Description: Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit.
By Douglas LeBLANC
THE Archbishop of Kenya has ordered churches under his care to stop allowing speeches by politicians during their worship services. The ban moves the Anglican Church of Kenya into a stricter separation of church and states than is common in the United States, where politicians often visit churches and speak f-rom pulpits during their campaigns.
“When the time comes for acknowledging all those who have come, we will do that, but I want to give direction that f-rom today, henceforth in any Anglican congregation, there will be no opportunity for any political leader to have a speech in the Church,” Abp Jackson Ole Sapit said on March 16 while speaking at Nairobi’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
He made his remarks during the consecration of the Rt. Rev. Jonathan Kabiru as Bishop of Nairobi. Kenya’s former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua; the leader of the opposition Wiper Party, Kalonzo Musyoka; and Nairobi’s Governor, Johnson Sakaja, were all in attendance at the service, and were reportedly expecting to speak to the large congregation.
The archbishop said he will allow clergy to recognize visiting politicians during the service and that politicians are welcome to stand and wave. “If they so wish to address the congregation, it will be done outside the sanctuary,” he said.
He also said that the days of politicians making donations amid fanfare are over. “We have already declared and we want to declare today that giving in the Anglican Church will not be announced,” he said. “Just give as God directs you to give. What we give to God, we don’t have to tell human beings what we have given him.”
The Anglican Church of Kenya and the national government have been under scrutiny by layman Mwabili Mwagodi, who has become outspoken about corruption, and has helped stage protests against appearances by politicians at church services.
A protest organized by Mwagodi last June forced Kenyan President William Ruto to curtail his remarks at the consecration service for Bishop of Nyahuru Samson Mburu Gachathi.
“Media reports of politicians living flashy lifestyles and dishing out unexplained millions in fundraisers at churches each Sunday troubled me,” he said in a report by Jesse Masai for The Living Church. “Every Sunday, politicians were on an altar somewhere, peddling lies while making hefty donations.”
The change is especially noteworthy because some African Christians, like the Anglican missionaries who served in Africa, are more relaxed about direct and visible interaction between church and state.
Abp Sapit has made drawing a clearer line a priority throughout his nine-year tenure leading the Kenyan Church. In September 2021, during the leadup to Kenya’s last presidential election, he banned politicians f-rom church pulpits and said that amounts of donations given to churches by political leaders would no longer be publicly announced. Kenya’s Roman Catholic bishops have made similar moves.
Some have credited the shift with playing a role in the relatively peaceful election in August 2022. Kenya’s political system draws heavily on historic rivalries between the country’s main ethnic groups, and several campaigns in recent memory have been marred by mob violence. TAP –The Living Church
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RIGHT OFF the top – yes, we realize that you may actually be reading the paper version of this issue in Epiphany…or Lent, depending on when the postal strike finally ends. Let me take this opportunity to remind you that you can access all of our stories online as well at www.anglicanplanet.org – if you haven’t received your password, send an email to office@stpeter.org and we’ll get you set up!
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THE Archbishop of Kenya has ordered churches under his care to stop allowing speeches by politicians during their worship services. The ban moves the Anglican Church of Kenya into a stricter separation of church and states than is common in the United States, where politicians often visit churches and speak f-rom pulpits during their campaigns.
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