In 1918 there was a drought nicknamed ‘Kimotho’. In 1919 the learners increased in number. The new entrants were Jonathan Njoroge, Jona Gacembe, Thomas Ngomo, Paul Njema, Samuel Kigetu, Jesse Mwangi, Muchiri Kamwana, Joseph Kihiga, Gitonga Gachuki, Stephen Hunja, Francis Kinyua, Naftaly Macharia, Cleophas Mwangi, Rev. Joseph Ngarachu, Tirus Njuguna, Josto Muya, James Waititi, Charles Njororo, Jacob Kiiru and Japhat Mbatia. They together built a house of worship using banana fibres and this is where they said their prayers every morning and evening until A.W Mac Gregor declared that it should be demolished for it had not been approved by the District commissioner. They had no choice and the learners had to go back to Gatuya.

In the year 1925, A.C.K St. Mathews Muthiria and and Gatuya learners started collecting money to buy iron sheets and by 1926 the amount was enough. The church was to be built at Kairi-ini (Kiganjo) but an argument escalated from one quarter that their children would be drowned by the raging water of a swollen Muriuriu river. The end result of this was the sharing of the iron sheets between the two quarters and the original chosen site was abandoned.

In the year 1927, the evangelists decided to use collections and donations of building materials to build the second church and it was built at the site where the current church is situated. In December 1928 the church was complete and was scheduled to be opened on January but the White missionary at Weithaga postponed the date to 2nd January 1929 to avoid a crash with the New Year holiday. Evangelization in the church was done by Rev. Paul Mbatia, Joshua Karuri and Lazaro Gicheru.

The church at A.C.K St. Mathews Muthiria was also used as a class for formal education. Lazaro Gicheru began to teach as untrained teacher in 1919. Later he went for training. He served as a teacher until 1956.

PURCHASE OF THE FIRST BELL

Christians increased in the church and were able to purchase the first church bell in the tear 1936 under the leadership of Canon Paul and the white man Short Jefferson Mbatia. Mr Chege who worked as a secretary of the East African Railways, was in the forefront of this purchase and the bell was sailed from united kingdom. The ‘Miuu’ posts were used to hoist the church bell in A.C.K St. Mathews Muthiria primary school, it was shared by both the school and the Church. Accidentally it fell and broke down. Later in 1939 another bell was donated and was also operated from the school compound, the first bell ringer was Elinathan Kamau Gatimu.

In the same year there was the idea to build stoned floor church where Nathaniel Manyagi was the chairman and Joseph Kihiga as the secretary and they convened a meeting where they agreed every church member was to contribute twenty five shillings and that totalled to two thousand and two hundred shillings which was deposited in a bank at Nairobi. The converts were getting their dues from farming, business and employment.

In 1937 they commenced an African Revival Fellowship under the guidance of Mr. John Kangoro, Hosea Kiranya, Adronicus Muiga, Deborah Njoki and Eva Kabuthia who later became the first Evangelist of this church.

The church that was opened in 2nd January 1929 collapsed in 1943 and in the following year, 1944, the Christians saw the need to build a permanent church building and bought the building bricks but before they had embarked on the construction, the school building plans were released and a schools meeting convened immediately at Kagumo.

The project of building was temporarily dropped and a school was constructed on the same site that was meant for the church. The converts taught boys and girls in this school. After some time the church project proceeded on a different side on the western side of the school. Because of the good relationship between the school and the church, Lazarus Gicheru was the first teacher in 1947.

A.C.K St. Mathews Muthiria church became a parish under Rev. Joseph Ngarachu.

BUILDING OF THE PERMANENT CHURCH

The fourth church made of mud and iron sheet was built in 1952. In 1965 the idea of stone building church knocked hard in their mind of the Christians and in 30th January 1966 a committee in-charge of the project was formed consisting of the following personalities.

1.   Chief Erick Kamau – Chairman
2. Lay reader Joseph Kihiga – Vice Chairman
3. Eliphalet Mwihia – Treasurer
4.  Manase Karime – Vice treasurer
5. Fredrick Mwangi Kiimuhu – Secretary
6. Fredrick Muchururia

Other members included Abraham Wakaba, Justus Njoroge, Sola Njoroge, Livingtone Kuria, Demand Kabage, James Kimana, Lazarus Gicheru, Nicondemus Mwihia and Bernard Kariuki including others.

The foundation of this church was laid by rural dean Dedan Kamau, the fourth converts and many Christians in 1968. The plan of the church was borrowed from Kiambu by Joseph Kahiga, Nathaniel Manyagi and Jotham Kamau Ndami to accommodate fifty members of the congregation.

On the advice of the Bishop Obadiah Kariuki the plan was dropped and a better one put in place to accommodate six hundred members. Christians volunteered whole heartedly to the project a success, women worked communally from Kiyu, A.C.K St. Mathews Muthiria and Kiaguthu in farms in order to build the church. The first foundation stone was laid on 28th October 1969 by the late Bishop Obadiah Kariuki and he opened the church on 29th October 1972.

A.C.K St. Mathews Muthiria primary school generously assisted the church by giving three thousands shillings (3000) under the leadership of the chair Mr. Jotham Kamau Ndami. The school parents also participated by fetching water for the construction as a way of thanksgiving to the house of God. There was a graveyard that had been set aside for the Christians of the church.

Naftaly Mwangi Manyagi and shadrack Mwangi Gatimu did a lot to be desired not forgetting Hosea who gave seven hundred shillings (700) which was an unbelievable amount at that time. Dr. Kaino (Member of Parliament) that time, donated iron sheets which were later replaced with sheets of the current gauge. A.C.K St. Mathews Muthiria primary school helped in plastering of the church by donating sand and cement. The Christians bought the seats in collaboration with Mwangi Manyangi, who had a friend working in king’ong’o prison where they were been made. He supervised the transportation and paid the charges incurred. The women bought the paraphernalia that used in the pulpit and the holy table.

In 1983, the church bell was relocated from the school compound and installed in the church compound by the metal bars donated by Stephen Gachuki Ngarachu. Mr. Joseph Irungu (father to the incumbent senator murang’a county) was the one behind the installation.The Christians continued to work hard in Gods’ work by giving Bibles, hymn books, piano, cows, goats, chicken and trees for timber.In the church compound there is a graveyard for the pioneer vicar of A.C.K St. Mathews Muthiria parish Rev Joseph Ngarachu and his wife Ruth Njeri which was started in 1947. Under Reverend Ezekiel Njiru the idea of building the vicarage was born and the foundation stone of the same was laid by Ven. Arch S Magua and was inaugurated on 7th October 1972 by Rt. Reverend E. Ngaruiya the then assistant Bishop of Mt. Kenya Diocese.During the year 1977 under vicar Bernard kamau, the construction of the church hall was started and the foundation stone laid by Rt. Reverend Dr. Julius Gatambo on 18th August 1996.The construction was done by assistance from Karanja (Riruta), Mrs. Mary Kibathi, the late Peter Njema, B,C Muturi Mwangi, David Kimani, Isaac Ndegwa and other Christians.In 1998, the church hall building became St. Matthews A.C.K St. Mathews Muthiria Academy which started with class five. The head teacher was Kennedy Irungu and the church committe managed the school. The old students of the school did well and most of them are in lucrative jobs. However, challanges engulfed the institution and could not be sustained by the population of pupils. Currently the building serves as A.C.K St. Mathews Muthiria boarding primary school girls’ dormitory.The lord continues to bless the Christians and now there is a centenary building to mark 100 years since the gospel reached this place.