April 22, 2008

Be part of the healing of your nation, Reformed Christians from two Kenyan churches were urged during a recent visit by Setri Nyomi, the general secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC).

"People of faith in Kenya today are called upon to do everything possible to be part of the healing," Nyomi said during a Bible Study for 400 leaders attending the General Administration Committee meeting of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa at Chogoria.

Reflecting on recent events in Kenya in which more than 1,200 people lost their lives during post-election violence, Nyomi indicated that it was a challenge for every Christian to value their Christian identity over their ethnic identity.

"Any time that we let our ethnic identity or any other characteristics take the place of our identity as the people of God, we are yielding to the temptation the biblical people of Israel were warned about – making ethnic entity into a god to be worshipped."

Nyomi was in Kenya from 16 to 20 April meeting with the Presbyterian Church of East Africa and the Reformed Church of East Africa. He challenged the leaders of the two churches to bring their resources together for the healing and reconciliation of the country. They accepted the challenge.

The two churches work in communities which have found themselves on opposite sides of the violent conflicts taking place in Kenya since the disputed 2007 elections, therefore Nyomi believes their collaboration will go a long way towards setting up a process of healing and reconciliation.

Nyomi was briefed by senior officials of the All Africa Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches of Kenya and the Africa Peace Forum. He also visited one of the camps for internally displaced persons in Eldoret and spoke with young people and adults affected by the violence.

His visit coincided with the swearing in of the new cabinet of the government of Kenya, which came about as a result of the power sharing agreement brokered by the former United Nations general secretary, Kofi Anan.

"The churches in Kenya have a major challenge in this era," Nyomi said upon his return to Geneva. "The power sharing and the addressing of injustices has begun. The churches have a responsibility to accompany the process in a manner that holds political leaders accountable.

"Beyond that, they have an even greater responsibility – to address the deeps hurts and wounds that have surfaced as a result of the recent violence, and their underlying causes.

"That work of healing and reconciliation has to be taken up by people in the religious communities, and I pray that our member churches, the Presbyterian Church of East Africa and the Reformed Church of East Africa, will be among those who take this task seriously."

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) brings together 75 million Reformed Christians in 214 churches in 107 countries – united in their commitment to making a difference in a troubled world. The WARC general secretary is Rev. Dr. Setri Nyomi of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana. WARC's secretariat is based in Geneva, Switzerland.

World Alliance of Reformed Churches