I will tweet as you preach, pastor

The cell phone has watered down the seriousness of churches and not necessarily because some people leave their cell phones on and Mugithi ringtones interrupt concentration during prayers.

People are not only tweeting in church but also taking selfies and uploading them as the service or Mass goes on.

KTN’s Tukuza host Anthony Ndiema (pictured) blames mobile phones for the high divorce rate and parenting crisis.

“Mobile phones majorly impacted the church, relationships and parenting. Couples no longer sit down and talk. People go for dates and takes photos of the coffee instead of talking. It kills the momentum of communication,” he said.

While tweeting in church could be beneficial for people who don’t go to church, Ndiema says that the person behind the tweets could be missing out.

“Sometimes people get carried away and concentrate on the replies and clout brought about by their tweets. While access of information is easier in church, we have gotten addicted to a point we no longer meditate. There is no longer an intimate touch with the Word,” he added.

Prof Okumu Bigambo, a sociologist at Moi University says; “There should be time for human relationships.”

Okumu also encourages churches to invest in more Bibles than browsing through tablets.

“We cannot be sure whether people are really checking for the Bible verses or replying to text messages. The church needs to be firm and maintain a bit of its old school values,” he said.

— Cate Mukei