Occupy the church too, Jackson Ole Sapit tells Gen-Zs
The Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit at Ahero’s St Peter's Cathedral on July 7, 2024.
The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit has challenged Gen Zs to take up critical roles in the church to realise meaningful changes in their quest to transform the country for the better.
He pointed out that their calls to “occupy church” should not just be about shouting down and condemning leaders but about reflecting on how the country got itself into the current situation.
“It is not time to talk much. We need to discern, introspect and ask ourselves how we have brought ourselves to where we are,” he said.
Mr Sapit pointed out that the best way to occupy the church is for young people to become members, join the choir and occupy their spaces in the church as Gen Zs.
“Please, come to the church so that God will give us a future together. Without God, that which you are fighting for will amount to nothing,” he said on Sunday, July 7, 2024, during a thanksgiving and farewell service for Reverend Joshua Owiti.
The ACK boss who spoke at Ahero’s St Peter's Cathedral in the Diocese of Maseno East expressed confidence that the concerns raised by Gen Zs will ignite a national discourse that will steer the country in the right path.
“For a long time, I was struggling to declare the pulpit a no-go-zone for politicians but to no success. Thank God the young Kenyans have affirmed my stand that politicians should not be given the podium,” he said.
He encouraged the country’s leadership to be part of making Kenya a place to be proud of.
Mr Sapit lauded Mr Owiti for his service to the church and wished him well in his retirement.
“We are proud of you and hope that you will always find time for us even as you leave your office,” he said.
Upon declaring the Diocese of Maseno East vacant, the ACK boss noted that the call for nomination of Owiti’s successor will take one month.
“Any priest with good standing in the ACK church, whether male or female, is eligible for election. They have to be nominated by five people who are members of the Synod of the Diocese,” he said, assuring that there will be no favouritism in the process.
