• A congregation from more than 3,000 AIPCA churches will attend the event at Muthuaini AIPCA-Nyeri
• Service will be presided over by Archbishop Fredrick Wang'ombe assisted by Archbishop Samson Muthuri
Image: FILE
A rare show of unity among warring AIPCA leaders is expected today during the Annual Holy Oil Consecration in Nyeri.
A congregation drawn from more than 3,000 AIPCA churches will mark the event at Muthuaini AIPCA-Nyeri.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has failed to unite the warring camps.
Some church members have accused a splinter faction led by an ex-communicated member of scheming to frustrate church constitutional changes agreed in an accord.
If approved, the agreement would require pastors to retire at age 65.
Archbishops would retire at age 70. The National Spiritual Leader would also retire at age 70, or after service two, five-year terms.
The unity service will be presided over by Archbishop Fredrick Wang'ombe assisted by Archbishop Samson Muthuri.
A leadership row has pitted Archbishop Wang’ombe, who has the majority following of more than 2,500 churches, against Archbishop Julius Njoroge.
Njoroge is backed by ex-communicated former official Paul Gichu, who controls about 200 churches according to church records.
AIPCA clergy countrywide have been meeting at Muthuaini AIPCA Nyeri from Monday. They are praying to consecrate the sacred items used during the service.
"AIPCA Christians countrywide and friends of the church will join for the most-awaited moment as they witness and commit their prayers to the Annual Holy oil Consecration," a notice from the AIPCA head office reads.
The scheduled reunion comes barely a month after AIPCA and the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Kenya (AIPCK) expressed intentions to merge after 30 years.
The meeting is an attempt to prevent a falling out between the Wang’ombe and Njoroge-led camps.
If the reunification comes to fruition, the church leadership will invite Njoroge to accommodate all members into the fold.
The Gichu-allied camp has filed two failed lawsuits in attempts to remove officials elected by church members.
Both AIPCA and AIPCK elected Maina Wandere as their patron.
According to the Office of the Registrar, Gichu was ex-communicated in 2014, while the new vice-treasurer, Bertha Nyambura Mwangi, resigned in 2013.
He was forced out for having participated in illegal and irregular ordinations in Nairobi and Mukaro Diocese against church rules and doctrines.
The row heightened after former Archbishop Amos Kabuthu was forced to relinquish the mantle by the High Court. This led to the election of two spiritual leaders to head the church.
In April 2017, a negotiated accord was signed and Julius Njoroge was appointed as the National Leader.
Archbishop Fredrick Wang’ombe was appointed to head finance and Archbishop Samson Muthuri to take over the education and training.
The retired archbishop then handed over to Wang’ombe, who was elected by some of the bishops, while a rival group elected Njoroge.
Most church members have since denounced Njoroge.
The church Chancellor Moses Kirima in Nairobi oversaw the signing of the peace accord.
The accord proposed the creation of four more archdioceses — Rift Valley, Nairobi, Eastern and Central. It also called for decentralised leadership to avoid further feuds.
Archbishop Wang’ombe was also to be registered as a trustee of AIPCA, among others, and appoint two members to the Central Board.
Only one arm of leadership will be recognised by the board.
It was agreed the splinter groups be eliminated and replaced by the National Secretariat to deal with urgent issues.