John McLernon, Mission Director, visited Marsabit and saw immediately why Crosslinks has such a long-standing relationship with the church in this challenging region of northern Kenya.

Crosslinks (or, as it was initially known, BCMS) missionaries have been visiting Marsabit since 1929; Christmas 2025 marked 95 years of our partnership. Marsabit is in the far north of Kenya, near the Ethiopian border, and until 2015 there wasn’t a paved road that reached this far north. Even with the luxury of tarmac, the distances are enormous. Previous Crosslinks personnel travelling to this isolated region would have had far more arduous trips than mine and I was grateful for the f light with Mission Aviation Fellowship.

Back in 1929, the pioneering BCMS missionary Alfred Buxton, accompanied by Hamilton Paget Wilkes travelled on foot throughout Kenya’s Northern Province, surveying the territory around Lake Turkana (then Lake Rudolf) with a vision of establishing BCMS mission stations around it. The work in Marsabit began as an outreach to the nomadic Boran people by Eric and Ruby Webster in 1931, who completed the first translation of the New Testament in Boron. Their work was later taken further by Canon Stephen Houghton who translated the whole Bible into the Boron language. In fact, Canon Houghton dedicated his life to ministry in this region and his remains are buried in the Marsabit diocesan compound. During the decades that followed the church in Marsabit grew in number, supported by the ministry of BCMS missionaries.

Like much of this region, BCMS missionaries provided episcopal leadership, but this was, of course, not sustainable. And in 1962, one year before Kenya achieved independence, the BCMS Field Council decided that leadership should be handed over to local leaders of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK). Missionary bishops remained in Kenya, only they were now appointed by and accountable to a Kenyan archbishop and bishops. Former mission partners Bob Beak and Rob Martin served in the Marsabit area.

The ACK Diocese of Marsabit has a land mass roughly the size of England, much of which is desert. There are 64 parishes served by 35 trained clergy supported by local evangelists. Some clergy pastor up to six churches. Although both clergy and evangelists are passionate to serve, many have received very little faithful theological training.

Kenya is considered a Christian country and Operation World quotes the figures of 82.7% Christian, with 48.9% evangelical. Yet this interface between the Muslim North and the Christian South is significantly different.

Marsabit is closer to 60% Muslim, 35% African Traditional Religions (ATR) and only 5% Christian, with Islamic local government leaders. One challenge of this in the past year has been the assertion that all school girls should have their heads covered, even in Christian schools.

Aside from Islamic–Christian tensions, there are 14 tribes competing for power and limited resources. The frequency of drought and famine can exacerbate tribal tensions leading to shootings on the streets. The most recent years of famine saw 80% of livestock perish, which is devastating for this traditionally nomadic herding community. All in all, the Diocese of Marsabit is a challenging place for the church to minister.

Upon Rob Martin’s retirement in 2016, Bishop Daniel Qampicha Warlo, took office and Crosslinks has continued our partnership in a number of ways.

Crosslinks took on the Diocesan Youth Worker role as a mission project partner to enable partnership with churches and individuals in the UK and Ireland. The current office holder, Rev Jomo Nderitu, is responsible for all youth ministry across the diocese where 50% of the population is under 20 years of age. Before taking up the role in Marsabit, Jomo trained at George Whitefield College supported by Crosslinks’ BEST study partner scheme.

Supporting Jomo in his ministry, ten youth workers from Marsabit are participating in the ACK’s youth leaders’ training programme that has recently been established by Crosslinks mission partners Gerald and Louise Mwangi.

To enable Bishop Qampicha to train and equip new and existing clergy, Crosslinks provides support through BEST study partner bursaries for Guyo Jarso Baqata and George Bulyaar who are studying at St Paul’s University and will serve in church ministry and as a military chaplain respectively after their studies. Several Marsabit clergy are also participating in the St Julian’s training programme, established by former mission partners Wanyeki and Mary Mahiaini, and now run by Rev George Ochiel and supported as a Crosslinks mission project partner.

In 1962, Crosslinks mission partner Arthur Hurd wrote of the changing relationship with the church in Africa: ‘The role of the individual missionary has changed. No longer is he the leader, but now the specialised helper to undertake tasks beyond present local manpower and resources.’ Moving on from its initiating role, Crosslinks has been blessed by decades of partnership with the Diocese of Marsabit and I have re-committed us to continuing it for the foreseeable future.

John McLernon, Mission Director