More than 23 churches have delinked themselves from the Anglican Church of Kenya’s Bungoma diocese.
They have joined the New Anglo Church of Kenya (New ACK). The diocese has more than 200 churches.
The churches which joined the new outfit cited poor leadership and corruption as reasons for their departure.
The Rev Peter Wangwe said he was happy to be part of the new church.
This happened even as 10 churches locked out ACK pastors who had been ministering at the affected churches.
Many disputes in Africa which seem to espouse a cause, in fact reflect tribal or clan divisions. I know very little about Kenya but two of the surnames here look as if they could be Kikuyu (they start with Wa-). Leaving me to wonder whether there might be a tribal element. Could readers with better knowledge of Kenya weigh in here?
Though I’ve traveled in West Africa on business, I am not familiar with the intertwining of familial/tribal and ecclesiological relationships.
However, a book on medieval Gaelic history that I have been reading off and on discusses in some detail the intertwining of familial/clan and ecclesiological relationships.
There were hereditary abbots and priests and inherited church properties with income going to the inheritors.
There were many problems resulting from these practices.
So what may be happening in Kenya is not a new thing. It is quite possible that extreme ecclesiological abuses led to the extreme behavior and abuses of the Calvinist Covenanters in Scotland.
In the end, the new church grouping will need the recognition of other churches outside of Kenya if it is to be recognised. Only time will tell…