Former Methodist Church of Kenya presiding Bishop Lawi Imathiu has asked the current head Bishop Joseph Ntombura to retire and let someone else take the mantle of the church leadership.
The church has been having wrangles for years leading to a split.
One group is supporting Ntombura and the other is against his leadership.
Imathiu, who was the first presiding bishop of the church from Meru, said he is ready to mediate a reconciliatory meeting to have a united church.
He said he feels the church is divided.
“If you want our church to be united again and speak in one voice then we must learn to forgive, love one another and speak to one another if there are differences,” he said.
He spoke at Kaaga Methodist Church grounds on Sunday.
About 1,000 members who are against Ntombura attended the church service.
Ntombura's term as the church leader was supposed to end on August 4.
However, he is accused of changing the church constitution where he added two more years to continue leading the church.
Imathiu said he is not fighting Ntombura but he should have consulted all local churches before making the amendment to extend his term.
Efforts to have Ntombura respond to the matter were futile. He did not respond to messages or calls by the time of going to press.
Imathiu said the church does not require any changes in its constitution at this time.
He said the church has become a laughing stock.
“How can we pray for others when we have divisions in our church it’s like telling a mad man he is dirty while you are stinking,” Imathiu said.
Bishop Meshack Kaanake said 56 pastors have been thrown out of the church in the last nine years.
“Some even became depressed after running into serious financial problems, it is time to reclaim the church,” Kaanake said.
Gerishon Mwiti an evangelist and a church member in Nairobi echoed the sentiments saying they have written a letter to Ntombura asking him to step aside.
Dickson Gitobu who was the secretary of the meeting in Kaaga said Ntombura replaced delegates with his when amending the constitution in the national conference, therefore, his leadership is null and void.
“As far as we are concerned the seat of presiding bishop is vacant from August 4 and we are in the procedure of recruiting a new presiding bishop. Ntombura should not purport to be conducting meetings as presiding bishop,” he said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
