Abstract:
The involvement of the laity in the Catholic Church is key in evangelization and eventual growth of the Church. Each of the groups contributes its own quota in both the Church and the world. The laity are called upon to imitate Christ in their daily lives so as to realise His values, attitudes and actions in the word today. The laity are also expected to be Christ’s witnesses to make the kingdom of God present in the midst of His people and in the entire world. This study examined the factors influencing the Catholic Laity in the evangelization process in Njoro Parish of Nakuru County, Kenya. The research was guided by the following objectives; to investigate the extent, to establish outcomes of various activities and the challenges, of the laity participation in evangelization. The study employed descriptive survey research design. The target Population included the priests and the Catholic faithful. Purposive sampling was used in selecting the 181 participants. Data was collected using questionnaires, group discussions and interviews. Separate questionnaires were administered for priests (PQ), catechists (CQ) and the laity (LQ). Reliability of the tools was tested using split- half method. A reliability co-efficient of 0.5 and above was accepted. Descriptive statistics was used. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) programme and was presented using frequency tables, percentages and charts. The study found out that evangelization by the laity needs strengthening and that collaborative ministry is necessary for Njoro parish to realize its goal of evangelization. The results also showed that some of the laity are passive mainly due to lack of training and reluctance of the laity and the clergy to involve them in evangelization process. The study observed that the laity need training in pastoral field so that they could be actively involved in pastoral activities of the parish. The clergy also needs to sensitize the laity on their role in evangelization so that they can be effective. The findings of the study will be useful to Church administration and scholars in religious studies in comprehending the role of the laity in evangelism, and to help the laity understand and have deeper insight of their roles in the Catholic Church. It will also help the Catholic Pastoral Planners and other religious denominations to critically evaluate their position on the participation of the laity in evangelization. The findings will contribute further to the advancement of knowledge in Catholic Church as centres of evangelization. The study concludes that challenges of evangelization call for a new vision of understanding in order to concretely impact the faith.
