Govt gives PAG church 7 days to end leadership row

The government has given the Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAG) church seven days to end leadership wrangles or face an unspecified action.

Vihiga County Commissioner Susan Waweru on Wednesday directed the church to report back to her office in Mbale on April 2 with a dispute resolution report.

Mrs Waweru said: “It is good to bring the church leaders together, we will try to reconcile them.”  

Leadership wrangles in the church began late last year following disagreements over the election of the General Superintendent and officials in the 128 church districts across the country.

The General Superintendent, who serves as the head of the church, watches over resources including institutions and finances. He also acts as its official spokesperson.

The dispute escalated on Monday after a confrontation between pastors ensued at the church headquarters in Nyang'ori, Vihiga County.

Police were called in to restore order after men of the cloth turned rowdy. 

COURT ORDER

Rev Patrick Lihanda, the embattled General Superintendent who was re-elected recently despite a court order suspending the polls, said a conciliation committee had been formed and its report would be submitted to the authorities as directed.

Rev Lihanda said the Monday confrontations at Nyang'ori could destroy the church.  

The recent polls that have since been contested in court, saw Rev Lihanda re-elected as the General Superintendent for another five-year term after garnering 1,370 votes. He beat two other pastors in the polls where slightly over 2,000 delegates took part.

Rev Wycliffe Ganira managed 64 votes while Rev Moses Godia got six. Rev Ganira served in the position up to 2014, when he lost to Rev Lihanda.  

On Saturday, 111 of the 128 church districts in Kenya held elections.

SUSPENDED

Rev Tom Olendo, who challenged the polls in court, accused Rev Lihanda of violating a court order that had suspended the exercise.   

He noted that Rev Lihanda was still in office yet a four-member caretaker committee had been formed to oversee the elections.

Said Rev Olendo: "The church is not ready to listen and that is why we are in court. Now the county commissioner has given us seven days to talk and report back."

He went on: "The election of (Rev) Lihanda and that of the church districts was suspended but the General Superintendent stayed put despite the court order."

Rev Lihanda called for calm as the dispute is addressed.

DIRTY LINEN

The embattled official further advised his colleagues that it would not be prudent to wash their dirty linen in public.  

Rev Nathan Ondego, a member of the caretaker committee, said a solution was being sought to save the church from falling apart.

He said his committee was yet to call for elections despite the same having been held in most of the church's districts. "We advised pastors against attending the elections," said Rev Ondego.

But Mr Lihanda noted that 111 districts held elections while 17 kept off.