SDA elders in court to demand action against ‘adulterous’ pastor
An alleged love affair involving a senior Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) pastor in Thika and an elder’s wife is expected in court this morning, eight months after it was first reported to the church leadership.
A section of elders have accused the church leadership of transferring the pastor who disciplined the adulterous man of the cloth after the matter was brought to his attention.
Some elders from 61 churches in the 23 pastoral districts claimed are being threatened by the church leadership for confronting and taking action against the pastor
Through lawyer Danstan Omari, the elders say they will challenge decision by SDA Central Kenya Conference (CKC) and the East Kenya Union Conference (EKUC) not to discipline the “adulterous” pastor according to church policy.
“That some elders from Thika Pastoral District have been threatened by the church’s leadership, their property vandalised and they have also been summoned to record statement’s at the DCI,”says Omari.
In a demand letter dated November 30, to offices of CKC and EKUC presidents, the elders want the leaders to vacate office for failing to punish the said pastor.
Further, the elders want them to withdraw the malicious complaint they lodged at DCI and stop intimidating and threatening them.
The elders want seven people removed from leadership for failure of administrative impropriety regarding the affair.
According to the elders, the matter was brought to the church leadership’s attention, which recommended that the elder’s wife be punished, and the pastor not to be ‘touched’.
More prudent
“This case was brought to your attention officially in March. After deliberations and looking at the evidence before the church, it recommended that the pastor be excommunicated and erring parties be punished as per the provisions of the church manual,” the letter by the elders.
But it is said the Executive committee of CKC later exonerated the accused pastor, saying the evidence was not enough to remove him from leadership.
Alfred Omwando, District Secretary, had said as elders, they wanted to defend the image of the church and that will only occur if all the current officials are removed for grossly violating church manual.
The elders claim the pastor and some senior church leaders were victimising the man whose wife was accused of having the affair.
They faulted the leadership for not taking disciplinary action against the accused pastor even though they “have overwhelming evidence” against him.
