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Two factions of the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa could be merged as early as next year, a bishop said on Tuesday.
The African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa and the African Independent Church of Kenya (AIPCK) are negotiating a merger, Archbishop Fredrick Wang’ombe said.
Wang’ombe said peace negotiations between the two wrangling factions had been successfully completed and that the church was working on modalities of a merger to form AIPCA.
Speaking on in Nanyuki town where the church is holding a three-day bishop’s synod, Wang’ombe said they had reached out to bishops from AIPCK with a view to working together as one united religious body devoid of divisions and wrangling.
“I have reached out to the clergy from AIPCK so that we sit down and work together because our congregation wants to see the church united,” Wang’ombe said.
Power struggles caused a section to break away, forming AIPCK under the leadership of Archbishop Julius Njoroge who controls about 200 churches.
Archbishop Wang’ombe's faction is in control of about 1,500 churches.
Wang'ombe said the church leadership will invite Njoroge into the fold to accommodate all members.
The divisions in the two pre-independent church factions caught the attention of President Uhuru Kenyatta who sought to bring them together last year but the peace negotiations collapsed twice due to the hard-line stances taken by either side.
Wang’ombe said the differences brought about by leadership wrangles have been ironed out and that the church was set to be unveiled as one in two months’ time.
“We are together now. Come next year, this church will be one because the court cases have been concluded and I have reached out to the other archbishop so that we sit down and work together and unite our congregations,” Wang’ombe said.
edited by p. obuya
