Do men of God need degrees?

A city cleric has weighed in on the debate that all clerics should acquire university degrees before being allowed on the pulpit.

Samuel Njiriri, the lead pastor at Stewards Revival Pentecostal Church says preaching is a calling hence churches should be left to regulate themselves.

“Education is good for all of us but it should not be made mandatory for preachers because preaching is a calling,” Njiriri explained.

“In fact, the Apostles did not have any certificates, and looking at it critically, those who have been accused of subjecting their followers to wrong teachings of the Bible are learned,” he added. 

The chairman of the Federation of Evangelical and Indigenous Churches says it is the responsibility of the government to crack the whip on wayward preachers instead of generalizing everything.

The degree debate was ignited by Mombasa-based bishop, Daniel Wandabula who said acquiring the academic documents would prevent worshipers from being exposed to rogue clerics.

The debate on the regulations of churches re-emerged following the Shakahola deaths in Kilif County. Close to 400 bodies have been collected from Shakahola forest where they are believed to be members of the Good News International church belonging to Paul Makenzi.

In May 2023, President William Ruto instituted a 17-member task force to review legal and regulatory frameworks governing religious organizations in Kenya.

The team was tasked to identify gaps that have allowed extremist and cultic religious organizations to thrive in the country and formulate a legal framework preventing radical religious entities from operating.