Economic Factors Influencing Church Hopping from the Roman Catholic Church to Pentecostal Churches: A Case of Karuri Parish, Nairobi Archdiocese, Kenya

Jane Ng’ang’a, Bibiana Ngundo & Maurice Owinyo
The Catholic University of Eastern Africa
Corresponding Author: jnganga1165@gmail.com

Abstract: The movement from the Roman Catholic Church to the mushrooming Pentecostal churches is a great Phenomenon globally and in Africa. The gist of the study was to explore factors influencing this movement. The study explored economic concerns contributing to Church hopping from Roman Catholic Church to Pentecostal Churches in Karuri Parish, Kiambu Deanery, Nairobi Archdiocese in Kenya. The study was anchored on Faith Development and Exit and Voice Theories. This study employed descriptive survey design using a mixed method approach. Strata, cluster, snowball, and purposive sampling for 40 participants was employed. Data was collected by administering structured questionnaires and interview schedules. Researcher also reviewed secondary source documents. The quantitative data was analysed with the help of SPSS version 23, using descriptive statistics, for quantitative data. Qualitative data was analysed using content analysis and presented in form of narratives. The study revealed that several economic issues contributed to church hopping. The study recommended comprehensive and continuous catechetical instruction, implementation of documents of Roman Catholic faith, embracing technology, Bible reading and study, registration of churches, involving the youth in church activities and vetting church leaders in order to promote integrity and moral uprightness in order to curb church hopping of Roman Catholics to Pentecostal Churches. This study findings may help address the issue of church hopping from the Roman Catholic Church to Pentecostal churches and also advance knowledge in this area.