"People of faith in Kenya today are called upon to do everything possible to be part of the healing," WARC General Secretary Setri Nyomi told the leaders during a Bible Study at the General Administration Committee meeting of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa at Chogoria.
More than 1,200 were killed and 300,000 uprooted when Kenya, formerly regarded as a bulwark of democracy and economic development in turbulent Africa, descended into ethnic bloodshed and violence after the disputed 2007 elections.
Nyomi warned Christians not to put their ethnic identity above their Christian identity as the people of God.
"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," he said.
In his 16-20 April visit, Nyomi met representatives of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa and the Reformed Church of East Africa who embraced his challenge to the two Churches to pool their resources for the healing and reconciliation of the country. Nyomi believes that the two Churches can pave the way for a process of healing and reconciliation because of their existing work in communities which have found themselves on opposite sides of the ethnic conflict.
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. During a visit to one of the camps for internally displaced persons in Eldoret, where around 30 men, women and children died when the church they were locked inside of was set on fire, Nyomi also had the opportunity to speak with young people and adults affected by the violence.The churches in Kenya have a major challenge in this era.
Setri Nyomi, head of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki unveiled the new power-sharing cabinet on Sunday, announcing his political rival Raila Odinga as prime minister and solving months of civil unrest and political deadlock.
Nyomi pointed to the responsibility of the churches to help in the reconciliation process.
"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."
