Our Church
PCEA Neema was established in the year 2004
Over the years, the number of Kenyans in the diaspora has continued to blossom due to a number of reasons including pursuit of higher education and growing diverse opportunities. The number of Kenyans in Lowell appeared to have increased at a higher rate than its environs leading to the need of other services other than the initial ones.
The need for spiritual nourishment brought the Kenyan immigrants together to form a worshipping community that was initially referred to as Kanitha wa Gikuyu, the church of the Gikuyu, because they worshipped in their first language, Gikuyu. The leadership of the then church was Anglican in nature. In 2002, a group of affiliates whose background was presbyterian started worshipping at Elliot Presbyterian Church, Lowell and became known as the Ushindi Fellowship. Towards the end of 2004, the fellowship acquired the services of Rev. Dr. Karimi Mumbui who was then pursuing his doctoral studies and moved over from the state of Kansas to Lowell. In 2006, this group formerly became known as Kenyan Community Presbyterian Church (Ushindi) with a distinct worshipping space at 450 Chelmsford Street, Lowell MA
The fellowship withered initial challenges and gradually emerged as a strong church founded on the tenets of Presbyterianism. In March 2014, the church became known as PCEA Neema Church with strong ties to the church in Kenya with a well laid out leadership structure akin to the mother church. The Moderator of the PCEA’s 20th General Assembly, the Rt. Rev. David Gathanju presided over the induction of the founder and first minister of the church, Rev. Dr. Karimi Mumbui on September 14th, 2014.
Due to further growth, the church purchased its own building on 201 Coburn Street Lowell which was dedicated by the Moderator of the 22 General Assembly, the Very Rev. Dr. Julius Mwamba on May 28th, 2017. This momentous growth culminated in the coming of an associate minister, the Rev. Eric Muchina in September 2017. In January 2023, the Rev. Dr. Karimi Mumbui returned to Kenya to continue with his calling, leaving a vibrant and well rooted church in faith and in the word of God. The church is looking forward to the coming of a second minister anytime from its mother church, PCEA
