The African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) is faced with a promising future after the protracted mediation process between warring factions bore fruits amongst the three archbishops.
Over the weekend, Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho met with the church leaders’ archbishop’s Julius Njoroge, Fredrick Wangombe and Samson Muthuri at Harambe House where they have been engaging in dialogue and reached a consensus on leadership matters.
“As part of meditation team we are glad that AIPCA Archbishops Julius Njoroge, Fredrick Wangombe, Samson Muthuri have finally come to compromise that will put to an end to the longstanding internal dissensions that have been threatening the stability of the church,” said Kibicho.
“I commended the archbishops for their continued dedication to the unity of the church by embracing the spirit of reconciliation and committing to rotational leadership”. He added.
The mediation process was initiated by AIPCA and AIPCK patron Maina Wandere effectively forestalling imminent split of the independence church.
Last year the church also promised to end the wrangles and committed to engage in dialogue.
“I want to tell Kenyans that as a church we will not fight again. We want to send a clear message to our members to unite as a group as we prepare to usher them into a new dispensation,” said Njoroge.
Earlier, the opposing factions were three but reduced to two after a splinter church – AIPCK – that was led by Archbishop Samson Muthuri folded to merge with Wang’ombe’s group.
The move left Njoroge as an isolated man with minority members.
AIPCK was founded by the late John Mugecha who broke away from the AIPCA following a prolonged dispute with the first AIPCA archbishop Benjamin Kahihia.
The leadership wrangles started in 2017 after retired Archbishop Amos Kabuthu declined to hand the leadership mantle to Njoroge, who had been elected by the bishops.
Instead, Kabuthu used the alternative succession plan in the church constitution and gave Wang’ombe the leadership shepherd stick.
It also emerged that some members of the board that conducted Njoroge’s election had retired, a move that caused more confusion.
After the failed mediation, Njoroge remained opposed to a negotiation deal on leadership and demanded adherence to the church constitution and the Societies Act in tracing what went wrong in the Kabuthu succession.