 on attainment of mandatory age of 70 years leading to the election Archbishop Julius Njoroge on 9th January 2016.
The Church has grown in all aspects to become the 4th largest Church in Kenya and the biggest indigenous Church in Africa. Currently the church is administered in 23 Dioceses and one Archdiocese.
It is affiliated to other Christian bodies such as the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) and Organization of African Instituted Churches (OAIC) and others.