THE 'INVISIBLE' NGO: US EVANGELICAL MISSIONS IN KENYA

Abstract

AbstractThis article argues that the beginning of the new millennium marks not the end of the missionary era but its high point. Critical changes have taken place in international development policy, resulting in a smaller role for the state and a greater role for non-state agencies, including NGOs. In Kenya, American evangelical missions constitute one of the most important of these groups, but their significance is overlooked, hence they are described as 'invisible'. The article examines the role of missions as implementers of the New Policy Agenda in Kenya, focusing on five organisations and their involvement in such matters as health care, AIDS, family planning and food security. It enriches our understanding of the contemporary role of mission-related Christianity in Africa, and explores the relationship between American evangelical missions and the international aid regime.