Social media spats blamed for unending wrangles in AIPCA

AIPCA Archbishop Julius Njoroge speaks at Kenyoho Secondary School in Kandara, Murang’a County on August 22. He said social media users are hurting the church’s reconciliation process. PHOTO | NDUNG’U GACHANE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By  NDUNG’U GACHANE

What you need to know:

  • He pleaded with young people to stop misusing the social media platforms.
  • The archbishop instead urged them use social media to advance their technological know-how.
  • He asked the youth to take advantage of the national government’s Youth Enterprise Fund.

Social media users have been accused of fanning hatred and causing divisions in the troubled African Independent Church of Africa (AIPCA) blocking the peaceful reconciliation process that is ongoing.

According to Archbishop Julius Njoroge who leads one of the three factions in the church, the leadership wrangles have escalated after members of the three groups engaged in a war of words and abuses on social media.

Speaking at Kinyoho Secondary School in Kandara on Wednesday when he launched the national youth conference that brought together over a 1,000 youth from across the country, the archbishop pleaded with young people to stop misusing the social media platforms and instead use them to advance their technological know-how as well as seeking God’s guidance through spiritual sites.

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RECONCILIATION

“We are living at a time when we have social media platforms where members of the three factions in our church are using them to trade accusations and counter accusations which is hurting the ongoing process of reconciliation.

“The youth and the entire membership of AIPCA should think before they post their stuff, whether the material will glorify God or will go against the biblical teachings,” the archbishop stated.

He urged the church members to continue praying for the top leadership to come up with an amicable solution that will restore unity and peace after decades of infighting over the leadership.

YOUTH FUND

The spiritual head asked the youth to take advantage of the national government’s Youth Enterprise Fund and form groups to seek funds for the projects instead of using all their time and energies on social media trading insults.

“As I urge the youth to join groups and seek funds from the government, I also ask the management of the AIPCA to initiate investment projects so that our church grows financially without solely depending on contributions,” he said, adding that the money will be used to build churches, hospitals and the schools.

He told the youth that he, together with his rivals, have engaged in fresh negotiations after the last attempt was scuttled by elders who rubbished their decision that he be installed as a national archbishop of the three archdioceses they had created.

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