What is the connection between churches and poverty? Why are churches and radical evangelicals who purport to be miracle workers mostly found in the poorest neighborhoods in Kenya?
This is the hot topic that lawyer Soyinka Lempaa addressed in one of his posts on his social media. Here is what Mr. Lempaa said:
“There is a clear correlation between the church in Africa and poverty.
In Kenya this is not very far to seek. Sample this; Driving from Githurai 45 roundabout through Mwihoko to bypass you find over 200 churches..At least on either side of the road..
This is replicated by following the Southern bypass. Between Membly and Ruunda this is the situation. There are a number of churches from Membly to Thome. Most of them for the established churches like PCEA and ACK on both sides of the road.
When you get to Maroroi towards Githogoro, you start seeing so many ministries and worship centers with all manner of names..Some of them makeshifts or ramshackle. Never mind that most of them are international ministries!
These centers have replaced the cross as the traditional symbol of the church. What you find are pictures of a wife and a husband or Mpango wa Kando!
When you proceed towards Runda you find no churches or ministries . What does this tell you? Believing in miracles increases with one level of income or poverty !
When I left Nairagie Enkare in 1994 to come look for money in Nairobi I left only 4 churches, . Today from Junction to the shopping center we have over 50 churches. Don’t talk about population increase as most of those churches are half full!
Meru lady refuses to give tithe, offerings to church; Builds poor neighbour Sh. 300k house instead
The same pattern is discernible in our television channels. You scroll down your television channels and you would be surprised by the number of channels with pastors begging for money on Mpesa..
Such channels cannot be allowed in developing countries. There are clear checks on these outfits to make sure that they do not exploit the masses spiritually..
If you go to first world countries like England where I have stayed across all seasons you find very few churches . This is also true about Netherlands where I have visited..
The theory being that when you are less oppressed you have more belief in your capabilities to solve your immediate problems and meeting your pressing needs.
When you are disinherited you are more likely to lose hope and peg your survival on metaphysical prayers and miracles . You have surrendered your fate to the unknown..
This situation is exacerbated when the political elite captures this desperation as a source of getting political support by posing in churches holding the bible as source of their blessings…
They team up with the elite politicians who stay in Runda but their churches are in informal settlement where desperate people give them tithes with a hope of it being doubled by God of Shadrack, Mershack and Abednego.”
