The Presbyterian Church Men’s Fellowship (PCMF) was resolved by the PCEA General Assembly in 1973 but not implemented until 1985. At PCEA Muteero, PCMF was officially launched on 7th April 1995 with 17 members, and by 1999 had become the first Men’s Fellowship in the entire denomination to hold a formal badge presentation ceremony — courtesy of the late Very Rev. Dr. John Gatu, PCMF’s national Chaplain and, in the fellowship’s own words, “the father of PCEA Men’s Fellowships.” Across our parishes, PCMF trains young men through Rite of Passage programmes, mentors those preparing for marriage, and — at Lang’ata — runs a Computer College that has graduated hundreds of students.
If the Woman’s Guild is the Presbytery’s oldest continuously growing ministry, PCMF is its most patient one — a fellowship the General Assembly approved in 1973 and the local church didn’t actually start for another twelve years.
A Resolution That Waited a Decade
The Presbyterian Church Men’s Fellowship was formed by resolution of the PCEA General Assembly in 1973, but implementation did not begin until 1985. At PCEA Muteero, PCMF was officially started on 7th April 1995 by 17 founding members. Elections followed quickly — on 15th December that same year, the first interim committee was chosen from what had grown to 33 members.
The fellowship’s most distinctive early milestone came on 7th March 1999, when Muteero held the first-ever badge presentation ceremony for PCMF anywhere in the denomination. The badges came courtesy of one of Muteero’s own members: the late Very Rev. Dr. John Gatu — a former Moderator of the PCEA General Assembly, national Chaplain in charge of Men’s Fellowships across the whole church, and, as PCMF Muteero’s own record puts it without exaggeration, “the father of PCEA Men’s Fellowships.”
Muteero’s PCMF also produced the movement’s first National Treasurer and first Presbytery Treasurer in the same person: Mr. Peterson W. Kariuki, who also chaired the local fellowship. Chairmen since have included the late Dr. Fredrick Muchena, Mr. Simon K. Mbocha, Mr. Stephen N. Kamamia, Mr. Austin Kiragu, Dr. Daniel K. Kiaraho, Mr. John Mwaniki Kabui, Mr. Francis Mwangi, and the current Chairman, Mr. Peter N. Nderitu.
What PCMF Actually Does
PCMF’s stated mission is simple: “A fellowship that serves God and spreads His love to the world through stewardship.” Its vision is “to be a men unifying force in Christian faith, spiritual growth and wellness,” worked out through roles that read like a job description for godly manhood — drawing men to Christ, equipping them to spread the Gospel, extending Christ’s love to those in need, mentoring the boy-child and young men, bolstering unity among men, and, notably, championing care for the environment.
In practice, at Muteero this has meant championing Rite of Passage (ROP) programmes for boys, active involvement in development projects such as “Project Joshua,” providing refreshments for Sunday School pupils and the wider congregation after service, offering guidance and counselling to young men preparing for marriage, and sponsoring seminars, workshops, and mission trips.
PCMF at Lang’ata: A Fellowship That Built a College
At Lang’ata Parish, PCMF has an equally distinct story. It was introduced by the late Elder James Githaiga toward the end of 1998, with the first fellowship meeting held in his own house at Ongata Rongai and Dr. Dan Gikonyo as guest speaker.
From that meeting grew something unusual: in 1999, dedicated PCMF members established a Computer College at Lang’ata — a modern, well-equipped centre offering beginner and advanced IT courses. By 2017, the college had graduated 936 students. Its plans have since expanded toward Business Administration, Computerized Secretarial studies, Languages, and Accounting — a men’s fellowship that turned discipleship into vocational training for the whole community.
A Ministry With Both Feet in the Church
What stands out across both congregations’ accounts is how practical PCMF’s calling has proven. This is not a fellowship content with meetings and badges; it is one that built classrooms, funded seminars, counselled young men toward marriage, and — in Muteero’s case — helped shape how the entire PCEA denomination recognizes its Men’s Fellowship members. “To be a source of Christ’s light to men within and without the Church,” as PCMF’s own statement of roles puts it, has meant something concrete in every congregation that has taken it up.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was PCMF started?
The PCEA General Assembly resolved to form PCMF in 1973, though implementation didn’t begin until 1985. Individual congregations launched their own chapters later still — PCEA Muteero’s PCMF started on 7th April 1995, and Lang’ata’s toward the end of 1998.
Who is considered “the father of PCEA Men’s Fellowships”?
The late Very Rev. Dr. John Gatu, a former Moderator of the PCEA General Assembly, who served as national Chaplain in charge of Men’s Fellowships and personally provided the badges for PCMF Muteero’s first-ever badge presentation ceremony in 1999 — the first such ceremony held anywhere in the denomination.
What does PCMF do besides hold meetings?
Depending on the congregation, PCMF runs Rite of Passage programmes for boys, marriage counselling for young men, community development projects, and — at Lang’ata — a Computer College that has graduated hundreds of students in IT skills.
Final Thoughts
A resolution passed in 1973 does not automatically become a living ministry — someone has to actually start it, badge by badge, meeting by meeting, twelve years and more after the paperwork was approved. PCMF’s story across our parishes is a reminder that faithfulness in the church is rarely instant; it is a fellowship that took its General Assembly mandate seriously enough to still be building — colleges, marriages, young men’s character — four decades later.
Interested in Joining PCMF?
Men’s Fellowship chapters meet across our parishes. Reach out and we’ll connect you to one near you.
Historical details in this article are drawn from PCEA Milimani South Presbytery’s own published ministry records. Compiled by the Editorial Desk.