2023 has witnessed all sorts of dramas involving the church in Kenya, with some harrowing incidents even making global headlines.
SDA drama
The Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church in early January 2023 was forced to apologize after a pastor in Nyamira county chased away bridesmaids from a wedding.
The pastor, identified as Jared Omwoyo, was seen angrily asking some of the ladies to step aside for failing to dress in accordance with the SDA guidelines.
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"Try somewhere else; not this Seventh-day Adventist church. Nyinyi nyote, kama wewe si mSDA nmekukataa in capital letters, you are not going to escort the bride, if you are not an SDA move out," he stated.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter) in January 2023, the SDA church asked Kenyans not to be angered by what the pastor did as they asked them to attend their services.
“We would like to take this opportunity through this fan page to apologize to Kenyans who might feel that our pastor chased them from our church. Maybe he was angered and took the matter out of proportion. We love you all and welcome you all to our churches. SDA church is for us all,” the statement read.
Shakahola
The most disturbing church drama of 2023 involved the Good News International Ministries of pastor Paul Mackenzie.
The church, based in Shakahola, Kilifi County, gained some notoriety in the press in April 2013 when it was revealed that Mackenzie had instructed members to starve themselves en masse to meet Jesus.
At first, the extent of the starvation was not clear as just one emaciated woman was rescued, then others followed before police started uncovering shallow graves in what appeared to be like a script from a horror movie made by nazis in Auschwitz concentration camp.
By June, authorities said more than 400 people had died and buried in shallow mass graves in Shakahola forest.
Mackenzie is currently under police custody as the process of exhuming the bodies hasn't actually been called off to date.
Pastor Ezekiel
In April 2023, Pastor Ezekiel Odero of the New Life Prayer Centre and Church was arrested and charged over suspicion that he was involved in criminal activities associated with Pastor Paul Mackenzie who is at the centre of the Shakahola massacre.
The Kilifi-based pastor found himself in trouble with the state authorities following the investigation into the Shakahola horror, where many bodies were found buried in mass graves.
Pastor Ezekiel only resumed ministering at his church after the High Court suspended the decision by the Registrar of Societies to deregister his church.
In September, Pastor Ezekiel got in Diana Marua's bad books over his controversial sermon.
The preacher was seen in an undated video warning the faithfuls at a gathering against marrying women called 'Diana'.
Pastor Ezekiel claimed women called Diana always want to exert dominance over their husbands and would leave their marriages if they fail to control their spouses.
"Ushawai kuona Diana yeyote kwa ndoa? Hakuna ata mmoja. Ukioa Diana uishi na yeye, yeye ndo anakucontrol kama robot. She becomes the husband. Lakini wewe uwe mume, Diana anaenda. Hapo nimeongea ukweli," the preacher said.
Pastor Ezekiel further cautioned parents against naming their children 'Diana' saying that the name carries a bad spirit.
"Number two, usimpe mtoto wako jina Diana. Sababu akiolewa utashare na watu. Diana anapendwa bila sababu ata kama hajui. Mtu anamwambia tu 'mimi nikikuangalia ata akili yangu inachanganyikiwa'. Because the name carries the spirit," Pastor Ezekiel said.
Diana Marua questioned Pastor Ezekiel's credibility while reacting to the preacher's video cautioning the Christian faithfuls against marrying Dianas.
Bahati's wife further told the controversial preacher to stop misleading the church.
Pastor Ng'ang'a
Pastor James Ng'ang'a of Neno Evangelism Center was embroiled in multiple dramas this year.
One of the most puzzling controversies happened in October when the preacher was seen in a viral video turning away a follower who tithed Ksh500.
In the widely circulated video, Ng'ang'a's expressed astonishment at a follower's request for prayers, all the while deeming the offered tithe amount as inadequate.
"Na mwingine jana alinipatia mia tano akaniambia nikumbuke watoto wake. Nikumbuke wajukuu wake. Mia tano? Ata nitawakumbuka namna gani sasa?" Ng'ang'a posed.
He went on to emphasize that the money was not enough to even fuel a car.
"Ata hakuna mafuta ya gari ya mia tano, iyo labda watu was pikipiki, iyo ni ibada gani sasa, iyo labda aende kwa wagagnga wale wa Nairobi wa mbegu na sisi hatuna iyo. Ukitaka tunakufundisha neno ukitaka ni sawa, apa si wewe umenunua, utukuta apa, nakufundisha ukawe na yako," he retorted.
Fight over dead body
On April 7, 2023, Kenyans were treated to drama at Kakamega General Hospital after two groups from different churches fought over a body.
Members of the Salvation Army and the African Divine Church each came with a casket and clothes for the deceased ready for the burial arrangements.
However, the two groups found themselves fighting each other over who was to dress up the body, transport it, and take charge of the burial service of the deceased who both churches claimed was their member.
The deceased, Erick Sunguti from Mululu Village, Sabatia Constituency in Vihiga County died after he was hit by a running vehicle in Kakamega County.
Sunguti was first a member of the Salvation Army Church where he worshipped with his mother before he left and joined the African Divine Church.
The Salvation Army Church demanded to be allowed to bury the deceased because it was his childhood church and his mother was still a member there.
The African Divine Church argued that they were the ones to take charge stating that until his death, the deceased was their member and a treasurer of the church.
However, the two churches later agreed and the African Divine Church took charge of the funeral ceremony.
