Lawi Imathiu
Lawi Imathiu (born June 26, 1932 in Meru , Kenya ) is Bishop of the Methodist Church in Kenya . From 1986 to 1991 he was President of the World Council of Methodist Churches , the first African in this office.
Imathius' father became a Christian in 1910, one of the first Christians of the Meru people. Lawi Imathiu attended the Methodist Mission Schools and then the Teachers' College. After teaching for a year, he studied theology at the ecumenical Anglican St. Paul's Theological College in Nairobi . He completed further studies at the University of London , Epworth College in Zimbabwe and Claremont Theological Seminary in California.
Lawi Imathiu was the first bishop of the Methodist Church in Kenya, which became independent in 1967. During his tenure as bishop, the Church grew from 8,000 members in 1970 to 225,000 in 2000. The Church also developed missions to the nomadic Borana , Kisii, and Maasai in Kenya and began Methodist work in Uganda and Tanzania.
Lawi Imathiu was a member of the Kenyan parliament for several years .
Bishop Imathiu was a co-founder of the Kenya Methodist University , a Methodist university in Kenya.
In 2005 he received the 2005 Methodist Peace Prize .
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Imathiu, Lawi |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | M'Imathiu, Lawi |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Kenyan Bishop of the United Methodist Church |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 26, 1932 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Meru (Kenya) |