Ushindi - PNNE Struggle to find Solution amid Church crisis
Elder David Stoner, the Presbytery of Northern New England (PNNE) moderator, addresses guests who turned up for a meeting to discuss critical matters that have come up in the Kenyan Community Presbyterian church ( Ushindi) last Sunday in Lowell. Pic by H.Maina/Ajabu Media |
by Harrison Maina, Ajabu Africa News, posted MAR 3, 2011
LOWELL, Ma._Revelations of massive financial misconduct, new sexual abuse allegations and misrepresentations to the congregation surfaced during Sunday’s urgent meeting called by the presbytery of Northern New England (PNNE) in an effort to avert further crisis at the embattled Kenyan Community Presbyterian church in Lowell.
The meeting was attended by close to a dozen PNNE officials joined by about 60 Ushindi church members including many in the previous church board and the current one, that has been deemed null and void for violation voting rules.
Among those in the current board to attend the meeting included Sam Thiongo, the chairman of the men’s fellowship, Peter Ngaruiya, the treasurer, Phyllis Ngariuya the chairlady of the women’s fellowship and Deborah Mwathi, the secretary of the church session and clerk of the Ushindi Incorporated.
However, members of the new board sat quietly in the back of the crowd for less than 20 minutes before some of them left without contributing to the conversation.
Speaking during the opening remarks of the meeting, Rev. Stephen Quinlan, who served as the lead prosecutor for PNNE during the sex abuse trial held last fall in Bedford, NH, said that PNNE still considers the Kenyan Community Presbyterian church (Ushindi) located in Lowell as one of their affiliate churches that they are responsible for overseeing despite the denial by Dr. Mumbui Karimi and the newly elected church board.
Rev. Quinlan, who is also PNNE's chairman of the Committee on Ministry, a group responsible for pastoral and congregational oversight was accompanied by several other officials from the presbytery.
Among them was Attorney Roy S. McCandles, the a lawyer representing the presbytery, stated clerk of the PNNE, Dr. Clifford L. Creel, Rev. Peggi K. Boyce, Vice Moderator of the Presbytery of Northern New England, Elder Darryl Johnson, Chairman of Presbytery Council - the highest deliberative body within the presbytery, and the PNNE Moderator, Elder David Stoner.
The officials said that there was no disagreement that Ushindi church is a corporation registered in Massachusetts under state law, but it “still lays within the jurisdiction of the PNNE as an oversight body under the church law”.
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They added that in the US, there was a clear line of separation between church and state and therefore churches affiliated with the PNNE and lie in the states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts, including Lowell, had a binding duty to comply to the stated PCUSA church law.
“The Ushindi fellowship began as a small group worshiping in this church we are today (Eliot Presbyterian Church in Lowell) and was willfully enrolled as an official PNNE fellowship in 2005.” said Rev. Quinlan to a hushed crowd of Ushindi members.
Quinlan said that due to the new affiliation, PNNE agreed to sponsor Dr. Mumbui's application for permanent resident status with the US immigration authorities.
PNNE officials said that Ushindi church has indeed been using the same Tax -exempt number issued to all Presbyterian churches in the USA for discounted prices while making church related purchases especially when organizing seminars.
Ushindi church has also been paying an annual pa Capita fee to PNNE as required for all affiliated churches to fund operations.
Rev. Quinlan added that the Presbytery has tried to intervene using various means possible to solve the problems at the church that emanated from the reported sexual abuse but has been very frustrated by Karimi, forcing them to resort to using the media to mobilize Ushindi members to a forum where they could freely discuss without intimidation and get the truth of the matter out.
“We are very saddened by this whole situation. We would have preferred to solve the problems in a more private manner but it has been made impossible by Dr.Mumbui”.
He clarified that by denouncing his affiliation with PNNE, Dr. Mumbui effectively abandoned his sex abuse appeal at the Synod, meaning the earlier ruling of conviction still stands, and is thus not authorized to be back as pastor of Ushindi church under any circumstances.
The meeting invitation was extended through Ajabu Africa News and the Lowell Sun after the officials were previously barred from addressing the Ushindi church members by Dr. Karimi, threatening them with trespass charges.
Dr. Anthony Karimi Mumbui |
Quinlan, together with the other PNNE officials, said that they were very disheartened by the many other sex abuse accusations against Dr. Mumbui that have reached them after the initial case came up.
Kenyans present and Ajabu bloggers also said that Dr. Mumbui committed similar incidents in other states including Kansas and Georgia. Ajabu Africa News however could not verify the accusations.
Reliable sources say that Dr. Mumbui lived in Kansas in the early 2000s during his pastoral studies.
They advised the victims to seek help from the police regardless of their immigration status since some of the accusations are "horrifying and could be criminal in nature".
Saying that it has now became clear that Dr. Mumbui used his power and church authority to abuse vulnerable women and young girls, Rev. Quinlan said that the police are usually helpful and will listen to anybody without fear of reprisal for immigration issues.
“Paul said when one hand hurts, the whole body hurts”, said Rev. Peggi K. Boyce, Vice Moderator of the Presbytery of Northern New England, giving an emotional testimony of how she immigrated to this country many years ago and feels very hurt by what other Kenyan immigrant women are going through.
“We are all really hurting. Our women are hurting, our sisters are hurting, our children are hurting .We ask the presbytery to help us get a solution to this problem since we are all bothers and sisters and would like to live in peace with one another”, said Joshua Wanganga.
“You as the presbytery have an obligation to help us to solve this problem to the end since it is clear Ushindi church has been under your oversight. You could also be sued if you do not live up to this task”, challenged Peter Gathogo, boldly challenging the PNNE officials.
Other members us Ushindi church said similar allegations as are today existed when the church broke up 3 years ago when, after a draining court battle, 10 members of the board quit after disagreements with Dr. Karimi on how to handle church finances and the sex abuse rumors that were putting the church into bad light within the close- knit Kenyan community where bad news spread like bush fire.
The 10 members went on to found the new PCEA Imani church, also in Lowell.
Reliable sources say that after the breakup, the board members returned about $150,000 in church savings to the Ushindi church, unlike other situations where, after the collapse of some Kenyan community churches, existing funds donated by members to purchase church buildings have disappeared into thin air, enriching a few people at the expense of the others, and never to be recovered.
“We are very sorry that we never listened to you Imani people before when you raised the same issues we have today”, said Ezekiel Kamau, a former Mumbui supporter who has now boldly defected together with scores of other young and old people to what he termed as “siding with the truth that will always prevail”.
Several PCEA Imani members were present at the open invitation meeting led by the then treasurer, James Mbuthi. They acknowledged the apologies and wished Ushindi church a quick way to resolve the current crisis.
Reliable sources say that since the breakup, Dr. Karimi amended his relationship with PCEA Imani church leaders and has worshipped there occasionally especially recently when he was barred from Ushindi by PNNE, before his controversial return.
"Ushindi church should not break up again", says Ezekiel Kamau |
“We do not want our church to keep breaking up all the time. We all need to come together and do something to protect the church and we request you guys at the presbytery to use any necessary means to get this done”, added the emotionally charged Kamau, saying that no one wants another confrontation at the church as “we are all God fearing people”.
Other members present, both male and female expressed similar sentiments but Karimi supporters remained mute throughout.
Impregnable Defense
Brainstorming on what means they could use to remove Dr. Karimi from the church after he forcefully injected himself back on January 24, worshippers were dismayed to learn that even a restraining order may not work as Dr. Karimi had already, unbeknownst to members, the board and even PNNE, signed to extend a lease for the church building at 450 Chelmsford st Suite 16 under his name as the legal agent on file.Continue to page 2 >>
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