By Kepher Otieno
Haggard faces gaze at you as you walk through the expansive compound. All the men and women are chained, giving one the impression that they are prisoners. But they are not. They are people with mental illnesses who have been brought to this church in Kisumu for divine healing.
When Sunday Magazine recently visited the church, we found 60 men and women waiting for divine healing. Thirty-five others had just been discharged a week previously and more were streaming in, escorted by relatives, parents and friends.
Father Pesa talks to church faithful. He says only those with faith in God can be healed.
This is the Holy Ghost Coptic Church, in Kisumu. Founded by Father John Pesa 1, the church has gained a reputation for healing the sick.
Father Pesa says he has chosen to serve the poor while other churches scramble for the rich.
"I have dedicated a lot of my time to assisting poor people who may be suffering from various ailments," he says.
Mentally ill people form the bulk of those ailing.
"I have not chained them for nothing," Father Pesa asserts. "They are here until their madness is no more. Some people doubt my powers but I ignore them. The truth is that it works and will continue to work."
The witty manner in which he invokes his spiritual powers and the annual dramatic procession through Kisumu town streets have won him countless followers.
Each patient is ushered into a private room adjacent to the main church.
The rooms are all furnished, carpeted and decorated with a bouquet of flowers and Father Pesa’s portrait on the wall. Each room can hold 10 people.
Father Pesa, who claims to have been born in 1852 despite his national ID stating he is 56, visits the rooms accompanied by 10 bishops and assistant pastors. The pastors probe the people streaming in to discover what problems they are facing.
Divine intervention
Apparently, healing is reserved for those who believe in God. The welcoming message at the gate to the church is clear: "If you believe in God you are welcome, if you don’t, you are welcome to visit."
Father Pesa says followers’ receive their healing based on their convictions.
"Those who believe that God exists and seek divine intervention with a free and devoted heart, get healed but the doubtful receive their miracle when they erase their suspicion," he says.
As patients kneel before him, he holds up their hands with their palms open. Father Pesa then blows into their palms, and the patients fall to the ground slackly.
Clad in a white robe, and a white cap, Father Pesa conducts his prayers silently. He does not utter a single word while conducting the prayers. We learn this is procedural.
The three patients he is attending to part with a token after the prayers. Father Pesa places the token on an empty seat besides him.
People from all walks of life flock here for prayers and Father Pesa has mastered the art of preaching.
He says a number of highly ranked government officials including ministers, and parastatal chiefs have visited his church. He therefore dismisses rumours doing rounds in the community that his church is engaged in suspicious dealings.
"Big men have been here and none of them has ever complained about our undertakings," says Father Pesa.
Nyanza Provincial Police boss Anthony Kibuchi is in agreement. He says so long as the relatives, friends or families of the sick are not complaining, police have no problem with the sect’s private engagements.
Security threat
"That is church fanatism and it does not pose any security threats," says Kibuchi. "Unless their activities were criminal then we would have reason to effect arrests as stated by law".
He adds that his office was not aware of any crimes against humanity at the church.
Recently, he stunned his congregation when he appeared with two police officers in tow.
He said he was making his first reappearance in public after receiving death threats from unknown people, and said the officers were for protection.
"I want to assure my assailants that I am duly protected by God and the men in blue you see here," he told the congregation.
Father Pesa says the best way to scare his enemies is by sending a strong signal that he has tight security.
"Now if they dare to make good their threats they know the consequences," he says as the 10 bearded bishops seated around him nod in the affirmative.
Investigation
Kibuchi says the matter of the death threats was reported to his office and was under investigation.
"We are trying to close in on suspects," he explains. "We have short text messages (SMS) sent to his cell phone."
We establish that the officers spent the entire day at the church carrying out investigations.
As a sign of reverence, the faithful address Father Pesa as ‘Baba’ as they bow before him.
They also give him a one-finger salute as they chant "holy cop". He responds with the words "holy Coptic," flashing back the same one-finger salute.
Seated a few metres from Father Pesa in a fairly dark room, a bishop asked me to salute Father Pesa.
I quickly asked why.
"An yie ayieya omera ibiro bedo ngama duong kabisa. Ket mana geno ni (please just accept to flash the one-finger salute because very soon, you will be eminent persons," the bishop, who later identified himself as Ainje Odhiambo, roared back.
Having little regard for superstition, I just smiled and down played the issue.
"We help people here my brother. So many eminent persons out there have passed through this place," the bishop tried to persuade me.
I was curious to find out who these persons were. But Bishop Odhiambo would not budge. He says it is against the doctrines of the church to divulge details of its faithful without their consent.