Our History
From one hospital’s need for chaplains to a school that has trained students from across Africa.
Born from a hospital that needed chaplains
The Tenwek Hospital College School of Chaplaincy was established in 1991 as the L. Nelson Bell Chaplaincy Training School.
Dr. Ernie Steury, the first doctor to serve at Tenwek Hospital, realised that the hospital needed full-time chaplains to serve alongside its dedicated medical team. No college or university offered training in chaplaincy, and this gave birth to the vision of opening one at Tenwek Hospital.
Thirty-five years at Tenwek
- 1991
The L. Nelson Bell Chaplaincy Training School opens at Tenwek Hospital to train full-time chaplains for the hospital.
- Across Africa
The school grows to train more than 200 students from African nations, including:
- Rwanda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- Malawi
- Uganda
- Tanzania
- Ghana
- Nigeria
- Madagascar
- DR Congo
- A new curriculum
To meet changing chaplaincy needs, the school redesigns its curriculum with TVET CDACC, in line with competency-based learning across Kenya.
- Today
The Certificate (Level 5) and Diploma (Level 6) in Chaplaincy are examined by CDACC, and students can study on campus or online. See our programmes →
- Looking ahead
The school plans other areas of specialty and further study levels, to grow chaplaincy as an area of professional growth.
Be part of the next chapter
We admit students in January, May and September every year.