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By:
HARRISON MAINA | |||||||||
| Posted:
Jun,17-2016 20:44:48
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BOSTON--Recent claims by Rev. Paul Mwaniki of the St. James Community church in Attleboro that a letter from retiring Kenyan Archbishop Eliud Wabukala tabled at the Norfolk Superior court during arguments regarding the structure to follow by Kenyan Diaspora churches in USA wishing to affiliate with the Anglican Church of Kenya was fake has turned out inaccurate, even as the disputing sides prepare to return to the church Tuesday next week. According to a copy of the email now obtained by Ajabu Media, the letter originated from the head office of the Anglican church of Kenya and signed by "The Most Reverend Dr. Eliud Wabukala, Primate of Kenya and Bishop, All Saints Nairobi Cathedral Diocese."
Dr. Wabukala, who is stepping down this month to retire, is the top leader of the Kenyan Anglican Communion with over 4 million members. He will be replaced by the newly elected Bishop Jackson Ole Sapit from the ACK Kericho diocese. However, according to the letter the Archbishop had recently (May 21, 2016) written to all the Bishops and Clergy of the Anglican church of Kenya, and the Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, the Anglican Church of Kenya did not have any other way to recognize any Kenyan community Anglican church in USA or Canada wishing to be affiliated with the bigger Kenyan Anglican communion, other than being members of the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA). "The Anglican church of Kenya has recognized the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and expects all Kenyan Parishes in the United States and Canada to be part of the ACNA," read the brief letter produced by Bishop Murdoch in court. "Since the formation and recognition of the ACNA, Kenya has no other mechanism for recognition of Kenyan Anglican churches in North America other than for them to be part of the ACNA," the letter concludes. See letter below.
ACNA has a local affiliate in the New England region (Anglican Diocese of New England) headed by Bishop Murdock. Testifying before the court, Bishop Murdock said that he had revoked the licenses for the two Kenyan community clergymen to operate their churches under the Anglican Church of Kenya in New England when they refused to comply with the requirements of the ADNA. However, speaking to Ajabu Africa News at the court following bishop Murdoch's testimony, Rev, Mwaniki, who said he was attending the proceedings as the "eyes of my Bishop",-- Bishop Julius Wanyoike of the Thika Diocese--who had been mentioned in the proceedings, had cast doubts on the authenticity of the letter. Rev. Mwaniki and Rev. Thanji both claim affiliation with the Anglican Church of Kenya though it's smaller Diocese of Thika, representing the region that both clergymen hail from.
According to Rev. Mwaniki, Bishop Murdoch had no business revoking his license o that of Rev. Thanji to run their churches as if they were affiliated to the Anglican church of Kenya and doubted the source of the email from Wabukala. "I made calls in Kenya and I can tell you for sure that Wabukala did not write that letter. It is suspicious where it came from," Mwaniki told Ajabu Africa News without elaborating on whom he had called at the ACK offices in Kenya for the info that now proves inaccurate. During the hearing phase of the dispute, the defense attorney had urged Judge Jeffery Locke to dismiss the litigation brought by a section of the church membership against efforts by Rev. Thanji on the basis of the first Amendment that bars Massachusetts courts from interfering with affairs of hierarchical religious organizations affiliated with bigger mother structures. The defendant also claimed that the suit was wrongly brought as members suing were not the owners or directors of the All Saints Community Church Inc., a religious non- profit incorporated in the state of Massachusetts. However, the plaintiff's attorney maintained that the All Saints church was not a hierarchical church at all as it was not affiliated with the Anglican church of Kenya as claimed by Rev. Thanji, thus providing a loophole that the court could use to get involved in settling the dispute. Efforts by the defense to claim that there was a partnership agreement by the All Saints Community church with the Anglican Diocese of Thika led by Bishop Wanyoike did not seem to make an impact to counter the letter from archbishop Wabukala, who is technically Bishop Wanyoike's superior in the ACK hierarchy.
Similar, efforts by the defense to have the court delay hearings in order to allow Bishop Wanyoike flyer from Kenya to testify before the court of the alleged affiliation fell flat when the judge ignored the request, suggesting it was not necessary anymore at that point in the litigation process. After listening to testimonies from both sides of the dispute, Judge Locke declined to make a decision, fearing that whichever way he rules with cause irreparable harm to the losing party. However, since the two disputing parties expressed their desire to find an amicable compromise in lieu of a devastating court decision, judge Locke gave the, an extra three weeks to reach a compromise, failure to which he will be forced to make a painful decision that could go either way. Currently, the two sides have been deadlocked on who will be the 9th person to act as a tie breaker when four negotiators elected by each side to a pastor search committee that will seek a new pastor to succeed Rev. Fredrick Thanji, as well as elect 5 new church council members to replace those who had quit in protest last December gets to vote this Sunday. The result of the expected elections and any compromises that may be reached to end the bitter dispute is expected to be brought before the judge Locke on Tuesday 9am. As a Superior court judge, Locke has presided over many high profile cases, among them the murder trial of the former New England Patriot's player, Aaron Hernandez. | |||||||||
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Source:
AJABU AFRICA NEWS
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