Leaders of embattled African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) have urged political leaders to desist from meddling with its affairs but support the church in its quest to promote social cohesion in the country.
Outgoing AIPCA Archbishop Amos Kabotho and Secretary General Samuel Kimaru called on top political leaders he did not mention to cease from imposing spiritual leaders on the members who are on the verge of deserting the third largest church in the country.
“The church recognizes incoming Archbishop Fred Wang’ombe as its leader and not Joseph Njoroge who is seeking favors from prominent Jubilee politicians and state agencies to assume leadership,” Kimaru said.
Kimaru invited Njoroge to work with the ‘legitimate’ leadership of the church in a bid to promote integration and cohesion in the society and do away with misguided politicians in over the leadership of the church.
The two were speaking in Njoro yesterday during a ceremony in which Bishop Wang`ombe was consecrated as the church`s national leader.
Joseph Njoroge was reportedly attending a parallel function in Nakuru town just 20 kilometers away where he was declared the church`s Archbishop.
AIPCA has been saddled with a leadership crisis for the past few months which has led to a long bitter feud between two factions led by Joseph Njoroge and another under Fred Wang`ombe.
Both factions are claiming legitimacy at the leadership of the church which has 1,555 branches across the country.
The court in the latest of its ruling on the feud had directed Registrar General to separate the church and allow both parties to re register as separate entities a move that members of the church flatly rebuffed and settled for an election process in which Wango`mbe won.