Presbyterianism grew from the Reformation. John Calvin (1509-1564) taught Reformed theology and a church led by elders from Geneva. John Knox (c. 1514-1572) carried those ideas to Scotland, where the Reformation of 1560 shaped the Church of Scotland. Missionaries of that church later came to Kenya, and from their work the PCEA grew.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
— Hebrews 12:1
Every church has a story. If you worship in a PCEA congregation, your family tree includes a French lawyer, a Scottish firebrand and a handful of missionaries who walked into Kikuyu country. Here is how the pieces fit together.
John Calvin and Geneva
Born in France in 1509, John Calvin trained as a lawyer and theologian. After he came to faith, he wrote the Institutes of the Christian Religion, first published in 1536, a clear and orderly account of Christian belief. He spent most of his working life in Geneva, Switzerland, preaching, teaching and shaping a church governed by pastors and elders. He died in 1564.
Calvin stressed that God is sovereign, that salvation is by grace alone and that the Bible is the final authority. It is why “Reformed” and “Calvinist” are sometimes used for the same family of churches.
John Knox and Scotland
John Knox, born around 1514 in Scotland, served for a time as a preacher in Geneva, where he admired the church Calvin had helped form. Back in Scotland, he became the leading voice of the Reformation. In 1560 the Scottish Parliament adopted a Reformed confession and abolished papal authority, and the first General Assembly met that year. The Church of Scotland was thereafter governed by elders in Kirk Sessions, Presbyteries and a General Assembly, the shape Presbyterians still use.
From Scotland to Kenya
In 1898 missionaries of the Church of Scotland Mission settled at Kikuyu, bringing the gospel, schools and medical care. The story is told in our articles on 100 years of African eldership and what PCEA stands for. In September 1920 the first African elders were ordained at Thogoto and Tumutumu, and the church began to take its own leadership. Today the PCEA is a Kenyan church with its own Sessions, Presbyteries and General Assembly.
What Stayed the Same
- The Bible as supreme authority (the Five Solas).
- The Westminster Confession as the church’s standard.
- Two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
- Church government by elected elders, not bishops.
What Calvin and Knox Were Not
It is easy to turn historical figures into heroes. Calvin and Knox were gifted, serious and sometimes harsh men of their time, and the churches they shaped have had to repent of failures along the way. Presbyterians do not follow Calvin or Knox; they follow Christ. The Reformers would have said the same.
Why This Matters Today
Knowing where your church came from builds gratitude and a sense of belonging. The writer of Hebrews tells us we are “surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses” who have run before us. When you sit in a pew in Nairobi, you sit in a line that reaches back through Scotland and Geneva to the apostles themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who started the Presbyterian church?
The Presbyterian tradition grew from the Reformation, shaped by John Calvin in Geneva and John Knox in Scotland.
Why is it called Presbyterian?
From the Greek word presbyteros, meaning elder, because the church is governed by elders.
How did Presbyterianism come to Kenya?
Through missionaries of the Church of Scotland Mission, who settled at Kikuyu in 1898.
Did John Calvin start the PCEA?
No. Calvin lived in the 1500s. The PCEA grew from the Church of Scotland Mission in Kenya and is part of the Reformed tradition he helped shape.
Final Thoughts
Church history is not about the past for its own sake. It is the story of how the same gospel travelled from Geneva to Scotland to Kikuyu, and then into your home. Give thanks for those who handed it on, and pass it on in your turn.
Historical facts: Calvin (1509-1564, Institutes 1536, Geneva), Knox (c. 1514-1572, Scottish Reformation 1560), the Church of Scotland Mission at Kikuyu (1898) and the first African elders (September 1920) follow standard church history and our published PCEA articles. Checked against the PCEA doctrine standard. Compiled by the Editorial Desk.