The Role of Home Cells in Church Growth: A Case of Zion Temple Global Ministries in Busia County, Kenya

Abstract

This study examined how the home cells of Zion Temple Global Ministries (ZTGM) have contributed to church growth and the roles they play in relation to discipleship, gender relations in leadership, counseling, and mentorship. A convergent mixed-methods design was used, combining quantitative data from 178 respondents with qualitative data from interviews and focus group discussions. The results showed that home cells are core to discipleship, with 97.75 percent of the respondents indicating that they supplement Sunday worship and 89 percent indicating that they experience a significant spiritual growth. The most effective discipleship activities were Bible study (37.64) and worship (32.58). It was also observed that gender-inclusive leadership received strong support (94.38%). Women were more represented in home cell leadership due to greater participation, whereas men were underrepresented in both participation and leadership (18%). Moreover, 68% of respondents had undergone counseling; 80.17% were satisfied discussing personal problems, and 90% were comfortable discussing them, indicating strong relational trust. However, counseling is quite informal and centralized, and home cell leaders were not well-equipped. The study concludes that home cells are important to the growth and development of church members, and that standardized curricula, leadership training, and structured counseling systems need to be improved to be more effective.