Leadership in the Church in Kenya Is the Church in Kenya Prophetic
This paper explores the role of the church in Kenya, especially with a focus on the prophetic role which is deemed to be one of the most important roles the church is supposed to play as far as the Holy Scriptures is concerned. It also considers the approaches that have been taken by the church and the civil societies towards ensuring that the welfare of the people is realized sand sustained. The role of the church in Kenya is discussed from a sociological and theological point of view, with drawing from the relevant concepts from the Holy Bible. The paper also portrays the leadership role of the church in Kenya as having a direct correlation with what was practiced in the Old Testament, from the earliest prophets of God like Moses and Elijah to the apostles who undertook to act based on the superior voice of the Holy Spirit of God. Finally, the paper explores the challenges that church and the civil societies have been facing in their endeavor to carry out their duties and responsibilities towards the people.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Preamble
Prior to carrying out any research, it is critical that there is an understanding of the approaches that will be taken and the processes that will be followed. This chapter is dedicated to offering this understanding, giving an overview of the nature and scope of the research, how it was approached, the problem behind the research, why the research was important and therefore justifiable, and the research questions and hypotheses that were used in aiding the research.
Background
The church in Kenya has for a long time remained as a critical force in the fabric of the community. Among other roles, the church has been expected by the community to be in the forefront in showing a kind of leadership that can be reliable and one that is without any kind of favoritism. These unique, even challenging role expectations that the community has placed upon the church have stemmed from the confidence that people have developed in matters of spiritual nature, most having been taught from the onset that right living was a critical requirement before God. The church has therefore sought to assert its ability to play the roles bestowed upon it by virtue of its being the sole agency through which the almighty God passes His message to the people. As such, it has been upon the church through its leadership to work among the people as God directs them and to present the needs of the people before God so that the relationship that has existed between God and the people will never cease or weaken.
The Church in Kenya
Based on the background information regarding the prophetic role of the church, the church has been expected to perform its roles based on the trend of the Old Testament prophets. The practices of prophets like Moses, Elijah, Ezekiel, among others ought to be what the church draws from in its leadership role. The other key aspect to be borne in mind while addressing this issues of leadership of the church is what Paul the apostle describes as the five ministries, which are of pastors, teachers, evangelists, apostles, and prophets. With these as the guiding points, this research will be able to effectively discuss the role of the church in the Kenyan context. Kenya being a predominantly Christian nation with over 80 of its approximated 38 million people (the 1999 census put the figure at 30 million) being Christians, the church is expected to play a very big role in national, religious, and social matters.
In the Kenyan context, the church has not managed to live up to the standards expected by the people, not at least based on the Biblical requirements and standards. The prophetic role of the church has for a long time been neglected and only approached with a reluctance that has been attributed to failure by the church leaders to have a clear understanding of what it is that is expected of them. This has left the people - the flock which ought to be cared for by these people - to wander and stray. In fact it is very hard for one to exactly tell what the church and the rest of the society are as they tend to exactly match. Jesus would teach his followers - both the twelve apostles and the other disciples - that he needed them appearing different from the world. He required that His church be set apart completely from the world even though they were still in the world.
On Jesuss ascension into heaven, Paul the apostle continued this gospel and later he exhorted the church to be set apart from the world. In his second letter to the Corinthian church, he calls on believes, the body of Christ and so the church, not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 614-18). The Bible also calls on the church not to be conformed to the patterns of this world but to be transformed by the renewal of their minds (Romans 122). The church in Kenya might as well have forgotten this call and has instead conformed to the patterns of the world.
Leadership as Service
The Kenyan church has also not been very keen to follow the Biblical teachings about leadership. According to the Bible, the church ought to be a servant of the people. Jesus would teach that He had come into the world not to condemn the world but that through Him the world could be forgiven of its sins and be healed of its many afflictions. He was a servant, at one time having to literally wash the feet of his disciples so that they, too, could later pass on the same act. As such, the church, which is the body of Christ, ought to be able to be more like a servant than anything else. That is far from the Kenyan context. In fact the church in Kenya has always sought to assert its authority over the people which it is supposed to serve. Denominational leaders have tended to lord it over the faithful who come to worship in their sanctuaries, requiring them to serve them instead. According to Biblical principles, leadership is service and the church in Kenya as a leader of the people has not been instrumental in serving the people as such. Instead, it has been noted to be seeking to have the people to serve it.
The Prophetic Church
The work of the church today is no less different from what it was before, during and after Jesus Christ. Although there are some different aspects in the role of the present church and that of the early one beginning from the days of the prophets and the priests to the days of the apostles after the resurrection and ascension into heaven of Jesus as is recorded in the Biblical book of the Acts of the Apostles, these differences are largely due to logistics as opposed to principle. The church today draws its roles from what is recorded in the Bible. The Bible is like the operational manual of the Christian - more so the Christian leader. In the first five books of the Bible, sometimes referred to as the Pentateuch, the roles of the prophet are greatly emphasized, and this has been part of the great emphasis that has been placed on the prophetic role of the church. Throughout the five books, starting from Genesis through Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers to Deuteronomy, the role of the prophet is portrayed, personified by Moses who God called as shepherd and send him to deliver His people the Israelites from bondage in the land of Egypt where they were oppressed and tortured. Moses was to bring them from there and lead them up to Canaan, the land which He had sworn to give to them.
Throughout the journey that lasted some forty years, Moses is supernaturally used by God to pass His instructions to the people. At Mount Sinai, God gives Moses the Ten Commandments engraved on stone tablets to be the basis of the law. Aaron, the brother of Moses, is appointed by God the High priest and is expected to offer ministration and sacrifices of the people to God. These two roles prophecy and priesthood, continued to the days of Jesus Christ and remain to this day. The prophetic role of the church is particularly emphasized because prophecy was never affected when Jesus came much as priesthood. For when Jesus came into the world as Messiah, suffered for the sin of mankind through excruciating death on the cross, He opened the way for all those who believe in Him to have direct access to God, effectively ending the requirement that the priest had to go before Gods presence on behalf of the people. Priesthood has therefore become a role that is not generally agreed upon, with Protestants arguing that Jesus now remains as the only High priest, while many mainstream denominations keep the practice.
The Messianic Church
Leadership roles for the church have also been traced from Christ Himself, who is the essence of the Christian faith. For among the key commands he left prior to His ascension into heaven to rejoin his Father on the right hand of the Throne of Glory, was that all believers in His name ought to be examples to others, to live in accordance with the law of God, and to be reach to others do that they could to hear and learn of the good news of the Kingdom of heaven. This message, among many others, was give to the twelve disciples who later become great apostles, carrying the message far and wide and most of them died as martyrs for this cause. They counted it worthy to die for the sake of Christ in accordance to the teaching of St. Paul in one of his letters to the church at Corinth.
Essentially, the real church, the form of which is present today, emerged after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was the apostles who spread it, forming the first real Christian Church. Because these people acted and behaved much in the same way as Jesus had, they quickly earned themselves the title of Christians while witnessing for Christ in Antioch and with each passing day new members got added to them and the church grew tremendously.
Suffering for the People
The people faced some of the greatest imaginable challenges during this campaign, but never did they give up. The greatest opposition to this early church came from the Roman governors who ruled most of Palestine then, and from the religious men who had had an upper hand in crucifying Jesus. On this basis the current church has established its roles to the community. The most defining feature is that all roles are to be undertaken for the good of the people in accordance with Biblical teachings. Key among the teachings is the requirement that in whatever any believer does, one ought to do it as though heshe was doing it for God Himself and that no-one ought to seek to serve self interests but instead ought to serve the interests of others even as Jesus - for the welfare of all mankind as it is recorded in John 316 that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life - came to serve mankind. In Kenya, many roles have been performed by the church based on these Biblical foundations. The prophetic role of the church is particularly universally acceptable, and leaders of the church are expected to play this role effectively.
Definition of the Problem
From time immemorial when God created the universe, it has been His expectation that His people will be in a position to emulate Him and work in accordance with his requirements, follows His laws, rules, decrees, statutes, and precepts. God has always desired that just like the prophets, priests, and high priests served Him faithfully and never wavered, the people of today are going to be faithful to Him and serve him with wholehearted devotion. It has been the desire of the almighty to also see a community of believers who are able to fearlessly point out the direction to the benefit of the people, acting as the light in the darkness that has shrouded the world of sinners. It is also an expectation of God that no-one misses the grace of God because of failure to know the truth regarding His saving grace that is given to all freely by grace through faith in the name of Jesus Christ. These expectations have been on the body of Christ which is the church for Christ is the head of the church, which is the family of believers.
While every believer in the faith is expected to act as required by God, its the leadership of the church that this authority has been specifically given. However, in one way or another, owing to different reasons, mankind has not been able to act in the way God has required him to. The role played by the church has therefore varied greatly in different places, some playing that role well enough but others failing to do so. Since it is sinful to disobey God, the church and specifically its leaders are at risk of becoming the targets of Gods wrath as happened when prophets like Jonah disobeyed the call of God to go to Nineveh to declare the message of God to the city. In order that the church may avoid this wrath, therefore, it is imperative that it carefully obeys the voice of God because it has, among other roles, the great and challenging role of prophecy. And the prophet is simply one who speaks forth the word of God as was the case with all Old Testament prophets. They were to do this regardless of the consequences. This has been one of the factors that have impacted the ability of the church in Kenya in its execution of the role of prophet. Whenever consequences have been deemed dire, the church has followed the masses and ignored the voice of God. If, on the other hand, there has been no threat but everything has appeared to be fine, the church has acted as expected. This lukewarm nature is a problem which needs to be understood better, for God decries such a state.
In addition to this, the church in Kenya has seemed to be divided regarding the extent to which they ought to go in being priests and prophets for the nation, with factions emerging as different denominations. This further puts the nation into problems because the people will miss the message from God. The 2007-2008 post-General election violence in the country served as the greatest pointer to the failure by the church to respond to the voice of God and to carry out its duties of warning people and giving them the mind of God. Instead of doing this by standing firm and spreading the message of peace and unity as God definitely expects of His prophets, the church took sides and watched as the different factions wrangled and armed their supporters to kill their opponents. It had to take the intervention of the international community and civil societies for this to cease. All along the church kept calm and said nothing. This is a problem that ought to have been better resolved by the church. The civil society, which has from time to time played a more proactive role, is also faced with challenges in undertaking its duties. These challenges are in need of exploring.
The Purpose of the Research
Owing to the problems that have resulted from the state of affairs in Kenya, it is paramount and greatly beneficial that a clearer understanding of the actual role of the church as stipulated in the Holy Bible is sought. There is also a need to have Kenyans give their opinions as to whether they believe the church and the civil societies in the country have played their roles as the people expect. The research also seeks to establish the causes and consequences of the constant differences that have been reported in the country as far as agreeing on the acceptable and right way for the church to act in matters of national interest. The research seeks to bring to the fore the reason for the churchs failure to heed the voice of God from time to time and instead being overtaken by events, preferring rather to follow the easy way that everyone else follows in times of crises.
The specific issue of the post election violence of late 2007 and early 2008 which saw many innocent people all over the country killed requires to be assessed carefully, to ascertain whether the church heard from God and ignored Him, failing to play its role of prophet, or if they heard but decided that it was not their business to alert the politicians of the impending danger. This is because God swore that never would He do anything to the world without first informing his prophets. This he proved right when on his way to destroy the idolatrous cities of Sodom and Gomorrah he had to pass by Abrahams tent near the Great Trees of Mamre to warn him of the impending calamity. Finding out the cause of the complacency of the church is critical. The paper also seeks to gauge the role played by the civil society, pointing out the successes and the challenges that they have had in seeking to ensure justice, peace, and the rights of the people of Kenya are accorded them.
Jesus set out five roles which he wanted the church to perform. The five, as recorded in chapter four of Pauls letter to the Ephesians, are teaching, prophecy, evangelism, pastoring, and apostleship. The roles of the church today ought to have this theoretical framework for it is what Jesus approved. Before the manifestation of Jesus in the flesh, the roles of the church were stipulated by the Ten Commandments which Moses had been given on Mt Sinai in the desert as the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness to the Promised Land. Then, the work of the priests, the high priest, the ministers, and Levites is what the church of today base their actions and roles.
The Significance of the Research
Every Kenyan is entitled to a life that is free from troubles brought about by leaders failing to play their role as required by the law. Church leaders are no exception, because going by the constitution of the country, every church leader has a mandate bestowed on himher to play towards the people. One such duty is that of offering direction to the people on matters of spiritual nature. The other is advising the political class on matters that are related to religion so that there is on missing out the word of God and acting contrary to His ways and requirements. This research will enable Kenyans to be in a better position to understand what they ought to expect from the church in the country especially as far as prophecy is concerned. There is also the other greater need for the Kenyan church to understand what it ought to do as far as serving Kenyans is concerned. The Bible records that the people of God perish because they lack understanding.
In essence, although God has clear roles for the church in general, and for specific people and specific groups within the wider church, most them fail to play their role because they do not understand they have been called to such roles. This research will enable them to clearly understand these roles and even to call on them to play them as expected. As it was the tradition in the Old Testament for God to avert impending disaster when His people heeded His call to repentance, having warned them through His prophets, this research will help give the church in Kenya more insight into its expected role of prophecy, so that it will forever remain prepared and ready to engage in admonishing and rebuking evil in a fashion similar to that of the Old Testament prophets. Finally, this research will assist the church in Kenya to be more proactive and assertive, and so to be more vocal and bold in its execution of its roles including telling the people the voice and the mind of God.
Definition of Terms
The following terms that are used in this research have the meaning indicated after them
The church this is the body of believers as Jesus referred to those who believed in Him and followed His ways. This is as opposed to a structure or building where the faithful gather to worship.
God the supreme deity of the Christian faith, the Father of Jesus Christ and creator of all things. He is Spirit in nature
Ministry A definite role or area of specialization to be played by a person depending on the persons calling.
Calling a supernatural assignment bestowed on mankind by God through a divine voice or through a prophet of God.
Supernatural Not natural. Of God or divine.
Prophecy one of the ministries of the church where a person (the prophet) speaks forth the voice of God. Not necessarily foretelling the future but forth-telling.
Holy Spirit the third member of the Trinity known to indwell born again believers of Christ. His role is to offer guidance to the believer in all matters.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
The role played by the church is a subject that has been full of controversy and debate, with many scholars writing about it and giving different views as regards what the church ought to do and what are its limits in doing this. Without any specific reference to a given country, the role of the church has never been clearly defined in the constitutions of nations, and as such it is hard to try researching on this topic from a political point of view or the secular approaches. Instead, every church draws from the practices of the ancient church, and this trend seems to go on indefinitely. However, it is critically important for an analysis of the available commentary on the wider subject of church leadership and the more specific role of prophecy, especially with respect to the church in Kenya, to be done for this research to bear credible authenticity.
The Church in Kenya
Kenya is one of the countries that were under the rule of the British before the country gained independence in the year 1963. Therefore, just as many other countries where Europeans ruled, Christianity spread rapidly in the country 80 of the people are Christians. According to Majawa (2007) writing in the book The Holy Spirit and charismatic renewal in Africa and beyond ( pneumatological considerations, the church in Kenya is, however, so much diverse - just as diverse as there were different missions in the country. He adds that except in the northern part of the country near its frontier with Ethiopia and the north eastern area where it borders Somalia, the rest of the country is hugely Christian. Christianity is therefore strictly practiced as a religion and as a way of life. In respect to the first, Christianity as a religion, it is used in the context where everyone who is not a Muslim (the second largest faith group as far as membership is concerned) is automatically a Christian. In the other context Christianity as a way of life this is a concept practiced and emphasized specifically by those who call themselves the born again those who have undergone a second birth in accordance with the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament.
This latter group is mainly drawn for the Pentecostals who believe in the working of the Holy Spirit. They believe not only in a second birth, the physical birth and the spiritual birth, but also in the fact that for anyone to profess to be a Christian one has to have a baptism of the Holy Spirit just as the apostles were filed by the Holy Spirit as recorded in the book of Acts of the Apostles. The Pentecostals are usually grouped together with all the other denominations that are not followers of the mainstream Roman Catholic Church and are called Protestants. Protestant and Catholics therefore, are the main groupings of the church. Other mainstream churches like the Anglican Church, the Friends Church (Quakers), and the Presbyterian Church are also very dominant religious forces in the country. In addition to these, there are many other denominations that have so few members and be more engaged in traditional practices than real Christianity.
Contentions, Setting Apart, and the Need for Unity
This diversity has been responsible for the difference in opinions as far as the teachings are concerned. Although the points of contention are more about how the teachings are done as opposed to principle or concept, they have remained for long enough a time to create a conflict of interest. To be able to play any real role as a church which God looks up to as far as transmitting His word is concerned, the church in Kenya, and at any other place around the world, ought to be united in purpose. This is in line with the New Testament teachings in the book of the Acts of the Apostles where it is said of the early church, the one which was formed immediately following the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ in to heaven, that they were united in purpose in all they did and said. This is one part that has made the church in Africa to fail to lived up to the expectations that God and people have on it. Usually, the church is supposed to be in a position to draw from the example of Christ and the early apostles who formed the early church in order to be able to live up to these expectations.
In Kenya, notes Majawa, the church has moved away from its duties and is instead engaged in petty issues which could be best done by some other secular institutions and even the political class. The church is involved in secular affairs to be of any religious significance as far as being set apart is concerned. In accordance with the teachings of Paul the apostle as recorded in chapter six of his second letter to the Corinthian Church, those who have been called to do the work of God, and those who have believed in the name of Jesus ought to come out from the rest of the people and be separate. They ought not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers because there is no fellowship between darkness and light just as there is nothing in common between God and Belial.
It also adds that there is no agreement between the temple of God and idols. As such, the church of God ought to be able to show a clear distinction from the rest of the people in all matters. This is the basis of any person or group that seeks to lead. Leadership entails being in a position to lead others in a way they can not go on their own or in the things which they are unable to attempt. A leader ought to be totally unique and be one from who the followers can continually draw. That is why Jesus epitomizes good leadership as he was never concerned with mediocre issues. Instead, he always knew what His father had sent him in the world for a purpose and could not allow anything else to sidetrack Him. The church ought to be in a position to stand out from the rest of the people.
To Serve or to be Served
A most shocking incident happened one day while Jesus Christ was still with His disciples. He decided to wash them their feet, a move that had some of them like Peter protesting that He was too dignified to wash their feet. But Jesus rebuked Peter and said that unless He washed their feet then they could not be fit foe ministry. According to Beveridge Calvin (2005) in their book Institutes of the Christian Religion, the washing of feet was a symbol of servitude. Plainly put, it was a sign by Jesus that He had come to serve as opposed to being served. That is why he not only refused to be washed as Peter wanted but insisted that all of the disciples be washed. In essence, Jesus was preparing them, making them ready for the great work of ministry that awaited them. This indicates that any church ought to be always prepared to serve and not to be served. This was the implication of the washing of the feet of the apostles. In those days and even today, it was unheard of for anyone to as much as wash anothers feet. This act of Jesus was the most degrading that anyone could dare do. The church must be prepared to work for the welfare of all people to lead them and serve them regardless of what they do or where they live. Thats why Jesus washed the feet of all the twelve, including Judas Iscariot whom He knew would betray him.
In seeking to further understand the leadership role of the church, it is important that the popular fivefold ministry which St Paul spoke of in the fourth chapter of his letter to the Ephesians (verse 11). He said the Holy Spirit which the apostles and other believers had received on the Day of Pentecost would give different gifts to the people in the church of Christ. Some would be prophets, others teachers, evangelists, pastors, or apostles. In essence, the same Spirit would give or impart different leadership abilities or ministries to different people in the wider church. However, as is argued in Understanding the Fivefold Ministry by Green (2005), the fact that anyone has any of these ministries does not mean heshe is not a servant of the people. Instead, the ministries are supposed to be the channels or media through which one serves the people. And never did God intend all the ministries to be the reserve of certain people in the church only, it was meant for all who desired them. All people are not equal in the eyes of mankind but they are equal before God. As such, everyone is equally qualified to be a servant of God.
Seeking the Welfare of the Nation the Success Story of the Church in Kenya
Kenya has been noted as one of the countries in the Horn of Africa region which has managed to enjoy relative peace for a along time, and thinks has been attributed to the fact that the country has a church that is prophetic. This is prior to what happened in 2007 after the controversial elections. The ugly incident notwithstanding, Kenya has had a very vibrant and firm church which has played its role of leadership well enough as far as human judgment is concerned. According to the views of Sabar (2002), Kenya has been a pinnacle of peace, managing to remain afloat even as other nations around and beside her have been sinking in the mire of political anarchy. Writing in the book Church, state, and society in Kenya from mediation to opposition, 1963-1993, Sabar is of the view that Kenya has been able to carefully merge matters of state and religion, and the two institutions have more or less functioned properly in discharging their duties. He notes that the country went as far as getting involved in matters of seeking peace in other nations in a move that is no doubt in line with the Biblical teaching of Christ in the beatitudes when he said in chapter five that blessed are the people who seek to ensure that there is peace all over the world for such as these will come to be known as Gods own Children.
The effort to see peace restored to the region is a move that received great praise form leaders the world over, and God must have been pleased to have granted them the level of peace that they enjoyed. Whenever the early church ministers went to a house, they always ensured that the people there were blessed and that they had peace. In this context, it can be understood that the church of God is playing its role when it seeks peace for others. Although it was not really the church that sponsored such peace deals but the government, it is worthy noting that the constitution of the country greatly gives liberties and in dependence to churches and religious bodies to worship. That aside, the church was instrumental in advising and calling for the government to engage in negotiation that would help restore peace in the region. Through the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) and the Kenya Episcopal Conference two of the bodies that bring together churches in the country - the countrys ruling elite have even been prevailed upon to heed the voice of God. This has been ongoing for about 24 years that led to the 2002 elections in the country. The countrys then President Daniel Arap Moi was a key supporter of key peaceful initiatives. Some of his key advisers were clergymen of great repute, and the president himself was a staunch Christian. The operations of the country as far as its prophetic role is concerned can be described as having been the best so far. Although it was a rather less democratic government, with the presidents KANU party having been the sole ruler of the country since independence in 1963, the work of the church was hardly interfered with. Instead, the president readily listened to what the church said and acted accordingly.
Fighting for Human Rights and Righteousness Another Church Success
In the years immediately following independence of the country, the Anglican Church as a denomination played a greater role in advising the government of Kenya on matters of great national important and as God has apparently warned them. This was in comparison with the much larger Catholic Church that seemed to be silenced or that chose to go neutral and not comment on matters of political ramification. This, in the view of Sabar, was a turning of its back on the role it was supposed to play. The church was expected to particularly lead the way in issues of national reconciliation and healing after the fight for independence. This was an era of great distrust among people, given that some communities had openly favored the white settlers and even fought alongside them. It was up to the church to ensure reconciliation was given priority. Although there were no actual attempts at revenge, the church ought to have mediated a lot more.
The Anglican Church has ever since remained a more vocal voice in the country that any other. A more recent issue that served to show how prophetic the Anglican Church in particular is was the decision to break away from the mainstream church in London for its decision to support gay priests. It is a prophetic matter because in accordance to the teachings of the Bible, sexual pervasion is unlawful and anyone would not as much as dare to do it. The wrath of God is always roused against anyone who practices sexual pervasion as is typical with what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. In the latter prophetic books of the Bible like Isaiah and Jeremiah, the Bible continuously warns against sexual pervasions, likening it to idolatry. The Anglican Church was therefore right as God clearly abhors such acts. In fact the Bible categorically stated that a church leader, a deacon to be precise, ought to be, among other requirements, a man of one wife. Gays cannot be said to have wives. In this context, the Anglican Church passed to the people - its followers - the voice of God. It refused to hide behind the cocoon of religion and instead chose to condemn the act as sinful and unjustifiable, one deserving rejection. As one of the church leaders, David Gitari, commented on the issues then, gays deserved to be stoned as was the practice during the days of Moses and not given the priesthood.
The Role of Priesthood
The role of the church also entails to a large extent being priests or doing the work of priests. Priesthood is so much entrenched in the Bible, with the first ever priest being Melchizedek and then the descendants of Aaron. Not much is known about this Melchizedek but the Bible records in Genesis and later in Hebrews that he was a priest of the Most High God. In the book of Hebrews, he is said to have had no clear descent, but was not descended from the Levitical family as came to be the requirement ever since the Ten Commandments were given to Moses and to the entire nation of the Israelites. For Although in Hebrews Melchizedek is referred to as priest of God Most High, and that Jesus Christ is a high priest in the order of Melchizedek, the records of Genesis only indicate that he was given a tithe by the patriarch Abram when he returned from the defeat of the kings. The fact that he was given a tithe made him a high priest.
In his book Zion and the Melchizedek Priesthood, Gainey (2005) points out that the churchs leadership roles cannot be complete without there being priests. Both priests and the high priest played the role of serving at the altar and in the sanctuary. Today, this service is still needed. People come to offer sacrifices to their God and it is the work of the priests to ensure this is done well. The author of the book is of the view that the modern church in most parts of the world has greatly abused the concept of priesthood. Satirically, he refers to the current desire and aim of the church as seeking spiritual and personal welfare as opposed to engaging in spiritual warfare. The church, ought to play the priestly role in accordance to the way Aaron, the first Levitical high priest, performed it. He offered prayers and petitions to God on behalf of the people. He had to remain pure and sinless before entering the Most Holy Place, that part behind the curtain in the tabernacle. If he was sinful, God would kill him.
The World has Come in the Church
Todays church is so much engaged in the affairs of the world, always seeking to please people and make their lives as comfortable as possible. Filling sanctuaries is a goal that has replaced the original one of purifying believers. Gainey believes that the church is doing the exact opposite of that the priest is supposed to do churches are full of sinners who are being pacified and wooed to stay as long as they can offer their sacrifices. In essence, the church is more concerned with making money through tithes and offering and less concerned with the spiritual well-being of the saints. The sanctuaries are being built large and comfortable to attract more people, people who are never rebuked for their sin or actions. It is large collection of souls waiting to be taken to hell when the Day of the Lord referred to in Revelation finally comes.
The role of the church in this aspect ought to be working to ensure that its faithful are spiritually sound. Holiness ought to be emphasized. The Bible admonishes believers to be holy even as their Father in heaven is holy, saying this is Gods will for them. The church has more or less left teachings of holiness to a few people, believing that it is no more relevant. In essence, the church seems to be of the view that the ways of God have changed and his requirements for men have become suddenly different. This is not at all close to the actual truth. The word of God is powerful, and never becomes obsolete. God never changes and so is His word. What he required of the Israelites as they came from Egypt to their Promised Land is still what He requires of the church today. This can be seen in the fact tat those scholars who wrote on the issue of sociology and theology have their content still finding applicability today because it has never lost its relevance.
The Main Challenge - Persecution
According to the HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22EastAfricanInstituteofSocialandCulturalAffairs22clientfirefox-asourcegbs_metadata_rcad7 East African Institute of Social and Cultural Affairs (1969), carrying out the prophetic role is never an easy task owing to the fact that as soon as one makes up ones mind to serve God with wholehearted devotion, the opposition to one becomes very intense and it will take a lot of courage and reliance on God to be able to do the work as expected. This is the challenge that has been facing the church in East Africa in general. Every challenge, though coming to test the faith of the prophet, has been hard to endure. The greatest contrasting feature of the challenge, though coming to test the faith of the prophet, has been hard to endure. The greatest contrasting feature of the church in the earlier days was the way in which they learnt to endure adversity to an extent Paul claimed that the more hardships he encountered the more the grace of God would be made available to him. He asserted that it was only in His weakness that Gods strength was made perfect. As such, he encouraged believers the church that would come after him, to gladly endure adversity for those loved by God would always be chastened. The one who refuses chastening, God asserts, is illegitimate and not a true son of God. Yet every believer in Jesus Christ is born anew into the family of God and is a son.
This part of the teachings of the Bible is one of the most challenging. Although the church has from time and again shown great interest and desire to do the work of God and to play its roles as required and expected of them, the challenges have kept it back. Prophecy ought to be taken only with full commitment and reliance to God, asserts the East Africa journal written by the HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22EastAfricanInstituteofSocialandCulturalAffairs22clientfirefox-asourcegbs_metadata_rcad7 East African Institute of Social and Cultural Affairs (1969). All Biblical figures who dared to heed the call of God to be prophets had one thing in common courage. Not that they were born spiritual giants but that they were willing to submit to God in obedience and the unlimited God worked through them tremendously. Most of these prophets are listed in the eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews where faith is shown as the driving force behind every success of anyone or any institution. The church is even required to be more faithful than any other person.
Taking the example of the prophet Elijah, he was called by God to go to the nations to proclaim Gods word to the people while he was still a young man (Jeremiah 12-12). In spite of his protests, God assured him that He would be by his side all through. His work entailed rebuking the evil acts of the nation as were being done by the people then, including the kings of Israel and Judah. As a result, he often ended up in prison and under general mistreatment for the words he spoke. He suffered great affliction for the sake of the calling of God. The church in East Africa has resented this prophetic ministry because it seems to be very demanding and risky. Today, be it in Kenya, Uganda, or Tanzania, prophecy has been relegated to the pit of forgetfulness and it is not strange to find teachings that it is a ministry of the past of the Old Testament days and so inappropriate for todays people and world. This never came true.
Authority versus Diplomacy
In fact, as Davis (2004) notes in Restoring the Five Fold Ministry, prophecy is one of the most key roles of the church today and although it has been long neglected alongside the other ministries, it is time the church awoke from its slumber and embraced prophecy with more zeal. The Bible records that the nation that honors God and acts righteously is blessed. It adds that it ought to be the desire of every nation to make God their Lord. Where there is no prophecy, the Bible records, the people throw off restraint and care less about what goes on. This is the picture in Kenya. Owing to the relative calm and peace enjoyed over a long time, the church became complacent and as a consequence prophecy was cast off. The outcome is that God warned them of danger prior to the 2007 general elections but they had long retired to complacency and restful relaxation. No doubt the post-election violence got even the church unawares and so it actively participated in the divisive politicking in a similar fashion as the world did. There was no longer anyone who could warn the people of danger or the prophets spoke lies and claimed it was the word of God. Just like in the Old Testament days, they kept saying there would be peace when actually violence was coming.
The church had neglected its prophetic role and embraced diplomatic ways and approaches which are never the ways of God. It is worth noting here that the not every denomination has gone astray and let believers alone. Instead, as much as there has been turning away from godliness to seeking other self, non-godly pursuits, there has also been a remnant of the people in the church who have remained faithful. The constitution making process is one that has been very divisive in Kenya, with every one in the political and religious groups seeking to be heard. This is one area where the church had to really assert its prophetic role if anything good had to be obtained out of the constitution. In the 2005 referendum, the church was very vocal in helping shoot down the proposed draft of the constitution which, among other issues, seemed to favor abortion and the issue of Kadhis Courts. Rising to the occasion, the church warned that unless those issues were not removed from the draft constitution then they would mobile Kenyans to reject it.
The Church and the Civil Society Friends or Foes
According to Nyamu-Musembi, (2004) in the book Kenyan civil society perspectives on rights, rights-based approaches to development, and participation, the work of the civil societies has gone hand in hand with that of the church, and the church is in fact a key representative in civil society movement as a corporate body. According to him, the church and the civil society cannot be set apart as far as their roles are concerned. He notes that it is only in the away they approach their duties that they differ, the church being more diplomatic and using negotiations more while civil societies apply force and compulsion. The author seems to suggest that the civil society is more or less a secular form of the church through which it makes itself more vocal. The voice of the church was echoed through the civil society, of which various church groups and organizations are members, and the result was that the draft constitution was resoundingly defeated.
Today, there is another constitution under preparation and the church is more vocal than at any time before. With experience drawn from the 2005 and 2007 events regarding the draft constitution and the post election violence, the church and the civil societies do not desire to see anything similar happening again. As the constitution process reaches the all important parliamentary stage, the church is sure its views have been incorporated and any changes will have to be confirmed first or else, just like in 2005, the draft constitution will be shot down. The church in the country believes that God desires that everyone who believes in Him ought to stand up and defend the cause of democracy because it is only in an atmosphere of democracy that the Great Commission can be accomplished. Resistance to the spread of the word of God, the gospel of truth, has been witnessed in regions where there exist many barriers to some of the basic liberties of mankind, including the freedom of worship. As a result, in obedience to their prophetic call, the church leaders in Kenya have been working together with civil societies to ensure that there is a complete separation of the church and the state, and also religion and the state. Every religious grouping in the country, the leaders have maintained, ought to be free to worship their own God but also none ought to be given preferential treatment. This issue has especially centered about the Kadhis courts debate, because there has been an alleged plan to give Muslims more autonomy at the expense of the other faiths in the country. Christian church leaders have vehemently opposed this.
Success of the Evangelical Church
According to the Daily Nation, a leading daily newspaper in Kenya, the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya is one association of churches organizations that has been very instrumental in seeking the rights of the Christian in accordance with the requirements of God. This organization, chaired by Bishop Boniface Adoyo who is also the presiding bishop of Christ Is the Answer Ministries (CITAM), a faith-based organization that operates some of the most popular churches in the city of Nairobi (Nairobi Pentecostal Churches), has been particularly known for its being vocal and critical of the manner in which the government has kept shortchanging Kenyans and using them to meet its own selfish political interests. On one occasion recently, the chairman openly criticized the president and his prime minister, who were both present, for failing to show the kind of leadership that the country desired. This was a real remarkable turnaround for the church and even the president and the prime minister were shocked that they would be told off with so much courage as this.
This body, according to analyst, proved that it is indeed the work of the church to ensure that the political class and government operate in accordance to the desires of the Lord. For one, the church proved that it was following what used to be done in the Old Testament, where it was the prophet who anointed the king and as such the prophets word was greatly valued and was final. This has never been the case in Kenya for a long time. But with the advent of multiparty politics in 1992 and the 2002 ouster of the KANU party of then President Daniel Moi, civil liberties have been gradually being restored. Never before, prior to the defeat of the KANU party, could anyone dare criticize the president. Not even in the days of the first, founding president of the country Jomo Kenyatta who ruled the country from 1963 until his death in 1978. It is therefore satisfying to see a democracy that has the clergy openly pointing out mistakes and offering guidance to the executive.
Independent Churches
Kenya is also home to many independent churches that have played the role of prophecy fairly well although it might not be easy to tell owing to the minimal media coverage of their events. Usually, these churches are not very popular, most following ways which they derive from the Bible. The problem has been that these churches interpret the scriptures differently and in some cases many have taken the form of cults because what they teach is never in accordance with the Biblical teachings. According to Kuhn (2008) in his book Prophetic Christianity in Western Kenya Political, Cultural and Theological Aspects of African Independent Churches, the independent churches in Kenya have been very active as far as exercising their prophetic ministry is concerned. Although the author acknowledges all of the independent churches for their willingness to assert their autonomy and power as part of the body of Christ, he singles out those denominations founded in Western Kenya region as having gradually transformed themselves from what the missionaries normally brought and taught, to trying to retain the African aspects of the teachings as much as possible.
The African Inland Church (AIC) is used to epitomize this gradual change from a rather less active denomination to embracing the Pentecostal aspects of the gospel. The author also points out how independent churches have been vocal in opposing unbecoming ways of the government and the politicians in general, citing this as a key prophetic role no less different from what was carried out in the days of the early Old Testament Prophets. The references he makes to the scriptures is what the prophets Elijah and Jeremiah faced in the face of Kings, with the former being forced one time to flee before king Ahab for declaring to him that famine would bite Samaria for three-and-a-half years until he called for the rains to return. Such were the exploits of the early prophets.
The roles of the church have more to do with what is included in the fivefold ministry as recorded in the book of Ephesians chapter four (verse 11), and also what the traditional prophets did in the old testament. As far as the prophetic role is concerned, the church draws from the way the early church acted in forth-telling the word of God. As such this literary commentary on this subject matter is unanimous that the church ought to be showing the way in many issues political, social, theological, and even legal. The prophetic role of the church is presented as very important, although there is no attempt at discrediting the other four ministries. Civil societies are no less crucial in society. They play a very important role in improving the lives of people through advocacy campaigns.
CHAPTER Three
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Introduction
The fact that a research on such issues that have great political, social, and ethical implications was ever done means that the nature of the results obtained are highly dependent on the care that was taken and the level of precision attained during the research process. To achieve this level of precision and to make the results simple enough to be understood by Kenyans, a significant proportion of which are illiterate, the researchers made the research as simple as possible and the results were presented in the simplest possible manner. The data that was used to analyze the Kenyan case and whether or not the church in Kenya is prophetic came from observations that have been made over time. The views of people in the country as far as the leadership role of the church is concerned and on whether or not the church is actually prophetic or not have been documented in secondary and primary sources which were contacted extensively in this research. The findings of this research are therefore based on these sources, as well on what has been observed over time in the different areas in the country.
Primary and Secondary Sources
The primary sources were giving the results required in the most original form. And they were among the most invaluable resources ever used in the research. This is because although every other source of data was important, it is only the primary sources that could give facts most of the rest were mere opinions and thoughts. As such, the analysis of primary resources was done critically and carefully, and the result showed that there has been a general trend of the church slowly going through a transition from the church that was first established by the missionaries to that which it is today - very independent and absolutely autonomous. As such, roles tend be played depending on the context and the need at hand.
Evangelical churches, as pointed out in the literature review section, tend to be more cognizant of its role expectations especially where the fivefold ministry is concerned. This is because of its firm belief in the working of the Holy Spirit. Secondary sources were invaluable too, although they are based on opinion just as interviews and questionnaires are. However, from the close analysis of a large number of these sources, it was found that most of them tended to point to varying roles of the church, with prophecy being rather relegated to the abyss of neglect. This is either due to the obvious heavy price payable that is associated with it and that discourages the church, or the failure of the church to understand it as being entrenched in the scriptures. For civil societies, it was found that they have had a history of successful petitions and mobilizing, especially from 1992 when the country became a multi-party democracy.
Observation
As indicated earlier, the role of observation was not necessarily to come up with results based on it and the subsequent analysis of the results just as those obtained using other methods. Instead, it was used as a check or control, because nothing is any closer to the truth as what one has witnessed. From the observations made, though, it was evident that the church in Kenya made every effort to play its roles. Roles are usually determined by scriptural evidence, as well as from the needs in society. What is also very clear is the fact that every denomination is in a position to interpret the scripture as it understands, bringing about a different in approaches at roles and logistics.
The underlying principles of Christianity and the church of Jesus Christ have, however, remained. The prophetic role is, as the other methods seemed to agree, the worst played. This is in spite of there being a lot of focus on other roles like priesthood, evangelism, and pastoring. Again, observing the work of civil societies, it was seen to conform to what was found in the other sources of data. More specifically, quite a number of civil society groups were involved in pushing for a constitution that was people-friendly, demanding that parliament and the so-called Committee of Experts needed to take in more views from the people.
Discussion and Analysis
Kenya is made up of eight princes and although every region does not have a specific administrative unit, the provincial administration is what governs the people. As such, the church in the country has been tentatively ranked according to regional affiliations and what every area does. Therefore, the national trends are often the total sum of the provincial or regional ones. In essence, it is not possible to study and analyze the church in Kenya as a whole without having to consider what happens in the provinces. A first case is that provinces are made of churches or church units which are more or less engaged in practices that are depictive of the popular culture of that province or region. And every region in Kenya has its unique cultural values which are greatly emphasized. For instance, the Western Province in Kenya is greatly steeped in traditional forms of worship that are dominated by the Luhya ethnic group. As such, church efforts in such an area are very different from those in the countrys capital Nairobi where there is lot of more application of modern contemporary forms of worship. Being a cosmopolitan area, Nairobi is largely the place where the churchs impacts have been felt the most.
In Nairobi, the church has been evaluated and taken as a representation of the entire church in the country. There is, therefore, a wide array of results that this research has managed to come up with.
One of them is the fact that Kenya is a country that is largely dependent on the clergy for their spiritual as well as material needs. The church in Kenya is especially known for its role in making the lives of the less fortunate in society bearable as much as possible. Kenya is one of the countries with the greatest inequalities in the world, with many poor people who cannot as much as afford three meals a day. The church and other faith-based organization like Red Cross have collaborated to ensure they help the needy. This service role was very common in the responses made. The Kenyan church is a materialistic kind of church, so to speak, as far as providing real solutions to problems is concerned. As the Bible puts it, faith that is not accompanied by works is of no good. The church has been able to show its faith through works.
Statistical Variations
The variations in every province depict a case where different areas of the country have totally different views. The more informed and literate people of Nairobi province tended to have no qualms in giving responses and they responded well. In the more remote provinces, those located farthest from Nairobi, the response was not very good. There is another observed trend where Coast and North Eastern provinces gave results that were rather startling. For nearly every question, they gave a negative response. This is attributed to the fact that the two have some of the largest Muslim communities in the country. The difference in way of worship meant that it was hard, almost impossible, to get anyone participating. Those who took part never wanted to give an answer that would seem to make the Christian church appear to be doing well.
However, results from the rest of the provinces were more genuine and sincere. Politics was found to be a major hindrance to the church in seeking to perform its duties. Others high ranking causes, that is those repeatedly mentioned are interferences from civil society groups, complacency, and fear of venturing into the troubled field of ministry. There are other causes which were cited although they did not top any one province. This is the internal feuding that denominations are faced with. It happens when different denominations within the Christian faith fail to agree on common issues of the faith, andor so get opposing each other.
The essence of effectiveness of the church is unity. Failure to agree has made the church to lag behind a lot. The constitution making process has especially seen certain faith groups failing to support controversial clauses like the one seeking to make abortion legal by placing the start of life at birth instead of conception. The church in the country is also too complacent and has become almost irrelevant. In certain instances, it is hard to tell the difference between the church and the world because instead of being the salt of the world as the Bible stipulates, the church has acted like salt that has lost its flavor, which deserves to be thrown out and be trampled underfoot by men. Instead, it was the civil society groups that were making sense of situations in the country which required the intervention of the church.
The Extent of the Prophetic Role
The prophetic role of the church in Kenya is the least performed. The church has abandoned matters of spiritual significance like listening, discerning, and heeding the voice of God and has instead resorted to worldly ways of doing things. There is a decline in people, leaders of the church, who are ready to openly speak out as the Rhema word as God tells them. Instead, the church has conformed to the patterns of the world. Today, the church is more involved in establishing sanctuaries and setting up new ministry not with the aim of teaching the scriptural truths but as a way of making money. It came as a shocker when among the responses that were recurrent was that the church was not prophetic but problematic so it sought to get money instead of holiness.
The farthest the church has gone as far as prophecy is concerned, the respondents claim, is to tell those who give that they shall be blessed. There is a lot of focus of teachings that center on giving and tithing, and save for a few mainstream churches most other denominations receive more than they give. Prophecy in the Kenyan church is an issue that is being associated with the Pentecostal churches that are so keen and emphatic on the roles of the Holy Spirit, who it is said indwells all who believe in Jesus, teaches people to say no to all ungodly ways, and is important if a Christian as an individual and the Christian church a collection of many Christians are to perform their role well.
The Civil Society Kenya
The civil society in Kenya has also been given a boost by the age of democracy in the country, and they have come out more strongly and are more heard than the church. Although there are challenges from the political rulers in the country, the civil societies have played great roles in helping the needy and the marginalized, and have even criticized the church for failing to have a firm position and stance in its roles. The civil society has particularly been very proactive in fighting for rights of Kenyans, including the right to justice and to receive government services. Whenever there has been poor service provision by the government, it has been the civil society other than the church that has taken up placards and demonstrated in the streets. Every week, there is always a confrontation between members of the civil society and the law enforcers. Corruption has in the recent days been very rampant in Kenya, and the government has not had an easy time with the civil societies. Most of them have often marched to government offices and demanded the removal of corrupt government officials. The most recent case has pitted the ministries of agriculture and education where funds meant to purchase food for the starving and those for free primary education miraculously disappeared. Civil societies moved in with speed and have been staging protests to call for the resignation of the ministers and officials involved.
The civil societies have also been instrumental in the constitution making process. While many organizations have been active in this cause, the Kenya National Human Rights Commission and the Peoples Parliament have been most influential. The former has ensured that human rights are upheld, and has been fighting to ensure no suspects are held without being charged as the law demands, and that the rampant extra judicial killings common in the country are minimized and even curbed. During the post electing violence, they fought to ensure the internally displaced people were given habitats elsewhere and compensated. The peoples parliament has been specifically speaking on behalf of Kenyans. It has ensured that the political process is undertaken with the interests of the people in mind and not the politicians. On the whole, civil societies have played a great role in the country. They have faced many challenges, particularly those of funding their affairs.
Challenges Faced by the Church and Civil Societies
The church in Kenya faces many challenges. While politics interfere in a way in which the church is able to undertake its prophetic role, todays church in Kenya is affected by other issues other than politics, the 2007 post-election violence has tainted the image of the church and it will be a long time before this image is restored. This is where politics has been a great hindrance to the church. Government policies have also influenced the operations of the church in a way. On a general note, however, challenges have come form the civil societies who quite often than not fight for human rights without religious values being considered. In fact the civil society has pout a lot of pressure on the church and literary caused it to remain silent in matters it traditionally ought to speak out on.
Pandemics like HIVAIDS have also hindered the work of the church and the civil society in Kenya because it has infected and affected some of the strongest members of both the church the civil societies, including leaders. Medication and ARV therapy is expensive and both organizations have struggled to keep their members affected and infected well. The need for the government to do a lot more to combat the scourge has also been on the agenda of the campaigns of both the church and civil societies, a trend that greatly eaten into their finances. The church finds it hard to work with civil societies in some matters, and the latter also thinks the church is too complacent and soft. Constant legal battles stemming from arrest of its members has been a great challenge to civil societies. Quite often than not, they have had to seek help in order to get released. Competition amongst different groups has also been a challenge, but there has been more agreement among different civil societies that among different church denominations.
CHAPTER Four
CONCLUSION
Although the church is expected to be prophetic and act as servant of the people, the church in Kenya is not one of the most vibrant churches in Africa but has fallen way behind in its role to the community. The church, while expected to be the reliable source of the guidance and direction that is required for the nation to move on, has been unable to do this effectively owing to challenges that it has been faced with. In accordance to the scriptural truths, the church in Kenya has lagged way behind what it ought to be doing as far as prophecy is concerned. In social matters, the church has not been as active and vigorous as the civil societies. While it is true that the approach of the church ought not to be and cannot actually be similar to that of the civil societies, the latter being driven not by the word of God but by their own whims and popular opinion, the church has still not been able to successfully meet its obligation. The current constitution review process has seen the civil society more active than the church, as evidenced by the fact that views by civil societies have been entrenched in the draft constitution recently presented to the countrys parliament as opposed to those of the church.
The church has not managed to embrace the fivefold ministry as stipulated in the Bible, a ministry of which prophecy is a major part. Challenges have been many but the accusing finger pointed at the church in Kenya has been that it so much values monetary gain and material wealth accumulation as compared to the spiritual and humanitarian needs of the faithful. Although this trend has varied from denomination to denomination, the general picture has been that the modern day church is not as sensitive to spiritual matters as the earlier church, that initiated by the missionaries, was. The church has, however, succeeded in certain areas such as guiding the political process and praying to avert disasters. The civil societies in the country have, on the contrary, been very assertive and have been relentless in their push for better conditions of living for Kenyans, especially the marginalized and those without basic needs. The civil society has been vocal and fearless in its critique of the government and its three arms, the Legislature, the Judiciary, and the Executive.
On this basis, the church in Kenya ought to be more firm and vocal. The evangelical churches have been more proactive, though, and have specifically demanded that the government addresses the needs of Kenyans like lack of food, employment, and housing. There has been a collaboration of the church and the civil societies on certain key national matters, but quite often than not the two have been acting in opposition to one another. The challenges faced by the church have included actions by the civil society to use force to object to key matters affecting the church. Others have been political processes, including policy frameworks and the minimal democratic space available. Civil societies have been challenged by political meddling and opposition to their activities, as well as financial constraints. They have also been regular targets for arrest and even assassination by security forces. If the Biblical teachings are to be applied in the Kenyan context, then the church there has to do a lot more and to wake up from the slumber of complacency to serve the people and to be the voice of God among them.
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