Evangelical churches call for a law to regulate churches

Siaya, Tuesday, May30, 2023

KNA by Philip Onyango 

The Evangelical Alliance of Kenya (EAK) is calling for enactment of a separate law to help regulate the churches instead of lumping them together with other societies under the Societies Act. 

The secretary general of the EAK Dr. Nelson Makandia said once the law was in place, religious bodies will be able to address unique issues affecting them, instead of the current situation where they have to report to the Registrar of Societies.

He was speaking at the Skills for Living ministries church in Siaya town after meeting with EAK Siaya chapter members.

We desire as EAK that we have a separate statute to enable us address issues that are unique to us,” he said.

The statue, he said will help regulate freedom of worship and ensure that religious bodies concentrate on relevant issues that are helpful to mankind. 

Dr. Makandia said the country was in need of more churches contrary to the feelings of some Kenyans that there were more than enough denominations.

He said that churches and religious institutions were ambassadors of good news and helps open up the areas for better health care, education and community development. 

“Where a church is, crime goes down and reconciliation within families and communities takes place which is better for the country” he said. 

Dr. Makandia distanced Evangelical Alliance of Kenya and evangelical churches from what is happening in parts of the country, saying that those churches must not be classified as evangelical. 

“Evangelical are Bible believing churches which believe in the authority of the scriptures as final” he said adding “anybody who is adding extra things to it cannot be called evangelical”. 

Siaya EAK chapter chairman, Bishop James Opiyo called on the government not to harass church ministers because of the wrong doing of a few unscrupulous individuals. 

“We disassociate ourselves from what is happening in other parts of the country” he said adding that those who broke the law must be punished individually. 

He was speaking in apparent reference to the leader of the Kenyan cult massacre, Paul Mackenzie, the cab driver turned evangelical guru. Some 20 years ago, Mackenzie became a self-proclaimed evangelical pastor after 'hearing the call' from God to start his own church. He is now suspected of having convinced more than 200 of his followers to starve to death. The bodies of the dead have daily been exhumed by crime investigators at Shakahola Forest in Kilifi.

Courtesy ; K. N. A