by Lucas Mboya
I had been a member of the Nairobi Christian Church (NCC) for close to
six years, (from February 28, 1991 up to December 20, 1997), when the Lead
Evangelist Richard Alawaye excommunicated me, The bone of contention was that
I had allegedly refused to tithe. He also accused me of being divisive because
of my belief that tithing was part of the old law and that under grace
(the new covenant), neither I nor anyone else was bound by Scripture to
continue this practice. I believe that what one gives is a personal decision
and that that right comes from God. [2 Corinthians 8: 8, 2
Corinthians 9:7[
Richard, on the other hand, gave me an ultimatum; tithe or leave. I earned
the label "divisive" because of being outspoken at his insistence that I tithe.
He contended that disciples had to tithe like Pharisees, Luke 18:12
(one particular Pharisee), in order to equal or surpass their righteousness,
Matthew 5:20. Absurdity knows no bounds. He said that he and
his wife gave 20% of their income. I guess that brings him closer to God than
those who give less. In any case, since staff members of the church have 10%
deducted from their salaries at the source, none of them have any choice in
the matter!
I have already written my story but would like to add a few remarks to help
convey more meaningfully the predicament of being a member of the NCC and by
extension to International Churches of Christ (ICC)
What did Jesus mean by: Matthew 10:27-28? What we learn
from him is to be vocal and fearless about our understanding of Scripture and
our quiet revelations. That’s what I understand.
I’m hoping that anybody who is reading this will have read an article I wrote
earlier this year posted on the Reveal WWW site,
The Empire Dies Screaming.
If you have not read it, please do so in order to understand this article better.
A lot of the ICC’s power and control is derived from restricting the information
its members have access to about it. I am determined to whittle down this
"advantage", (that gives them a monopoly over "the truth"), by regularly divulging
information on the strange on-goings in the Nairobi Christian Church (both past
and present events) to current members. This I hope will help bring to the light
the other side of things.
Return to Table of Contents
In the NCC disciples are encouraged to learn about other churches and
denominations, and in particular where those churches have gone wrong
(according to ICC doctrine), in order to refute their adversaries, and
(of course) to ensure that the disciples build in their own minds negative
attitude towards other churches.
They are not, however, encouraged to learn about their own church, its
roots, history and teachings, or to look critically at their own teachings
in the light of Scripture. In fact, the latter practice, as I learnt from
bitter experience, will get you disfellowshipped! This is despite the fact
that, in the first of their study series (commonly known as the
Word), they use Acts: 17:10-11 to lead a prospective
convert into thinking that he has the freedom to abide only by what he
understands to be Biblical.
While in NCC, I taught many who are disciples today that they had an
obligation to examine and understand the Scriptures first before making a
commitment to adopt a particular practice or doctrine. I taught that
neither my word nor the church teachings were viable alternatives to what
one understood with conviction to be the Biblical message.
That was what I practised and it inevitably led to a showdown with the
leadership of the NCC.
I came to learn later that Kip McKean, the ICC’s "Pope", had issued a
directive to World Sector Leaders in 1996 or thereabouts saying that
tithing was to be made mandatory, thus explaining Richard Alawaye’s actions.
This was recounted to me by Joseph Owade, a one-time member of NCC who was
also a staff member. He, in turn, had been made aware of this in a
discussion with John Kilaha (currently an NCC Evangelist).
It appears that McKean is the real doctrine/policy maker of the ICC,
then, and not the Scripture. I’m sure that is where the ICC derives its
cultic labels. The fact that McKean has a more final say than the Bible
in "disputable matters" (Romans 14:1,5) indicates a cult of
personality. It would appear that there is a less than subtle Kip McKean
hero-worship in the ICC.
I have in the Nairobi Church witnessed similar undertones in the form
of a Richard Alawaye hero-worship, which I can say with certainty continues
to date.
I lucidly recall a conversation I had with John Kilaha in either February
or March of this year. This was after I had been excommunicated. I went,
as I often did, to the Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday, where the Church
met. After service, at about midday, I was in the car park talking with
some disciples when John called me aside and asked to have a word with me.
We went upstairs to the restaurant where many disciples "hung out." He then
asked me why I kept coming to church, yet I had decided to leave. I replied
that I had not left but had been ‘kicked’ out by Richard and he was a
witness to that. He then tried unsuccessfully to talk me into believing that
I had left on my own volition. I became very angry.
I then told him to honestly answer a few questions "Did Richard tell me to
tithe or my name would be taken off the membership?" He said yes. I then asked
him "Is that Biblical as far as you can see?" He said no. Finally I asked
"Was Richard right or wrong in what he did?" He then hesitated, said "wrong",
then quickly added, "But that is not the point, the point is you were prideful
and were going about things the wrong way". At this point he could no longer
look me in the eye. It is interesting to note that, in the ICC, how you
"go about things" and your obedience towards the leadership may be more important
to them than the truth.
I’m using this as just one of many examples that I have seen of disciples
and leaders in particular, giving in to pressure from the powers that be to
sideline the truth in favour of their standing with others (peer pressure).
I think it becomes obvious now why the NCC do their utmost to prevent disciples
reading about their own church from the Internet or any other source. This will
show them to have the double standards that they may already be aware of and
demonstrate clearly that some of their leaders are deceitful. In the ICC,
disciples are taught to trust their leaders to the extent of allowing them to
make most if not all the major decisions in their lives, hence the phenomenal
control the leaders have over their congregations. Others and myself have
concrete proof that a leader has been lying to protect his position and the
credibility of the movement as a whole. This, to them, poses huge threats,
as any hint of duplicity by leaders erodes the trust disciples have in them
and subsequently prevents the control over others that the leaders seem to
crave.
Again, I often find myself wondering why the leaders should be so keen
in censoring literature about the church if they really believed that God
was ‘in control’, as they often say. Are the disciples in the ICC so weak
in their faith as to be shaken by a mere story about their Church, that a
"fall-away’s" opinion on their leadership would irreparably damage their
faith? The ICC seems bent on keeping disciples from reading "spiritual
pornography". Some of them may be honest enough with themselves not only
to recognise that a lot of the literature is true, but become vocal about
it as well.
I’ll end this brief monologue by pointing out that, in Matthew
7:24-27 Jesus taught that a house would only stand if it has been
built on the right foundation. The ICC should put its faith to the test by
giving its disciples the freedom to learn more about the Church, its origins
and practices. Undoubtedly, there are increasing numbers who fear that they
will find that building on McKean is not quite what Jesus had in mind.
Return to Table of Contents
Here is a good example of double standards within the NCC. I use it
with the permission of my friend Joseph Owade who was and continues to be
outspoken concerning the inconsistencies practised in the ICC. The following
are direct transcripts of letters written by the ICC/NCC to Joseph. Anyone
who doubts their authenticity can call me on Tel:
+254 2 723182 Kenya (GMT+3), and I will fax them the details.
- Joseph’s appointment to staff of NCC letter written
on NCC letterhead dated September 1, 1993.
Dear Joseph,
Re: Letter of Appointment
We are delighted to welcome you to the staff of the Nairobi
Christian Church. We look forward to a long and happy fellowship with you as
you continue to grow in your love for God and for others.
These are the conditions of your employment with us. Please read
this document carefully; it constitutes the legal conditions between
us. Should you have any questions please contact me at the office.
Otherwise please sign this and return it to the office.
Commencement
You will commence work with us on September 1, 1993.
Salary
As an intern, your salary will be as follows:
| Base |
Kshs: 9,600 |
| - Taxes |
(Kshs: 1,686) |
| + Rent |
Kshs: 2,000 |
| + Expense allowance |
Kshs: 879 |
| Net pay |
$179 per month |
Medical
Per your commencement date you will be eligible for A.A.R.
Medical Centre Services.
Notice Period
Upon termination of your services, one months prior written
notice or, in lieu of written notice, the payment of not less than one
month’s wages will be required on either side.
Sincerely,
Deanne de Vries
Administrator
Both the administrator and Joseph signed the letter.
- The following is the letter written by
the NCC to Joseph Owade terminating his services. This was also written
on an NCC letterhead, dated January 10, 1997.
Dear Joseph,
Termination of Employment as an Intern in the
Nairobi Church
This letter is to formally inform you that your employment as
an intern in the church will end December 31, 1996 as per my previous
conversations with you on this matter. This decision was not reached
hastily but after many months of prayer and meditation. It was a difficult
decision to make keeping in mind always what was best for you and your
family.
The practice in the International Churches of Christ is for
men to lead side by side with their wives in the full-time ministry. For
many years I made an exception in your case because I knew how much you
wanted to serve God in the ministry, and I also felt Ebby deserved a chance
to rise up and lead with you. The job of an Evangelist requires that one’s
spouse be at a certain spiritual level for such a man to discharge these
duties effectively and properly. Presently I feel it is best for you to
step out of the ministry so that you and Ebby can work side by side
together.
You will receive two months severance pay as per the church
policy employment guidelines. Your tenure as an intern has been awesome
and the church really appreciates the many hours of tireless service you
have given. You have given of yourself in so many different ways and we
will miss your love and devotion on the staff.
My prayer is that God will continue to raise you and Ebby up
as you continue to serve him in the kingdom. I remain your loyal friend
as we continue to advance God’s kingdom together in East Africa.
NCC Evangelist Richard Alawaye signed this letter.
You will note that the dismissal letter clearly states that the problem
was not with Joseph himself but that his wife did not seem to be growing
enough spiritually to come on staff. In the appointment letter, there is
not a word about his wife, yet he was married at the time, and the letter
constituted the legal conditions between Joseph and the church. The letter
does not mention any spiritual conditions to be on staff, so why attempt to
introduce them four years later?
Where in Scripture does it require an evangelist to be married?
Where does it require his wife to be at a certain spiritual level,
and who is to be the judge of that? What criteria would be used, but
the evangelist’s opinion? Where in the Bible is Paul’s wife mentioned?
What about Timothy’s? I believe they were both evangelists. The
evangelist John Kilaha in Nairobi is single! The NCC administrator’s
wife is also not on staff, so why the double standards?
- On January 9, 1997, Joseph wrote a letter
to the church, which he got Richard Alawaye to read out, as follows:
To The Nairobi Christian Church:
I would like to announce that with effect from January 1, 1997,
I ceased to be a member of staff of the NCC A number of you have heard
from different sources about this situation and have had mixed reactions
and a lot of speculations regarding the reasons for this.
I want you to know that I was asked to leave the staff, not
because of personal incompetence or sin on my part, but because my wife is
not in the full time ministry and may not be in the foreseeable future, and
therefore my exceptional status would not be in line with movement
policies of leadership.
I want to thank all my former colleagues on staff for all their
help and input and all the brothers and sisters with whom we’ve worked
together over the years.
Please pray for my wife and me as we continue the search
for God’s chosen role and purpose for our lives.
Joseph signed this letter.
The fact that this letter was read to the congregation by Richard
indicates to me that he was in total agreement with it, and the only reason
Joseph was asked to leave was because of "Movement Policies", not
Biblical ones. All this, from a church that ‘prides’ itself on being
"God’s modern day movement". ["Revolution through Restoration II",
by Kip McKean.]
At the time of joining the full time ministry Joseph had been
preparing to further his education. After his dismissal, he decided to
enroll at the United States International University, Africa. He persuaded
Richard to have the church pay his first year fees since his removal
from the staff was not because of his own shortcomings and, when he was
asked to join the paid ministry, it was not mentioned that his wife had
to join him.
On January 30, 1997, the NCC wrote to the United States International
University-Africa located in Nairobi to inform them that they would pay
Joseph’s fees for one year.
- The following is the letter to USIU-A.
Dear Sir/Madam,
Re: Sponsorship for
Joseph Owade
With regard to the above mentioned, we the Nairobi
Christian Church agree to undertake full payment for his 1997/98
academic year tuition fees.
He is intending to pursue an MA in Counselling Psychology
beginning from spring quarter (March/April 1997).
The said undertaking will be the sum of US$ three thousand
eight hundred (US$3,800).
Yours sincerely,
Richard Alawaye
This letter too bears Alawaye’s signature.
All this took place before Joseph was disfellowshipped and, of
course, before he spoke to the Kenyan Press about his experiences in the
NCC This was also before the church learnt that he and others who had
been disfellowshipped were intending to sue the Church. After paying for
part of the first year, Richard went back on his word and denied that
he had agreed to have the church pay Joseph’s fees. This has left
Joseph struggling to find means to continue funding his education. Read
about Joseph Owade in "Open Letter to
Evangelist Richard Alawaye, Nairobi Christian Church".
- In a letter dated July 21, 1997, the
disfellowshipped groups’ lawyers received a reply from the Church
lawyers, Igeria and Company, directed to Joseph in particular.
Some excerpts of the letter are as follows.
"We have been retained by the Nairobi Christian Church
and are instructed to respond to your letter dated June 26, 1997
addressed to our clients as hereunder"
"As your client is aware it is the Church policy
that all its staff who are employed full time Church ministry work side
by side with their spouses."
"Our client DENIES that it entered into a
contract with your client (Joseph) to pay the sum of US$3,800 to USIU-A
on your client’s behalf. Our client contends that it merely offered
to assist your client with the payment of his tuition
fees"
"However, despite this assistance your client was ungrateful
and did not hesitate his engaging in activities in which he slandered and
defamed our client by making false and unjustified accusations against our
client and its leadership to the press"
Return to Table of Contents
I could go on giving evidence for days of how the NCC mistreats
and deceives the public and its own disciples, but ultimately I’m content
to express whatever I’m convicted about from time to time and trust God
to do the rest. I pray that this message will help all those who wish
to understand more about why the ICC has earned its notorious reputation
world-wide.
I also hope that this will help those souls that have been tortured
in the ICC to realise that they are not alone in their suffering and
encourage them to give voice to whatever disturbs them, and in so doing,
help free others from the paranoia, the unjustified guilt and other
psychological disorders that often plague those who leave the ICC.
[The Discipling Dilemma, Flavil Yeakley]
To date the NCC continues to meet in the neighbourhoods
(house Churches) as me and others continue to speak to the press and
disciples about our experiences.
In his book titled "So You Want To Disciple Someone"
[&169;1995 DPI Books], Michael Taliaferro (the African sector
leader and lead evangelist for the Johannesburg Church of Christ) begins with
the adulation of his discipler Steve Johnson in his dedication (lead
evangelist, New York Church of Christ), and ends with these words:
"In my heart, Steve Johnson is the standard by which
EXCELLENCE is measured".
Go figure.
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©1997 by Lucas Mboya
<lukiemboya@hotmail.com>. All rights reserved.
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