The Practice of Polygamy and Church’s Response: A Case Study Study of Africa Inland Church Losirwa in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Abstract

Polygamy is a marriage practice where a husband is married to more than one wife. It is a cultural practice and a subject that has been widely researched but remains controversial. In church circles, denominations have historically differed on how to address the issue. For instance, some denominations heavily influenced by the African cultural interpretive lens view it as a norm and argue based on records of polygamous persons in the Old Testament. In contrast, the missionary-founded denominations condemn the practice as evil and against the biblical teachings and God’s original plan. Three specific objectives guided the study. First, the study examined God’s intentions for marriage in Genesis 1—2 and traced the problem of polygamy in the Bible as emanating from the fall of humanity into sin. Second, the study looked at the prevalence of polygamy and legal provisions of polygamy in African states. Third, the study sought to determine the views of Christians at Africa Inland Church (AIC) Losirwa in Uasin Gishu country on their views about the research topic. The study adopted a descriptive research design to address the research objectives. The target population of the study included church members and church leaders. The data was collected using structured self-administered questionnaires and interview schedules, and the data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency distributions, percentages, mean scores, and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (T-test and correlations). Qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. The study presents findings that can help churches relook at their policies regarding polygamy and polygamous unions.