No longer holy: When churches turn into grounds for wrangles, scandals

When chaos erupted at a Kariobangi church after an irate woman accused a pastor of negligence. [File, Standard]

Churches are revered as holy places. They are the places people go to find solace, peace and comfort. A place to calm their rather tired souls. But, over the years, the script has flipped.

Some of the churches have turned into an arena of fights that negates the Holy Spirit’s doctrine of tolerance.  

From leadership wrangles, fight for properties, disputes over churches’ constitutions, fight for jobs within the church, churches engaging in crime, to clergy facing criminal prosecution for various offences; churches and church leaders have turned the courts into a ring of punching bags.

When some clergy and a section of members of the Methodist Church in Kenya felt that enough is enough, they resolved to expose the dark side of the church in a book titled; The Untold Shocking Revelation of Anarchy in the Church.

However, their bid to publicise what would have been a blockbuster on the wars within the holy sanctuaries was cut short in December 2021.

 High Court Judge Joseph Sergon issued an order stopping them from publishing, reproducing or distributing the book.

The book had drawn the wrath of the presiding Bishop of Methodist Church in Kenya Joseph Ntombura Mwaine, who filed the suit to stop its circulation on account that it was painting the church in a bad light.

Bishop Ntombura sued 11 members of the church including four clerics, Bishop Misheck Kanake, Rev Jeremiah Anondo, Rev Emmanuel Maingi and Rev James Muriki over claims that they published and distributed the 40-page book with false and scandalous allegations against him and the church.

“Some of the allegations were that the presiding Bishop sold church property without members’ approval, that the Bishop’s wife was hired as the Chief Operations Officer with Sh500,000 monthly salary and that the Bishop had charged the church’s title deed,” the Bishop stated in his pleadings.

The church members and the other clerics, in their defence, told the court that the controversial book contained concerns of public interest and that as members of the Methodist Church in Kenya, had a right to comment on anything that negatively affects the church.

Justice Sergon, however, agreed that allowing the book to be circulated would cause more injuries to the presiding Bishop unless he stops its circulation.

“The court issues an injunction restraining the respondents from using, referring, circulating or publishing the publication titled; The Untold Shocking Revelation of Anarchy in the Church pending determination of the suit,” ruled Sergon.

The dispute between Bishop Ntombura, the clergy and church members epitomises the fights within places of worship, which are traditionally regarded as sacred places.

As the judiciary is choking with a massive case backlog, they have been advocating alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to free up the wheels of justice one of them being the churches.

 Property fights

When it comes to properties, the Bible teaches Christians to invest in Heavenly riches, and should not be bothered by earthly possession.

But contrary to their teachings, churches, are going flat out in fights for properties running to billions of shillings.

From the mainstream Catholic Church, and the conservative Seventh Day Adventist Church to emerging evangelical churches, their fights for properties have been vicious and with casualties.

American Catholic Priest Father William Charles Fryda learnt the hard way when his mission to set up a hospital turned into an ugly fight with Catholic nuns, the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi for almost eight years.

In the end, Father Fryda lost the fight for control of the Sh3 billion St Mary’s Mission Hospitals in Nairobi and Elementaita, Nakuru County to the Assumption Sisters.

Dejected but unbowed, the priest picked up the pieces and opened another hospital named St Joseph’s Hospital.

If you thought only individuals can grab your land, then you are mistaken.

A report on the status of grabbed land within Nairobi City County showed that churches were among the top grabbers of public and private land.

This extended to Kilifi County, where the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) was accused of grabbing a 24-acre land, which they used to build a school.

Justice Sila Munyao found that the church had no right to be on the land and declared that it had trespassed on private land, before ordering them to vacate.

“They must vacate and remove all the people they had put in occupation of the land and in default, the land’s legal owner will be at liberty to demolish the buildings put up by the church and assume vacant possession of his property,” ruled Munyao.

The land’s owner, Nicholas Munyiki Kaigua, had told the court that he bought the property in 2009, but while he was waiting to develop it, the church took it over without his permission and built a school.

 Church doctrines and constitutions

And this is not the only rot in churches. If you thought it is only politicians, who change the constitution to suit their interests, then, you are dead wrong. 

Cases of the clergy changing church doctrines to protect their territories have hit the headlines. 

A good example is at the Kenya Assemblies of God (KAG) Church. A section of the pastors, moved to the High Court in Nairobi to stop amendments to the church’s constitution, which would have given way to a new leadership structure.

Rev David Kamau, an associate pastor of the church, alleged that the proposed new KAG Church constitution, was illegal since it was pushed by a few of the clergy without consulting church members.

“The church leader lied to us that they were only seeking to amend six clauses of the constitution, but we realised they amended 45 clauses to change the church doctrines and its leadership structure,” said Rev Kamau.

He sued the church’s General Superintendent Philip Kitoto Sabwa, General Secretary Rev Charles Owuor, General Treasurer Rev Stephen Kuria Kiarie and the Registrar of Societies.

According to the pastor, the proposed new constitution was illegal since the proponents did not seek the views of church members.

The case is pending at the High Court in Nairobi.

On the flip side, youths at the Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAG) moved to court to compel the church leaders to amend its constitution and doctrines.

Through lawyer Arnold Oginga, the youths, wanted a ‘church referendum’ to amend PAG’s constitution, arguing that its current doctrines are too conservative, and outdated and make it difficult for youth and women to participate fully in church affairs.

“The PAG constitution was enacted in 1998 with its provisions being contrary to the spirit of the Kenyan Constitution. Some of the rules are a mockery of natural justice and curtail the members’ rights and freedoms,” said Mr Oginga.

Among the church doctrines, that wanted to be amended were sections, which provide on church membership, qualification for leadership, church boundaries, suspension from the church, disciplinary procedures and association within the church.

The youths, who were drawn from Nairobi, Meru, Kisii and Kakamega branches argued that the church constitution was rigid and does not conform to the realities of changing times, since it only favoured men above 40 years in managing church affairs.

 Leadership wrangles

When it comes to leadership wrangles within the church, the Africa Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) can easily carry the day, due to their unending battles in court.

At one point, Employment and Labour Relations Court Judge Nelson Abuodha stopped Fredrick Wang’ombe from assuming the office of the archbishop after the church’s national administrative board filed a suit to stop him from assuming leadership.

The church’s central board claimed that the outgoing archbishop, Amos Mathenge, had handpicked Wang’ombe to succeed him in disregard of a court order and in contravention of church elections.

Though senior counsel Prof Tom Ojienda, they submitted that the church synod and council of bishops had elected Bishop Julius Njoroge as the new archbishop only to be dismayed when Mathenge secretly swore in Wang’ombe without involving the national management board.

“He colluded with the chairman of one of the church’s branches to conduct the ceremony in total disregard of the church’s constitution and the court directive that an election is held in a democratic way,” said Ojienda.

The dispute started when Bishop Mathenge refused to leave office after attaining the mandatory retirement age, which prompted some members of the church to move to court, which then forced him to retire.

When elections were held, Bishop Njoroge emerged as the winner, but the members claimed that the outgoing archbishop started frustrating the process by filing several suits in court, which were dismissed before he decided to handpick someone.

The Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) has also had its fair share of leadership wrangles that have led to some church branches being closed and forcing worshippers to seek refuge at any available shade to pray together.

When the fight for leadership reached its peak, the registrar of societies gave the church 60 days to elect new officials failure to which, it would have been punished for operating illegally without properly elected officials in contravention of the rules governing its operations.

“We have observed that as at present, the church does not have office bearers and is, therefore, in contravention of its constitution. The executive committee which constitutes office bearers is not also properly constituted,” the registrar, Anne Mwangi, wrote to the church last year

Some church members had complained that SDA East Africa Union was in violation of provisions of the Societies Act, by not having credibly elected officials and that its affairs are being conducted by departments that are not provided for under the society’s constitution.

The church had allegedly had its last elections in 2006, where Paul Musyoka was elected the executive director, Samuel Makori as executive secretary, Kepha Odiwuor as treasurer and Brown Kitur as assistant treasurer.

Clergy in crime

When it comes to crime, some pastors and church ministers are not ‘saints.’ 

Bishop Gilbert Deya of the Deya Ministries is not alone in the chain of clergymen, who have walked through the corridors of justice facing prosecution for engaging in criminal offences.

Deya is facing criminal charges for his ‘miracle babies’ saga after being extradited from the United Kingdom, where he was held up for many years after he was accused of stealing children and using their innocent souls as miracles for childless women.

Neno Evangelism centre leader, Pastor James Ng’ang’a, is no stranger to run-ins with the law.

He had been charged with defrauding a businessman Sh3.4 million and causing death by dangerous driving.

Pastor Ng’ang’a was left the hook for the two charges, but before the dust could settle, he was arrested and charged again for threatening a senior journalist. 

Martin Muraya, a pastor at the World Victory Church, was charged with obtaining Sh730,000 from a fellow pastor on the pretence that he would supply him with anointing oil.

According to the charges, Muraya obtained the money from pastor Samwel Kerige by falsely pretending he was in a position to supply essential oil and Seth molecules.