When disturbing news from Shakahola, where tens of Christians went to seek God in church, but met their death there, reached Mwisho wa Lami, we were, of course, all shocked. I first heard of the news in school two weeks ago, as we had tea.
“Did anyone watch TV yesterday?” started Alex, who ever since he bought a TV set, lets everyone know by talking about when he had watched. “What kind of man of God is this? Fifty dead and counting!”
“It is unbelievable what I watched,” added Mrs. Atika, saying that pastors across the country were taking advantage of desperate people.
“I do not blame the pastors, but the people who fast when the one telling them to fast is eating healthy,” said Sella. “Pus I hear that they sell everything they have, how stupid is that?”
Without full details, as I had not watched TV nor received the news, I did not participate fully in the discussions, until after I checked online and read a few things about it.
“But why are people talking about Mackenzie and Ezekiel alone, when there are many such churches doing the same or worse things?” wondered Sella. Everyone challenged her to mention any.
We all know the prophet who always has big rallies in the big cities, and who always insists on women wearing long dresses,” said Sella, “What is his name? He is a professor I think.”
I signaled her to stop speaking when I heard where she was headed, as Lena is a member of the specific church Sella was speaking about. Lenah, her unkempt hair in tow, who had been quiet, but jumped. “Please keep my church out of your stories. Have you heard anyone dead in our church? Have you heard of it?” She went on. “What we see in our church are miracles and healing, if you have not been to our church or crusade, if you have not seen the miracles, please keep quiet and never talk about our church. Ever!” She stood up and left.
“But why are we going far when we have cults even here in Mwisho wa Lami, some who are allowed in this school,” said Sella. Mrs. Atika asked Sella to stop going around the bush and tell us who she was talking about.
“Given what happened, let me keep quiet,” said Sella. “I do not want more teachers to walk away.”
I ended any discussion about church, Christianity, religion, cult, and related topics in the staffroom. “I would like us to remain one united staffroom, and not to be divided by our religion.” No one discussed religion for over a week.
Last Wednesday, Apostle Elkana, the Revered Principal Superintendent of THOAG (The Holiest of All Ghosts) Tabernacle Assembly asked to see me. He arrived in the evening, and after long prayers, he settled for tea that was served by Honda. We had small talk as we had tea. I mentioned the issue of Shakahola.
“Thank you for bringing this up Andrea,” he said. “This is why I came to see you. There are so many cults coming up in the country and spoiling for us who are doing genuine God’s work.” He said that he wanted to visit the school on Friday so that he can talk about the topic.
“I need to help the students and even teachers identify a cult and how to avoid them,” he said. I thought it was a good idea and decided to take the matter to the staffroom the next morning, after which I would revert to him.
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Sella when I brought the issue to the staffroom on Friday. “How can you invite a cult leader to talk about cults?”
“Dre, you want to pretend that you do not know Apostle Elkana's church is a cult?” asked Alex.
“No way,” I told him off. I reminded him that Apostle Elkana’s church was a sponsor of the school.
“What has Elkana’s church done for this school to call them a sponsor?” asked Kuya. “If you check churches who sponsor schools, they donate land and have constructed classrooms and other buildings in the schools.” He went on: “If Elkana is sponsoring you Dre, you tell us, but as far as we are concerned, this so-called church is a cult that does nothing to this school.”
“Unless you do not come to school, you would have seen the impact of Elkana’s positive contribution to this school, especially his prayers.”
“No wonder we have been performing badly in KCPE, we would have done better without his so-called prayers,” said Sella.
“We could have been worse were it not for his prayers,” I said.
“But Dre how can you invite a church that is clearly a cult to talk about people about cults?” said Alex. “There are so many signs of cultism in Elkana’s church.” I asked him to mention some of them.
“Surely Dre,” said Sella. “Any church whose leader has multiple titles is a cult, any church that sells anointing oil or water is a cult, any church that only preaches about giving with nothing to show for the money collected is a cult!”
“Any church where both the man and wife hold positions in the church a cult is,” added Madam Ruth
“How can a pastor call himself Revered Principal Superintendent, and I don't know what?” wondered Kuya. “Isn’t that clearly a cult?”
“How do you call your church ghost unless you are clearly a cult,” added Sella.
Only Lena came to my aid. “Let us not judge a man of God, the bible tells us to follow what men of God say, not what they do. We should stop accusing Apostle Elkana unheard.”
Although I did not have Apostle Elkana come to school last Friday, I am planning to invite him next Friday. I do not see anyone in Mwisho wa Lami who can talk about cults more competently than him. Does anyone know any other better person? Let me know.
