RELEVANCE OF CHRISTIAN VALUES IN ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION IN IMENTI SOUTH SUB ? COUNTY, KENYA

The Bible gives a very simple and clear basis for a Christian doctrine of the value of environment as God’s to mankind. Eco-theologians have done studies in this area to show symbiotic relationships between mankind and environment. A study was carried out in churches in Imenti South Sub-County, Kenya, in 2014. Christian values were investigated based on four variables, namely empathy, stewardship, Christian teachings and the understanding of role of Christians on environmental conservation. The study utilized the descriptive research survey design. The target population of this study was all the 88 pastors and 1733 congregation members of the Christian churches in the Sub-County. A sample of 22 churches was studied using questionnaire and data was analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 21 for windows. The findings indicated that preachers and teachers of the Bible in the churches studied did not sensitize members on the variables studied. The study recommended that the teachers and preachers disseminate God’s instructions on environmental preservation and lead the churches to organize on days of cleaning their home environment and in the neighboring towns. The churches also needed to actively participate in building gabions and terraces to reduce soil erosion and planting of trees, to replace the already cut ones.