Where are the Kenyan Christian Leaders & Pastors?
I searched the web looking for links on statements from Kenyan pastors and Christian leaders and could find little to none. I’m I imagining it, or do powerful Kenyan Pastors seem silent on the violence? I visited http://www.kenyagospel.com/ looking for posts by pastors and found nothing. It is the ordinary Kenyan Christians and gospel singers reaching out to the community. Where are Kenyan pastors and ministry leaders?
I could be overreacting – in which case I’ll be glad to be proven wrong. I hope the silence means they are too busy helping Kenyans cope that they don’t have the time to put out statements. I pray they are actively engaged in counseling victims, pointing people towards resources (see my previous blog on “Coping with the emotional stress of election riots"), providing spiritual counsel and also taking care of their own families. I acknowledge it’s easy for me to write this being so far from home. I just want to point folks towards helpful information on the ground including spiritual comfort but can’t find any information.
My greatest concern is whether Christian leaders are taking on tribal sides at the expense of peace and healing. God demands that we are Christians first before anything else – any other title in our lives – wives, husbands, mothers, single adults, workers or leaders. Our highest loyalty belongs to God who commands us to love our fellow brothers – luo, kikuyu, kalenjin, kamba, luhya, kisii, taita, turkana etc without regard!!! The standard is still set high for Kenyan pastors and Ministry leaders – they cannot be a part of the problem through being silent or inflammatory comments.
So I along with other Kenyans need the pastors who have enjoyed the prestige of serving the body of Christ to take a godly stand, speak against the devil's plans for Kenya and mobilize their members to help at the camps!
Do I come across frustrated? It’s because I am – I love how we Kenyans have had fervor for God and serving others all these years. The world is looking – not to see outside Christian organizations take the lead but to see the KENYAN CHURCH stand up and do something! I am aware the leaders are targets because of their tribal affiliations but God’s word requires us to be bold and strong in Him – not cowering in fear. Please speak up Pastors – put out statements on what your organization, church and ministry is doing to help fellow Kenyans. Point wananchi towards any resources your church or ministry is providing. God has put you in church leadership for such a time as this!!!
Please feel free to agree or disagree with any of my posts - lets dialogue about the solution. Post a comment below!
hi,
ReplyDeleteI was given your bloggspot by an individual on your mailing list. I write with a very heavy heart because I feel your frustrations toward the church is misplaced.
First, who is the Church? Is not the church you and me? Is not the church those who profess faith in Christ? When you ask what is the church doing, I ask, what is your definition of the church? I put it to you my dear, please clarify this on your bloggspot? It seems that in your definition of church, you abdicate the responsibility of Kenya's crisis to we the leaders (who I suppose you are referring to as the church). Whereas, if we say we are 80% Christian, it means 4/5 people have heard the gospel. Evidently the gospel has not resonated with 4/5 kenyans.
Secondly, you bash the Church and rightly so, we were also divided, but as you said, it is easier to speak from the lofty place of USA and not really appreciate what is on the ground. Let me inform you what the church has been doing:
Before the elections, the church was significantly involved in voter and civic education. The Church lead the way in informing voters on their rights etc.
During the elections, the largest observer contingent was from the church (over 10,000 observers) mostly from churches round the nation.
After the election results came out and violence broke out, the Church leaders convened a meeting at ufungamano house (of which I was a part) and they had a four pronged response.
1. Political- the Cardinal, archbishops, bishops from various denominations and the NCCK under the auspices of The national Alliance of Churches, appointed some to work on mediation. They initiated what you see today as the mediation talks between the political protagonists.
2. Spiritual- activated thousands of believers to pray and fast for Kenya. They activated churches to preach reconciliation etc. It is this team that came up with the 4 issues plaguing Kenya that fulled the crisis. March 7-17th they are having what is dubbed the Msafara Wheels of Hope, traversing the nation to do spiritual cleansing, reconciliation workshops, trainning on trauma counselling and ministering to the IDPs
3. Humanitarian- well over 80% of the humanitarian work you see or hear in Kenya has and is co-ordinated by the church. It is the Church that brought on the Red Cross, World Vision, World Relief and the international community to respond to the humanitarian crisis. It is the Church that has opened its doors and members have opened their homes even compounds to hundreds of thousands of IDPs. The church has rallied thousands to donate and distribute food and clothing to IDPs.It was the National Alliance of Churches that lobbied the government to put its machinery to work to ameliorate the suffering, and curb wanton insecurity in the nation.
4. Media- the Church has engaged the media on responsible journalism and on issues that plague the country. It has used the media to preach peace, calm and reconciliation. The Gospel musicians, Wakenya Pamoja, were the media arm of the National Alliance of Churches. We commissioned them to go ahead of us with messages of peace and healing.
I hope this answers your question to what the church is doing. In as much as you maybe frustrated, I am frustrated too by comments like yours. It is discouraging to some of us who in the past years who have been laboring and speaking prophetically into Kenya.
Kenya was forewarned, even church leaders were warned and they did not listen.
The Church in all is praying now. There never been a time like we have seen these past several weeks when believers have raised up concerts of prayers nationwide on behalf of the nation. Never discount the power of prayer Jam. 5:16. We are doing something. May not be doing enough though, but we are trying.
If you Choose to respond, My name is
Gowi Odera, Assoc. Pastor, Nairobi Chapel. check out our website www.nairobichapel.org and one to be launched over the weekend www.msafara.co.ke
Christine from Dallas wrote:
ReplyDeleteI agree with your frustration that the church has been strangely absent. By the way, if you read last week's nation newspaper, church leaders openly admitted that they had failed Kenya. They sided with their tribal people or their political parties. The church is supposed to be the light. Jesus said "let your light shine". We did not see that during the violence. Of course there are a few exceptions, but as a whole the church has failed. The true colors of many Kenyan christians came out.Jesus was not number one. But God is a forgiving God and I hope that we can reconcile and move on. But we should definately stop saying that Kenya has 60-80% christians. THAT IS A LIE. Reminds us of what Jesus said "Not all who call me Lord will enter the kingdom of God". We have not let
God transform our lives. It is so sad and embarassing. But there is still hope in Kenya.
I am with you. WHERE IS THE CHURCH OF KENYA????