This week, Nairobi hosted Rhema Feast, a major Christian gathering that brought together believers from Kenya and beyond for worship, prayer, fellowship, and opportunity to hear from some of Africa’s most influential preachers.
Such gatherings are intended not only to strengthen individual faith but also inspire positive transformation in the communities to which participants return. Yet, alongside the enthusiasm, there has been considerable criticism and debate among younger voices.
It would be easy for the Church to dismiss these reactions as hostility towards Christianity or simply as online noise. But perhaps there is value in listening. Beneath the criticism may lie genuine questions about the Church, religious leadership, money, authenticity, accountability, and the relevance of faith to the everyday struggles of a younger generation.
Frustrations with religion are often less about rejecting God or spirituality and more about questioning how religion is practised, represented, and institutionalised. We must always remember that there is a generation that has grown up with unprecedented access to information.
They can listen to a sermon in Nairobi and, before the preacher has left the pulpit, search the claims being made, examine the preacher’s history, compare interpretations of Scripture and participate in an online discussion about what they have heard. Authority is therefore no longer accepted merely because someone occupies a pulpit or carries a religious title. For them, credibility must be demonstrated.
One recurring frustration is hypocrisy and inconsistency among some leaders. Young people quickly notice when religious leaders preach integrity, humility, sexual morality, justice or generosity but appear to live differently. The same generation is uncomfortable with judgment without compassion. They resist religious environments where people feel condemned before they are heard, particularly when dealing with relationships, identity, mistakes, mental health and difficult personal circumstances.
They are also asking difficult questions. Why does God allow suffering? Why do Christians disagree so strongly among themselves? Why are societies that profess deep religious faith still struggling with corruption, injustice, tribalism, inequality and poor leadership? What does Scripture say about unemployment, economic exclusion and injustice?
Simply telling an inquisitive generation to “have faith” may not satisfy a young person genuinely trying to reconcile what is preached on Sunday with what they experience from Monday to Saturday. Money is another uncomfortable part of the conversation. Constant emphasis on giving, fundraising, prosperity and material blessing can create distrust, particularly among young people struggling to find employment.
When religious leaders appear extraordinarily prosperous while their congregations struggle to meet basic needs, questions will inevitably arise. Those questions should not automatically be interpreted as rebellion against God. They may instead be questions about stewardship, accountability and the example expected of Christian leadership.
Society will not be rebuilt by one generation alone. It will be rebuilt when boomers, millennials and Gen Z choose to listen to one another, confront what is broken and work together to restore what has been lost. The Church, with Christ as its head, must lead that work—not by defending its image, but by embodying its message in the transformation of society.
- The writer is an advocate of the High Court
