17.09.2025
Serving Christ Together: Rathmichael Church’s Mission Partnership in Kenya
By the Revd Sean Hanily
At the heart of the Christian faith lies a call to fellowship — not only with God through Christ but also with one another across nations, cultures, and traditions. The Apostle Paul reminds us that “we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:5). For Rathmichael Parish Church, nestled in the scenic foothills of South County Dublin, this truth has taken on a tangible form through its mission partnership with communities in Kenya.
At the end of August, Rathmichael’s 2025 mission team returned safely from Kenya after a truly memorable and successful trip. What unfolded during that week of service in the Diocese of Maseno North was not only remarkable in practical terms, but also a testimony to the strength of global fellowship in the Anglican Communion and our common life in Christ.
The Call to Mission
Mission is not an optional activity for the Church; it is its very essence. Jesus’ Great Commission to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) remains as urgent today as it was two thousand years ago. Yet mission is never a one–way street. It is not simply about offering resources or teaching, but about building relationships, learning from one another, and discovering Christ’s presence in unexpected places.
For Rathmichael, the call to mission in Kenya emerged from a deep desire to live out the Gospel beyond Ireland.
The recent visit to Kenya follows on from Rathmichael’s visit in August 2023, when the team refurbished Wandeche School. This was the first part of a five–year partnership between Rathmichael and the Diocese of Maseno North, which came about from a meeting between Bishop Charles Kascan Asilutwa of Maseno North, and Archbishop Michael Jackson, at the 2022 Lambeth Conference. Archbishop Michael put Bishop Charles in touch with Geoffrey Perrin of Rathmichael, who volunteered to co–ordinate a mission link, and plans quickly developed for this five–year programme of support for Maseno North Diocese and its schools. What began as a connection has blossomed into a lasting partnership marked by prayer, generosity, and shared witness.
Kwiliba School: A Week of Transformation
This year’s team of 21, including six teenagers who were a credit to Rathmichael and to the Diocese, travelled at the invitation of Bishop Charles Kascan Asilutwa, Bishop of Maseno North. Their base for the week was the Diocesan Theological College, St Philip’s. Under the expert guidance of mission co–ordinator Geoffrey Perrin, who had planned the trip carefully to make the most of the ‘time on the ground’ in Kenya, the group carried out an extraordinary programme of work at Kwiliba School.
Over just a few days, the team:
· Painted 12 classrooms (eight rooms of 9×8 metres, four rooms of 7×8 metres) as well as the administration block.
· Installed electricity in the main school building block — providing lighting, plug sockets, and even security lights outside.
· Rebuilt the school kitchen, equipping it with three stoves, a food preparation area, and safe structures for cooking.
· Constructed a new toilet block to help meet the sanitary needs of 650 pupils.
· Added gutters and rainwater harvesting to the administration block, with a new 5,000–litre water tank to provide a sustainable water supply.
What was achieved in just one week was phenomenal, and the fruits of this labour will touch hundreds of lives for years to come. More than bricks and paint, these were investments in dignity, safety, and opportunity for the children of Kwiliba.
Fellowship and Worship
Mission is never only about practical work. It is also about sharing faith, worshipping together, and building relationships in Christ. During their time in Maseno North, the Rathmichael team was accompanied by the Diocesan Education Secretary, Revd Moses Amwayi, who had also joined the trip in 2023. His friendship, wisdom, and hospitality proved invaluable, reminding the team that fellowship in Christ is at the core of all mission.
On their first Sunday in Kenya, the team visited Wandeche Parish, with which Rathmichael has established a five–year mission link. Worshipping together in Wandeche was a moving reminder that across distance and difference, the Church is one family, joined by a common faith and nourished by the same Word and Sacraments.
Wandeche: Stories of Growth and Renewal
The return visit to Wandeche revealed remarkable progress since Rathmichael’s first trip in 2023. When the mission link began, the local school had fewer than 200 children; today, attendance has risen to 250, reaching capacity. The number of teachers has grown from 10 to 17, several of whom are supported directly by Rathmichael’s funding.
The most transformative change has been in nutrition. With over 1 million Kenyan shillings provided in 2024/2025 alone, Rathmichael’s support has ensured that children receive breakfast at the start of each school day. Teachers reported that attendance has skyrocketed and attention spans have improved dramatically. For many pupils, this simple meal has been the difference between disengagement and the ability to learn.
The long–term impact is profound: many more children are expected to meet the requirements for secondary school, and Rathmichael envisages supporting a third–level scholarship programme in the future.
A Church Rebuilt, a Fellowship Renewed
While in Wandeche, the Rathmichael team also heard a story of resilience. In October 2023, a storm destroyed the parish church. Yet the community has since built the core structure of a new and larger church on a safer, more sheltered site.
During the week, mission co–ordinator Geoffrey Perrin and the Rector of Rathmichael, Revd Sean Hanily, were invited to plant Elgon Teak trees outside the new church. These trees, known for their strength and longevity, were planted as symbols of the durable and meaningful relationship between Rathmichael and Wandeche. Just as the trees will grow tall and strong, so too will the bonds of friendship and mission that unite the two communities.
The Fellowship of the Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is one of the world’s largest Christian families, with more than 85 million members in over 165 countries. Rathmichael’s work in Kenya is a vivid illustration of what it means to belong to this fellowship: Irish and Kenyan Christians praying together, working side by side, and discovering Christ’s presence in each other.
When hymns in English and Swahili rise together in worship, or when prayers in Dublin and Maseno North are lifted for one another across oceans, we glimpse the vision of Revelation: “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9).
In the Anglican tradition, mission is never about exporting one culture or model of church, but about mutual enrichment. From Kenya, Rathmichael learns the joy of vibrant worship and communal resilience. From Ireland, Kenyan friends receive encouragement, resources, and solidarity. Together, the Body of Christ is strengthened, and the Gospel is made visible.
Mutual Blessing
The Rathmichael team returned home not only tired but deeply blessed. Many reflected on how their Kenyan hosts — despite challenges of poverty and hardship — radiated joy, generosity, and a deep trust in God. For the teenagers especially, this was an unforgettable experience that expanded their horizons and deepened their faith.
Meanwhile, the Rathmichael congregation continues to be inspired by the stories brought back: classrooms filled with light, children nourished for learning, a new church rising from the rubble. These stories are not statistics, but testimonies of Christ at work in and through His people.
Looking Ahead
Rathmichael’s mission partnership in Kenya is still young, but its fruit is already abundant. The hope for the future is to continue strengthening ties with the Diocese of Maseno North, supporting local leaders to sustain and expand projects. Plans for educational scholarships are already being envisioned, and digital communication may allow for shared Bible studies and prayer meetings across continents.
Above all, Rathmichael prays that this mission will remain rooted in Christ — not a project to be managed, but a relationship to be cherished.
Our Common Fellowship in Christ
At the heart of it all lies our shared identity in Christ. Whether in Rathmichael or Wandeche, in Dublin or Maseno North, Christians gather around the same Scriptures, share in the same sacraments, and confess the same Lord.
This fellowship is not merely an idea but a lived reality: when teenagers from Dublin paint classrooms in rural Kenya, when Kenyan teachers lead prayers for their Irish friends, when Elgon Teak trees are planted as living signs of friendship, the unity of the Body of Christ is revealed.
A Shared Journey of Faith
The story of Rathmichael Church’s mission work in Kenya is, in truth, the story of the Gospel itself: God’s love crossing boundaries, forming unlikely friendships, and creating a new family in Christ. It is a reminder that we are never alone in our discipleship, but part of a vast communion of believers around the world.
In an age often marked by division and isolation, this partnership offers a hopeful vision of what it means to be the Church. It shows that when we step out in faith, when we listen to one another, and when we serve together, Christ is revealed in our midst.
As we continue this journey, may the words of Jesus guide us: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). And may the fellowship between Rathmichael and Kenya stand as a testament to that love — a beacon of hope, a witness to unity, and a celebration of our common fellowship in Christ.
