It is Pastor Rick Warren who once said: “If I thought politics could save the world, I wouldn’t have become a pastor.” But, as Kenya’s elections beckon, some clergy are stepping down from the pulpit for political positions.
Over the years, some Church leaders have felt convinced that society can only be transformed when godly leaders rule. Proverbs 29:2 has been the inspiration: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” Some clergy have thus felt persuaded to provide godly leadership.
In 1979, while this thought dominated the US Church, the Baptist minister Jerry Falwell and associates founded “The Moral Majority” — a prominent American political organisation associated with the Christian right and Republican Party. This movement played a key role in the mobilisation of conservative Christians as a political force that ensured Republican presidential victories throughout the 1980s.
However, when Falwell invited Billy Graham to join the movement, Graham’s answer was terse: “Evangelists cannot be closely identified with any particular party or person. We have to stand in the middle in order to preach to all people, right and left. I haven’t been faithful to my own advice in the past. I will be in the future.”
Indeed, Graham had been closely aligned with President Richard Nixon in the 1960s, to the point of helping in his campaigns. Yet, in the same period, he opposed the candidacy of John F Kennedy and mobilised voters against him.
But, looking back, the great evangelist regretted his direct engagement with politics. Asked by Christianity Today — after his retirement — if he had any regrets over his long career, Graham wished he had spent more time with his family, but then added, “I also would have steered clear of politics. I’m grateful for the opportunities God gave me to minister to people in high places. People in power have spiritual and personal needs like everyone else, and often they have no one to talk to. But looking back, I know I sometimes crossed the line, and I wouldn’t do that now.”
To his credit, Graham repeatedly refused to run for political office in spite of immense pressure on him to do so. However, some Church ministers have not been afraid to join active politics. James Garfield was a preacher, teacher, and lawyer from Ohio. In March 1881, Garfield contested for and became the 20th President of the United States.
Unfortunately, he served for just about 200 days before he was assassinated later that year. Canaan Sodindo Banana was a Methodist minister. He became the first President of Zimbabwe in April 1980, with Robert Mugabe as his Prime Minister. Sadly, Banana’s later life was complicated by charges of sodomy which he denied, but for which he was eventually imprisoned. Fredrick Chiluba was both a union leader and a Pentecostal preacher.
On his inauguration as Zambia’s second president, he controversially declared Zambia a Christian nation. But this was to haunt him as his government was accused of massive corruption. Our own Reverend Mutava Musyimi, serving his second term as MP, was Senior Pastor at the Nairobi Baptist Church and later, the firebrand General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Kenya.
Bishop Margaret Wanjiru of the Jesus is Alive Ministries has also been in Kenya’s august House. Their contributions are common knowledge. In God’s design, there are three critical but distinct arms of government — the office of the Prophet, the Priest, and the King — perhaps best exemplified during King David’s reign.
There was Nathan the Prophet, Abiathar the Priest, and David the King — all working in concert and with mutual accountability. The Prophet bears the judicial role of ensuring that laws and values are kept. Priests are the people’s representative to God — addressing and presenting their needs to God. The King holds the governance docket — ensuring order, peace and security.
None is superior and all are servants of God. There are indications that these roles were to be kept strictly distinct. For example, King Saul was judged severely for venturing into priestly duties; and High Priest Abiathar was deposed for participating in palace politics during Solomon’s reign.
Accordingly, in national life, Church clergy are called to the prophetic and priestly roles — to courageously speak against ills and excesses of the people, and especially of government; and to uphold the nation in constant prayer for God’s heavenly benediction to rest and abide with His people.
