Four former bishops of the Methodist Church have declared an all-out war against presiding bishop Joseph Ntombura, intensifying a long-running dispute. The four, Dr Lawi Imathiu, Prof Zablon Nthamburi, Rev Johana Mbogori and Dr Stephen Kanyaru, said reconciliation efforts have failed.
Bishop Ntombura, who has served the church for the last 10 years, recently had his term extended for two years.
“Today, there was to be a reconciliation meeting at the Kenya Methodist University main campus to find solutions to the current leadership crisis…the meeting was hurriedly and without consultation cancelled by Rev Ntombura. For this reason, we have decided to explain our position as former presiding bishops in order to guide the church,” they wrote in a pastoral letter to Methodist Church members seen by the Sunday Nation.
In a statement read by Rev Imathiu, they said, “Our current presiding bishop has completed a term of 10 years. His term is over…Because his time is over, we now ask our finance committee to conduct an audit for accountability. The trustees and property committee must also be vigilant to ensure our properties are intact…”
Among the thorny issues that have troubled the church for the last 10 years are questions on the qualification of Rev Ntombura, his leadership style, controversial amendment of the church’s constitution, management of affiliate institutions and property, and the recent extension of his term.
“The purported 57th conference that is claimed to have added him two more years was not properly constituted…” Rev Imathiu said.
The tussle stretches back to 2012 when Rev Ntombura was first elected the presiding bishop of the Methodist Church.
With backing from the then presiding bishop Rev Stephen Kanyaru, Rev Ntombura trounced the only competitor Rev Isaya Deye, who also served as the conference secretary.
Seen as an outsider by the establishment, since he had worked in the church for only two years, Rev Ntombura was expected to work closely with elders, but they accuse him of being a lone ranger.
Consequently, silent boardroom fights escalated into court battles, excommunication, defrocking of clergy, a failed ouster and the recent intervention by former presiding bishops.
According to Mr Geoffrey Kinoti, a renowned Meru businessman, Rev Ntombura received backing due to perceived networks from his long stay in the UK.
"He received a lot of support because of his passion for mission work and the fact that he had lived in the UK. There was expectation that he would use his European networks to take the church forward," said Mr Kinoti, who backs the rival camp.
A church insider who sought anonymity told the Sunday Nation that “the point of departure between Rev Kanyaru and Rev Ntombura was the latter's failure to ‘toe the line”.
“Our complaints range from the election of Rev Ntombura without proper scrutiny, unprocedural amendment of standing orders, defrocking of clergy, lack of accountability, stifling democracy and the plot to extend Ntombura’s term,” Rev John Ataya said recently.
The rivals also cite mismanagement of the church and its affiliates including Kenya Methodist University, Maua Methodist hospital, Marimanti Resource Centre, Methodist Guest House as well as missions in Congo, Uganda and South Sudan.
The presiding bishop serves as the chancellor of the university and chairman of other affiliate institutions.
While the rival group accuses Rev Ntombura of going rogue, he recently said that “corruption is fighting back”.
According to Rev Kanyaru, the immediate former presiding bishop, he did not ask academic papers from Rev Ntombura during his interview.
The bishop, who has since been defrocked, asked for forgiveness “for his role in the appointment of Rev Ntombura”.
“When we appointed Rev Ntombura as the mission coordinator, his file was empty.
Despite the requirement that a bishop has a master’s degree and a degree in theology, he was elected a synod bishop. He kept saying the certificates were yet to arrive. By the time I left in 2013, I had not seen his academic papers,” Rev Kanyaru told the Sunday Nation.
But Rev Ntombura has since dismissed the claims saying he is a holder of degrees in theology and business economics as well as a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge.
“When a group of former church leaders took me to court over the matter of my master’s degree, l deposited the certificate in court, and that is how they lost the case,” Rev Ntombura said earlier.
Interviews with church insiders point to a bitter fight that started before the induction ceremony in 2013.
“Bishop Kanyaru backed my election and even protected me from opponents in 2013. But after my election, he supported efforts to block by induction through a court process which never went through,” Rev Ntombura recounted.
Following the extension of Rev Ntombura’s term on August 4, the rival group formed a nine-member ‘Transition Connectional Ad hoc Committee’ to spearhead fresh election of the presiding bishop.
The Methodist Church, however, obtained a court order against the committee and cancelled the reconciliation meeting slated for last Friday. The matter will be heard on September 6.
