Application of diversification strategy at the Anglican church of Kenya

Abstract

Whereas diversification has been an area widely researched and written about, there has been little focus on the religious sector and in particular the churches. This research project focuses on understanding the nature and motives of diversification strategy adopted by the Anglican Church of Kenya and also establish the pertinent factors that influence that strategy. In spite of arguments that the pitfalls of diversification strategy have led to failure of most firms, the Anglican Church of Kenya is considered a success story. This study is expected to provide useful information to policy makers, practitioners and researchers. The study methodology of the research was a case study influenced by the popular perception among the church circles that ‘the church is rich due to its well organized structure of the Church Commissioners for Kenya’. Both primary and secondary data was collected for the study. An interview guide was administered to gather the primary data from key informants in the organization while the secondary data was obtained from the organization’s website, brochures and other relevant documents. This data was analysed qualitatively using content analysis. The study established that the diversification strategy at the Anglican Church of Kenya owes its inception to the missionaries whose approach to addressing the societal needs was holistic by nature. This resulted to construction of many churches, schools, hospitals and other commercial units for which the church has continued to propagate. The Church Commissioners for Kenya is mandated to undertake all investment services on behalf of the church and hence generate income to sustain its core mission and achieve growth