Waiting in vain for the pastors’ ‘second coming’

By Stella Mwangi

Faithful of a Nakuru church may now know it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for their two departed pastors to come back to life, like Lazarus in the New Testament.

Followers of Kingdom Seekers Fellowship (KSF) church came out on Saturday to attempt a feat no other church may have tried.

Led by the church’s overseer Apostle John William Kimani, they prayed all day in front of coffins containing the bodies of the deceased, hoping they would step out and walk.

Pallbearers carry away the bodies of two pastors after a bid by a church to raise them from the dead failed.

Apostle John William Kimani and other faithful pray over the coffins during the worshippers’ attempt to raise them from the dead.. [PHOTOS: BONIFACE THUKU/STANDARD]

The unprecedented drama palpitated with rising anxiety as the faithful were led by their leaders to believe the dead would sit up.

Coffins were opened at different intervals but only the still, cold silence of dead bodies stared back at pall bearers who were told to close the lid and wait for a ‘miracle’ as more prayers were offered.

Pastor Patrick Wanjohi who was the KSF church assistant pastor and Francis Kamau Ndekei who was Nyahururu lead pastor died on Monday, last week, after a car they were driving in hit a culvert near St Barnabas trading centre along the Nakuru-Nairobi highway. They were rushed to Valley Hospital in Nakuru where pastor Ndekei was pronounced dead on arrival while pastor Wanjohi died later the same day while undergoing treatment.

Refused to bury

But the faithful and their church leaders refused to bury them saying their work on earth was not yet done. The church then decided to hold prayers and to fast for three days, from Thursday, before holding the resurrection prayers believing that they would resurrect on the third day, Saturday. No burial arrangements were made.

"We shall not bury them, we need them back to keep the church strong," Kimani said.

The church compound remained full to the brim, attracting many spectators, some who climbed on trees to try catch a glimpse of the display of the coffins that were surrounded by decorations fit for a wedding.

Nakuru Town MP Lee Kinyanjui attended the occasion, which he later said he had taken for a normal funeral service.

After hours of prayer and singing, Kimani left the podium for Apostle Stephen Bulungi from Uganda.

"The gospel asks the righteous to go forth and preach the good word, heal the sick, give sight to the blind, clean the lepers, cast out demons and raise the dead," Bulungi said.

The widow of pastor Ndekei was among the church leaders as she clung to her husband’s coffin praying for a miracle.

There was anxiety as the skies opened and a heavy downpour drenched the mourners. This however did not stop them from praying, as they knelt. After the rain subsided the leaders took to the podium and announced their fellow pastors were still dead.

Still asleep

"For now the bodies of our brothers are still asleep but we still believe that God raises the dead. We are not a cult as many will claim. We have agreed to bury them," pastor Kimani said.

Those who had gathered at Nakuru Kingdom Seekers Fellowship Church left drenched and confused as the bodies were returned to Valley Hospital mortuary. They are expected to be buried on Thursday at the Nakuru North Cemetery.

But Apostle Kimani clung to hope yesterday as he said, "We have made arrangements for any eventuality, if they resurrect then God’s word will have come to pass."

However, the church leaders will have to be careful not to break the law as police in Nakuru yesterday cautioned them against what they called ‘mishandling of dead bodies.’

"We have to caution them not to continue mishandling the dead. I will also consult the law to find out what charges can be preferred against them," said local police commander Johnstone Ipara.