A Study of the Pokot Cultural Worldview: Missiological Implications for Seventh-day Adventist Witness Among the Pastoral Nomads of Kenya

Abstract

"Seventh-day Adventist witness among the nomadic peoples of the East Africa region is faced with a number of challenges. Although the Church enjoys relative success in reaching most communities, its growth and development appears restricted to locations occupied by the settled communities. Unfamiliarity with nomads’ cultural structures and values is a partial explanation for why missionaries have failed to effectively connect with the nomads thereby hampering the establishment of a more vibrant mission work in pastoral nomadic regions. This qualitative research sought to describe the Pokot cultural worldview as a step toward understanding their socio-cultural context and identify barriers to effective mission. This is fundamental in developing missional bridges that would potentially close the gap between the Church and the pastoralists. Using an ethnographic approach, data collected using focus-group interviews, participant observation, artifact examination, and casual dialogue enabled the description of the Pokot cultural worldview and exposed their cognitive, evaluative, and affective assumptions of their culture."