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By:
HARRISON MAINA | |||||||||
| Posted:
Mar,13-2017 15:33:52
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BOSTON--The Kenyan community in the south shore area of Boston congregated last Sunday at the Grace Anglican church in Bridgewater to bid farewell to the family of Lenny Kimani, an active church member who is relocating back to the motherland with his wife and young son. Kimani, who initially arrived in USA back in 2001 in search of a better life, is one among about 60 members of the former All Saints Community church Quincy who were ejected by their former pastor Rev. Fredrick Thanji over disagreements related to a proposed new church governing constitution and retiring pastor succession. When the church crisis found its way to the Norfolk superior Court in Dedham, Kimani was one of the members who testified over several days in the summer of last year. The suing group's case was dismissed over limitations of the First amendment of the US Constitution barring civil courts from intruding into the internal governance of hierarchical churches, and the manner in which the suit was filed. The judge urged both parties to go back and negotiate a compromise in good faith. However, as soon as the suite ended, the group of 60 members and 65 of their children were officially kicked off the church premises when the pastor filed a restraining order preventing them from returning from the church they had contributed to build and pay off a close to $1.5 million church building and children's center mortgage. Due to the complicated nature of the order, the group was left holding their Sunday worship services under a tree outside the church building throughout the summer, but was not sustainable once the cold fall and winter season hit. It was at that point when a concerned Anglican church in Bridgewater offered the group to share their premises located at 1095 South Street. Since then, the group has been holding regular Sunday services starting from 12 noon to 2pm until the dispute with their church is settled in one way or the other. "I am so happy to go back home with the knowledge that our church we fought so hard for has a place to worship. I am happy that our kids now have a place to meet for their Sunday school after they were kicked off from their other premises in Quincy. I thank God for all this that is happening," said Kimani while delivering a thank you note after prayers for him and his wife, June and son. "I will never forget all the support and friendship all of you have shown to our family. We thank you very much for that. We will stay in touch through whatapp and other social media," added the father of one who also led Sunday school kids at the former All Saints church and now the Grace Anglican church. Kimani caused a light moment when he revealed that his wife had made him spend a lot of time purchasing furnishings for a "Diaspora room" where any Diaspora based friend visiting the motherland can sleep in at their newly built family home in Nanyuki, near the base of Mt. Kenya. The church pastor, Rev. Dorcas Abreletch thanked Kimani and his family for their relentless support and service to the church. She urged them never to cease medicating on the word o God even when they return to the motherland. "Don't stop on meditating on the word of God everyday and find a good church to serve at when you return back home. If you don't, you will find a lot of other things to pre-occupy your mind which may not be all that good to you and who you are," pastor Dorcas advised. She wished the family a happy and successful time while back I the motherland, but cautioned them that if things don't pan out as planned, they are always welcome back to America. During the vote of thanks, David Karumwa, one of the church elders, praised Kimani for this ethics as a hard worker and wished him even more success when he returns back home. 
"I know you as a very hard working man who has a lot of ideas. If you could succeed in America the way you did, I am pretty sure you will also succeed while in Kenya," said Karumwa. Rev. Agness Kuria, another pastor who serves at the church also helped coordinate the service attended by Kenyans from as far as Worcester and the Northshore. The event was attended by close to 80 people who included Kenyans and several Americans invited by various friends. "My main goal is to have my four year old son meet his great grand parents from both sides. I will then take time to learn what’s going on in Kenya, then implement what I have learned here and in Botswana where in lived for four years before immigrating to the US," Kimani told Ajabu Africa News. "In the meantime, I will be more than happy to wake up every morning and have a cup of tea with my wife relaxing at the slopes of Mount Kenya," the clearly excited soon to be Diaspora returnee added as he prepared to jet off tomorrow Sunday March 5th, after 20 years of life outside his motherland. | |||||||||
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Source:
AJABU AFRICAN NEWS
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