Worshippers' shock as pastor is found dead in church seat

The Sunday service at Vikwatani Redeemed Gospel Church turned into grief and wailing after the congregation found that its pastor had been killed the previous night.

The worshippers could not hold back tears as they turned to prayers cursing the evil that had visited the holy place.

Morris Ali, a choir member who was called to see the slain pastor from a nearby shed where he was practising the piano, said he was horrified by the sight of the preacher dead in a seat with a bible in his hand, his neck resting on the edge of the plastic seat.

According to the singer, the pastor was reading scriptures in readiness for Sunday’s sermon.

“When we came closer to him at the seat, we noticed blood was oozing from the head, an indication that something had hit and penetrated the skull,” he said.

They called neighbours, who claimed to have heard a gunshot at around midnight.

“It is a shock to us.

We did not suspect that a bullet could be fired in church to kill the cleric and halt today’s service,” the choir man said.

Two months ago, the pastor revealed to the church that an unknown person had warned him through a text message (SMS) that he should be cautious for his life, but the threat did not bother the cleric, who continued to serve the church, Mr Ali said.

Mombasa Churches Forum Secretary Stanley Prince Nyachae said no property was stolen from the church.

Mr Nyachae added that the motive of the killers was not known.

He condemned the heinous act.

“We want the security agencies to investigate the matter to establish the people behind the killing inside the church,” he said.

The secretary said they would not speculate but awaited investigations to establish the pastor’s killers and their motive.

“We feel that security needs to be reinforced for all in Mombasa especially in churches to prevent more killings of church leaders,” he said.