Gospel with attitude

• New churches fulfil spiritual needs of youth using their language and style

There is a new hangout in town — the church. This new meeting place comes complete with a disc jockey who mixes the music so flawlessly that one might mistake the place for a club; the congregation’s trendy hip-hop attire would put the clubbing culture to shame.

The congregation shares a common urban language, English or sheng, with the preachers, who are strikingly flexible in the way they operate.

These are the new evangelical churches that have made far-reaching adjustments in their programmes to attract and retain the youth in their congregations.

The churches are pulling in the crowds with a contemporary message, modern-day packaging, and the latest music by Kenyan and US gospel artistes. Their aim is to attract those who feel that the mainstream churches are “old school” and boring.

The churches that have up-to-date and easy-to-navigate websites, sell their music and sermons on CD and DVD, and attract preachers and musicians from as far as the United States are all the rage now.

In Nairobi, they include Mavuno, Nairobi Lighthouse, Baptist Church Parklands, Nairobi Pentecostal Church, Deliverance Church Umoja, Jesus Celebration Centre and Nairobi Chapel.

Eldoret has Neno Evangelism, Deliverance Church, The Door, Church of the Living God, and Lord’s Shepherd.

Social websites

“We are doing what we think Jesus Christ would have done if he were walking the earth today,” said Pastor Mugambi Muku of the National Christian Youth Network in Nairobi.

“We are sure he would dress differently, would be on social websites like Facebook and YouTube, and He would speak the language of the youth.”

Pastor Muku says the youth are looking for a place of worship that is not gloomy.

“The reason the youth go to clubs is to look for fun. So we follow the example of the fisherman who, in order to catch fish, must prepare his bait to attract the fish,” he said.

“We make our churches fun and appealing, and that is our bait. Once we have them hooked, we roll it up and they are in our basket.”

Five years ago, he started Jesus Night, a monthly event held every last Friday of the month at Nairobi Cinema. The event features gospel deejays, musicians, comedians and young speakers.

“We discuss many things from economic empowerment to character-building,” Pastor Muku said.

Where the churches have mostly older people at their main services, they herd the youth off to a different venue for their own service. Young people interviewed said they find the new churches and sermons relevant to their lives.

At Mavuno Downtown, the sermons are recorded and converted into MP3 files which the faithful download on their phones by Bluetooth.

The new churches avoid problems arising from the generation gap when older members of the conservative congregations are seen to judge the youth harshly. In many of the new gathering places, the flowing priestly robes, wooden pulpits, hymn books and the even the choir are gone. The man or woman delivering the message if free to wear a suit or shorts.

They can sport bling bling, even dreadlocks. And they speak the language of the youth. Where the “traditional” pastor would say Jesus Christ walked into a house, the “hip” one would say “JC paced into some digs.”

James Kiptanui of Evangelical Church in Eldoret says the Bible has to be interpreted in a simplified language (such as sheng), which is understood by the majority. Pastor Mugambi Kiama of Mavuno Downtown says their message is authentic or real as the young people call it.

“We put the word of God in the context of every day life like success, leadership, sexuality and spirituality, and we also deliver it in a way they understand and love.”

Pastor Kiama, who is in his early thirties, believes that the youth are looking for messages that uplift them spiritually and help them in their lives. The pastor, whose Sunday service is dubbed “Corporate Christian Experience,” said the word of God should be “fun and enjoyable”.

Nelly Chepkoech of the Apostolic Church and Mary Wanja of Deliverance Church in Eldoret agree.

“The house of the Lord is not a place to mourn. The preaching has to capture realities in modern life,” Ms Chepkoech said.

“The best music and dance is a gift from the Lord. The talents should be exploited at the altar for His praise,” Ms Wanja added.

The faithful in the Mavuno Downtown church are between 22 and 28. Pastor Kiama says their style does not compromise delivery of the Gospel.

“We tell it as it is, we do not sugar coat anything to make our congregation comfortable,” he said.

This stance has made people once considered renegades feel welcome in church. One of them is the celebrity, DJ Pinye who says he had stopped going to church until a friend took him to Mavuno. Now he rarely misses a service.

Another catch is MC Big Ted, who is seen at the Kileleshwa Covenant Community Church just as often as at secular entertainment spots.

“The youth are looking for God, and what determines the churches they go to is relevance to their lives. The new churches offer the same message but in a different package,” Big Ted said.

Alex Mutwiri, who attends Mavuno Downtown, says he finds it refreshing. “No service is like the previous one. The message is relevant to me.”

Thomas Mwadime stumbled on his current church as he fled the police after a night on the town. He said he got saved because he was welcomed even though he was drunk.

The Rev Allan Kyuna of the Jubilee Christian Centre Ngara, who is known for his eloquence, sharp dressing and flashy lifestyle, has 8,000 young people in his congregation. The preacher says the youth are going back to church as they realise that their only hope is God.

– Additional reporting by Barnabas Bii