Methodist Church leadership row: Top organ rallies behind Bishop Joseph Ntombura
Methodist Church in Kenya Presiding Bishop Joseph Ntombura on December 9, 2022.
Methodist Church of Kenya's top organ has come out to clear the air over the ongoing leadership row.
The Council of Bishops and House of Clergy have said Reverend Joseph Ntombura is the official head of the church.
This follows a caveat emptor notice published last month by a splinter group which accused Bishop Ntombura of executing functions of an office he does not hold.
The notice alleged that Mr Ntombura was in office illegally, having served for two terms and was ineligible to continue serving as the presiding bishop.
As per the Methodist Church constitution, a presiding bishop can only be in office for two terms of five years.
However, a meeting involving ministers of the church in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania last week defended the bishop.
In a statement, the leaders said Mr Ntombura is the bona fide leader of the church, his term of office having been extended by two years from August 3, 2022, to December 31, 2024.
The extension, they said, means the presiding bishop is the official spokesperson and leader of the Methodist Church in Kenya whose mandate is to represent the church and its institutions and to transact all official business on behalf of the church.
“Any other information from any other source is illegal, malicious, null and void,” said Reverend John Maromba of Nairobi Synod.
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The council criticised retired presiding bishops, serving bishops and ministers and told them that they had no mandate to speak on behalf of the church.
“It should be known that they are doing so in pursuit of their interests and not that of the church,” he said.
“We, therefore, appeal to all members of the Methodist Church in Kenya and the general public to disregard any communication from any other source except the Methodist Church in Kenya Conference or its Standing Committee.”
The splinter group also accused Bishop Ntombura of selling Methodist Church property to a Somali businessman.
However, the bishops defended him saying the church has a fully-registered Board of Trustees who are the custodians of the church property and any transaction on the same can only be done with the authority of the church’s conference.
“The presiding bishop cannot dispose of any property of the church as alleged. We assure our members and the general public that the church is intact and faithfully advancing the mission of God.”
