Christian churches are not abstract or ethereal institutions; they impact people’s daily decisions, weekly rhythms, and major life choices. This paper explores the continued importance of Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Anglican church membership for East African women. While much recent scholarship on Christianity in Africa has emphasized the rising prominence of Pentecostalism, I argue that historic, mission-founded churches continue to represent important sources of community formation and support for congregations. Using oral interviews with rural and urban women in Nairobi and northern Tanzania, I explore the ways churches can connect disparate populations through resource (re)distribution and shared religious aesthetic experiences. Moving below the level of church institutions, I focus on the lived experiences and motivations of everyday congregants who invest in religious communities for a range of material, interpersonal, and emotional reasons that, taken together, help us understand the ongoing importance of mainline churches in East Africa.

基督教教会不是抽象的或空灵的机构；它们会影响人们的日常决策，每周的节奏和主要的生活选择。本文探讨了路德教会，长老会和英国国教教会成员资格对东非妇女的持续重要性。尽管最近有关非洲基督教的奖学金都强调了五旬节教派的重要性日益提高，但我认为历史悠久的，以教会为基础的教堂继续代表着社区形成和对会众的支持的重要来源。通过对内罗毕和坦桑尼亚北部的城乡妇女的口头访谈，我探索了教会如何通过资源（重新）分配和共享的宗教审美体验来联系不同人口的方式。移至教会机构之下，